VAN LIFE - How To Beat The HEAT (without AC) // S05E06

[@KombiLife]

► *NEXT EPISODE // DRIVING AROUND THE WORLD SERIES:* kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2WapWyZhsSlrbs

[@flynnandres9533]

I know I am kinda randomly asking but do anyone know a good website to stream new movies online?

[@ellisclyde9137]

@Flynn Andres I dunno I would suggest Flixportal. Just search on google for it :P -ellis

[@flynnandres9533]

@Ellis Clyde Thanks, signed up and it seems like a nice service :D Appreciate it !!

[@ellisclyde9137]

@Flynn Andres glad I could help xD

[@rondogwil]

I agree, fantastic fans are the best. Especially with the extra cover over them so they can be used in the rain. Every RV should have at least one. Love your videos. Be safe!

[@georgealexandru5794]

here`s a tip - install the sun blockers on the outside of the windows, so they don`t get hot whilst inside

[@roynov01]

This episode feels so professional and well made for some reason

[@finleyheritage8412]

That's because it is

[@overlandteahouse1273]

Just a few words after some summers in Baja. Use reflective stuff on the outside of the windows/van.. you can do the same thing you were doing with magnets on the inside but mount on the outside of the doors and body. So much heat absorbs into the metal and once inside the van windows not all of the sun rays escape back out. Also there is an RV top paint that is made to greatly decrease solar absorption. I forget the name but a friend had it on his Chinook.

[@dalvinadiaz8718]

I loved that correction, " blessed, not lucky"!! Aaaaaamen to that☝️❣

[@jacobholland5864]

Couple tips learned from camping in the Outback is this: get a small water bottle with a spray nozzle on it (similar to a cleaning bottle). Fill it with water and ice (and maybe a little cooling gel used for burns) and spray that on your body in conjunction with a battery powered hand fan. Also drink electrolyte powder such as powerade, with ice and lots of water, especially in a thin metal cup. This keeps you brilliantly hydrated and you can press the cold cup on your skin.

[@micheltebraake7915]

14:35, I had such a mosquito storm once with the motorbike. Always nice to see the Netherlands through the eyes of a foreigner, nice trip.

[@tomb.8485]

My friend had a golden retriever. They could throw a tennis ball sized rock into the lake and the dog would jump in the lake and go down eight feet and get that exact rock. The lake was clear, but still an amazing feat.

[@chrisreynolds7164]

Suggest you give some thought to the air conditioner you will need to be able to cope with the way hotter temps you will encounter in the Tropics and Central Australia, Melbourne even. Suggest an inverter generator,and small domestic air con = sleep at night.

[@JonTanOsb]

Cool down tip: Freeze grapes. You can eat them frozen or put them in a drink for no diluting cooling, plus a snack after. :) Jon in rural BC, Canada (arid desert temps 30-46 C in Aug.)

[@hsgjkhagljkh]

I just spent a week in my van in 90+ summer weather in Colorado. UV rays at high altitudes are no joke! One day I was totally in shade, with a huge fan, wearing ice-cold cloths. But the sun was SO INTENSE, I was sunburned and felt really sick by sundown! Turns out grass reflects sun rays and my canopy wasn't UV proof. Major lessons learned.

[@TOYOTA.Overland]

I remember "triangular windows" on Lada cars during my childhood. It is a great ventilation during drive. Safety was no problem, but it was easy way for thieves. Best can be tilt front window, like old army Trucks.

[@lilburro3]

Cool towel on the wrists cools the blood (and body) much faster and efficiently.

[@ITSFISHIMITSUBISHI]

Hey Ben & Leah. Thanks for posting great vids! Pro tip for keeping laptops cool is to power off, remove the battery and regularly (every few months) blast the dust out the heat fins & fan. It can built up over time like a thick carpet and cause temps to get high. I prefer to always keep mine below 80°C so if it's getting up to 90°C or more I'd highly reccomend cleaning it out. If the dust is really caked on you can take all the screws apart and clean the dust out with an old toothbrush. If you're taking it all apart to do that it's usually worth spending couple of bucks and changing the thermal greese on the CPU & GPU heatsinks while you're at it. I personally use SpeedFan app to show me temps in the taskbar. I also use ThrottleStop customised to dial back the CPU speed (Turbo Boost) once it gets to 80°C. This means I can use my old 1st gen i7 laptop with no worry of burning out the CPU even when throwing heavy researse hungry content at it like video editing. Recently I installed Google Chrome and noticed it has a backround app that caused my latop to run 20°C hotter! I was able to permanently disable the backround app but yeah a simpler option is just to use another browser that's not such a hog on resources such as Firefox. Take care and have fun on your adverntures! :)

