Paint color to avoid heat

lilgription

Observer
Been building my camp/gear trailer in my spare time and getting ready to skin it and finish the lid up by next week. I want to ask , seeing I see lots of these trailers are painted black it seems , does the inside heat up to the point of any concern being a dark color? I have considered a two toned paint scheme with the bottom frame being black , the sides and top either gray or silver. I plan on storing most of my gear in the trailer semipermanent for the better part of the year as I go out often.
I plan on having a rack or bars of some sort on the lid to carry my fishing kayak as well. 4’x6’ box 2’ tall 24” to frame on 31/10.50/15 tires. Plan on a build post when I get more pictures in the log.
Thanks for any input.
 

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billiebob

Well-known member
I bought a cargo trailer years ago. The dealer had six different colours, black, white, red, blue yellow, silver with thermometers in them. They all had aluminium roofs but they were all the same temperature inside.
 

lilgription

Observer
I bought a cargo trailer years ago. The dealer had six different colours, black, white, red, blue yellow, silver with thermometers in them. They all had aluminium roofs but they were all the same temperature inside.
Hmm. That’s interesting. Never would have thought that. Thanks
 

F350joe

Well-known member
If I am remembering correctly, big if. Black will absorb heat faster but it also will release heat faster with any sort of wind. If sitting still the black car will get hotter but not so when moving. Put another way, a black car will always be hotter or the same as a white, certainly never cooler. Now, aluminum is a different story and is good at dissipating heat so maybe it just take a little insulation to keep that heat outside. You can always paint it if gets to hot.
 

grizzlyj

Tea pot tester
A camper with a bare ally roof would burn me in the sun but once painted white it was cool to the touch in similar sun.
 

lilgription

Observer
Thanks for everyone’s comment. Not so worried about darker colors now. Need to get the skin wrapped up and sprayed soon before cold weather sets in.
 

nitro_rat

Lunchbox Lockers
I bought a cargo trailer years ago. The dealer had six different colours, black, white, red, blue yellow, silver with thermometers in them. They all had aluminium roofs but they were all the same temperature inside.

Ture during the heat of the day if they have all been sitting side by side in the sun on a concrete lot. If you trend the temperature readings from sunrise until the point that they are all the same temperature the black one will heat up fastest and the white one slowest...
 

JaSAn

Grumpy Old Man
 

ScottReb

Adventurer
One thing to remember is some adhesives and or foams used in building can only tolerate so much heat. One of the reasons most sandwich builders us lighter colors. In northern CA dark grey vs white can be 30+ deg F difference. This is the surface of course.
 

ricardo

Observer
The closest to silver/white as polished as possible will be the color most efficient in terms of reflecting sun rays and heat..

Smoothness is as important as the color, so makes sure it looks like Glass..
 

NevadaBlue

New member
The closest to silver/white as polished as possible will be the color most efficient in terms of reflecting sun rays and heat..

Smoothness is as important as the color, so makes sure it looks like Glass..

I agree with the lighter colors. I live in the high desert and know how hot dark colored things get. A black/steel pliers or hammer will get too hot to pick up while a chrome one won’t. Anyway, lighter colors for me anyway. I prefer dirt colored rigs... the dust here is tan colored. I hope to paint my trailer tan, with maybe a white roof. You might also consider a Sahara roof. I’m thinking of using a large solar panel as a Sahara roof (shade...) to keep the rig cooler as well as keep the battery topped off.
 
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