Airflow and ventilation are valuable features in any enclosed space, especially your camper van. The best way to have great ventilation and air circulation is with a bug screen, improving both wherever you go. Read on to find out how bug screens improve airflow and ventilation in your van to make your vehicle feel cool during warm days and make the air feel fresh.
The Importance of Ventilation in Your Van
Your camper van is an enclosed space with few openings for fresh air. While this insulation is good for keeping in heat during cold weather, it’s not ideal for a healthy environment. The air in an enclosed space contains moisture that will increase when the temperature is warm.
Since your body is a heat source, this moisture will increase and affect the physical objects in the van, including you. The moisture will cause mold to grow from the spores in the air and lead to poor air quality, which is dangerous to those with asthma.
Prioritize ventilation and airflow in your van to keep the space safe and your lungs clear. Numerous ways to let air in exist, but using bug screens will give you a steady air supply with great effectiveness.
Where To Place Bug Screens in the Van
You can place a bug screen in numerous places in your van. Bug screens will typically go in the doorway and windows since they are the most open spaces of the van that let in air. Bug screens come in different types with various features to improve van life.
A bug screen with a van mosquito net will keep the smallest mosquitoes out while maintaining airflow. Place various bug screens with mosquito netting in different parts of the van with wider openings to enhance the airflow.
Creating More Openings for Airflow
Bug screens are one of the simplest ways to improve airflow in any space with windows. The mesh will allow the air to enter and exit the van while preventing bugs from getting in. Days when the air is still will feel more relaxing as the hot air in the van has someplace to escape.
Passive Airflow
When the wind doesn’t blow but there is still an opening in your van that lets air circulate, a passive airflow is in effect. The air is in constant movement, regardless of if you can feel it moving. Passive airflow is the natural movement of the air in and out of the van, creating ventilation.
Keep your windows and doors open to let the air trickle into the van without having to do anything. Use passive airflow when the van needs ventilating. Relax under the trees and wait for the air inside the vehicle to cool down.
The Difference Between Active and Passive
As previously mentioned, passive airflow involves the air’s natural movement. Active airflow is directing or moving the air using a specific force. Fans and air conditioning systems are common examples of active airflow, and many use them instead of relying on passive airflow to ventilate a van faster.
While this method proves helpful and efficient, it takes energy to power, and when you’re on the road, you’ll need all the electricity and resources you have. Passive airflow using bug screens is simpler and will ventilate the van without your intervention.
Filtering Wind
Wind from an open window or door will be a powerful force that sweeps into your van and may bring in debris. A barrier is necessary to filter and diminish the strength behind a gust, and your bug screen will be the best tool. The bug screen mesh will have enough space to let the airflow in and enough mass to prevent the wind’s full force from entering the van.
Quality airflow will require a stable amount of wind flowing from one or more sources, and if the wind blows too heavily, it will disrupt the airflow and create improper ventilation. Use bug screens to maintain the airflow in your vehicle and prevent powerful winds from making the van too breezy.
Releasing Stale Air
The air in your vehicle requires circulation to prevent a build-up of carbon dioxide, pollutants, and moisture, which will cause the air to become less breathable. This stale air pressurizes the body and causes you to feel foggy or tired after breathing it in for a while.
Bug screens will help you remove this stale air while keeping the van defended against pests wanting to enter. The fresh air from the outside will make a noticeable difference inside your van, and the air around you will circulate with more ease.
Increasing the Effectiveness of Fans
If you do have fans in your van, the bug screen will improve its effectiveness. Place vans in front of the window to blow air in and out of the van. The bug screen will supply a steady airflow while the fan’s current will enhance ventilation and help the wind move.
Fans only blow the air around them towards you, but if the air is stale or stuffy inside the van, you’ll only receive recycled air, which doesn’t create ventilation. But when you place the fan in front of the bug screen, you have more fresh air coming into the van while the stale air exits.
Changing the Pressure Within the Van
The air pressure will also increase as heat rises in an enclosed space, like your van. The rising pressure will make the air feel stuffy and thick, making breathing difficult and causing you to feel hot.
Releasing the pressure will help you regulate the air and keep a consistent airflow, regulating the van’s air pressure. Open the doors and windows of the van to let the bug screens ventilate the interior. The pressure will decrease as the circulation continues.
Changes in Pressure Due to the Weather
The air pressure outside is also a cause of the air pressure building in the van. In humid climates, the air feels thick from the heat and moisture, and the inside of the van will feel like a sauna. This pressure diminishes because the water vapor in the air moves and stops building up when the wind blows.
The airflow in your van disrupts the accumulation of water vapor that causes the air inside to feel dense and muggy. Release the air and keep the ventilation consistent to prevent the van from feeling too hot and you feeling fatigued due to excess heat.
Using bug screens in your van will help you in numerous ways, especially when you need better air circulation. Use bug screens to improve ventilation and airflow in your van so you can feel great and keep cool even on the hottest days. Browse our site to learn more about our selection of RV and Sprinter bug screens.