The most effective combination for keeping a campervan cool at a summer festival is: park in shade or face the vehicle correctly to minimise sun exposure, put reflective window covers on all windows before the heat builds, use roof ventilation to exhaust hot air, run air conditioning during the hottest hours if shore power or your generator allows, and sleep with front and rear windows slightly open for cross-ventilation after dark. Air conditioning alone, without these steps, is significantly less effective and uses more fuel or power.
A campervan or motorhome is effectively a metal or fibreglass box sitting in direct sun on an exposed paddock or car park. Without intervention, interior temperatures in a parked campervan can exceed 60 degrees Celsius on a 35-degree day within an hour of parking. This happens for three reasons.
First, the vehicle body absorbs radiant heat from the sun and conducts it inward. A dark-coloured roof absorbs more than a white roof but all absorb significant heat in direct sun.
Second, the greenhouse effect traps heat inside. Sunlight enters through the windows as short-wave radiation, heats the interior surfaces, and is re-emitted as long-wave (infrared) radiation that cannot escape through the glass. The interior heats up faster than the outside air.
Third, most campervan rental vehicles have limited insulation by passenger vehicle standards. Class B vans particularly, which are built on a van chassis, have relatively thin walls and minimal roof insulation compared to a purpose-built Class A or C motorhome. Not sure which vehicle class suits your trip? The guide on choosing the right motorhome size for a family of four at a festival covers the practical trade-offs between sizes, including insulation differences.
Understanding this makes the solution clearer: stop the heat getting in before it builds up, not after.
Where you park and how you orient your vehicle has more impact on interior temperature than almost any other single decision.
Shade is the highest priority. If there is a tree, a large structure or any overhead shade available at your festival campsite, take it without hesitation. A vehicle in full shade stays 10 to 15 degrees cooler inside than an identical vehicle in full sun on the same day. At most festival campgrounds, shade is limited or unavailable, which makes the other steps more important.
Orient the vehicle to minimise sun on the large surfaces. The roof and the large side panels absorb the most heat. At most Australian and US festival latitudes, the sun tracks from north-east to north-west (in Australia) or east to west via south (in the USA). Parking with the nose or tail toward the sun rather than the broadside minimises the surface area receiving direct exposure during the hottest hours of the day (roughly 11 am to 3 pm).
Use your awning. A roll-out awning shades the largest single side panel of the vehicle. In addition to creating comfortable outdoor space, it meaningfully reduces the heat load on that wall. Set it up before the heat builds in the morning, not after.
Avoid black or dark gravel sites where possible. Dark surfaces radiate significant heat upward into the underside of the vehicle. Grass sites run cooler than gravel or bitumen.
This is the single highest-return action for any campervan in summer heat and is consistently underestimated by first-time festival campers.
Reflective window covers (often called windscreen sunshades or reflective blinds) work by reflecting solar radiation before it enters the vehicle rather than absorbing it into the glass and interior. A good quality reflective cover on the windscreen alone reduces interior temperature by 8 to 12 degrees compared to an uncovered windscreen in direct sun.
For a festival stay, cover every window you can. The priority order is: windscreen (largest glass surface, faces east or west depending on how you park), rear window, side windows, skylights. Many rental campervans come with a windscreen cover but not rear or side covers; bring your own or buy a set before the festival.
Reflective covers also double as blackout covers for daytime sleep, which is essential at events like EDC Las Vegas where you are sleeping from 6 am to 2 pm in full desert sun. A silver reflective cover blocks both heat and light simultaneously.
What to buy: Folding accordion-style reflective sunshades (sometimes sold as “bubble wrap windscreen covers” or reflective foil covers) are the most effective. Fabric or cardboard covers reflect less and absorb more heat. For side windows, purpose-made reflective van window covers or simple cut-to-size bubble foil insulation (available from hardware stores in sheets) work well and pack flat.
Running your air conditioner continuously is the least efficient way to manage campervan heat at a festival. It uses significant power (either from shore power, your generator or your house batteries), creates generator noise, and is working against the heat load coming through uninsulated glass and walls. Ventilation used correctly reduces the heat load before it builds, making the air conditioner’s job easier when you do use it. If you are attending an Australian event, check the generator rules at Australian music festivals before relying on a generator for AC power, as many events restrict operating hours.
