Just got a hygrometer to mount in our TT. I use a couple of dessicant dryers over the winter and have for the 4 winters we've had this current TT. Over the first winter, most the interior door trims warped liked crazy and had to be replaced under warranty. I thought it was just an anomaly and assumed the dryers were removing enough moisture. We get an awful LOT of rain here for about 6 months, Oct. - April.The hygrometer is showing an RH of 65% at an outdoor temp. of 45F. What should the inside RH of a TT, or any RV, ideally be during winter storage to prevent mold or damage to wood? Would getting it lower be beneficial or just forget about it? Not sure if adding any more dessicant dryers would do much and maybe a dehumidifier would be needed?

I live just across the border from you in Blaine. I've used 2 " Air Dryer" brand heaters. They are kind of a flat pancake heater, a flat sheet of metal covered with a plastic dome with lots of holes to let the heat out. They don't get hot, but keeps the damp out and most of the winter keep it at about 50 degrees in our 27' trailer. They do need shore power to work. I think they use the same about of electricty as a 100 watt bulb I got mine several years ago for about $50 each, I think they are quite a bit more now, but worth it.Those dessicants just don't work in our damp, rainy stinky area (why do we live here)?

Get a dehumidifier. Use one every winter, even when we lived in it. They work great. Nothing worse than crawling into bed with damp sheets. You probsbly need to get your RH down to aroind 40-45%.

donn0128 wrote:Get a dehumidifier. Use one every winter, even when we lived in it. They work great. Nothing worse than crawling into bed with damp sheets. You probably need to get your RH down to around 40-45%.same and I agree.. my trailer is 12 years old. I have a Hisense 50 pintdry sheets are so nice.. same with windows.

Only a dehumidifier will remove meaningful amounts of moisture. The dryers you are using will remove ounces when you need to remove gallons.

Just curious what the ambiant relative humidity is in your area...? We simply leave our roof vents and some windows open year round to get fresh air through the camper. I noticed that our old camper would smell musty if it sat closed up for too long. Leaving front and rear vents open got rid of all the smell. We are treating the new camper to the came treatment, but my outside RH is 34% at 34 degrees right now.

Acceptable humidity level inside TT for winter storage?

WTP-GC
Explorer
Dec 14, 2017
The questions really has to go hand-in-hand with whether or not you have shore power available. You're extremely limited without it, as any form of desiccant simply isn't enough. In our first TT, we had several canisters of Damp Rid, and it would solidify the crystals in a few days, leaving it totally useless.

We have shore power and use a large stand-up dehumidifier. We leave the AC at about 80 degrees, which helps a lot when it's running. But without the AC, the dehumidifer will take out about a 1/2 gallon to 1 gallon a day to keep it at 40% RH. On the bright side, it never smells musty or moldy in our camper.
westend
Explorer
Dec 14, 2017
Typical residential humidity levels are anywhere from 20%-45%, depending on climate and season. Up here, in MN, many houses have humidifiers to raise the level of humidity inside. The ambient cold temps and low RH are <15% in the Winter.

Most of the materials inside an RV are the same or similar to residential materials. I would think a target of 40% or lower will be adequate to not harm anything inside the RV. A dehumidifier would probably be necessary in the PNW.
donn0128
Explorer II
Dec 14, 2017
Mark and Linda wrote:
Reading this post.....has anyone ever tried using the Damp Rid? We use it in a house in Florida to keep the moisture down.

Used to when our trailer was 20 feet. Still had to be concerned about overflow. Switched to a dehumidifier years ago and would never go back. The dessicant crystals are only good for a few days and do nothing to lower humidity levels. A properly sized dehumidifier will keep most any RV at around 40% with no problem. Mine usually dumps a couple gallons a day.
Mark_and_Linda
Explorer
Dec 14, 2017
Reading this post.....has anyone ever tried using the Damp Rid? We use it in a house in Florida to keep the moisture down.
spoon059
Explorer II
Dec 14, 2017
Just curious what the ambiant relative humidity is in your area...? We simply leave our roof vents and some windows open year round to get fresh air through the camper. I noticed that our old camper would smell musty if it sat closed up for too long. Leaving front and rear vents open got rid of all the smell. We are treating the new camper to the came treatment, but my outside RH is 34% at 34 degrees right now.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Dec 14, 2017
Only a dehumidifier will remove meaningful amounts of moisture. The dryers you are using will remove ounces when you need to remove gallons.
Chuck_thehammer
Explorer
Dec 14, 2017
donn0128 wrote:
Get a dehumidifier. Use one every winter, even when we lived in it. They work great. Nothing worse than crawling into bed with damp sheets. You probably need to get your RH down to around 40-45%.

same and I agree.. my trailer is 12 years old. I have a Hisense 50 pint

dry sheets are so nice.. same with windows.
donn0128
Explorer II
Dec 14, 2017
Get a dehumidifier. Use one every winter, even when we lived in it. They work great. Nothing worse than crawling into bed with damp sheets. You probsbly need to get your RH down to aroind 40-45%.
LVJJJ
Explorer
Dec 14, 2017
I live just across the border from you in Blaine. I've used 2 " Air Dryer" brand heaters. They are kind of a flat pancake heater, a flat sheet of metal covered with a plastic dome with lots of holes to let the heat out. They don't get hot, but keeps the damp out and most of the winter keep it at about 50 degrees in our 27' trailer. They do need shore power to work. I think they use the same about of electricty as a 100 watt bulb I got mine several years ago for about $50 each, I think they are quite a bit more now, but worth it.

Those dessicants just don't work in our damp, rainy stinky area (why do we live here)?

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Acceptable humidity level inside TT for winter storage?

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