[@the_mad_ratter]

Without watching yet - my favourite method is to get those emergency sheets (foil) and spread them over the top of my camper or tent - reflect the light away is the best method I've found!! On a real bad day I might go to the local superstore and get a bag of ice, then put the bag in a bucket of water and put handfuls of ice in a bowl in front of a fan.

[@KombiLife]

nice tip, thanks for sharing.

[@rhiahlMT]

Paint color on houses also makes a big difference. My house is white. Not big summers in Montana, but it does heat up. No air conditioning. Sun goes down, flip on the attic fan cools it off and close the windows before morning. Works great!. When we do dog shows we always put out kiddie pools for the dogs just to stand in when it's hot. Getting their feet cool makes all the difference if you aren't close to water. A small tray may work for Alaska.

[@patriciaburke8729]

We called them “ Fly” windows. They were wonderful and I remember them in all our cars way back when.

[@peacekelly1128]

I remember those windows and I thought they were called wind wings or something close to that or wind windows. I don’t remember exactly but I never heard them called fly windows. LOL I’m 60 I miss those windows they were nice. Now most of us just use ac.

[@steveqhanson6835]

@@peacekelly1128 I remember wing being part of their name also. Don't recall ecactly.

[@TREADtheglobe]

HI Ben & Leah lots of great tips - boy can it get hot in the van !!! It's hard to keep cool sometimes. Alaska has the right idea. Love the Netherlands -we have family there. Stay safe (and cool) and sending you big virtual hugs - Chris & Marianne xx

[@davidcottam7431]

Great episode. Was nice to be able to see the travelling without too much interference from COVID.

[@ktorphy]

Excellent tips... I moved to Death Valley in May from Yellowstone and it is shaping up to be perhaps the hottest August on record anywhere! It was 130 degrees one day last week. Oh well, in 10 weeks we will be back in Baja living the dream! I have been trying to figure out how to keep my Mog camper cooler so your advice is very helpful,

[@denniselgatoblanco824]

Ben, I applaud you sharing footage that shows Leah is the new pack leader according to Alaska! Love you guys!

[@patrolrider]

I do have a 86 Vanagon not a camper van but I love it I don't travel but I did enjoy all the neat information on this video thanks

[@timerickson7056]

The roof vent with a fan and a second roof vent without a fan at the opposite end of the roof is amazing .I found in my camper it dropped the temperature 20 degrees f. Also ice in front of a fan is like ac until the ice melts. I use plastic bottles filled 90% with water freeze a set and while they are in front of the fan cooling I have another set in the freezer. Also for DRIVING cooling in the OLDEN DAYS before auto ac they had ac they made a tin tube that you put in the passenger window like your vent at the top was a opening that let air from the tube into the car from the box the box had a opening in the front . The would fill the tube with ice as the drove air would be forced across the Ice and into the passenger compartment .they worked extremely well. I knew people that had them in restored antique cars get gas a bag of ice and go. However they are quite exspensive and hard to find because they would rust out over time. The last one I found was 20 years ago at a swap meet and around 400 dollars.but you could diy one from pvc pipe pretty easy.

[@testcardsandmore1231]

12:52 That doesn't look like the Afsluitdijk, I believe it's the road between Lelystad and Enkhuizen.

[@obbewassenaar5203]

Agree...that is definitely the Houtribdijk. The IJsselmeerbugs on the front of the Combi confirm it ;-).

[@0HARE]

Despite the heat, this was a joyful episode. Thanks for showing us how it’s done. I hope you all are doing well. Onward

[@ryanfleming4665]

This is the perfect way to start my birthday off - a bit of Kombi Life!

[@gothicpagan.666]

Many happy returns

[@ryanfleming4665]

@@gothicpagan.666 Thanks very much!