Open roof vents or a roof fan before the heat builds. Hot air rises. A roof vent or powered roof fan (fitted to many mid-range and premium campervans) exhausts the hottest air in the vehicle efficiently. Open the roof vent in the morning before the temperature climbs and leave it open throughout the day. If your hired campervan has a powered roof fan, use it on extract (exhaust) mode during the hottest hours, drawing cooler outside air in through a cracked side window and pushing hot interior air out through the roof.
Cross-ventilation after dark is your best sleep tool. Once the outside temperature drops below the interior temperature (usually 1 to 2 hours after sunset), open the front cab windows and the rear windows or roof vent to create a through-flow. Moving air at 22 degrees feels significantly cooler than still air at 22 degrees. This simple step is what makes the difference between sleeping comfortably and lying awake sweating in an otherwise intact vehicle.
Do not open windows during the hottest part of the day if the outside temperature is higher than the interior temperature. Ventilation helps when outside air is cooler than inside air; it works against you when outside air is hotter. In the hottest hours (11 am to 3 pm at most summer festival latitudes), keep windows shut and covers on, and let the air conditioner run if you have one.
Most Class C and Class A motorhomes, and many Class B campervans, have rooftop air conditioning units. Understanding how to use them at a festival campground makes a significant practical difference.
Shore power vs generator: A rooftop AC unit draws 8 to 15 amps at 240V (Australian/NZ) or 10 to 15 amps at 120V (USA). On shore power at a powered site, this runs continuously without fuel cost. On a generator, this is the primary power draw and your most significant fuel cost per day. At events with generator quiet hours (EDC Las Vegas, Electric Forest, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta), your generator may be restricted from operating between approximately 10 pm and 6 am. This is when house battery capacity becomes important.
Pre-cool the vehicle before you sleep in it. Run the AC for 30 to 45 minutes before you lie down rather than trying to cool a 45-degree interior from scratch while you are in it. Combined with reflective covers reducing the heat load during the day, pre-cooling from a lower starting temperature is significantly faster and more effective.
Set the thermostat to 22 to 24 degrees, not the minimum. Running a campervan AC at maximum cold in a hot environment puts it under continuous load and reduces the unit’s effective lifespan. A set temperature of 22 to 24 degrees Celsius allows the unit to cycle off when that temperature is reached and reduces overall power consumption.
During generator quiet hours: Your house battery bank runs the AC fan (not the compressor) passively, which moves air without cooling it. Combined with open roof ventilation and cross-ventilation from windows after the outside temperature drops, this is manageable in most summer festival environments for the quiet hours. In extreme heat (desert events above 30 degrees Celsius at night), battery capacity becomes a limiting factor; check your rental vehicle’s house battery specification with the operator before booking.
Several common campervan activities add heat load to the interior and are worth managing during the hottest hours.
Cooking: The gas stove is the biggest internal heat source in a campervan. Avoid cooking inside during the hottest hours of the day (11 am to 3 pm). Cook before 10 am or after 4 pm. If your vehicle has a barbecue hookup or you have a small outdoor stove, moving cooking outside removes that heat load from the interior entirely.
Electronics and charging: Phones, tablets, laptops and power banks all generate heat when charging. Charge overnight rather than during the hottest hours, or charge outside the vehicle at a charging station if the festival provides them.
People: Each person in the vehicle generates approximately 80 to 100 watts of heat continuously. A vehicle with four people in it on a hot afternoon is significantly harder to cool than a vehicle with one. If the heat is oppressive during the afternoon, spend time outside in shade rather than inside a crowded campervan trying to force the AC to work against four people’s body heat.
Fridge: The refrigerator generates heat from its compressor, which is exhausted into the interior (in absorption fridges) or vented (in compressor fridges). Most modern campervans have compressor fridges that vent externally, but check your specific vehicle. An absorption fridge exhausting heat into a hot enclosed space makes a noticeable difference.
Summer festival camping is easier when you understand the daily temperature pattern and work with it.
At most Australian, US and New Zealand summer festival latitudes, temperatures follow a predictable daily curve: coolest just before sunrise, warming rapidly from about 9 am, peaking between 1 pm and 3 pm, then declining through the afternoon and evening to reach the day’s low point around 4 to 5 am.
