Summer is coming, and whether you are driving your truck for fun or pulling your RV towards an exciting adventure, you are going to have to keep it as cool as possible. Luckily for you, there are many ways to modify your truck for the hot weather that you will be dealing with. So, what can you do to get your truck ready for the summer?
How can you modify your truck for hot weather? There are many areas you can work on to improve the heat level of your truck. You can modify things under your hood to help with overheating, things in the cabin to keep you and your passengers cool, things with your truck bed so your cargo will stay just right.
No matter what make or model of truck you drive, there are little things that you can do to bring down your truck’s temperature. Small changes made to the engine, the cabin, and the truck bed can keep you and your cargo nice and cool. Here are some suggestions for you to try if you find your truck getting too hot when the temperatures start to rise.
Overheating Engine
Driving in excessive heat can cause your engine to get hotter than usual, eventually leading to overheating. It’s important during the summer months to pay attention to your engine’s heat gauge, especially if you are putting more strain on the engine by doing things like climbing steep hills and towing RVs. If you see the gauge start to move towards the H, it’s time to find ways to cool things down.
What you do when your engine starts to overheat depends upon the situation that you find yourself in. Your ultimate goal is to cool your engine down before permanent damage is done, but your options are going to be different depending on where you find yourself. Here are the two scenarios and what to do:
If You Can’t Stop Driving…
Nothing makes your internal heat gauge rise faster than finding yourself stuck in your truck with no visible exit when suddenly the truck’s heat gauge starts slowly moving higher and higher. Sometimes you are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, while other times miles away from the nearest exit. Either way, stopping just doesn’t seem possible. Here are some ways to try to relieve the rising temperatures in your engine while driving on the road:
- Turn Off The AC: The truck’s air conditioner puts a lot of extra stress on the engine. If the engine is starting to overheat, you are looking to relieve as much stress as possible, so shut off the AC and open your windows.
- Turn On The Heat: The heater of your truck runs off the engine, using the heat it produces to heat your cabin. So, by turning on the heater, you are moving some of the engine’s heat away from the engine, helping it cool slowly.
- Keep An Eye Your Dashboard: Both of these tips will relieve a bit of the increasing heat, but they will not totally solve the problem. Continue to monitor the temperature gauge to make sure it doesn’t continue to rise. Especially pay attention when you come to hills that you will have to climb. Climbing hills makes the engine work more and leads to higher temperatures.
Also, look out for your engine light. If the temperature continues to rise and the engine light comes on, pull over immediately, turn on your hazards, and call for assistance. Do not get out of your car on the highway or the middle of heavy traffic.
If your temperature stays steady or drops slightly but not back to normal after turning off the AC and turning on the heat, pull over as soon as you can find a safe place to pull over and get out of the car.
If You Can Safely Pull Over…
If the temperature of your truck’s engine starts to go up and you can pull over safely, there are some things you can do to help the engine and possibly be able to get back on the road. Here are some ways to lower the engine’s temperature if you can pull over safely…
- Lift Up The Hood: But not right away, give the engine a few minutes to cool a bit, so stem or spewing liquid doesn’t burn you. Just like you turn on the heater to dissipate the engine’s heat, lifting up the hood will allow the hot air under the hood to spread out, helping the engine cool off quicker.
- Top Off The Coolant Reservoir: The first thing you should do after lifting the hood is to check your coolant reservoir. If it is low or empty, fill it back up. As the name suggests, the engine uses the coolant to cool itself off. If you don’t have coolant, water will work just as well.
- Wait: It can take a half-hour or more for the engine to cool off completely. If you don’t feel comfortable waiting that long then you should call for roadside assistance.
- Park Under Shade: If you’re able to park under an overpass, tree, or any kind of object that provides shade, do so immediately. It will definitely help the cooling process.
Once the engine has cooled off, you can get back on the road. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge and pull over immediately if the temperature starts to skyrocket again. If you have any serious concerns or think there are underlying causes for the overheating other than hot weather, it is best to call for roadside assistance. Do not try to drive it yourself. Pushing the engine further than it wants while overheating will cause permanent damage to the engine.
