15 Straightforward tricks to Cease Condensation in your Motorhome, Campervan or RV

Nervous about condensation in your campervan, motorhome, caravan or RV? You’re in the suitable place- we’ve received all the very best suggestions and methods to scale back your vanlife damp woes.

Don’t overlook to seize your FREE motorhome winter guidelines under that can assist you keep in mind every thing.

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Condensation in Campervans & Motorhomes- The Downside

We love street tripping out of season. Campsites are quieter, the roads are much less busy and you may go to some AMAZING locations with out queuing for hours. 

HOWEVER- cooler climate brings one actually annoying companion… condensation.

Whether or not you’re in a motorhome, campervan, caravan, RV or boat- it’s good to discover methods to cease or scale back condensation or damp. In any other case, out-of-season touring goes to grow to be fairly depressing.

(Alternatively, simply run away someplace heat, like these 7 warmest locations in Spain in winter!)

We lived on boats for 14 years earlier than we received a motorhome, so now we have been doing battle in opposition to condensation for a REALLY very long time. On the plus facet,  we’ve grow to be actually good at managing/ stopping that annoying moisture throughout your home windows, particularly within the morning, to not point out the damp in your cabinets.

Whether or not you’re new to motorhomes and campervans or been doing it for some time,  listed here are 15 of the very best tricks to cease condensation in your motorhome or camper, which we hope will aid you take pleasure in journeys in your van all 12 months spherical. 

Shutting down your motorhome/ camper for winter?

Seize your FREE winter shutdown guidelines right here

Condensation in a Motorhome- What Causes It?

Don’t panic- I’m not going to get technical on you.

In (very!) primary phrases, condensation is brought on by the quantity of water within the air rising (actually because we’ve breathed it out!) This air, now filled with water vapour, touches one thing chilly, like a window.

The air is then cooled down too rapidly and may’t maintain the moisture in it anymore, so the vapour turns to liquid on the chilly floor it’s touching.

You’ll discover the most condensation within the coldest a part of your van, which for us is the entrance cab home windows as we don’t actually warmth that.

So, there are two fundamental methods to do away with campervan condensation (or a minimum of scale back it!).

First is to scale back the quantity of water vapour within the air. Second is to cease that air getting chilly. Simples. 

Tricks to Scale back Damp and Condensation in your RV, Motorhome & Caravan

The next suggestions will aid you both cease condensation and damp utterly, or offer you methods to scale back and take care of it if it does happen. Not all suggestions will work for each motorhome or campervan- give all of them a attempt to see what works for you. 

1- Hold your motorhome heat

That is our most popular resolution to cease condensation on each the boat and in our motorhome and it really works, though it would enhance your prices.

Heating your motorhome or campervan and maintaining your area at a cushty temperature stops the air cooling down sufficient to trigger condensation. I ought to level out that when it will get REALLY chilly exterior, this not works so properly. 🙁 

You should use an oil crammed radiator in case your van is plugged into mains power- these work very well and are protected to depart on for lengthy intervals, though you might want to put it on a timer to scale back prices.

2- Open a window

A easy resolution, particularly when you’re residing in your motorhome, however not at all times enjoyable if it’s freezing/ raining!

Getting some recent air into your motorhome permits air with much less water vapour to enter, lowering the humidity and due to this fact lowering the extent of condensation which might happen. Simply be sure you decide your moments.

There’s no set rule on how lengthy it’s important to have it open for- clearly the longer the higher! We at all times open a window or a vent every time we’re cooking.

I do know, this appears to contradict level one, however heating from cooking usually includes steam, which accommodates… you guessed it = moisture! That’s why one thing like a low-wattage gradual cooker or an air fryer is a good suggestion 🙂

For a similar causes as above, you probably have an extractor fitted both in your rest room or kitchen, use it to clean up the air, particularly after a bathe/ whereas cooking.

Showers are the hardest- a lot scorching, moist air which must go someplace.

We depart our vents open for a few hours after a bathe and maintain the toilet door shut as a lot as doable in order that air doesn’t get out into the remainder of the Motorhome.

4- Get a Handheld Window Vacuum cleaner

This stuff are GENIUS! Battery operated, simple to scrub and work very well to take away condensation for home windows in simply a few minutes!

I had by no means heard of them earlier than we received a Motorhome- now I’m undecided how we ever lived with out one!

A window vac undoubtedly one of many best methods to take away condensation from Motorhome, RV, Boat or camper home windows.

Our favorite model is Karcher, however there are different varieties on the market- test them out right here (UK)

5- Use Campsite services if accessible.

We love wild tenting in our motorhome. We. LOVE. It. Just about some other web page on this web site will inform you why wild tenting is preferable to campsites for us.

BUT, in winter, we use campsites much more.

We additionally use their services extra, each for showers and for laundry/ drying garments. (See under.)

6- Don’t hold up moist garments/ towels to dry

A technique we avoid wasting cash throughout summer season is use a laundrette to scrub our garments, then hold them up in our rest room to dry in a single day. It really works nice.

However don’t do that in winter when you can keep away from it.

All that additional moisture within the air will trigger havoc in your condensation ranges.

Mr WB has already talked about placing the canine within the tumble drier earlier than we let him again into the motorhome!

(Sadly, I really feel compelled to state that I’m joking. Don’t ever put a pet or any animal right into a tumble drier. Please don’t name the RSPCA. We’re good folks. Trustworthy. Thanks.)

7- Can you employ a dehumidifier in a motorhome or campervan?

We don’t use plug-in dehumidifier’s on the motorhome, however we do on the boat- they usually work nice.