[@KombiLife]

Happy Birthday Ryan!

[@ryanfleming4665]

@@KombiLife Thanks guys! Safe travels!

[@mattb6001]

Another (more expensive) option is to get carbon ceramic window tint. i have 30% on all my windows with 90% on the windshield. The heat rejection part of the film is "separate" from the tint part of the film so you don't have to darken you windows to get the heat rejection effect. I'm from Texas and its a must have on all my vehicles. Cost for a full size SUV will be around $500-700. Typically 400-500 for the main windows and 200 for the front windshield. 30% on front windows and 90% on shield is the legal limit here.

[@Paul_VanGo]

Raise the laptops a bit with two books and point one of those fans at it. But remember to keep the slots on the underside open. Does wonders.

[@the_mad_ratter]

You can get USB powered laptop trays with built in fans for not too much money. My laptop used to overheat whilst rendering and gaming. Got one of those from amazon for about £15 and it brought the render time down quite a lot on videos, and brought up my fps whilst gaming lol

[@Swimdeep]

TheMadRatter The only issue with those laptop cooling pads is FAILURE. I stopped buying them because they fail after a month or two. I’ve improvised by propping up the laptop and using a small USB fan. Works better because it lasts.

[@the_mad_ratter]

@@Swimdeep perhaps it's cooler in the UK than where you are, but I only bought one and it didn't fail, it's sat in my cupboard for if this laptop starts overheating lol

[@Swimdeep]

TheMadRatter Im in Los Angeles and man is it hot. I have to cool my laptop.

[@Paul_VanGo]

All nice, but I think that in their little bus, space is at a premium. So they have to make due with what they already have already, without cluttering the VW even more. Hence two books (or something) and the mini fans, already available.

[@mikescudder4621]

Glad you mentioned the roof insulation vs roof colour. I'd love to paint my split the classic PGSG (Palm green sand green) colour scheme, but where i live 40 degrees C is a normal day. So i was thinking about inverting the colours so that the much lighter green is on the roof, not ideal but practical and still looks good. But i'm also considering if having a roof rack and/or solar panels will end up shading most of the roof anyways... we'll see.

[@cryztalitezz.]

the thing with the cold towel, ive found putting it around your neck cools you down a hell of a lot faster

[@winterwar5583]

This is a trick taught by many soldiers in the Middle East, frozen water bottles or wet towels around the neck cool the blood passing into your brain and cools you down immensely.

[@cryztalitezz.]

【Winter】 【War】 interesting!! thanks for the info :D

[@freespiritnufc5661]

You guys make me Smile!!!!!!

[@playerx240]

You should get the windows tinted. You would be surprised what a difference it makes! If you go with a good, quality carbon-based tint, you don't even have to darken the windows. It would just help MASSIVELY with the ambient heat in the vehicle. (speaking from experience)

[@ArthursHD]

21:38 A laptop with last-gen AMD would heat up much less for the same job :) Also on the software side efficiency is important. Like using primarily graphics chip to transcode video. Sure, that is a cost thing as well. I don't retire my old laptop while it is still useable.

[@donaldstenico5266]

I live in Massachusetts USA. We've always called those little windows vent windows. Thanks for what you folks are doing I really look forward to your videos

[@KA4UPW]

Dont forget the solar pannels. Not only do they provide power, but the soloar radiation which would usually hit the roof and make heat is now tranduced to electricity. Measure the temp above and below the pannels

[@testcardsandmore1231]

And most important, there is an air gap between the panels and the roof.

[@armedinbama]

As much as I appreciate all of the content and hard work you put into the channel, in my book, Alaska is the real star! WOOF!! 😁

[@gustavosantillan5242]

Your kombinationskraftwagen in Germany that is really cool, I will like to see you guys drive it on the Nurburgring race car track. "Just a thought"

[@williamoorejr]

Back in the "Dust bowl" days the travelers used a water soaked blanket across the doors of their jalopies to produce cooler air. Just a thought. Glad your on the road again--

[@SirNecro]

