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?

[rockhillmanor]

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,..

BTW.
Putting RV insulator pillows in all your roof top vents makes a BIG BIG difference regarding heating and/or air conditioning the RV.
I use them both the the winter and summer.

Those thin plastic roof top vent covers are NOT sealed and cold comes in in winter and your furnace heat goes right out, and in summer the heat comes in and also allows the humidity in also.

Putting those in your roof vent openings will cut down how much humidity your are getting inside your RV.

Buy the RV roof vent inserts with the white cloth material on one side and reflective silver on the other side.
Do 'not' buy those rubber ones.

[rockhillmanor]

Seems to me the 'easier' way is to buy a new dehumidifier that ALREADY has a hose attachment on it. :B

Buy a new small inexpensive one, they have the smaller reservoirs but it won't matter because it will have a drainage hose with the option of hooking up the 'included' hose for draining by passing the holding tank cup.

I put mine by the shower and run the hose to drain inside the shower.

I bought the de-humidifier on the advice of my RV repair guy to help assist my ac while staying in Florida for the summer. WHAT a difference in how much cooler it was in the RV.

Just saying I sure would NOT be drilling holes anywhere in my RV.

[wopachop]

I think the fabric underneath is throwing you a curve ball. The only thing hiding between that fabric and the plywood floor is a small bit of insulation.

Please correct me if im way off.

I would use an existing hole or drill a new one. What are you thinking like a 1/4" tube? You could probably peel away the expanding foam from an existing hole and stuff a tube down. Then reseal.

Or make your own small hole. Start inside the trailer and determine a good area. Then go under the trailer to see where tanks and metal frame are located.

I recently drilled a 4" hole in my floor. Spent many many hours debating where to put it. Scared to actually make the cut. Once it was done i realize that i stressed over something that was very very simple. Youre drilling a hole though plywood and can see above and below the plywood. Not really any hidden variable to screw you up.

[myredracer]

If this is the floor plan below, where does the dehumidifier sit? I can see numerous options depending on location. You could poke a hose out through the exterior fridge vent. Rather than drill a hole in the floor, look for existing openings large enough for a hose like a gap around the drain pipe for the bath. sink. A city water inlet with a male-male adapter might work.

If it were me, I would def. never drill through the floor unless you have 100% verified there is nothing in the way. You *may* think it's clear but you don't want a surprise and end up with a big issue to deal with or costly damage. Maybe you could cut a 3-sided flap in the coroplast around it's perimeter somewhere. Then use some gorilla tape to close it up again.

Our KZ TT had some unnecessarily large gaps in the floor - large enough to throw a cat through... :R

I'd get a hydrometer so you can monitor the RH and not run the dehumid. more than needed.

[Almot]

Drilled more than one hole in my floor. For rerouting battery cables and installing permanent catalytic heater. Plugged a few too.

Check there are no steel frame members, holding tanks or propane lines where you drill. Water pipes are mostly above the floor, and AC wires go from exterior receptacle straight to converter (and up the walls, which shouldn't bother you).

[RayJayco]

You could use the same method as bathtub, except allowing it to drain into the kitchen sink (should be an open area) and leaving gray tank open until the time that you use the sink/gray tank, then simply turn it off during that time.

I would at least try it before making a hole...

[stevemorris]

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.

exactly what I was thinking too, put it in the bathtub or get fancier and build a shelf for it nearby

[TNGW1500SE]

I'd just look around and check for wires and plumbing then I'd drill.

[Chris_Bryant]

Not ideal, but you could also go through the wall with a male garden hose bulkhead fitting.

[time2roll]

Condensate pump is only $40. Otherwise yes I would drill the hole and not worry one wit about putting that water down on the ground. However I would not be brave enough to blindly drill a hole through the floor.

[RedRocket204]

An option you could use if you do route PVC or a hose through the flooring. You stated some concerns that others might not like something dripping from underneath your trailer. Consider finding a plain 5 gallon bucket and then spray painting the words "Clean Water" or something similar on the sides of the bucket... white bucket with black paint. It could then spill over and hopefully no one will complain about it. You could even periodically take the bucket and water some plants with it.

Just a thought but hopefully doing the above would head-off a majority of negative thoughts/complaints about something dripping from underneath your trailer.

[Cummins12V98]

Open your Grey tank and put hose in shower pan.

[Dick_B]

Am I the only one who can't understand where all the humidity is coming from. It's northern Michigan not Florida! Right now the relative humidity in our kitchen is 56%. Water is not dripping off the walls and the A/C hasn't turned on yet. Maybe the question should be why use a dehumidifier at all!

[GordonThree]

So I've had the unit running in the shower for a few hours. The bathroom is just too small and not ventilated to the main cabin well enough even with the door propped open (which it is usually kept closed.)

Air in the bathroom 45% humid, air in the bedroom 65% humid. Sure I could probably rig up fans to stir the air, but I'm thinking a little hole under the bed and a drain pipe is gonna work better.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.