Tin foil in car windows

[CannotWait]

Is covering your car's windows with tin foil a good way to keep the contents cool, or will it turn it into an oven?

Any experience with this?

[TomServo]

A novel idea, and worth trying out!

[Sham]

Let us know!

[CannotWait]

Will do!

I'm kind of embarrassed that I don't know enough about "the science" to answer this question myself.

[Eric]

We use this (click the picture for the Home Despot link):


Also called "staple tab insulation", referred to on multiple web sites dealing with cooling cars & RV's on the playa as "metallicized bubble wrap"

edit: regular tinfoil will turn your car into an oven. It only works as a decent reflector when there's air circulation, and there won't be any in a sealed car.

Other option- opaque fabric

[geekster]

if it is OUTSIDE, yeah. If it is inside, not so much. You would be best served by a white canvas vehicle cover.

[Stickygreen]

make a tin foil hat while your at it, you'll fit right in...

[EspressoDude]

real TIN foil will be hard to find...production dropped way off in 1940's
ALUMINUM foil is what most stores carry for wrapping food, etc.

[gyre]

It helps.

[cahlm]

Definitely helps. I used it a couple years ago, when the RV was in working order, to black out the back bedroom.

[Sham]

You would be best served by a white canvas vehicle cover.

This might work if there is no wind, but if you're dealing with 70mph winds, this will beat the snot out of the paint. That fine playa dust will wear all the finish and paint off the vehicle. If you do decide to do this however, please let us know how that works out for you.

[gyre]

Forget dust.
A soft cotton tarp will wear right through deltron paint, even in the lowest average wind in the usa.
Anywhere not strapped down, and I mean strapped down physically, will wear.
Most paint is not deltron.

[phil]

Louise and I have taped aluminum foil inside our windows for years. If you totally block the sun with it, it keeps the interior cool. Our white van is cooler inside than ambient outside temps.

[geekster]

You would be best served by a white canvas vehicle cover.

This might work if there is no wind, but if you're dealing with 70mph winds, this will beat the snot out of the paint. That fine playa dust will wear all the finish and paint off the vehicle. If you do decide to do this however, please let us know how that works out for you.

Yes it will if it is flapping. Ratchet straps can do wonders though. Or make some shade for it ... park it on the North side of an RV or something.

But yeah, if it gets flapping, it will fuck the paint up.

[geekster]

Current weather forecast as of today is for pre-event week (this week) to be in the 90's until Saturday. Highs for Saturday are expected to be only in the low 80's and for Sunday cloudy with highs only in the upper 70's. When you get a temperature change like that, it generally means the wind howls like a banshee. Expect STRONG winds this coming weekend immediately pre-event if this forecast holds. Saturday night is forecast to be cold with lows down in the 30's by dawn on Sunday.

Monday and Tuesday are forecast for temperatures warming into the low to mid 80's and further warming into the low 90's as the event progresses.

[baconqurlyq]

We got a few emergency blankets from the army/navy surplus to tape to the inside of the RV windows to black out the inside. More for being able to sleep during the day as we're using tarps and other shade structures to keep the sun off the RV, although I'm sure it'll help some for heat too.

[Oldguy]

I go to my local dollar store and get 4 reflective windowshades. One for windshield,one for rear window, one on each side. Grommet holes on corners. I don't use the rubber suction cups cause they melt on the glass. they are getting a little frazzeled,but hey, they are only a buck apiece.

[geekster]

Those metalized emergency blankets are good for wrapping around your cooler, too.