A couple of things.. have you seen the Esky air conditioner? I understand that an Esky is bulky and possibly that makes it out of the question. Also an odd story. You know when you see someone and instantly know that you have met them somewhere. I have been watching you guys for 2 years now and I have had that feeling with Leah. You guys disclosed that when in Australia she lives on the Mornington Peninsula, my family lived on the Peninsula for 20 years, so I just figured I must have seen her somewhere and thats why I had this feeling of recognising her. But then recently she told us that she's a resi worker and the penny dropped, I also used to be a resi worker as an agency worker and had worked a shift with her many years ago. Such a small world. Great videos guys thank you for the content 😊

[@patrickarchibald6787]

What's a resi worker? My brother lives a Langwarrin btw

[@KombiLife]

Ah no way?! Such a small world! That must have been years ago :) You have a great memory

[@geavanderveen]

So nice to watch your videos! We’ve got a T3 and we love traveling together with our two dogs. A shame you didn’t stay in Friesland, it’s lovely here! I kept my eyes open on the road to maybe spot you but unfortunately didn’t see you. You passed by Heerenveen, next time come and visit us in Húns, near Leeuwarden 😃 you’re welcome!

[@reneemitchell157]

Haha Leah the bee stings from those quarter windows! I had two bee stings in Mexico from the quarter windows on our van and many more bees and bugs get thrown into me from them as well. One led to a severely swollen arm which had to be bandaged, slinged and medicated for a week! The joy of cheap consultorio medico's in Mexico. We got a quote to fix our air con in Ensanada (Baja) for 3500 pesos ($160). Being budget travellers we decided not to do it and spent the next 8 months dealing with the heat. Now being stuck back home in New Zealand, we will make sure we save another $160 before we return to our van in Mexico and continue our trip South. Most of the time its fine, but if you have the odd long travel day, A/C would come in handy!

[@KombiLife]

Oh my goodness Renee! 😆 That story has made me even more anxious about those windows! 🤣

[@CliveWebbAustralia]

In Australian, those small windows that swivel are called "quarter glass or quarter vents"...

[@CarlosBenjamin]

Wing windows. Very common in older vehicles.

[@thatmar1neguy]

Another hack ditch cotton shirts for dri-fit (kinda like under armor ) you can damp them spin over head the. Place a shirt that’s cooked through convection on body so it cools you off

[@johnphillips5301]

Another great episode guys. Thank you.

[@bgswtdaddyliscious8507]

Ben, that money on an awesome engine and no AC unit???? What the???...wing windows are awesome! When I was a wee boy I learned how to break into a vehicle through the winged windows from an old time mechanic.

[@MettaTrance]

Those little windows are called quarter light windows :]

[@bakatazz]

Tiki Craig Mettā or smoker windows

[@JasonEdelman66]

I like Wing windows

[@NigelMarston]

Yep - Quarter lights. Used to have them on my 1973 mini. They were great. Wish modern cars had them but I guess they are an easy entry point for thieves.

[@69_vw_westi]

Wife and i yelled at our TV saying they are called 1/4 light window haha. Was surprised how in sync we are.

[@LonelyPickle-m4r]

Yep Quarter light windows, usually only on US spec Bay window campers, I have them on my 69 US bay.

[@ImTheDudeMan471]

I've got a 14yr old cattle dog and I got a few tears when you said old dogs "can" learn new tricks.

[@coppertop7827]

Las Vegas here, I wish it was 99f. I believe those little windows are called "wing vents".

[@Ancovg]

12:50 I'm pretty sure you are the only one who can pronounce Dutch words correctly! [Well almost that is] I'm impressed!

[@lpaiugohodkfsubvh1401]

I Life in Germany and often spend my Holidays in Norway Sweden and Denmark Nature ist very beautifull there and it's very sparsly populated so why don't you visit it

[@mixdiver]

The triangular Windows you talk about are called quarter lights - very common on cars up till mid / late 1970’s

[@arbyfiles]

I've been doing a lot of work on my car in my driveway this summer (no garage) and it gets to about 95 degrees most days where I am. I do the wet towel on my head/neck. It's the only thing that makes the heat bearable for any length of time

[@kburgmeijer]

Love how you almost drove by my home just living next to the lelydijk. You can stay a night if you ever come back to the Netherlands :D

[@Stefny83]

Haha they also drove by our house, near to the A7 in groningen. So cool to see more dutch kombi fans here😀

[@longobongo4402]

Marcel seems to have great taste, Hertog Jan Grand Prestige is an awesome beer 👍 hope you guys enjoyed it.