At festivals that run dusk to dawn (EDC Las Vegas, Burning Man), your active festival hours are the cooler part of the 24-hour cycle. Your sleep hours are the hottest part: typically 7 am to 3 pm. This is when reflective covers, AC and blackout blinds matter most.
At daytime festivals (Deni Ute Muster, Sturgis, the Balloon Fiesta), you are active during the hot hours and sleeping during the cooler hours. The challenge is different: staying cool during the day rather than sleeping cool.
Matching your cooling strategy to the specific event’s schedule is worth planning before you arrive.
Australia and New Zealand: Most Britz, Apollo, Maui, Cheapa Campa and Mighty vehicles from the THL group have rooftop air conditioning. Cheapa Campa and Mighty budget vehicles may have older AC units with lower capacity. JUCY compact campervans typically have AC but smaller units. If you are hiring for a summer event (October to March in Australia and New Zealand), confirm AC is fitted and ask the depot to test it before handover. High humidity festivals in Queensland and the Northern Territory require more aggressive ventilation management than dry-heat events in South Australia or the Riverina. Australian events with hot camping conditions include the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January, CMC Rocks QLD near Ipswich in March, the Rainbow Spirit Festival near Lexton in Victoria, and the Bathurst 1000 in October.
USA: Cruise America, Road Bear RV and El Monte RV motorhomes all have rooftop AC units as standard. Class A motorhomes typically have two AC units (front and rear). In desert festivals (EDC Las Vegas in May, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in October), the dry heat is easier to manage with AC than the humid conditions of Midwest summer festivals (Electric Forest in Michigan in June). Dry heat responds well to ventilation; humid heat requires mechanical cooling to be comfortable. The Nevada hot springs RV trip and Kings Canyon guides cover other hot-climate road trips where these principles apply. Other warm-weather USA events include Coachella and Stagecoach in the California desert in April, and Lollapalooza in Chicago in late July.
Canada: Summer festival weather varies significantly. Calgary Stampede in July can reach 30 degrees Celsius with low humidity. Boots and Hearts in August in Ontario is warm with moderate humidity. CanaDream, Fraserway RV and Cruise Canada all fit rooftop AC to their summer fleet vehicles. Confirm with the operator for your specific vehicle. Other Canadian summer events include Shambhala in the Salmo River Valley in late July and Big Valley Jamboree in Camrose, Alberta.
Reflective windscreen cover (accordion fold, large): Buy one for your specific vehicle size before the festival. Most hire depots include a standard cover but it may not fit the cab windows precisely. AUD 20 to 50 in Australia, NZD 25 to 60 in New Zealand, USD 15 to 40 in the USA.
Reflective side window covers (cut-to-size foil insulation): Available from hardware stores (Bunnings in Australia, hardware stores in the USA and Canada) as rolls of bubble-foil insulation. Cut to window size, press against the glass from inside and they hold by static. Very effective and very inexpensive.
Powered roof fan (if not already fitted): Some rental vehicles have a roof vent without a powered fan. A small 12V USB-powered fan positioned near the open roof vent significantly improves hot air exhaust. Compact options are available from camping stores for AUD 30 to 80 or USD 20 to 50.
Spray bottle with water: A fine mist spray bottle with cold water is one of the simplest and most effective personal cooling tools at a hot outdoor festival. Fill from your RV’s water tank. Costs almost nothing.
Cooling towel: Evaporative cooling towels (available from camping and outdoor stores) provide immediate skin cooling. Effective at the Balloon Fiesta and EDC Las Vegas where temperatures are high but humidity is low.
Ice in front of a fan: Placing a bowl of ice in front of a fan creates a small cool zone immediately in front of the bowl. It does not cool the vehicle. The ice melts quickly in a hot environment and the water pool creates humidity. It is a short-term fix at best.
Opening all windows during the hottest part of the day: When outside air is hotter than inside air, opening windows makes the interior hotter, not cooler. Open windows only when outside air is cooler than interior air, typically from mid-evening onward.
Parking in a field overnight and hoping it cools down: Dark-coloured surfaces (black gravel, bitumen) radiate heat for several hours after sunset, keeping the area around the vehicle warmer than the ambient air temperature. If you parked on a dark surface all day, the ground around your vehicle will still be radiating heat at midnight.
Running the AC with windows open: The AC unit pulls in outside air, cools it and recirculates it. With windows open, the cooled air escapes and the unit works continuously without effectively cooling the space. Close all windows and the roof vent when the AC is running.
