About to drill a hole

[GordonThree]

I've been driveway camping for the past week, due to extreme humidity in the area. I've been emptying the 2 gallon bucket on my dehumidifier twice daily, and I'm very tempted to poke a hole in the floor for a drain line.

I think I'd rather drain it to the ground rather than install a lift pump to push the water into the gray tank.

I seldom stay in campgrounds where someone might be offended by water draining from my camper, despite it being "clean" water. If I am somewhere where someone might be offended, I can always disconnect the hose and go back to using the bucket. Then they can be offended by me dumping large buckets of water out the window instead of a slow drip.

I have an enclosed underbelly, which I don't plan to remove for this procedure. I'll cut through the fabric with the drill bit, or a knife, and then caulk around the hose from the inside.

Should I do something to attach the underbelly to the hose? It looks like Elkhart used sprayfoam to attach the other penetrations to the cloth, I don't really see what purpose that serves.

What else an I not planning for?

[RobWNY]

Go with the Dehumidifier in the shower idea and get one of these and a short piece of garden hose and tuck it under the camper. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006N5RYK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Leave the gray tank partially open and problem is solved.

[Matt_Colie]

Boomerweps wrote:

DrewE wrote:
If you have a shower in the TT, can't you just put the dehumidifier on a small riser (if needed) and run the hose into the shower stall, rather than getting a lift pump? Or maybe just put the whole dehumidifier unit in the shower if you can open the doors etc. sufficiently to have it circulate the air enough to be effective.

BINGO We have a winner.
The simple way is often the best way.

But that will fill the gray tank.....
I think a penetration is his best bet. In my shop, the dehumidifier sits on a 50 gallon plastic drum. When I can see the level, I siphon it off to a garden, until then, it serves as a clean water supply.

Matt

[GordonThree]

I'll see how that goes with it in the shower, it will require leaving the gray tank open a bit. the gray tank is quite small and will fill within a few short days at 5+ gallons per day.

I like gbopp's idea of a PVC pipe through the floor, which I could connect / disconnect the drain hose to as needed. I'm looking at placement near my fresh tank drain. I suppose a slice big enough to fit my hand through in the underbelly is worth it to avoid hitting any electrical cabling. It tapes back together easy enough.

[Boomerweps]

DrewE wrote:
If you have a shower in the TT, can't you just put the dehumidifier on a small riser (if needed) and run the hose into the shower stall, rather than getting a lift pump? Or maybe just put the whole dehumidifier unit in the shower if you can open the doors etc. sufficiently to have it circulate the air enough to be effective.

BINGO We have a winner.

The simple way is often the best way.

[DrewE]

If you have a shower in the TT, can't you just put the dehumidifier on a small riser (if needed) and run the hose into the shower stall, rather than getting a lift pump? Or maybe just put the whole dehumidifier unit in the shower if you can open the doors etc. sufficiently to have it circulate the air enough to be effective.

[GordonThree]

Larry-D wrote:
Check/research the manufacturer's data on this. It may be using the full container as a "cool down" period until its emptied. Worked a sail boat fire where the owner did this exact thing. Smaller unit though. It was a great idea until the unit never shut off, overheated and caught fire in the head. It was a new boat to him and because of the $ amount damage/repair the insurance company totaled it.

The unit is designed for attachment of a drain hose, and is rated for continuous duty, it even has a continuous operation mode setting.

[GordonThree]

Dick_B wrote:
I think I'd try opening some vents and windows to get some air flow to possibly reduce the humidity instead of cutting a hole in the floor. How about running the A/C?
If you don't have them the Maxxair covers over the vents are a good investment. It allows the vents to be open in all kinds of weather. They have a new one that is able to be tipped up for cleaning and has more openings for air flow.
Just my $.03 adjusted for inflation.
We are in the Chicago area having much the same humidity condition and there is no build-up of moisture in the RV

The outside humidity is the problem 🙂

I have the AC running, and it cools but it cools too quickly and I'm left with cold and damp, so I run the dehumidifier. I think if I were somewhere that the AC had to work a lot harder, fighting the sun, it would also dehumidify the living space. It's working fine, as it is pulling out lots of water draining off the roof, the air is just so very humid.

[Larry-D]

Check/research the manufacturer's data on this. It may be using the full container as a "cool down" period until its emptied. Worked a sail boat fire where the owner did this exact thing. Smaller unit though. It was a great idea until the unit never shut off, overheated and caught fire in the head. It was a new boat to him and because of the $ amount damage/repair the insurance company totaled it.

[GordonThree]

BB_TX wrote:
There is likely wiring, plumbing, and duct work under the floor. I would not blindly drill thru there or you may end up with far more concerns than water.

As far as dripping under the trailer, no different than the constant drip from air conditioners. Would not be concerned about that.

Good concerns, thanks for pointing them out.

Ductwork - nope, not on this small trailer, the furnace and AC both vent directly into the living space.

Wiring - that's a possibility, I know where the DC wiring runs, which is inside the box section of the frame. The AC wiring, that is an unknown that needs further exploration. There are outlets on either side of the bedroom

Plumbing - there's a cold water line running from the bedroom water tank towards the rear of the trailer, I know where it is and will not be anywhere close. The city water and gravity fill line locations are also known, and will not be in the way. The gas line runs outside the underbelly straight down the middle of the trailer.

[gbopp]

Can you get a piece of PVC pipe to go through the floor? You could put the drain hose in the pipe and have a removable plug where the pipe exits the RV.
It would keep small creepy things from building nests in the drain pipe.
Or could you snake a piece of PEX under the floor and have it exit at a convenient location for a plug or a catch bucket.
Or just get a dehumidifier with a pump and drain it out a window.

[Dick_B]

I think I'd try opening some vents and windows to get some air flow to possibly reduce the humidity instead of cutting a hole in the floor. How about running the A/C?
If you don't have them the Maxxair covers over the vents are a good investment. It allows the vents to be open in all kinds of weather. They have a new one that is able to be tipped up for cleaning and has more openings for air flow.
Just my $.03 adjusted for inflation.
We are in the Chicago area having much the same humidity condition and there is no build-up of moisture in the RV

[BB_TX]

There is likely wiring, plumbing, and duct work under the floor. I would not blindly drill thru there or you may end up with far more concerns than water.

As far as dripping under the trailer, no different than the constant drip from air conditioners. Would not be concerned about that.