Underlying Issues
While high temperatures will certainly cause your engine to run hotter than usual, if your temperature gauge starts to climb, there may be some other underlying issues going on as well.
The underlying issue will need to be resolved, or you risk damaging your engine. Here are some things to look for:
- Low Levels Of Lubrication: If you are low on oil and the temperatures get hot, you are going to have overheating issues with your engine. Make sure to check your oil levels, especially if you are suddenly running hot.
- Low Levels Of Coolant: Coolant helps to keep the engine temperatures down. If you notice that your coolant is low, look for leaks and fill up your reservoir.
- Bad Fans or Relays: In most trucks, there are fans that turn on while idling to help cool the engine. They also are supposed to come on when the air striking the radiator is not doing its job. If these fans or the relays that turn them on do not work properly, you will see a spike in your engine temperature.
- Weak Pressure: The cool system needs a certain amount of pressure to function properly. Check your pressure cap gaskets and water pump to make sure they are functioning properly; otherwise, the engine won’t be getting the coolant that it needs. There is also the possibility of corrosion causing blockage issues in the lines.
- Bad Thermostat: If your thermostat starts to fail, the cooling system will stop functioning properly. It can happen without warning, so if things start to go haywire, it’s a good place to start.
How To Prevent Overheating
Your engine is going to get hot, and as the weather gets hotter, the chances of overheating will increase, but there are things you can do to try to prevent your engine from getting too hot. Here are some things you might try to prevent overheating in hot weather…
Coolant Additives: If you are worried about overheating, you may want to try a coolant additive. Products such as Justice Brothers’ Radiator Cooler or DEI’s Radiator Relief can help get your engine temperatures lower than just coolant and water alone.
Flush Your Radiator: Just draining the radiator will leave behind a large portion of contaminants that can hurt your radiator’s performance. It will do you better to get your radiator flushed at least once a year. While you are at it, you should change your oil, transmission fluid, and read differential fluid. Doing this will eliminate the friction that will cause more heat.
Self-Adhesive Thermal Insulation Tape: Wrapping wires, cables, hoses, fuel lines, and air intake charge pipes with one of these ultra-lightweight products can protect against 2,000 degrees of radiant heat. DEI’s Cool Tape, for example, is used by racing teams to get the engine those extra few degrees cooler.
New Thermostat: The thermostat regulates the amount of coolant that is allowed into the engine. Changing yours to one that opens at lower temperatures can help circulate coolant faster.
Keeping The Cabin Cool
Hot weather not only affects your engine, but it can also make things uncomfortable in the cabin too. Running the air conditioner can tax both your engine and your gas mileage, so it can be important to find little ways to drop the degrees in your cabin without turning on the air. Here are some products that can help you keep cool when the temperatures go up:
Tint
It has been scientifically proven that window tinting can lower the temperature of your car by as much as 8 degrees Celsius. The materials made in the tinting are produced specifically to block thermal energy from the sun while allowing some light to pass through. By blocking the thermal energy, the tint is able to keep some heat from the sun getting to the inside of your car.
There are three terms used in gauging the effectiveness of tinting. They are…
- VLT%: This is the percentage of visible light that is transmitted through the tint.
- VLA%: This is the percentage of visible light that is absorbed by the tinting.
- VLR%: This is the percentage of visible light that is reflected by the tinting.
All three of these percentages will add up to 100 and give you a full picture of how the tinting is handling the rays of the sun. The only number that you really need to know to understand how cool the tint will keep your cabin is VLT%. The lower the percentage of light that is transmitted, the cooler it will keep your car.
There are legal limits to how much you can tint your windows, however. Each state has its own regulations on how much tinting you can use. The percentage of visible light transmitted allowed differs from state to state, so check this list for the tinting laws in your state before you make any modifications.
Window Visor
Window visors or window shades are extremely easy ways to keep UV light out of your cabin and lower the temperature during hot days. When talking about window shades, there are two types. There are the windshield shades, and there are side window shades. Here are explanations of each type and what to look for when buying.
Windshield Visor
A windshield visor is meant to be used only when you are not driving. It works to keep the cabin of your truck cool if you have to park it in a place where you cannot find any shade. Most windshield visors will easily collapse or fold, so you can take them down and store them in the back seat or behind your seat.
