Keeping the heating on over winter?

[Swamp]

We’ve just got back from a few days away in the van and while the weather hasn’t yet turned properly cold I was thinking through the steps I need to take for when it does.
Our van is used every couple of weeks over winter and while parked up is at home with access to hook-up. I found myself wondering today whether it made any sense to leave the Truma heating on very low (maybe 5 degrees) to keep things from freezing and, hopefully reduce condensation.
It maybe a completely crazy idea so I would appreciate your thoughts?

 

[rod_vw]

Our diesel heater has a frost guard setting that I have set at 6 degrees C, which stops our Victron solar chargers from shutting off power to our lithium hab battery.

Two on Tour Which diesel heater do you have if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Two on Tour]

Two on Tour Which diesel heater do you have if you don't mind me asking?

It's a 5kW Lavaner Pro, and I'm using an Afterburner controller rather than the standard controller, hence the frost guard capability.

 

[Swamp]

Thanks everyone for the many informative posts! Lots of opinions and lots to think about which I shall do over a glass of red!

To answer a couple of questions that were raised the van is a 2024 model and is winterised with a double floor. No signs of damp anywhere.

Having read the posts I’m thinking of maybe a small fan heater with a thermostat which will keep the van slightly warm and move the air about helping to avoid damp in cold corners.

Again, many thanks to everyone who contributed.

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

We leave an oil filled radiator in the van all winter and only switch it on low overnight if a hard frost is forecast. If the weather is dull and overcast for a prolonged period I'll switch on the ehu to help the Battery Master keep the engine battery topped up. Never had any issues with damp or condensation.

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[Jim]

Why is it that most oil heaters I see, have warnings about being left on and unattended. That doesn’t inspire confidence. So I wouldn’t leave one on in the van.

 

[pat100]

I’m leaving a little 400W panel heater on as mine's on EHU on my drive. I gathered from googling that 15°C is the ideal temp to keep damp at bay though it often drops below that. (I leave the bed made up.) I started with an oil-filled radiator but it leaked and I’d never liked the idea of hot oil and electricity, together. I thought that leaving the fanned CH on non-stop might accelerate wear on it. Only done it for one winter so far. Though my “winterised” tanks are underslung so I do like to keep an eye on the forecast and occasionally switch on the boiler's frost stat. My Bluetooth solar controller reports internal temperature so I can keep an eye on that from indoors.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Never seen a motorhomes on dealers forecourts with heating on. Furthermore using a dehumidifier in a van in winter is a complete waste of time and money. As you remove moisture from the air it will be replaced with moisture from the air coming through the vents.

+1 What he said.
Mike.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

If you must, a small fan on a timer will move air about in the van.
Mike.

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

Why is it that most oil heaters I see, have warnings about being left on and unattended. That doesn’t inspire confidence. So I wouldn’t leave one on in the van.

I can only speak for the two radiators I have and don't remember seeing any warnings about being left unattended. Surely if that was the case they couldn't be used safely at home

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[LostInSpace]

Lots of moving parts in a van central heating system, including a boiler, which needs to be filled with water.

Our Truma instructions say that the boiler does not need to filled with water to use the heating.

I can thinks of lots of fan blades moving and lots of air molecules.

But we are not going to convince the ney-sayers so we should just enjoy our warm dry motohomes and leave the discusion.

 

[Brains]

How does the electric oil heater keep the interfloor space from freezing on a winterised MH?

I open up everything throughout the winter storage period.
It only takes a couple of minutes to set it all up/get it ready to roll.

All internal lockers open.
All floor hatches open.
Fridge door on the 'winter' catch, so it has a crack of air.
Loo door open, loo open, flap open to the cassette.
Even the oven door open a bit.

The idea is to ensure there are no void spaces where 'dead air' can collect without circulation.
An electric heater or electric greenhouse heater set at 5-7c will keep the entire van from freezing.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

I open up everything throughout the winter storage period.
It only takes a couple of minutes to set it all up/get it ready to roll.

All internal lockers open.
All floor hatches open.
Fridge door on the 'winter' catch, so it has a crack of air.
Loo door open, loo open, flap open to the cassette.
Even the oven door open a bit.

The idea is to ensure there are no void spaces where 'dead air' can collect without circulation.
An electric heater or electric greenhouse heater set at 5-7c will keep the entire van from freezing.

Ditto.

 

[Pausim]

Condensation forms when warm air cools. Keep the temperature as constant as possible but whatever you do avoid short bursts of heating followed by cooling.

 

[Flairy]

My heating is on and has been for well over 20 years it’s on at 12 degrees on gas there’s no damp and it’s always just ready to use,

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[Northernraider]

Heating only causes condensation if the heated air comes into contact with cold surfaces. If the van is permantly kept above the condensation temperature point then there are no cold surfaces for it to condense on.

I have been a fulltimer for 15 years and keep the heating on all the time during the winter. The only place I have ever seen condensation is in the cab area. I keep that partitioned off from the hab area and I never saw any at all.

I'm a fulltimer and every morning my double glazed windows have condensation on them every van I've owned has been the same .

