Thread: temps in trunk vs dash

I've been debating where to put my upcoming carputer. I plan to put my Lilliput in the dash (double DIN spot), but it also looks as if a miniITX PC can also fit in there with some convincin'. The alternative is just to run a long VGA cable to the trunk.

The thing is, I'm in the SF bay area, and it's been rather warm lately. Actually, we've had some great weather. Anyways, when I got into my car the other day it was freakin' hot in there! I thought I'd see what kind of temps we might see in the dash vs in the trunk.

So, I got one of those inside/outside thermometers and threw the remote unit in my trunk. Then I put the read unit in the dash. As I kinda expected, the dash hit a max of 130F. The trunk, on the other hand, hit a max of 'only' 98F. This was sitting in the sun yesterday, all day while I was at work. I should note that it was actually about 75-80F outside, but this was sitting in full sun, closed windows.

So, maybe it's a better idea to put the carputer in the trunk, from a perspective of heat. I think most computers might have a hard time starting up with an ambient of 130F.

What do you think?