Trailer Vented With Furnace On?
DW thinks opening vents or windows with the furnace on will help cut down on condensation. I'd just as soon close it up tight & not lose the heat. Aaaand, discuss....
Forum Discussion
It may seem wrong to let heated air out, but you MUST get the moisture out. An electric dehumidifier is a good idea if you're going to use it much in cold/wet weather and without one, cracking a couple of windows and vents open is needed.
If the humidity level is allowed to get too high inside, moisture will migrate to the underside of the roof and through the walls to the outer skin (where it is cold) and condense into water. Over time it can cause serious damage. RVs are built wrong in terms of wall and ceiling/roof assemblies because the impervious layer/vapor barrier is on the outside and not the inside like in a house. They use open-cell and batt insulation and when that gets moisture in it, the R-value goes down making things even worse.
We have a Maxxair fan in the bedroom and bathroom. Regardless of outside temp., we always have a window in the bedroom and rear of the TT cracked open and run the bath. fan on 10 or 20 percent speed at night. Running the fan in the bedroom doesn't do much because the window is too close to the fan and it short circuits.
Another reason to get some air exchange happening is because of CO2 buildup. If you wake up in the morning with a headache and/or feel stuffy that's why, esp. if you have a separate bedroom with door. With cool fresh air coming in during the night in our TT, I sleep way better compared to home.
Having a hygrometer is a good idea so you'll know exactly what the RH level is instead of guessing. I'm always amazed by how much water collects in the 2 dessicant dryers we have over the winter and that's with nobody using the TT. Over the first winter after we got our new TT, many of the wood trims around the inside and exterior doors went snaky from the moisture and had to be replaced. That's when we got the dessicant dryers. Joints can open up on some cabinet doors too.
One option might be an Eva-dry "petite dumidifier". No noise and shuts off when the tray is full. Available on Amazon for $50. You might need several of them depending on your floor area.
If the humidity level is allowed to get too high inside, moisture will migrate to the underside of the roof and through the walls to the outer skin (where it is cold) and condense into water. Over time it can cause serious damage. RVs are built wrong in terms of wall and ceiling/roof assemblies because the impervious layer/vapor barrier is on the outside and not the inside like in a house. They use open-cell and batt insulation and when that gets moisture in it, the R-value goes down making things even worse.
We have a Maxxair fan in the bedroom and bathroom. Regardless of outside temp., we always have a window in the bedroom and rear of the TT cracked open and run the bath. fan on 10 or 20 percent speed at night. Running the fan in the bedroom doesn't do much because the window is too close to the fan and it short circuits.
Another reason to get some air exchange happening is because of CO2 buildup. If you wake up in the morning with a headache and/or feel stuffy that's why, esp. if you have a separate bedroom with door. With cool fresh air coming in during the night in our TT, I sleep way better compared to home.
Having a hygrometer is a good idea so you'll know exactly what the RH level is instead of guessing. I'm always amazed by how much water collects in the 2 dessicant dryers we have over the winter and that's with nobody using the TT. Over the first winter after we got our new TT, many of the wood trims around the inside and exterior doors went snaky from the moisture and had to be replaced. That's when we got the dessicant dryers. Joints can open up on some cabinet doors too.
One option might be an Eva-dry "petite dumidifier". No noise and shuts off when the tray is full. Available on Amazon for $50. You might need several of them depending on your floor area.
