Condensation

[Community Alumni]

This summer we upgraded from tent camping to a new hybrid trailer. We love it and even with a very busy summer we managed to get it out 5 times. This weekend we had one last trip before putting it away for the winter. It got down into the 40s at night and with the heater on we got quite a bit of condensation on the inside of the pop out bedroom areas. The inside surface got quite cold so it's not surprising. I even dried the off before going to bed but during the night it got bad enough that it was dripping a bit. I have heard that people get insulating blankets for the pop out areas to help with cooling during the summer. Would these help for my issue as well? If so, what are the called? Any other solutions? Besides not camping when it's cold. 🙂

Thanks,

Duane

[jrdebono]

I use the tarps from Wal-Mart , they are cheap. Get heavy duty spring clips from Home Depot. bungees and or rope to secure the flaps.

[Padlin]

Dick_B wrote:
For a cheap potential solution cover the tent ends with cheap blue plastic to form an air pocket. No guarantees but it won't cost much to try it.

I did this before I bought the gizmos to see if it really works, which it does. Threw a blue tarp over one bunk on a cool night. The only down side was we looked like escapees from a refugee camp.

[Padlin]

Dick_B wrote:
For a cheap potential solution cover the tent ends with cheap blue plastic to form an air pocket. No guarantees but it won't cost much to try it.

I did this before I bought the gizmos to see if it really works, which it does. Threw a blue tarp over one bunk on a cool night. The only down side was we looked like escapees from a refugee camp.

[Dick_B]

For a cheap potential solution cover the tent ends with cheap blue plastic to form an air pocket. No guarantees but it won't cost much to try it.

[atreis]

Gizmos help, and leaving a vent cracked helps. Doing both, we usually get very little condensation.

[dspencer]

We've had our Hybrid for 5 years and a popup for 2 years before that. I swear by popup gizmos. I'm on my second set and won't do without as long as i have a Hybrid. I also keep either a roof vent open or a window partially open and never have a problem with condensation at all. There well worth the money in my book.

[PAThwacker]

Haha I used to own a pup that would drip ccondensated water all season long From the AC. I use super high wind gizmos, and leave the windows open. ,

[Community Alumni]

Thanks all for your help. I don't need to fix the problem completely it'll just be nice not to have water drip on my head at 3:00 am. :B

[camp-n-family]

We solved the problem in our old hybrid by turning the bathroom fan on and leaving it on at night. Getting the air circulating was all it took. Now I always make sure my TTs have a Fantastic fan and leave it on all the time. Plus a little white noise was good for sleeping.

[bovellois]

Cyborgie wrote:
Not breathing helps also.

Or use a snorkel 😉

[Cyborgie]

Not breathing helps also.

[bikendan]

you probably had the trailer completely sealed up with the furnace on.
big mistake!
the same thing could happen in a regular RV if no air movement is present.

you need air movement and PUG's/solar blankets.
you need to allow for air to move and put the blankets on top of the tent ends.
you should have a vent cracked along with opening a tent window a little bit.

for most, this will cure the condensation issue.

[dadmomh]

'Tis the season. There will be an instant replay for those who are getting out for the first time in the cool, damp spring weather. Either the space blankets from Cabela's or similar or the Pop Up Gizmos will go a long way toward fixing this. Note I didn't say WILL fix it. We also bought a product used in boating applications called HyperVent. Sworn to remedy the problem. Not quite, but what it did do was elevate the mattress about 1" above the deck so that it didn't get damp. Some folks swear that if you slightly open a window, problem solved. DH wouldn't even think of opening a window when it's cold outside and he's trying to get it warm inside, so no big news to report there. We did use the fan only on the furnace and it helped, but an oscillating fan sitting on the table will likely accomplish the same thing. Some folks have never had a single problem. Others swear that they're about to drown. My strictly unscientific study has shown that what works for one won't work for another. Trial and error. One thing you can do to help considerably is to make sure you don't do things like boiling water or heating where you have steam in the evenings - be sure to run your stove venthood for a good long time. We never had moisture dripping from the top, but in spite of all, we did check under the mattress & HyperVent every morning and just wipe it with a towel if needed. If it was more moist than usual, we'd stick a couple of tall cans or similar to hold up the mattress until you were sure it's dry. One 99% guarantee is that if the pillow slips against the end of the canvas area, the moisture will wick and the pillow will get damp. All this is just part of the charm of hybrid camping and you'll figure out what works for you and what doesn't, but moisture is a stinker and you'll just have to work on it. The greater difference in the inside and outside temps is one of the culprits. Meanwhile, just enjoy!

[Padlin]

Gizmo's