THOUGHTS ON STAYING COOL IN THE DESERT......

WORKING ON PLAN "B", WHICH IS TO SPEND THE SUMMER HERE ON THE LOWER MOHAVE DESERT, THE FIRST CHALLENGE IS STAYING COOL.

THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS. THE FIRST IN AN EVAPORATOR COOLER, COMMONLY CALLED A SWAMP COOLER. THIS FAN SETS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW AND DRAWS AIR FROM THE OUTSIDE THROUGH BIG WET PADS. AS THE AIR PASSES, EVAPORATION CAUSES THE AIR TO COOL AND IT'S BLOWN INTO THE TRAILER.

THIS METHOD IS INEXPENSIVE REQUIRING ONLY AN ELECTRIC MOTOR TO TURN THE BIG SQUIRREL CAGE FAN. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IN EXTREME HEAT (110 DEGREES) IT JUST DOESN'T CUT IT. ALSO DURING THE MONSOON SEASON WITH ALL THE HUMIDITY, IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO WORK, TOO HOT AND STICKY.

OPTION NUMBER TWO, IS AIR CONDITIONING. THE ROOF TOP AIR CONDITIONER IN THE TRAILER IS DESIGNED TO LOWER THE TEMPERATURE 20 DEGREES COMPARED TO THE OUTSIDE TEMP. SO SITTING IN THE FULL SUN AT 120 DEGREES, IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE 100 DEGREES INSIDE?

THAT LEADS TO A SECOND AIR CONDITIONER FOR THE BEDROOM. FOUND A NICE PORTABLE, CLASSY UNIT AT LOWES, EVEN HAS A TIMER THAT WE COULD SET TO COME ON AN HOUR BEFORE WE CAME HOME FROM WORK.

THAT LEADS TO THE NEXT PROBLEM. WITH 30 AMP ELECTRICAL SERVICE IN THE CAMPER, THERE ISN'T ENOUGH JUICE TO RUN TWO AIR CONDITIONERS. HMMM.... SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A TRAILER WITH 50 AMP SERVICE. WAIT, I'LL JUST RUN AN EXTENSION CORD FROM THE SECOND A/C DIRECT TO THE CAMPGROUND ELECTRICAL PEDESTAL.

THAT SHOULD DO IT, RIGHT? OH NO, ANOTHER DETAIL, HOW MUCH POWER WILL THE TWO A/C'S USE DURING THE MONTH, AFTER ALL WE ARE STILL PAYING .14 A CLICK. I ASKED ONE OF THE PERMANENT RESIDENTS AND HE SAID HE RAN TWO A/C'S THE FIRST YEAR HE STAYED AND THE ELECTRIC WAS $300 A MONTH, AND THAT WAS BACK BEFORE POWER WENT UP 45% IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND THAT DETAIL TAKES US BACK TO USING A SWAMP COOLER. SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN GOING IN CIRCLES ON PLAN "B".