ESSENTIAL OVERLAND GEAR: Fan

A fast-moving exhaust fan like a Fan-tastic Vent requires a hole in your roof and quickly draws down your house battery — something you surely don't want to do when you are trying to keep your refrigerator or other DC appliances running. Fan-tastic Vent and its ilk will keep you cool but cost more than $200 and require some metalwork for installation.

“Fan-Tastic Vent revolutionized RV ventilation in 1984 with its efficient 12-volt ceiling fan. Known for quiet, high-performance products, Fan-Tastic Vent ensures fresh, clean air, exchanging nearly 1,000 cubic feet per minute,” according to the company’s website.

So what are you to do if you just want to move a little air around your rig?

Small portable fans are one answer, and they keep our dog, Ora, happy when the air is getting stagnant.

Ora liked it so much we bought two — one for each rig with different setups — each for less than $50. There are many to choose from, but here are two that worked best for us

First, the AVV 20000mAh portable camping fan, which includes a light. You can never have too many lights. Oscillating, it moves side-to-side, sharing the breeze. When the battery runs out, you can plug this one in to any live USB port to run and charge.

Second, the Jinclite folding camping fan, which charges via solar, is nice to take to the picnic table during the day.

You can use the lithium battery in either of these to charge your other devices, like a phone, another plus when at camp.

But remember, a small fan will move around air but won’t actually make it cooler in your rig. As they said in “Futurama”: “Windmills do not work that way! Goodnight!”