Do I need a de-humidifier? (1 Viewer)

[scrambler]

Hi all ,thinking ahead to parking up the motorhome for the winter( though i may take it out occasionally) What do you need to do? I will drain the water out of the boiler and empty the tanks,Is it a good idea to leave a de-humidifier in it or one of those tube heaters switched on?? Will it help or is it not really necessary .. Thanks for any wise advice

 

[Reallyretired]

My van is kept in a storage compound (no ehu) so I don't do either, and have had no problems with damp.

 

[scrambler]

Thanks for that..its just I am working at the moment for a guy who has sold his boat but has a de-humidifier for sale and a heater, seemed like an opportunity to buy them at a good price if they were going to be useful :thumb:

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[Swiftroy1]

Don't forget to leave your taps open. just in case we have a really cold snap and it's almost impossible to drain all the water from the pipes. i use a small oil filled radiator on frost-stat during the winter and open the doors to the toilet, wardrobe and storage cupboards. I've never had a problem with damp.

 

[motorhomelover]

Hi all ,thinking ahead to parking up the motorhome for the winter( though i may take it out occasionally) What do you need to do? I will drain the water out of the boiler and empty the tanks,Is it a good idea to leave a de-humidifier in it or one of those tube heaters switched on?? Will it help or is it not really necessary .. Thanks for any wise advice

we use crystal dehumidifier £3.99 from Halfords the water is collected in the bottom we put three inside our 25foot RV no damp problems allways dry and no smells work very well and needs no power :thumb:

 

[slobadoberbob]

I have one running now

I have two tube heaters..1 x 120 watt in bathroom and another 80 watt against the seat wall (in a cage) .. my LPG heating is set at 34 degrees on the auto system. Plus I have a dehumidifier on at night on timer.. it sits on the worktop and drains to the sink and then the grey holding tank that is open to allow the water to drain out.

Been doing since I purchased the Rv three winters ago (this being the third) ..works fine.. heat the the RV is circulated and I leave all the cupboards open the RV is snug and dry.

Never feels damp, the cushions always feel dry and no smell.

works for us.. we are luck the RV is outside the door and on electric hook up all the time when not in use. the vehicle is now winterised, all drained down fridge and freezer empyu and open. Cool box the same... run up the engine today and also started the generator which we do every week to 10 days.

recommend it... we paid about £140 from Screwfix Direct ..needed one that could drain to a sink or a holding tank.

Bob

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[scrambler]

The small crystal ones sound like the thing i need and the guy had a small oil filled rad for sale too.I think its the way to go .

 

[Wildbill]

justs drain it all down and sum of them Cristal things been using them for a few years thay are fine:thumb:

 

[old-mo]

Leave all your cupboard doors open,, stand your cushions on end or take them home... and leave a window or two open a fraction if you can...

Air circulation is what you want & need.. :thumb:

And if you are on storage anywhere make sure you have not got any holes vermin can get in, mice can get through less than a half inch gap... :Sad:

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[yorkieman]

We got a couple of those crystal ones and they work just fine. I'm always amazed at the amount of water that ends up in the bottom of them. I've already emptied them a few times over the last month.

 

[ourcampersbeentrashed]

we just put a large bowl of salt in the motorhome

dont ask me why but it seems to work

 

[normanandsue]

I use the crystals as well, but don't buy them from MH or cravan sales places, garden centres or Halfords are the cheapest places to go and they work fine.

Regarding use of a heater no one has mentioned it so perhaps it is not a problem but I would have thought warm air from a heater hitting a cold surface like windows and walls would produce condensation and encourage damp.
Only a thought but would like to know what others think.

Norman

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[slobadoberbob]

As I have said ealier

I use the crystals as well, but don't buy them from MH or cravan sales places, garden centres or Halfords are the cheapest places to go and they work fine.

Regarding use of a heater no one has mentioned it so perhaps it is not a problem but I would have thought warm air from a heater hitting a cold surface like windows and walls would produce condensation and encourage damp.
Only a thought but would like to know what others think.

