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Old 06-05-2013, 04:13 PM   #1
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A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colors

I still wish I had bought a white van. I've always suspected that they are MUCH cooler, but I've never really researched the specifics. My van is dark blue with a dark blue CCV top and you can stand in it in the summer and just feel the heat baking your head up towards the roof.
I recently bought a roof air unit I am in the process of installing but the thought of a big ugly white roof AC on a blue van wasn't going to work. Solution? PLASTI-DIP!!!
The shroud looks great in plasti-dip matte black, but I wanted to see how much hotter it would get.
A photo of my deck stairs baking in the mid-day sun, ambient temp about 85 deg

Here's the shroud while still white, same day on my deck about 85 deg

Here's the shroud a couple of days later after Plasti-dip had dried thoroughly, still about 85 deg ambient temp

As you can see, the difference is huge, and we're talking plastic not metal. I have since learned that plasti-dip can take quite a beating temperature wise, but I'm hoping this expirement doesn't hurt the efficiency of my AC unit. I took one more quick reading a half hour later and it was up to 167, but I didn't get a pic of that one.

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Old 06-06-2013, 08:59 AM   #2
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

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Originally Posted by 86Scotty
I still wish I had bought a white van. I've always suspected that they are MUCH cooler, but I've never really researched the specifics.
While we were in the process of purchasing our van, I notice two dark green stock vans at SMB West waiting for conversion. I asked Alan Feld about them and he said that both were, after conversion, headed for Alaska. Apparently they order dark van in order to have them WARMER inside!
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Old 06-06-2013, 09:10 AM   #3
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

For years I have experimented with with temps and different colors and that is why I have always chosen white cars. I prefer other colors but......I have three white ones right now.

Also choose the color of paint for the house with temps in mind. The wife and I painted different color strips on the side of the house and measured temp differences before choosing. 30 degree difference from the lightest one to darkest we were choosing from.

I have had many good hours of use out of the digital temp gauge.

A fellow Sprinter owner and I were debating the color of out door canopies the other day and his was 15-20 degrees hotter than our white one. Good times.....
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Old 06-06-2013, 10:45 AM   #4
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

Generally speaking, I think white paint also fades much more slowly than more-pigmented paints (red, etc.), so it will look nicer longer. Not quite as much of an issue with modern clear coats, but still...

My 98 Ford EB still looks good with OEM white paint! But the "colored" vans sure look pretty and I often have color envy. Was behind a nice burgundy E150 yesterday and the color really complemented the lines.
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Old 06-06-2013, 12:16 PM   #5
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

Hey All: Any suggestion on a digital temperature gauge?
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Old 06-06-2013, 01:52 PM   #6
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

I hate to say it but the Harbor Freight one works well. I have compared it to the Fluke we have at work and it measured the same at all ranges...

http://www.harborfreight.com/infrared-t ... 69465.html
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Old 06-06-2013, 03:01 PM   #7
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

Quote:
Originally Posted by E350
Hey All: Any suggestion on a digital temperature gauge?
I bought them for 'guy' gifts this past Christmas, and found the cheapest ones I could on Amazon or Ebay, can't remember which. Basically, if you aren't buying a brand name, you are going to get the same yellow and black one that everyone is selling. There are LOTS on Ebay and Amazon. Go for the cheapest one you can. Mine is a Cenn-Tech (Harbor Freight) and it has held up well for years for about $20 if I remember right.
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Old 06-06-2013, 03:02 PM   #8
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

Quote:
Originally Posted by yvrr
Quote:
Originally Posted by 86Scotty
I still wish I had bought a white van. I've always suspected that they are MUCH cooler, but I've never really researched the specifics.
While we were in the process of purchasing our van, I notice two dark green stock vans at SMB West waiting for conversion. I asked Alan Feld about them and he said that both were, after conversion, headed for Alaska. Apparently they order dark van in order to have them WARMER inside!
Cool! Now I know where I can sell mine!

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Old 06-12-2013, 02:17 PM   #9
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

I went from white to dark metallic grey on my van. I never noticed a difference with interior temps. It's still a nice place to nap in in the shade, even on the hottest summer days in the Gorge (it can top 110F in The Dalles). A/C still blows so cold that even when driving through the Nevada dessert, the rear vents all end up getting shut because even on low it still blows uncomfortably cold.
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Old 06-12-2013, 07:33 PM   #10
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Re: A little expirement with sunlight on dark and light colo

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Originally Posted by carringb
I went from white to dark metallic grey on my van. I never noticed a difference with interior temps. It's still a nice place to nap in in the shade, even on the hottest summer days in the Gorge (it can top 110F in The Dalles). A/C still blows so cold that even when driving through the Nevada dessert, the rear vents all end up getting shut because even on low it still blows uncomfortably cold.
Someone should go to a new car lot and take inside temperatures on a hot sunny day of the same model white and black cars.
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