Condensation control in spring/fall

Kush Wood · 03-29-2017, 12:10 AM

Last year my wife and I stayed in the TM up until late fall on Vancouver Island, BC and the temperature was a steady 12 degrees Celsius (or 53F). As a result we dealt with a lot of condensation issues and the main one that I want to bring attention to here is that our matresses ended up damp on the bottom.

We tried placing a sheet of vapor barrier underneath but that didn't help it. We also placed a layer of straw between vapor barrier sheets and the mattress with no success.

Since we are planning some spring time camping at the end of this week I wonder what my best options would be to rectify this issue. The temperature will be about the same as it was when we left off in the fall (the plus side is that we can at least anticipate eventual rising temperatures versus dropping).

We are considering trying 2" foam board insulation pieces to fit the bed area. Otherwise would skirting make a big difference here? And does anybody have skirting for their TM that they could recommend?

On the upside we have a woodstove but the downside is that we don't have the proper heat shielding yet to be able to use it. It seems difficult in this small town to find someone who can make a custom heat shield for what we need.

So in conclusion my main question is: will the 2" foam board work for the beds or is skirting necessary?

Any suggestions are appreciated..

**inghamm** · 03-29-2017, 10:32 AM

We camped on Vancouver Island December 2015 into January 2016. It got below freezing at night, and we did have condensation problems. Since then we

Used Damp Rid
Turned on the bathroom fan while showering and left it on until the bathroom is not steamy

In fall of 2016 we took a trip where we had several nights below freezing, although it would warm up during the day. We didn't have much condensation. We were connected to shore power and using electric heater(s) during the night /morning
Concerning heat - if you have shore power, consider getting a little electric heater. If not, I would think the propane heater would be much safer than a woodstove.

**Bill** · 03-29-2017, 01:04 PM

Condensation happens when moisture (humidity) builds up in the air inside the trailer. When you get the TM sealed up tight, the moisture has no place to go, and eventually it will condense on any cool (not just cold) surface. The cure is to get the moisture out of the air. Products like Damp-Rid will help. If you have shore power, a small dehumidifier is easy. If you don't, then the solution is to open a window, open the vent on the ceiling, turn on the vent fan, and get a complete air change once or twice a day. Yes, it will get cold inside, so when you have finished venting, run the furnace or electric heater to warm the place back up. But the longer you collect moisture in the air, the worse the problem will get.

Bill

Kush Wood · 03-29-2017, 06:13 PM

Great thanks. We used the damp-rid or particularly Driz-air I think it was called before we put the RV into storage for the winter. But since we were new to camping last fall we were unaware of this product. We'll definitely be using them this spring to ensure condensation reduction.

LoveToCamp · 03-29-2017, 08:49 PM

I had a Coleman air mattress plus 3" egg-crate foam in our TM. I didn't realize for a couple years that we had condensation on the top of the air mattress, and on the bottom of the foam. Once I realized this was happening, I began folding the bedding and foam forward for a few hours each morning. Not a big problem, but it kept any mold from growing.

I recently put ½" of firm-foam workshop comfort pads under the mattress, but it didn't help.

I am in Colorado, and it is normally pretty dry where we camp. I think we just generate our own humidity when we sleep, so condensation happens. I thought it was due to the bed being exposed to the outside at the bottom. But, we slept in our new TT with a bed not exposed to the outside, and we still had condensation between the air mattress and the foam.

I don't know if you can keep it from happening. I don't notice condensation in our home bed (Select Comfort with their foam pad), but maybe it does get some condensation.

Good luck!

tentcamper · 03-29-2017, 11:59 PM

we keep the vent open about 1/2 inch.

LBrown · 05-05-2024, 10:06 PM

Before I bought our TM I researched how to keep mattresses dry while winter camping and there are many systems that can be used under the mattresses. I'm going try a Den-Dry RV and Boat Under Mattress pad from Amazon.

What have you found to work?

We're in Canada where it's not always the warmest so this will be something we'll have to contend with on a regular basis if we want to extend our camping season into the late fall & early spring.

I can't wait to see your solutions!