Does my hired campervan have air conditioning?
Most Class C and Class A motorhomes from major hire operators (Britz, Apollo, Maui, Cruise America, Road Bear RV, El Monte RV) have rooftop air conditioning fitted as standard. Some budget Class B vans and compact campervans may have cab air conditioning only, which does not effectively cool the sleeping area when the engine is off. Confirm the AC type and confirm it is working before accepting your vehicle from the depot. See the full brand line-up on the Our Suppliers page.
Can I run the air conditioning without shore power?
Running a rooftop AC unit requires significant power that cannot practically be sustained by standard house batteries alone for extended periods. You need either shore power (a powered campsite) or a running generator to operate rooftop AC continuously. Most festival campgrounds that offer powered sites provide 15, 20, 30 or 50-amp connections; confirm which your vehicle requires. Generator quiet hours at many festival campgrounds restrict generator use overnight, which is when cooling matters most. For more on campground types and what they offer, see the guide on freedom camping vs festival campgrounds.
How long does it take to cool down a hot campervan with AC?
A rooftop AC unit can cool a Class C interior from 45 degrees to 24 degrees in approximately 20 to 40 minutes depending on the unit’s capacity and how well insulated the vehicle is. Starting with reflective covers on the windows (reducing the heat load) significantly speeds this process. Pre-cooling the vehicle 30 to 45 minutes before you plan to sleep is more effective than trying to cool it quickly once you are inside it.
What is the best sleeping temperature in a campervan?
Most people sleep comfortably between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius. Setting the thermostat to 22 degrees allows the AC to cycle off when that temperature is reached, reducing power consumption and noise while maintaining comfort. Below 18 degrees in a summer festival environment wastes power and creates condensation on cooler surfaces.
Do reflective window covers really make a difference?
Yes, meaningfully. Interior temperature in a covered vehicle can be 10 to 15 degrees lower than in an identical uncovered vehicle after two hours of sun exposure. The reflective surface bounces solar radiation away before it enters through the glass. This is more effective than any amount of ventilation after the heat has already entered.
What do I do at events with generator quiet hours?
Before your quiet hours start (typically 10 pm), run your AC to pre-cool the vehicle to 20 to 22 degrees. Then switch to open roof ventilation and cross-ventilation through side windows for the curfew period. In most summer festival environments outside of extreme desert heat, the outside temperature at midnight is low enough that passive ventilation is manageable. Ensure your house batteries are fully charged before curfew so your roof fan can continue to operate if fitted.
Is a Class A motorhome cooler than a Class C or B at festivals?
Generally yes. Class A motorhomes typically have two rooftop AC units (front and rear), better wall and roof insulation than van-based Class C and B vehicles, and more interior volume which takes longer to heat up. The trade-off is that Class A motorhomes require powered sites to run AC continuously and are harder to position in tight festival campground rows.
How do I keep my campervan cool at Burning Man?
Burning Man in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is one of the most challenging environments for campervan temperature management. Daytime temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius; the playa is dust and cracked clay with no shade. The main tools are: shade structure (a large shade canopy over the vehicle, which the Burning Man community generally helps neighbours construct), swamp cooler (an evaporative cooler, which is highly effective in Black Rock’s low-humidity air), reflective covers on all windows, and thermal mass management (pre-cooling everything that goes into the vehicle before the heat peaks). Generator power is available at most vehicle camping areas and running the AC is standard practice at Burning Man during the afternoon.
What is Event Campers?
Event Campers is a campervan and RV hire comparison platform. We show live availability and pricing from trusted operators across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA in one place. Browse all event and road trip guides on the Events page.
The vehicle you hire makes a difference to how manageable the heat is. A Class C motorhome with a functioning rooftop AC, good window sealing and a powered roof vent is significantly easier to keep cool than an older compact van with cab AC only. Event Campers compares campervans and motorhomes from Britz, Apollo, Maui, Cheapa Campa, JUCY and Indie Campers in Australia and New Zealand, and from Cruise America, Road Bear RV and El Monte RV in the USA, with live availability and AUD, NZD or USD pricing. Compare vehicles on the Bookings page. New to campervan travel? The Getting Started page covers the basics, and the How It Works page explains the comparison and booking process. Questions first? Check the FAQs.