Putting heating on creates more , the only way it is less us if windows or skylights are left slightly open.


Single glazed windows are obviously a lot worse .

 

[Northernraider]

Heating only highlights condensation if the 'van is already damp inside.

In which case , the answer is to cure the cause of the damp.

Contrary to the popular myth, heat does not create moisture.

There's already moisture in every vehicle unless it was sucked out to create a vaccum.

The more heat the more condensation in my experience.

Doesn't matter which camper I've owned they've all had condensation on windows...double and single glazed . Single obviously far worse and that happens anywhere under 10-15 °

 

[Northernraider]

My heating is on and has been for well over 20 years it’s on at 12 degrees on gas there’s no damp and it’s always just ready to use,

I don't know how that works lol. The More I use heating the more condensation I get . I also have no way of setting my alde heating to a particular temperature. I've the choice of 1,2,3,4,5 that's it .. nothing correlates to temperature. I think it would also get through a crazy amount of gas

 

[ontheroadagain]

We have owned a touring caravan, two static caravans and three motorhomes over a period of 20 years.
We have never heated any of them when not in use over the winter and never had any condensation or damp.
This photo was taken a few years ago.
It was the temperature INSIDE our motorhome during a cold snap and we still didn't have any problems.

 

[Two on Tour]

We have owned a touring caravan, two static caravans and three motorhomes over a period of 20 years.
We have never heated any of them when not in use over the winter and never had any condensation or damp.
This photo was taken a few years ago.
It was the temperature INSIDE our motorhome during a cold snap and we still didn't have any problems.


View attachment 971278

You don't have a lithium hab battery then ?

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[Flairy]

I had the control altered to the latest versioni use just under 47kilo gas bottle in 12 months when parked at home .

 

[Northernraider]

I had the control altered to the latest version

Ah OK.

I'm considering that but next year lol

 

[ontheroadagain]

You don't have a lithium hab battery then ?

No , two AGM batteries.

 

[Brains]

I'm a fulltimer and every morning my double glazed windows have condensation on them every van I've owned has been the same .

Putting heating on creates more , the only way it is less us if windows or skylights are left slightly open.


Single glazed windows are obviously a lot worse .

That is the big difference.
You are inside the van, breathing!
Therefore producing condensation.

When in residence, then I'd use the internal heating gas system.
I tend to switch it off or put it very low at night, preferring to use the 'duvet' heating system.

If the van is not occupied, then you tend to get very little condensation.
A bit of electric heating (oil radiator) set at the frost level will not really produce much condensation on an empty winterised van.

 

[enark]

I'm a fulltimer and every morning my double glazed windows have condensation on them every van I've owned has been the same .

Putting heating on creates more , the only way it is less us if windows or skylights are left slightly open.


Single glazed windows are obviously a lot worse .

Probably cus your in it?

Ive always left the van heating on at say 8 degrees, very rarely will it come on, but it just ensures nothing ever freezes.

Never had any moisture build up.

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[Northernraider]

That is the big difference.
You are inside the van, breathing!
Therefore producing condensation.

When in residence, then I'd use the internal heating gas system.
I tend to switch it off or put it very low at night, preferring to use the 'duvet' heating system.

If the van is not occupied, then you tend to get very little condensation.
A bit of electric heating (oil radiator) set at the frost level will not really produce much condensation on an empty winterised van.

Probably cus your in it?

Ive always left the van heating on at say 8 degrees, very rarely will it come on, but it just ensures nothing ever freezes.

Never had any moisture build up.

OK which brings me to the point of

Why bother heating it when you're not in it if when you are in it you're going to get the condensation issues anyway.

Just air it and it will be absolutely fine.

 

[enark]

OK which brings me to the point of

Why bother heating it when you're not in it if when you are in it you're going to get the condensation issues anyway.

Just air it and it will be absolutely fine.

Cus we like to?

 

[Northernraider]

Cus we like to?

Doesn't really answer the original op though does it.

That answer just backs up the thousands of people who don't waste money and contribute to climate issues by heating an empty motirhome.

 

[Jim]

Cus we like to?

That's fair enough. And is about the only valid reason I can think of for heating an empty motorhome

 

[Gromett]

I'm a fulltimer and every morning my double glazed windows have condensation on them every van I've owned has been the same .

Putting heating on creates more , the only way it is less us if windows or skylights are left slightly open.


Single glazed windows are obviously a lot worse .

I have never had condensation in my vans. Even in the crappy caravan I am in at the moment there is no condensation on the windows even in the coldest depths of winter.

We must be doing something different?

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[Northernraider]

I have never had condensation in my vans. Even in the crappy caravan I am in at the moment there is no condensation on the windows even in the coldest depths of winter.

We must be doing something different?

We obviously are but I genuinely would love to know your secret as all the caravans I've had , family has had and friends currently have all also have condensation on windows.

I mean the double glazed ones aren't as bad as the cab windows which are really bad on cold mornings.

But there is still pools of water lying on the bottom corners of every double glazed window in this van and its the best insulated one I've ever owned .

If it is warmer inside than it is outside then condensation will always form . .... that's just science.