[@thephantom39]

Yea, those little side windows are "smokers windows", You could crack them a little to flick your ash out of when its raining and you did not want to lower the main window, And great to force a breeze across you when its nice out.

[@curiousnomadic]

4:12 It would be even better if you put white cardboard shades on the outside of the window. The problem with foil, is that even though it is shimmery and reflective it's still metal and metal absorbs heat and radiates it back inside the van. I'm sure no one is going to swipe cheap cardboard shades off the outside of your van. Learned this living in the tropics, the foil reflective padded shade had nothing on the cheap white cardboard one. But either way placed on the outside is better all around.

[@JosefinaQB]

7:30 - I use froggtoggs chilly pad, its seriously the best thing ever

[@lukeeagles1756]

81 chev with a slide in from 73 has no AC. I know the feeling! But im not -living- in it. Going to use a lot of these tips!

[@markc7099]

Great Vid guys, your all looking so well and healthy, 🙏 Leah your looking amazing BTW, loved the editing in this Vlog, the storyline was superb, well done you three, plus the Kombi 👍👍👍👍

[@KombiLife]

Thanks for the kind words Mark!

[@betzaidavazquez5579]

Thanks for Sharing, the three of you are so much fun to follow. Happy and Safe Travels 🥰 🐾 🚐 🌻

[@IowaVanMan]

I’ve got several Kombi life stickers inside and out of my van. Instant street cred baby! Oh ya, I still have the personalized, slightly scortched envelope 🔥 you mailed them in. You guys are awesome!! Thanks for your inspiring videos. 😀🚐😀

[@patrickarchibald6787]

It was 37 Celsius today here in Broome, Western Australia and it's still winter.

[@pip5461]

That is Too hot for us brits .. :) jk

[@patrickarchibald6787]

@@pip5461 it's incredible how your body gets used to it. I was outside all day working on my car and was hardly sweating, then I checked the temperature and it was 37. Feb 2020 I rode my motorbike across the country and a few days it was 50 plus on the road ( the forecast was 49), now that's hot! It was punishing. Mid 30's is a normal day here.

[@DieKatrin999]

The next week will be a bit cooler at the north west coast:) You should try to get to one of the islands! If you want you can explore the wadden sea area and walk to one of the islands! Enjoy the beautiful coast Already looking forward to your next video

[@stuartmays]

the solar panels and usb fans are an absolute game-changer for sure

[@KombiLife]

We just got one of those bladeless round the neck fan things too which is pretty useful when it’s really hot.

[@drsm7947]

white paint and UV protection tint for glass good againts and if dont have aircon get a water fan

[@boemanown]

HOW DID I MISS YOU GUYS! during the hot days I did a roadtrip for myself in the same region you where :(

[@thorshamsta3347]

You're an beautiful and inspiring couple. Thanks for your sharing.

[@belizeguy]

Our main house is not air conditioned. Only the Bedrooms are for sleeping. Very Hot here in Mexico. BUT, we do have the POOL! Stay in it a lot to beat the afternoon heat if it has not rained that day.

[@helpgavin]

Kombi life gang

[@scottjones9419]

Maybe there is a way you can mesh off the quarter light windows so when you are driving you can have them open safely without any bugs getting in?

[@ClipsByLaura]

Marcel looks like the Dutchest guy ever 😂 Great to see some Dutch viewers. And such wonderful shots of my country. Sorry you had to suffer through this heatwave, it was a hot one...

[@hussain.shahidghaloo2669]

If you are coming to Pakistan please come before march because here in summer 52 or 54 is normal and it will melt you down but this situation is not for whole country but most of the areas۔

[@countertony]

I wonder whether you could get even better draw on the ceiling vent by putting a vertical (removable or fold-down) plastic or aluminium pipe over the top when parked, to provide a chimney effect, a bit like a miniature en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_updraft_tower The engineering challenge in your case would be making it transportable, fail-safe if you forgot to take it down before driving, and compatible with your lidded MaxFan.

