Condensation any Ideas how? (1 Viewer)

[RandallC]

Noticed a couple of times that the ends of the bed sheet are damp and the van wall is wet, presumably due to condensation at the head end of the mattress. We have a Kontiki 679 with a transverse bed over the garage. The is the standard gapping board on the rear wall but nothing at the head and foot of the mattress.

Having to lift the mattress to ventilate and dry is a pain.


Did wonder about cutting a couple of pieces of poly carbonate roofing sheet and sliding those between mattress & wall. (hollow in middle)


Any thoughts on a cure?

 

[MitchandJenny]

Sounds worth a try with your polyC sheet.

 

[irnbru]

Drill a tiny hole and fill the gap with expanding foam. I bought an endoscope from ebay and was able to see just where the insulation failed.

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[RandallC]

The damp is virtually all across the head end of the mattress. Assume it's mainly that end due to the moisture in breathing.

Sue is adamant that she can't manage without breathing.

 

[funflair]

Do you have a window open at night?

Martin

 

[irnbru]

It will definitely be condensation. Sounds familiar to ours

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[Minxy]

As a temporary measure try some bubble wrap ... cut a piece for each end of the bed so that the mattress doesn't touch the wall ... not over Sue's head!

 

[Cinderz]

We have similar and I tried some foil backed insulation used for behind radiators - didn't work! Remembered this being discussed previously and managed to find 1 thread where the solution suggested was car carpet glued to the walls with spray glue. I'm going to try this but hubby won't let me glue it (thinks it might get fousty) going to place it round the walls and see how it goes. Can't find the link for the supplier just now but I'm sure it'll be easy to find. Think the thread was from 2010 but I know I've read more than 1 or 2
edit to include link
.http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/damp-mattress-in-autotrail.20635/#post-251292

 

[pappajohn]

You need an air gap the same as the rear wall, not insulation.
Placing insulation will cause condensation between the insulation and wall.
The mattress will be dry at the expense of the wall board.

Circulation is the best way to control condensation.

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[GJH]

In our Autoquest we suffered similar condensation in very cold weather. We used a couple of those car windscreen sunshades sold for leaving in place when the car is parked. Something like Broken Link Removed.

 

[RandallC]

Thanks to all, plan to try the bubble wrap (Sue says thanks to MinxyGirl for making it clear where the bubble wrap goes> and the polycarbonate roof sheet. Let you know if any better after the next trip out in January.

GJH, do the window blinds work?

Funfair, With respect to windows open or not doesn't make much difference as the mattress touches the side wall so no ventilation. Only occurs in cold weather.

Cinderz, thanks for the link. Have a readof that later.

Papajohn, agreed the old adage of heat and ventilate would cure but alas. Seems a bit stupid for the sake of a couple of inches in mattress length not to put space boards in each end!

Any further suggestions welcome, catch up tomorrow. Glass of red in hand.

Cheers

 

[Lenny HB]

Are you getting cold spots from the garage below if so could be worth putting additional heating outlets in the garage.

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[funflair]

Open windows takes the moist air that you are expelling out instead of condensing (apologies if you knew this), are you saying its coming from the mattress and then causing damp where it is trying to escape against the cold side wall, there should be general ventilation from under the mattress.

Martin

 

[GJH]

GJH, do the window blinds work?

It stopped the bedding getting wet but you do have to check and ensure any condensation on the wall is wiped up. It was such an infrequent event for us that it was sufficient.

 

[Lynne Steele]

We have the same problem, after funsters advice we insulted the large garage door which had less insulation than walls, put draught excluder round garage door, and I also leave open the access doors to garage from interior of the van, if we are on hook up I use electric fan heater to warm the space under the bed as we have no heating in our garage, I am also worried about the mattress and think if it was not touching the walls the problem would stop, but that would mean having a new mattress made, quite expensive, but if all else fails may be our only answer.

