Preventing condensation in motorhome overnight

[WITCHY]

Hello to all...
Can anyone help with condensation...we got 3 fur babies in front of cab last night..left window open slightly...didn't have any heat going...so consequently the other half moaned about how
cold it was this morning...in FREEDOM..also some stuff felt a bit damp...obviously I must be doing something wrong...as look at other mhs around site and they don't look like they have condensation on windows much...should I leave a heater just ticking over through the night..have a little one that turns off when you reach yr desired temp..then comes on again automatically when it drops..sorry for long winded message....

 

[Landy Andy]

Heat will make the condensation worse. As does breathing, but it difficult to stop that.

 

[Figaro]

Where is the condensation ? The windscreen is the biggest condensation attractor in a motorhome. Most of your other windows should be double glazed.
External silver screens virtually eliminate the problem.
A karcher window vac is also invaluable in drying off condensation.
Ventilation is key, but you also need to stay warm enough but warm air does hold more moisture.
It's about striking a balance, but first step is to try silver screens.

 

[Jewellbags]

Surely if u have the heat on a little and a top vent open then the warm air should carry moisture out - then fully vent in the morning when dressed ?

 

[Terry]

As already been said external screens will eliminate condensation

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Just us on Tour]

Hello to all...
Can anyone help with condensation...we got 3 fur babies in front of cab last night..left window open slightly...didn't have any heat going...so consequently the other half moaned about how
cold it was this morning...in FREEDOM..also some stuff felt a bit damp...obviously I must be doing something wrong...as look at other mhs around site and they don't look like they have condensation on windows much...should I leave a heater just ticking over through the night..have a little one that turns off when you reach yr desired temp..then comes on again automatically when it drops..sorry for long winded message....

Silver Screen . One of the best accessories we ever purchased .

 

[Jewellbags]

Agreed on the silver screen

 

[gus-lopez]

I started my van this morning, turned heater to half way between hot & cold. air con on. Came back two minutes later to completely covered in condensation the windsceen & side windows. Van empty & parked overnight as normal. Always does it .?

 

[Terry]

I started my van this morning, turned heater to half way between hot & cold. air con on. Came back two minutes later to completely covered in condensation the windsceen & side windows. Van empty & parked overnight as normal. Always does it .?

Your dragging warm air in from outside that holds more water, so makes condensation on windows

 

[Coolcats]

Overnight we always have a minimum temperature, 15-18c and some venting we don't tend to have a wet front screen we do not use a silver screen and the van does not feel damp. If boiling a pan of water side windows are open along with the roof light.

My suggestion is don't let the van cool down too much overnight and keep the van vented... try the silver screens as people seem to rate them

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[gus-lopez]

Your dragging warm air in from outside that holds more water, so makes condensation on windows

That shouldn't apply as it is permanently on 'recirculate'. fan has to be physically turned to the opposite direction with it's own speeds to let air in from outside & it has never been on that whilst I've owned it.

 

[Terry]

That shouldn't apply as it is permanently on 'recirculate'. fan has to be physically turned to the opposite direction with it's own speeds to let air in from outside & it has never been on that whilst I've owned it.

Try cracking the windows open a inch or two then

 

[Brize]

External silver screens virtually eliminate the problem.
A karcher window vac is also invaluable in drying off condensation.

This. We carry both and use them.

External screen, don't bother with internal one. It's surprising the difference an external screen makes for both cold and hot weather.

We have the Polar screen, it's good.

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Stop breathing

 

[DerryW]

Silver Screen . One of the best accessories we ever purchased .

Second for Silver Screens, can be a bit of a pain in the rear having to go outside on a cold evening, but will pay dividends in the morning.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Second for Silver Screens, can be a bit of a pain in the rear having to go outside on a cold evening, but will pay dividends in the morning.

We got silver screens and 90% of windscreen condensation was gone.

 

[meanders]

The habitation windows are effectively double glazed but can still form some condensation when very cold outside. The screen and cab windows are only single glazed. As said, a silver screen will almost eliminate that, although again, in very cold weather the screen might immediately form condensation when you remove it. As stated a Karcher window vacuum is really useful for clearing it.

 

[gus-lopez]

Try cracking the windows open a inch or two then

Yep, windows are normally down 5 or 6mm as otherwise the maxxair fan struggles when on auto as the only air intake grille is quite small.

 

[LithiumConvert]

Heat will make the condensation worse.

Heat wiil only make the condensation worse if the heat is increasing the humidity and that will only happen if there is moisture in the motorhome.

The trick is to keep the moisture out.. But that is often difficult if you come in wet on a rainy day. In such conditions plenty of heat and ventilation will then dry things out.

 

[Terry]

Try another 30 mm or as I said in my first post silverScreens type things - I’ve always had either SS or Taylor made external screens and never had condensation. Set off with internal screens but they didn’t work

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[WITCHY]

Stop breathing

Lol...thanks didn't think of that

 

[Nirvanauk]

Fur baby?

 

[TDub49]

Another shout for external silver screens.

 

[Oldrat]

A hidden benefit of a Karcher window vac is that they remove the moisture from the windows inside the van and deposit it down the plug hole - or outside depending on your preference.

Unlike mopping it up with a cloth which you might leave in the van to dry out.

 

[Terry]

A hidden benefit of a Karcher window vac is that they remove the moisture from the windows inside the van and deposit it down the plug hole - or outside depending on your preference.

Unlike mopping it up with a cloth which you might leave in the van to dry out.

You are correct but every time you simply stay in the van more moisture is created. Simply by sleeping you create moisture approximately 2pints per person, that moisture heads straight for the coldest windows ie screen and side windows creating condensation.
The only way to stop/ control it is heat, ventilation and stop the cold windows = screens on the outside. It’s still there but dissipates around all the van hence we get damp meter reading of upto 8 / 15 Only when it goes over this do we worry about damp. To control it by heating the van would make it well over acceptable temps for you in the van just as ventilation would make it uncomfortable /drafts. ( you have to heat it so the glass is warm)
Simply adding the external screens will stop the glass being cold causing condensation.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

Condensation forms when damp warm air meets a colder surface. The best place for condensation to form is on a windscreen where it will do no harm and is easily sucked up with a window vac. Think of your windscreen an effective dehumidifier that overnight removes moisture from the air that would otherwise settle out somewhere that might cause damage.

 

[Jewellbags]

What happens to all that condensation that runs down the inside of the window screen ?

 

[Terry]

What happens to all that condensation that runs down the inside of the window screen ?

Simple fit a external screen and you don’t get any

 

[Pausim]

What happens to all that condensation that runs down the inside of the window screen ?

I suck it up with my window vac in the morning. I would rather get it out of the vehicle than have it forming somewhere inaccessible. The water doesn’t go away because you have a silver screen, it goes somewhere else or hangs on in the air raising the humidity level.

 

[Terry]

I suck it up with my window vac in the morning. I would rather get it out of the vehicle than have it forming somewhere inaccessible. The water doesn’t go away because you have a silver screen, it goes somewhere else or hangs on in the air raising the humidity level.

As soon as you open doors etc the humidity levels are in tune with the outside

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}