Damp in the motorhome
Does anyone have a solution to the motorhome getting slightly damp when parked and not being used for a while in the winter.? We were thinking of a small cartridge heater? Also people's experience of motorhome covers?
Comments
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Is it just condensation or something of more concern? If it's the former then make sure it's ventilated, empty and open cupboards etc. Take out bedding, clothes, towels and store at home. If possible do the same with mattresses and pillows! Hope it isn't but If it's the latter, seek professional advice!
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What do you mean be slightly damp?? We have a motorhome and just leave all the cupboards open, the bathroom door propped open and pull the cushions away from the sides of the 'van. I don't remove towels in one of the cupboards and the mattress toppers
and pillows are stored in plastic bags. We have no problem with damp but if I touch the towels they may have a feel of them needing a few more mintues on the line to 'finish off but there' not damp just that cold feeling'We did have a damp smell once and I tracked that down to a loose fitting where the bathroom shower tap joined the hose. Plenty of ventilation is the key, we store ours so couldn't put heat in even if we wanted too. A drive out once every few weeks helps.
Hope this helps.0 -
What do you mean be slightly damp?? We have a motorhome and just leave all the cupboards open, the bathroom door propped open and pull the cushions away from the sides of the 'van. I don't remove towels in one of the cupboards and the mattress toppers and pillows are stored in plastic bags. We have no problem with damp but if I touch the towels they may have a feel of them needing a few more mintues on the line to 'finish off but there' not damp just that cold feeling'
We did have a damp smell once and I tracked that down to a loose fitting where the bathroom shower tap joined the hose. Plenty of ventilation is the key, we store ours so couldn't put heat in even if we wanted too. A drive out once every few weeks helps. Hope this helps.
Put a damp meter on those towels you mention, you may well be suprised! Any absorbent material will eventually reach at least the same moisture content as the air and that's where condensation originates! If in storage for some time it's best to remove as much of the absorbant materials wherever and whenever you can, every bit helps!
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If your motorhome smells musty when you first enter, it is too damp. Remove all things that might hold water and treat anything with mildew on.
Otherwise simply remove sources of moisture and allow good ventilation. Heating should not be necessary.
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If your van is at home like ours, we open the doors whenever the weather is dry, just to air things. From time to time I connect the Electrics to the garage supply and put on a blow heater. Mostly we use the van regularly through the winter for 3/4 days
away. Gets everything going properly.0 -
As my van is stored at home, I keep it on EHU, and keep a small covector heater on a timer (so it only comes on when on low price electric) just to dry out the air, and to stop mildew forming on the soft furnishings. Worth the cost IMO.
If I couldn't do that, removal of all bedding, seating etc., is advisable, as mould stains are almost impossible to get out.
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We use our van all year round but when we returned from our last trip away I moved all the cushions away from the walls took in the bedding and left all the cupboards open also I have left some "moisture Collectors" scattered around the van this worked well
for us last year. We keep the van at home so I can go out and air it now and again if need be. We will be going away in it again mid January so that will also help.0 -
Same here, it's also been more humid than normal recently which doesn't help. We've opened all the cupboards, propped open the washroom door and generally made sure the air can circulate. We don't remove anything but we make sure things aren't packed in
too closely so the van can breathe a bit.0 -
same as the last two posts....use the van so often, ot doesnt really 'stand idle'.
even when home for a couple of weeks, we are in and out of the van regularly, so it gets a constant airing....
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If you have air conditioning, its worth running it with the heater on warm / hot, so you do not get cold, when taking the m/home out for a run.
The air conditioning will dry the incoming air and ""fill"" the m/home hopefully expelling older and damper air.
Rgds
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Thanks to everyone for their comments.we will take them on board. Any experiences on covering with a breathable cover?
Write your comments here...I did cover my first van with a custom made Protec cover, I didn't find that it marked the bodywork as some have indicated, but bits that stick out certainly wore holes in the cover, luckily they gave us a spare sheet of material
when we bought it. And we needed it. After 4 years it was covered in patches.We gave it away (to a friend with a similar van) when we changed vans. Haven't bothered since.Too much hassle to fit and remove, when you want to drive the van.0 -
Condensation will be created on the coldest surfaces. If you have aluminium window surrounds, keep curtain linings away from them or they will get damp and encourage mildew. It may be worth fitting an insulation cover over the windscreen and side windows
to deter condensation there. Don’t close the top vents tight. Let air circulate freely.As for a full cover, I wouldn’t bother. If your motorhome is tall, it’d probably be a faff to get one over. I’m not sure how ‘breathable’ they are, anyway, but I think they might reduce the amount of air able to circulate freely. What are you trying to achieve
by fitting a cover? If you want easier cleaning, then waxing or a paint seal treatment may be more effective.0 -
I have found that a little bit or warmth, to keep the temperature a few degrees above freezing, Ventilate as much as possible on dryer days, Maybe use a fan and a low wattage heater to keep the air from pooling at cold corners.
Dehumidifiers are ok if you use them before to pull moisture out of the upholstery before you go away, but for long tern use are expensive, all you do, in effect is to empry the dehumidifier, into the drain, down to the river, back to the sea and up into
the clouds for next time ;-)Rgds
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