Guitars vs summer heat in cars and trucks?

[casualmusic]

Hi all

I’m getting a new vehicle and would like to hear about experiences with vehicle colours (white vs darker) and rates of summer heating.

During long stops on road trips and trips in town I’m concerned about heat buildup that could cause instruments to come unglued.

My car pool buddies have wood guitars and mandolins (I have carbon fibre)

How long does it take to overheat instruments in a white vs darker vehicle cabin?

Would it be different for a white pickup truck bed with white tonneau/ topper?

Can a truck bed be cooled?

Are there cases and covers etc that slow down heat absorption?

Many thanks

.

[jmagill]

Originally Posted by casualmusic

Are there cases and covers etc that slow down heat absorption?

Yes. Be prepared to spend several hundred $$.
.

[imwjl]

Our Little Martin is not carbon fiber but now time might need to view it as remarkable in some ways. It has stood up to travel, sunblock, birthday cake plus kids.

An insulated case and the white paint can help but even white vehicles get hot fast. In the food business our vans and trailers are as white as can be and still get hot.

[PapaLobo]

Living in Hot 'Lanta and driving a dark SUV i\I've learned a few things.

Keep the time in the vehicle to a minimum, I wrap mine in a blanket and keep them in a covered section . Keep the A/C rolling, park in the shade and use a good windshield screen.

I've got as gig tommorow and it's going to be 99

[mawmow]

I had a dark blue SUV and now got a white one of same model : It is night and day
for inside temperature build up on a sunny day during four hours (round of golf).
So yeah, color matters. I heard that inside temperature could rise to as much as
130 F in a few hours.

I would not leave an acoustic in my car for two reasons : heat (or freeze) and thieves.
But I could travel to some point using the air climatiser : If you are comfortable, your
acoustic should be too. But any guitar should be kept away from direct sun rays, be it
at home or in car.

[Steve DeRosa]

Summer heat always wins - I use the A/C whenever I'm in the car, and take my guitar with me when I leave regardless of where I'm going...

[Birdbrain]

Some cases offer a good measure of temperature protection. My Godin came with a TRIC case, or "Thermal regulating Instrument Case." Inside a typical gig bag cover of fabric, there's a very rigid shell of molded foam that's similar to the padding in crash helmets. I've sat on mine many times, and I'm no featherweight. Once on a 20 degree day I forgot to take it into the house for four hours. after a lesson in a 70 degree room. Curious about the temperature within, I sneaked a thermometer probe inside the still-closed case and measured 48 degrees inside.

I'd rather have a Godin TRIC case than a Godin acoustic guitar, but unfortunately they stopped making them a couple years ago. I'm sure that other case makers have a similar model.

[jseth]

There is no way to insure that your guitar won't get overly warm if you leave it in a closed up vehicle during summer heat... some things help a small bit, but not enough for you to leave an instrument you care about inside a closed vehicle... just DON'T DO IT!

That said, for the past 40+ years, I've used a case for my handmade acoustic guitar that I painted white, at the luthier's suggestion. Now, THAT made a huge difference when the guitar case is in direct sun (not something I would ever do for long)... vinyl spray worked wonders for that application, and it actually lasted a fairly long time without severe discoloration...

Prudence is your best ally during summer heat with your guitars... I'm sure that a dark color will get hotter, faster, than a light color, but I don't think the difference is enough to be "safe".

[lfoo6952]

If you buy a Tesla you won’t have to worry about the interior getting hot.

[casualmusic]

Thanks for confirming that vehicle colour is not a solution to heat buildup (light colour slows it a bit).

From comments:
. it might be fun to try a large pickup bed container made of foam insulation from the building supply store (frozen fish is shipped air cargo in thick styrofoam containers with ice packs)
. don’t want to retrofit a vehicle heat pump from Tesla etc
. glad my outdoor guitar is carbon fibre

Cheers


.

[FrankHudson]

Yeah, I'd say the general answer is: hot enough, long enough, then there's some danger and none of us can tell you what's too hot for how long.

No one's mentioned car windows contribution to the heat, but I'd expect it's at least a much (likely more) to solar heat build up. The OP's idea of a (windowless) truck bed with a white bed cover sounds promising. Another thing that might be interesting would be a real trunk vs. the typical open or semi-open cargo area in SUVs. If I had a sedan with a trunk I might test it with one of my Govee wirelss sensors that measure heat over time as well as humidity, but I don't have such a car.

I'm another who bought Godin TRIC cases for the guitars I travel with the most. I'd probably buy more, but I fear they've been discontinued. They're a great, reasonably priced product. Lightweight too.

[JonWint]

Originally Posted by casualmusic

. it might be fun to try a large pickup bed container made of foam insulation from the building supply store (frozen fish is shipped air cargo in thick styrofoam containers with ice packs)
. don’t want to retrofit a vehicle heat pump from Tesla etc

.

If you don't want to buy a Tesla and use the "dog mod" AC setting, buy a Ford F-150 Lightning, install a hard bed cover, insulate the bed if you want (not necessary), and install a 5000 BTU window AC unit that costs $150. Plug it into the bed receptacle and run it when you need cooling. One hour of cooling running time will cost less than one mile of range.