Some studies have shown that an effective windshield shade can lower the temperature inside your cabin by 15 degrees and dashboard temp by 40 degrees. If you get a foil-faced reflective version of the shade, those numbers can be even bigger since those shades reflect the light as opposed to absorbing it.
Some things that you should look for in a windshield visor are…
- Material: You are going to want a durable heat-resistant material. The materials that tend to last the longest and are usually easy to install are nylon and polyester.
- Size: The visors come in all sizes, so you are going to have to find one that fits your truck. Some brands have a universal fit. Others offer a variety of sizes that allow you to find a shade that fits your windshield snugger.
- Ease Of Use: You should be looking for a visor that covers as much of your windshield as possible and is simple to get into place. There are some visors that are complicated to fold up and store. Look for something that you can get off your windshield and behind your seat as easily as possible.
- Warranty: Many of the manufactures of these visors will provide limited warranties. Not only will this give your peace of mind in your purchase, but it shows you that the manufacturer has confidence in their product.
The top brands in windshield visors include Covercraft, Coveted Shade, and Magnelex.
Side Window Visor
Visors are also made for the side windows of your truck. These visors come in varying sizes and not only help keep the temperature down in the cabin but prevent sun glare from getting in the eyes of your passengers. They are made to cling to your windows, so they can be easily put up and taken down.
Some features that you should look for in a side window visor are…
- Protection: A good window visor will not only keep you cool but will keep UV rays off of you. Look for thick, dark material that does a good job blocking harmful sun rays.
- Coverage: You are going to want a visor that covers as much of your window as possible. They are made in set sizes, so you are going to have to find the one that works best with your truck’s windows. The more of the window it covers, the more heat it will keep out of your cabin.
- Secureness: The visors will be secured to the window in different fashions. Try to look for a visor that will not fall down under stress or blow away with a strong wind.
- Setup: Since you are probably going to want to take them off and on, try to look for a visor that is easy to take down and store when you aren’t going to use it.
The best brands of side window visors include Enovoe, Kinder, and Eveshine.
Steering Wheel Cover
If you can’t find a place in the shade to park and you haven’t gotten your windshield visor yet, you are going to need a steering wheel cover. The summer sun can leave your steering wheel almost too hot to touch, making driving impossible. A steering wheel cover will protect your steering wheel from the hot weather and allow you to safely take off without burnt hands.
Not every steering wheel cover is going to help keep your wheel and your hand cool though. Here are some things to think about when looking for a steering wheel cover to protect you from the heat…
- Material: Not all material is good at dissipating heat. Synthetic leather tends to hold on to the heat, making it a bad choice for this purpose. Try to find a cover you like that is made out of cotton, cotton-polyester, or Neoprene.
- Size: Steering wheels come in all types of sizes, so make sure that you pick a cover that is going to work with your steering wheel.
- Designs: Many of us are going to want to find a cover that says something about us. Covers come in all types of colors, prints, and designs. Some come decorated with your favorite tv show or hockey team. As much as you want the cover to show your personality, stay away from covers that have bedazzling or jewel-like ornamentation. These types of objects can get hot quickly and cause you problems.
Non-Heat Absorbing Seat Cover
If you can’t find shade, another thing that might absorb the heat and hold on to it long after you are ready to drive away is your seat. Just like your steering wheel, the summer sun can make your seat impossible to use. If you have a leather seat, things can be even worse. If you are sweating and wearing shorts, your legs are going to stick to a leather seat. The best way to fight this issue is to get a hold of a seat cover that does not absorb heat.
Just like steering wheel covers, there are a lot of seat covers that allow you to express your personality, but getting the right seat cover should be more than looking for the one with the best butterfly picture on it. Here are some features to look for when shopping for seat covers that will make your driving experience cooler…
- Neoprene: You want your cover to be made of a material that will not hold on to the heat, and neoprene is probably the best material for this. A Neoprene cover will not absorb heat, making it cooler than a typical leather seat. It will also keep UV light off of your leather seat. UV rays will age your seat quicker and cause it to tear easier, so Neoprene will extend the life of your seat.
- Fans: There are seat covers that are made with fans that will circulate the air around you as you drive. This will work wonder in keeping you and your seat as cool as possible.