[@peterhilbers3041]

Hey you have been to Geeste Speicherbecken! ( the lake :) ). I grew up around there - but there are so many beautiful lakes and other spots in that area that you missed out on. If you travel back through the Emsland-region - I d be happy to give advise :)

[@jodymooney255]

Just love you guys! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@jimrawlings8567]

They’re called Quarter-lights - keep it up guys!

[@thomas4315]

Tell you a trick, go and buy a good fine mist spray bottle. Small bottle make it moble.Don't over think it, just say without spraying a hundred times or more out small bottle there I feel as Iam baking which your are. I have mist system also, evaporation = cool

[@simontemplar8682]

Come to South Florida in Summer ' we have that Temperature every day with 100% Humidity for months on end...

[@user-gy6by2xc2d]

Lol... Dicing with death going into the water during a thunderstorm ⚡️

[@ssoltys4128]

Come to Miami in July when it’s 110 degrees with 100% humidity then we can talk about heat.

[@stevehaire6181]

In Canada as a kid we called those little windows “no drafts” 😊

[@Jenny-ob3go]

little windows; We call them cozy wings in USA

[@herbienbrian2]

I thought we called them smokers windows?

[@Jenny-ob3go]

@@herbienbrian2 Maybe smokers do. I dont smoke

[@philtripe]

i think we called them fly windows

[@oldgadfly8398]

Alaska is a genius!

[@brettallenthomas]

We always called them "Wind-Wings" in the US...when I was a kid...

[@richardwasserman]

In the U.S. they are called vent windows.

[@Paul_VanGo]

Nice! The Netherlands! 👍🏻

[@cobberdig]

I've found even in the house wet towel in front of a fan is effective.

[@lynnrenee8369]

The Bee story happened to myself and some friends. One guy picked us up in his truck carpooling to work. As we're going down a country road driving I was sitting in the middle of the seat my boyfriend in the passenger side and a friend driving when a large bee came in the wing window and was directly blown up the leg of the driver's shorts into his crotch. It is a miracle we lived! God was watching over us that day. At 55 mph the driver FREAKED he let go of the steering wheel and stood on the gas pedal the only thing in his mind was the impending DOOM of his MANHOOD there was no brain activity at work in his head other than get his shorts pulled off. Meanwhile in the rest of the truck we are barreling down the road heading for a field . I grabbed the steering wheel my boyfriend still trying to figure out why I'm grabbing the wheel and his buddy is stripping in the drivers seat squealing like a mule incoherently. I screamed for him to steer while I went for the clutch and knocked the truck into neutral. I haven't thought about that day in a long time. When you stop and think about all the stupid things that have happened to you it is a miracle I've made it to 61.

[@jamesgrandone3955]

hold up...You drove through all of America....and you didn't get an arctic Air mini AC? They're like $35 and work pretty well! Plus they are the ultimate US souvenir.

[@vanbusgeo675]

Just want to say something.. I’ve been watching you guys for several years now. I’m always hyped when I see you have a new video up. I’ve seen your ups and I’ve seen your downs and I gotta say you guys are just awesome! My Bus paint job is directly inspired by you guys and your current kombi as sort of a tribute to you... keep livin to the fullest guys! Swing by my channel and check out the VanBus some time🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙

[@meehling]

When I was a little girl we called the little windows, wing windows. They are a lost item in today's world of cars.

[@randycrews3432]

Love you Guys

[@nortonmolly]

Great video, but you didn't mention how your Kombi engine handles high ambient temperatures. I assume its an air cooled engine.

[@felixgla30]

Whose idea was it to get the Star Wars windshield cover? Always love the scenes where you can see Han and Chewie piloting Boomerang!

[@KombiLife]

That was actually a gift from Grant at the end of the Hasta Alaska series.

[@pip5461]

Happy Travels ... :) from SW UK...

[@arthurgearey8651]

Love you guys so much!!!

[@deanrobinson3717]

Hi Leah and Ben , just a quick question on the front roll up windows, where did you get the air vents that fit above the glass, they are awesome and did you get them from the UK ? X much love to you all

[@ramenbob4242]

get a portable Ice maker it's low wattage and you can use the ice to cool the kombi

[@e-curb]

they already have an icemaker