On the motorhome, we use stand-alone, disposable packets, like they’ve labored very properly. We even have hanging ones, like this, to scale back moisture within the wardrobe.

In case you are in search of a dehumidifier, I’ll share a few of the finest ones under.

NOTE- a dehumidifier will NOT take away mildew. As soon as that has began, every thing wants an intensive cleansing with disinfectant, after which all of it must be dried completely and left with adequate airflow.

8- Create airflow round your camper

One factor we sometimes endure from on the boat is mildew/ mould- brought on by not permitting sufficient airflow into our cabinets/ drawers/ wardrobes. (Normally after we’ve been away for every week or extra.)

For that reason, we frequently depart every thing open/ ajar once we go travelling- it stops the mould. You are able to do one thing comparable on the motorhome- both reduce small holes or match a vent to permit airflow to cabinets which don’t have already got them.

Or don’t put garments in cabinets which don’t have airflow into them. Having stated that, mildew additionally impacts paperwork and books, so watch out what you allow onboard whenever you’re not utilizing your van.

9- Bear in mind cushions and seats want love too!

You want airflow round your cushions and seats- so make sure that to tug them out slightly so that you just don’t come again to seats coated in horrible inexperienced spots- which is damp/ mildew.

We frequently take away our cushions if we’re not utilizing the motorhome for some time.

10- Put a protector over your home windows

There are a number of methods to do that, and it really works precisely like double-glazing; you might have a buffer between the chilly floor and the nice and cozy air contained in the motorhome. We tried it on the boat a number of years in the past and it labored…okay.

However it appears to work significantly better on the motorhome. Our coldest half is our cab, so silver or thermal screens on the outside scale back the issue. It doesn’t cease it utterly, nevertheless it does scale back it.

You can too get enjoyable ones with eyes right here.

NOTE- the pull-over fitted screens contained in the cab are nice for privateness, however don’t cease condensation because the air simply circulates round them.

11- Hold issues clear and dry

Whether or not you’re utilizing your motorhome all through winter or not, maintaining your cabinets clear will certainly assist to scale back damp. Damp is brought on by condensation (or different moisture) sitting unchecked for too lengthy.

It will probably trigger critical issues for each the automobile and your well being. You’ll be able to scale back the possibilities of damp/ mildew by rising airflow, cleansing out cabinets and drying them completely after cleansing. Your campervan storage will get simpler too.

Do NOT put something into your cabinets/ wardrobe which is damp. This contains coats and sneakers. When you’re packing a motorhome, attempt to not put something damp again into the cabinets. 

12- Verify for leaks in your campervan

It’s in all probability widespread sense, but when your van is leaking, you’re going to get extra moisture into your area. Moisture= condensation when it’s warmed up, so make sure that there aren’t any leaks.

We feature a tube of silicone with us- simply in case!

Frequent locations which leak are across the motorhome television aerial, the van wifi antenna or something you’ve drilled, like a photo voltaic panel or awning.

Can You Use an Electrical Dehumidifier in a Motorhome?

For some cause, folks appear apprehensive about utilizing an electrical dehumidifier in a motorhome. It’s completely protected, so long as you comply with the producer’s directions and keep in mind to empty it recurrently.

Personally, I wouldn’t depart an electrical dehumidifier switched on within the motorhome for an extended time period (whereas on a driveway for instance), particularly if I wasn’t there to control it. Nevertheless, it’s definitely not an issue in a single day when you’re there.

You’ll be able to add it to your Christmas checklist, together with these different excellent motorhome items!

Professional’s of utilizing an electrical dehumidifier in a motorhome

• Secure round pets! This can be a massive one for us- disposable dehumidifiers are dangerous to animals if ingested.
• Straightforward and environment friendly to make use of
• You don’t want to fret about shopping for replacements
• In all probability kinder to the atmosphere, as there may be much less plastic wastage.

Cons of utilizing an electrical dehumidifier in a motorhome

• You want 12v or mains energy & one thing dependable to plug it into.
• You could keep in mind to empty it.
• It takes up area.

There are many dehumidifiers in the marketplace. Make SURE the one you’re ordering has an computerized shut off when it will get full and a plug acceptable to your nation (you’d be amazed what number of don’t include a plug!)

See our suggestions under.

What’s the BEST 12v Dehumidifer for a Motorhome or Campervan?

I’ll be trustworthy (as at all times!) and inform you that we’ve REALLY struggled to discover a dependable 12v dehumidifier for our motorhome. We’ve tried a number of models- they usually’ve all both failed inside a couple of days or not made any distinction by any means.

That’s why we want packing containers or sachets like these.

Nevertheless, we’re actually happy with the electrical dehumidifier we use on the boat. They work nice within the motorhome too, however clearly, you want mains to run them on.

RANDOM Bonus Tip to Cease Condensation in your Motorhome!

Okay- full disclosure- we haven’t tried this however I assumed I’d share it in case it helped anybody out.

APPARENTLY, when you put a very skinny coating of washing up liquid over the within of your home windows/ windscreen, it stops condensation.

My guess is the washing up liquid creates a barrier between the chilly glass and heat air= diminished condensation! It sounds a bit odd to me- absolutely the washing up liquid smears and obstructs your imaginative and prescient?? And cleansing it off have to be a ache.

When you’ve tried it, let me know if it really works!!

So there you go, the very best suggestions that can assist you cease condensation and damp in your motorhome or camper. I hope they aid you take pleasure in journeys in your van all 12 months lengthy.

Final replace on 2024-07-03 / Affiliate hyperlinks / Photos from Amazon Product Promoting API

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