Problems with condensation

I've heard about a lot of people using dehumidifiers to control the moisture. Warm inside/cold outside will create condensation. I don't have one yet but it's on my list during all of these after Christmas sales!

It depends on the source of the condensation. I've had the problem under the mattress during winter camping caused by perspiration in my fiberglass trailer. The solution it to increase the air flow under the mattress using materials developed for the boating industry. While I used Dry Mesh, some of the individuals I recommended it to have had problems purchasing it. Another similar product is Hypervent. In either case, it helps.

If the condensation is on the canvas or trailer walls, you need to improve ventilation. While it doesn't seem to make sense, running a Maxx or Fantasy fan at low speed with a window cracked even with the heat on will help, particularly if you are using a catalytic heater, which produces lots of moisture.

I use a small 25 pint dehumidifier.

http://www.newair.com/products/AD-250/

Only issue is it has no humidity setting, it's just on or off. Also creates a fair amount of heat, couldn't notice in the hybrid but I can in the FW. Obviously you need to have power.

Never had luck leaving a vent or window cracked, guess I needed to open them more then I was willing to when it was cold out. I have used the air conditioner in the fall to dry things out, but it gets too cold. Have heard you can run the heat and the air conditioner concurrently, but I never tried it.

The dehumidifier works the best for us, but it is one more thing to haul around.

Happens in all campers. Some worse than others. Heat barrier between warm tt and colder ambient air causes condensation.

I keep a large dehumidifier going in my RV. We have a big problem with mildew, especially in the summer here in Florida. I have to empty it twice a week.

We have never had a problem with condensation in our A Class or C class.
We are accustomed to sleeping year round - home & RV with the window open an inch or two.

When we had our Lance truck camper, we had a mold problem under the mattress. We purchased Hypervent (not cheap - but v.g. & works) and a new mattress was necessary. Never had another problem.

I would put another blanket on the bed and open a couple of windows. This might solve your problem.

ddmscool wrote:
We are new to the "RV " world. This is a new hybrid. The problem we are having is condensation on the fold outs. Thought it was a leak in the canvas but found out there is no canvas on these. Does anyone have a remedy for this?

since this is a common issue with hybrids, a quick search on the subject here, will get you hundreds of previous discussions and solutions. using the furnace worsens it, especially if you close up your hybrid like a submarine. many newbies do this and get condensation.

bottom line: get PopupGizmos or the generic 5x7 versions and open a vent and a small bit of a tent window, because allowing for air movement is the key.
nearly all hybrid owners that have done these things, have the condensation eliminated.

Condensation and HTT often go hand in hand. The culprit, for the most part, is the drastic temp changes between inside and outside. You'll notice this mostly in fall and early spring. Many suggest cracking a window...DH would not even think of that because when he's trying to keep the warmth inside, he doesn't want a window open to the colder outside. No point in discussing...that's his way. If you don't have Pop Up Gizmos, strongly suggest you invest in those...worth their weight in gold, Bob is a great owner and very reachable if any questions or problems. We used Hypervent on our front bunk, since it got 99% of the use. It DOES NOT completely eliminate the moisture, but does raise the mattress about an inch above the dampness. In the morning just lift, wipe with a towel and you're good. They are not inexpensive...check online. Back in '06, we paid about $107 for ours for one bunk only. But....felt it was well worth keeping the mattress dry and did an acceptable job. If you're cooking inside in the colder weather, humidity from cooking is a huge problem. Try to eliminate as much moisture as possible when cooking and always, always use your vent fan above the stove and even in the bathroom. If you can use the oven rather than the stovetop, you'll be a bit ahead. The oven will tend to dry the air a bit. Once temps stabilize this will pass. It's the difference that's the stinker.

Agree with dadmomh, gizmo's and limiting indoor cooking and showers can make a huge difference on condensation. Our dehumidifier is more for general humidity, like when your sheets feel soggy.

We have camped with temperatures down to the teens at night and have never had condensation on the inside of the tent ends.

Use the exhaust fan on the range hood whenever you are cooking, and use the exhaust fan in the bathroom when you take a shower to cut down on the moisture in the trailer during the day.

At night we crack the roof vent open slightly, and use bunk fans to circulate air into the tent ends. Keeping the air moving in the tent ends helps a lot to prevent condensation, plus it circulates heated air from the trailer into the tent ends.

Gary