Our helpful Tech Experts are discussing RV moisture and how to avoid it, especially at this time of year. Let’s listen in…
AL: Hello everyone, welcome to another edition of Tech Tips, what on the agenda today Tim?
TIM: Moisture.
AL: You mean like rain? There is no shortage of that around here.
TIM: No, I mean like moisture inside an RV or condensation.
AL: Ooh good idea Tim, moisture issues always seem to show up when the weather gets cooler and people tend to close their RV’s up tight.
TIM: That’s right Al, and in many cases the moisture challenge is simply due to a lack of air circulation.
AL: Have you ever picked the kids up from the pool on a cool day? They get into the car with wet hair, wet towels and clothing and poof… the car windows are all fogged up.
TIM: That’s right Al, it’s because all the moisture from the wet hair, towels etc. evaporates into the air as it dries.
AL: When this evaporated moisture hits the cooler windows it condenses back into liquid and fogs up the windows.
TIM: The only way to clear up the windows is to crank the defrost on, or open a window.
AL: This is the same thing that can happen in an RV, particularly if it is closed up tight. The human body can sweat 2 to 8 cups of moisture per day, even more if you’re very active. This alone can cause significant condensation in a closed up RV.
TIM: Not to mention the moisture from showers, cooking, making coffee or just breathing.
AL: When we get condensation inside an RV it is the cooler air outside, cooling things like single pane glass or aluminum trim inside. The cooler glass or aluminum trim causes the moisture in the warmer air inside to condensate.
AL: Glass and aluminum transfer heat, or cold, quickly as they are not very good insulators and that is why we always see the moisture on or around windows and trim or where there is little or no air circulation.
TIM: OK, so now we know where the moisture comes from, but what can we do to minimize the amount condensation inside the RV?
AL: Well Tim, making sure we always have good air circulation is key, when showering or cooking, try to have vents wide open because these are both major producers of moisture.
TIM: Maxx Air vent covers will allow you to have the roof vents open, even if it is raining, without getting soaked.
AL: With Maxx Air vent covers you can even leave the vents open when not in use to help keep the air flowing. However, if you are in an area that gets snow you should keep them closed as melting snow could enter through the open vent.
TIM: When camping in cool damp conditions you may need to run the furnace to warm up but you should still leave a vent or two cracked open at least until the moisture has dissipated. The warm moist air will rise and go out the open vents. Dry air is easier to heat so this will also help conserve energy.
AL: When in storage a couple of great options for moisture control are the Stor-Dry and Dry Z Air products.
TIM: The Stor-Dry is an excellent choice if you have power as it requires no maintenance but if you have no powerat your storage site the Dry Z Air does an excellent job of removing moisture as well. That’s all the time today folks.
TIM and AL: Happy Camping!
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