Norman

Norman, as I have said earlier we use a combination of heaters (tube greenhouse types) and a de-humidifier... we leave all the cupboards open and as we have a large rear across the back bathroom that door is open as well.. there is a tube heater fitter to the wall in the bathroom and the other is under the table against the seat (in side a guard).. we also have the main LPG heating that is set on temp and will kick in if needed.. We do have a silver type screen on the front as it is an B class and the side windows have the blinds darwn and the roof vent has a cover over it as well.

Has worked for us for 3 years now and we have had no problems.

We run up the engine and generator every 7 to 10 days and leave the main door open in it is warmer enough.. but otherwise it has worked OK.

We have had salt in bowls, did that on a number of motorhomes and caravans over the years.. yes it works, we found we needed to empty them and dry out the salt in the oven often...hence we went to the dehumidifier a few years back.. we have the type that has a container and a by pass pipe.. sits on the kitchen worktop and the drain pipe goes in to the sink.. we know it works as we have a sponge in the sink and can always see a large pool of water under the exit area of the gret holding tank which we leave open to drain.

Bob

 

[Wildman]

nature will ensure that the humidity inside the van is the same as that outside. Add heating and you will get condensation. Best to allow air flow and no heating or dehumidifier. Of course it is a personal choice and everyone has a different idea.

 

[scrambler]

Thanks everyone for your help...I think I will start with the crystals seeing as it's the cheapest option.If it doesn't work I will try a heater too.:thumb:

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[scotjimland]

nature will ensure that the humidity inside the van is the same as that outside. Add heating and you will get condensation. Best to allow air flow and no heating or dehumidifier. Of course it is a personal choice and everyone has a different idea.

Agree with Roger.. ventilation is the key.. :thumb:

Unless the van is hermetically sealed' using a dehumidifier is a waste of energy.. what it removes is replaced immediately by the ambient humidity .. all it does is give you a 'feel good' factor emptying all the water it collects ... and a big leccy bill.

Thousands of unsold dealers vans lie all winter without any heating or dehumidifying .. ask Peter

 

[themountaintiger]

This is my second winter, think im doing it ok, I basically have opened all cupboard doors, removed cushions from external walls. I have then about 10 plastic tubs (like chinese takeaway containers) filled with a layer of salt. I place one of these in each of the cupboards. I also bought some cat litter trays (from poundland) and place 2 of these in the overhead cab area and 2 on the rear fixed bed and these have rocksalt in them. I also have a couple of globe like dehumidifiers which have the crystals somewhere in motorhome as well.

Ill be honest im not sure if this is overkill, but its doesnt take me long to pick all tubs up and move out of motorhome if im going to use it.

I have also thought of all the motorhomes on dealers forecorts and how they handle the issue...I came to the conclusion they dont bother, so perhaps Im too worried about it??

One thing that I have only just thought about though is that I dont put any salt pots in the rear garage area. Should I be putting in there as well....?? Hmm think I should...










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[scrambler]

Ive got a thing called an 'air dryer' which i bought from a customer who just sold his boat. It's basically a pipe heater but round with lots of holes.. but the salt idea is a goer tho.will get some for the cupboards. thanks for the advice.Everything seems dry so far.

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[salopian 1]

Do I need a de- humidifier

In a previous life we used a domestic dehumidifier in our caravans before our first trip out of the year so will do the same with "L i l" .

 

[stagman]

Hi all ,thinking ahead to parking up the motorhome for the winter( though i may take it out occasionally) What do you need to do? I will drain the water out of the boiler and empty the tanks,Is it a good idea to leave a de-humidifier in it or one of those tube heaters switched on?? Will it help or is it not really necessary .. Thanks for any wise advice

Don't waste your time or money with dehumidifiers better off getting a tidy heater , and open the lockers to have a good circulation of air . Personally I prefer fan heaters :thumb: