We cover our camper every winter with a tarp and this year when we opened it up we had some mold which we cleaned up. I think our tarp may have leaked some. First time that has happened.
So looking for recommendations others have for a dehumidifier to leave running inside the camper during the winter months.
It is absolutely necessary if you are going to cover your RV that the cover is “breathable”. Research it! Lacking that, a dehumidifier should suffice if used properly. It should be sized per the size of the space to be dehumidified and how often you plan on emptying it.
Count me as another Oregonian who wouldn't dream of covering my camper with something waterproof and vapor- proof.
Check the temperature rating on any dehumidifier you look at. Compressor styles might require running heat to be effective. Desiccant styles can handle much lower temperature.
Live in Oregon, rains all winter sometimes with strong wind. No known leaks but leaving the camper uncovered all winter here I think would be risky. We haven't had any mold so far until this year and it has been covered every year. Not sure if the tarp was the problem.
I lived on Vancouver island for 20 years and never covered my rv up in the winter, and rains all winter there also. using a tarp you sealed it off and didn't allow humidity to escape from natural air flow. if your going to cover it try to put something under the tarp on the roof to allow air to circulate over it, but all I ever did was climb up check my sealant when I was done for the year then again in spring when it was time to get ready to camp again. quite often I camped all year round, so I just picked say April 1st and October 1st for my inspections.
You are right about putting something under the tarp for circulation but there is a AC, solar panel, vent and two raised bubbles for light on the roof so the tarp doesn't actually touch the roof much. When there is a breeze there are ripples on the tarp so I think the air under the tarp is getting circulated. Have been tarping for decades and haven't had a mold problem before. Another possibility is one of the windows may have been left cracked open.
Covering it with a tarp may have actually contributed to trapping moisture. We live in a very humid environment next to the ocean and I have never had a humidity/mold issue in our RV or any RV we've owned. Do you have a leak or a reason why you cover it with the tarp?
Because water and UV, you know, the things that wear on a campers exterior.
And in wet environments, the scuzz that grows on them all winter.
A plastic tarp shouldn’t trap any water really. And in my experience the breathable covers work great too.
Neither will promote moisture on the interior appreciably.
But to answer the question, any home dehumidifier would work fine. Bigger the better but gotta empty it as needed.
You're right, I'm sure the tarp shields the top of the camper and extends the life of the sealants and plastic materials from the sun since it is covered 8 months of year.