Lynne

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[PhilandMena]

Martin has nailed it. Ventilation required.

 

[DP+JAY]

Agree with the above re ventilation. 2 Questions, what is under the mattress? & is there any heating in the garage area? If there is no heating in the garage & it is not easy to connect into the blown air, try leaving the interconnecting door/flap open or take it off, I've replaced ours with a piece of sliding steel mesh from a dog cage.
If the mattress rests on a flat surface instead of slats, put some very course foam sheet( as used in pond filters) underneath.

 

[Langtoftlad]

Ventilation
"a person loses about 800ml of water per day, half through the skin and half through respiration."
Thus 2 of you are 'creating' about half a litre of water during a night's sleep - that's quite a wet patch

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[jdk62]

The damp is virtually all across the head end of the mattress. Assume it's mainly that end due to the moisture in breathing.

Sue is adamant that she can't manage without breathing.

dampness or incontinence?

 

[PhilandMena]

Ventilation
"a person loses about 800ml of water per day, half through the skin and half through respiration."

 

[Dazzlin]

Another vote for ventilation.
As an example, we do not always use our silver screens.
If it's a bit cool outside and we just draw the curtains over the cab we get 'wet windows' in the morning.
Now I always have the cab open and draw the curtain between bedroom and living area before going to bed.
That alone is enough to stop condensation on the windscreen.
We usually try to do the warmer places in winter, even better!

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[RandallC]

Thanks folks.

The garage is heated and can get nicely warm. There are hit and miss vents in the top of both garage doors.

The mattress is on slats and the end wall has a ventilation gapped board.

The Problem Is:- the mattress touches the van side walls at head and foot. NO ventilation gap/board. As Lynne says a right sized mattress isn't a cheap option.

Have tried during last outing leaving the roof vent open in the middle of the van. Makes no difference. Bit difficult to ventilate the gap between two touching surfaces.

Like the idea of avoiding the cold.

 

[PeteH]

I had a Product back in the 90`s in my first R-V. It was like Corrugated Cardboard but in plastic, about 10mm thick. We cut it to the depth of the Mattress, and fitted it between the outside walls (side and rear) and the mattress. Improved the situation by at least 90%. we assume that the corrugations allowed the circulation of air, plus the "air gap" reduced the temperature gradient. That and Keeping the Toilet Vent ( toilet room was next to the rear bed) "cracked open" seemed to do the trick.

Pete

 

[RandallC]

Petey,, thanks will have a look and see if I can locate something similar.

Cheers

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[funflair]

something like this possibly.

Broken Link Removed

Martin

 

[RandallC]

Martin

Many thanks will look at that later. About set off to work, 10 working days left to freedom.

 

[irnbru]

@funflair. Great idea. That link looks rather similar to an anti slip mat. Would one of them be suitable?

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[funflair]

@funflair. Great idea. That link looks rather similar to an anti slip mat. Would one of them be suitable?

No it needs to breathe through the length of the product, the picture does not show it very well though.

This shows it much better but I dont know if the product is available in the UK, it also explains how it works better than I can.

Martin

 

[PeteH]

No it needs to breathe through the length of the product, the picture does not show it very well though.

This shows it much better but I dont know if the product is available in the UK, it also explains how it works better than I can.

Martin

That is probably going to be as good, and the stuff I had I cannot for the life of me find again online!!. So may have gone out of production? (it was 1998!!)

If you try it and it works. Let us know?

Pete

 

[Finvarra]

When we got our Bailey approach 740, that,s the original model, we found on the second trip that the bottom of the bed was soaking wet (fixed French bed). Contacted Bailey and it transpired that there was problem with the mattress from their supplier, something to do with different materials used if I remember correctly. We weren't the only ones who had had problems. Anyway, they replaced the mattress by courier and took the original one away, and we,ve not had any problems since. Might be worth checking with your manufacturers before you drill holes in the bodywork?

Cheers
Lesley and David

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