CONDENSATION on windows in winter

The window covering option seems best (creating double pane windows) but this seems permanent? Do you remove and re-apply it each year for the different seasons? Is there no "super sponge" option for wiping windows and collecting that condensate?

The wife would wipe a window but a hour later she would have to do it again.
I made mine removable with 1/4" X 3/4" long hex head screws and stored them in the big closet across the front of the trailer.
Never used them again as we had our belly full of winter issues in a camper. This is COE lake country around here so not much winter camping with most good campgrounds closed.

Also open flame with LP like the stove/oven creates more moisture in the air.

AS I stated above their is no single silver bullet that kills condensation in a RV trailer. Now if they were all the same as my unit was and had the same work everyday schedule...then what I did would work for all.
Like everyone else your gonna' have to try different scenarios and see what works for your unit at that location. Good luck :)

Skinny D wrote:
Thanks for all the experienced folk who weighed in here.

The indoor humidity is about 48% to 62%, but I don't have a meter that gives the 24 hr high/ low.

I should clarify the reason that I care. It's not the cosmetics of beads on the window and it's not concern for damage to the TT. We are in the snowy mountains for skiing, and we have lots of wet gear at the end of the day that needs to dry out before the next morning. I'm concerned that the accumulated moisture on the window will just be eventually returned to the air and my clothes/boots won't dry as well (starting a ski day in wet gear is not ideal). So, I'd like that window moisture to be discarded somehow or redirected to the dehumidifier.

The window covering option seems best (creating double pane windows) but this seems permanent? Do you remove and re-apply it each year for the different seasons? Is there no "super sponge" option for wiping windows and collecting that condensate?

As I mentioned, there is built in "drains" in the windows, they are hidden from view, moisture collects on the window surface then rolls down to the bottom.. At the bottom of the window there is a couple of well hidden drains that send the moisture to the outside of the frame.

Take a close look at the outside of the window frame, you should see two plastic "covers" at the bottom of the frames.. Those are the drain points.

You should not have to "mop" the moisture at the bottom of the window frame unless the drains are clogged..

Drains are there to help redirect any moisture that gets past the window slide gaskets in heavy rains..

Won't hurt to mop it but not really needed..

Damp clothing/gear however can be an issue and makes the inside humidity more of a problem to deal with.

Keep in mind, if it wasn't for the windows collecting moisture, EVERYTHING ELSE would condense and collect the moisture.. It is not unheard of to have moisture dripping from ceiling or running down the walls and that is what you want to avoid.

Dehumidifiers can only help so much and they tend to not work effectively once the ambient air temps drop below 70F due to freeze ups of the condensing coils.. Granted most expensive dehumidifiers have a freeze sensor but when that trips it is too late and you end up with a solid block of ice on the coils blocking the fan. That ice has to melt so the compressor turns off and the fan runs until the ice melts and falls off the coils.. Wasting a lot of time and electricity..

To myself, it seems if the clothing and gear is the big issue then you need a way to dry those items before putting into the RV for the night.. RVs typically are not designed to cope with huge amounts of moisture. RV washer/driers tend to be pretty small and inefficient for drying..

JIMNLIN,

Sweating is because the surface is below the dew point temperature.

I

WE lived in a 29' 5th wheel trailer for one winter. Temps here in the plains down to single digits below zero with constant winds.
This trailer was the typical summer camper with R7 insulation all around. The unit had the super slide along with 11 big summer time single pane windows.... and the door.
Anyone thinking sweat is just cosmetic has no clue what the trailer looks like after a 6 months of full time living with sweating issues. Black and green algae plus wet stained interior wood and interior paneling.

Cracking a vent/windows just created a cold drafty camper and did nothing for interior sweating issues.
Three 10" 110v fans ran all day/nite also did nothing but make a cold damp drafty camper.

We were permanent so adding mobile home skirting around the bottom was a big help with the cold.
I used 1/8" Lexan for inside storm windows. No more sweat from all the glass. Dried that issue up.
Bought a dehumidifier which helped a bunch with sweating walls but still left the closets wet.
Talked with a snow birder guy at my RV dealer about the issue. He had three dehumidifier in his 38' Mobile Suites...so I bough a 2nd bigger one and finally after 4 months we had finally fixed the sweat issue for this particular rig.

Some folks think what works for them will work for all others. It just don't work that way.

Most of what I did was recommendations from full timers who winter here.

time2roll wrote:
I assume the humidity is much lower outside so it might seem counter intuitive but you may benefit from cracking a window or two open.

Since we measure relative humidity, it is actually higher outside. When the air is brought inside and raised in temperature it becomes dramatically drier. That is why opening a roof vent a bit and the window farthest from the vent works to lower the RH. It works even better if there is some shore power to run an electric heater near the window.

If you are drying out gear, cooking and showering; there will be airborne moisture. We camped at Crater Lake and Gold Lake Sno-park doing x-country ski patrol in our pick-up camper. The shower was the drying room and the bathroom vent was open. The heat was on extra warm to help the moisture go out the vent. Sometimes we would have the camper lower window open too to help with the air flow; plus a small fan running.
There still might be some moisture on the window, but most of the moisture is going out the vent.
Ski safe, Have Fun. KEN

If the windows are collecting moisture... they are part of the dehumidification process. Sure squeegee the water to the bottom of the frame and let it go out the drains. If you insulate the windows to avoid condensation, well then the humidity is still in the air competing with your other items that need to dry.

I assume the humidity is much lower outside so it might seem counter intuitive but you may benefit from cracking a window or two open. Your furnace will use a bit more propane is all.

Of course one or two de-humidifiers would not hurt a bit.

Thanks for all the experienced folk who weighed in here.

The indoor humidity is about 48% to 71% (edited when I just looked at the meter showing 71%), but I don't have a meter that gives the 24 hr high/ low.

I should clarify the reason that I care. It's not the cosmetics of beads on the window and it's not concern for damage to the TT. We are in the snowy mountains for skiing, and we have lots of wet gear at the end of the day that needs to dry out before the next morning. I'm concerned that the accumulated moisture on the window will just be eventually returned to the air and my clothes/boots won't dry as well (starting a ski day in wet gear is not ideal). So, I'd like that window moisture to be discarded somehow or redirected to the dehumidifier.

The window covering option seems best (creating double pane windows) but this seems permanent? Do you remove and re-apply it each year for the different seasons? Is there no "super sponge" option for wiping windows and collecting that condensate?

I assumed that since they drained just fine they were directly made for this use to accommodate the condensation.
When the drains freeze up is time to worry :)