- Cooling and Heating Options: Yes, we are talking about how to make your truck more prepared for hot weather, but some of us live in areas where the temperatures reach both extremes and cold can be as uncomfortable to drive in as hot. Look for a seat cover that has both cooling and heating options so you can be comfortable all year round.
- Cooling Pads: These are less high tech than covers with fans or heating options, but they still help keep you cool when the world around you is boiling hot. The pads are made with a gel material that will work to keep you cool long enough to get your AC going.
- Wood Beads: These natural material seat covers will prevent you from sticking to your seat and will provide airflow that will keep your seat cooler than with no cover.
Dashboard Cover
Another area that you can get a cover for is your dashboard. Dashboards are usually made of vinyl, leather, or plastic, all materials that will absorb and hold on to the heat of the sun rays that hit it. Not only will a dashboard cover help keep your cabin cooler, it also will protect your dashboard from sun damage and early cracking. Here are some features to pay attention too when buying a dashboard cover for your truck…
- Compatibility: Dashboard covers come pre-cut to fit your dashboard. So, when shopping, make sure you have the model, make, and year of your vehicle so you get the right cover for your truck.
- Material: If you are looking to keep your cabin cooler in hot weather, you need to find a cover made from a material that won’t absorb and hold the heat. Look for covers made from fabric, upholstery, or fleece will do the job nicely.
- Easy Installation: Because the covers come pre-cut, this shouldn’t be much of a problem. You should look for a cover that just requires a few pieces of velcro and maybe a tuck here or there.
- Washability: Your dashboard can be a dirty place. If your cover is made of fabric, upholstery, or fleece, it is going to trap a lot of that dirt. To keep up the beautiful appearance of your vehicle, it will help to have a dashboard cover that you can take off and wash when needed.
The best brands of dashboard covers include Wolf Dashmat, Big Ant, and Covercraft.
Cargo
When the temperatures start to rise, it is not only important to protect your passengers and cabin, but your cargo as well. If you are looking for ways to keep the truck bed cool, the best option would be a tonneau cover. The covers go over the truck bed and close it off so you can store things in the back of your truck without worrying about theft.
Another benefit of a tonneau cover is the lower gas mileage. By covering your flatbed, you are reducing the drag created by wind going into the truck bed. What this also means then is that a tonneau cover will help lessen the work the engine is doing and will help reduce the possibility of engine overheating.
Although tonneau covers are not specifically made to keep your truck bed, and it’s cargo cool, anything that is keeping the sun out is going to drop the temperature. Here are the two main styles of tonneau covers you can purchase:
Hard Tonneau Covers
Using composite or metal materials, these covers create a rigid barrier between your flatbed and the outside world. They are harder to install and usually don’t roll up or fold. Because they are made out of metals, they are not always the best for keeping the flatbed and your cargo cool, but they will prevent direct sunlight from hitting them.
Top brands of hard tonneau covers include Undercover, Extang, and BAKflip.
Soft Tonneau Covers
Soft covers tend to be more budget-friendly and offer more flexibility than their hard counterparts. They tend to be made of tough fabrics, like vinyl, which doesn’t make them great at keeping heat out but certainly keeps the direct sun off your flatbed.
Top brands of soft tonneau covers include Gator, Tyger, and Lund.
Features
When looking for a tonneau cover, some important features to consider include…
- Retracting Mechanism: Tonneau covers open in a few ways. Some lift up from one end with small hydraulics. Others have some way of retracting to open access to the truck bed. Even others have a folding frame with separate panels so you fold the cover open. Look for the style that will best fit your use for your flatbed.
- Security Lock: Most covers will have a dedicated lock or design that keeps the cover in place and thieves away. Most of these systems tie into the tailgate for maximum security. Look for a locking system that is going to give you the most security.
There are many ways to help get your truck ready for the hot weather. Whether you are looking to prevent engine damage or keep your passengers and cargo cool, follow some of these tips and you are bound to have a much more comfortable journey when things get hot.
If you’re thinking of different ways to accessorize your truck or make it more functional, consider checking out my recommended accessories page. I spent a good amount of time picking out mods that can be useful for most pickup trucks.