[VAL] my painted Argosy

[Rich Luhr <rich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is an interesting subject, at least for me.  As some of you know,  
I am currently living full-time in a dark metallic blue-green Argosy.  
We took this trailer to the International Rally in Springfield MO this  
summer, and spent quite a bit of time experiencing the effects of  
summer sun on the trailer.

Our Argosy is painted on all sides and the roof in the same dark color.  
  (For pictures, see  
http://www.airstreamlife.com/vintagethunder/archive/2005_05_29_archive.html )

What we discovered is that the vast majority of our heat gain occurs  
not in the middle of the day when the sun is high and beating on the  
roof, but in the morning and afternoon, when the sun is lower.  The  
reason is that the sides of any Airstream offer much more surface area  
than the roof, and even with the lower sun angle, the effect is  
overwhelming.  Interior temperature rises quickly when the trailer is  
oriented north-south, so that an entire side sheet is exposed to the  
eastern morning sun.  So think about your orientation when you park and  
you can probably reduce your heat load.

Of course, finding a shady spot will do a lot more for you than a white  
roof also.  Putting out your awning will help quite a bit.  All of  
these simple steps are much easier than painting your roof.