reducing winter damp (1 Viewer)

lunarman

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Sep 23, 2008
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When the van is laid up in store for longer periods during the winter, is there a way of reducing the effects of damp when you have no electric hook up.

ALDI have these on offer next week.. Has anyone used these, or similar, do they work or at least help reduce the effects.

Any other tips welcome.

Lunarman
 
Last edited:
Mar 22, 2011
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NE Wales
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Since Feb 2013….2nd Van
There is a recent thread running on this somewhere LM. I have used similar in the boot of a car, they do work, but quickly soak up moisture and need changing. No experience of them in a MH setting sorry.
 

mikebeaches

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Feb 22, 2010
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We use similar in our van and it's surprising how much water they collect over time.

We remove bedding and leave all cupboard doors wide open.

And finally, we try to use the van for a day out at least ever three weeks or so, so as to 'air' it, as well as keeping batteries charged and brakes used and dried out etc.

And that's about it. :thumb:

Mike

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Styx

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May 1, 2010
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We use the Aldi one :thumb:

First used it in the Autosleeper - not a huge quantity of water, but enough to see that it was working :Smile:

When we got the Rapido, put it in there - nothing! Ok, so it was an old bag of crystals (or whatever they are) so changed the bag, still nothing... took the box out and took it indoors, started to fill up (not that the house is damp but it was stood next to the tumble dryer) - so, obviously the new van is very dry :thumb:

Note to self - get some more refills (just in case)...
 

Jaws

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When we used to have the van standing unused for 2 or 3 months ( Dec to Feb ) we used nothing at all

Parked beside us was number 2 daughters caravan.. She had taken advise from the C C and used all sorts of tricks and it was always damp.

In the end I snuck in there and removed the whatever gizmo was that years favorite ( cannot remember what it was )

When she eventually opened up a couple of months later all was bone dry.

As has been said elsewhere, if you have something that absorbs the air moisture, said moisture is quickly replaced with more of the same stuff..
An old truism, nature abhors a vacuum.

I learned this from a chap who has been involved with vanning for decades ( he has had it all, countless caravans, motorhomes, RV's and even the odd trailer tent along the way ! )

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slobadoberbob

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Jun 1, 2009
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good old salt works

We used to years ago have to store a big RV in a barn on a farm.. very damp place.

We bought a load of salt (domestic stuff) put bowls out all over the RV and fill them to 1/2 to 3/4 full of salt .. come back once a week and all the salt was covered in water... drained the water off and dried the salt in the oven and start again....

Bob
 

FULL TIMER

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I've always been very sceptical about this method and the use of electric dehumidifiers, as we all know there are many vents and drop out points on motorhomes and caravans so you are just drying the air which is coming in from outside, it looks like it's doing some good because of the water in the tray etc but thats it, best practice is to remove cushions / bedding etc or at least lift them to allow air to circulate open all cupboard doors and make sure no vents /drop outs are blocked the key to prevent damp/condensation is ventilation simple as that.
 

slobadoberbob

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I have for many years.........

I have owned RV's and motorhome 28 years now and have tried many ways when we did not have ehu.

As we have that now 10 years we open all the cupboards, bathroom door and fridge door.

We set the automatic LPG furness to just a few degrees above freezing. We have 2 tube heaters. One in the bathroom and on under the table in the main habitation area. Tonight the dehumidifier is to be put on the timer 4 -6 hours a night. that sits on the kitchen work top and drains down the sink to the grey holding tank and out to the garden.

Never had any damp. never had any wood swelling, we leave the bedding and some clothes on, and tins and dry food in the slide out cupboard. Works for us and we have owned this RV 4 years... perhaps it is the fact it is 23' something... but it never gets to warm.. just a comfortable level.

What works for one may not work for someone else.

But with no EHU we used salt in a bout 6 bowls and that worked.

Bob:Blush:

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magicsurfbus

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Oct 11, 2010
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I usually find that leaving all the cupboard and locker doors open is enough. Condensation tends to build on bottles and cans so it's a good idea to keep them down to a minimum and out of cupboard corners over winter.

Another way to avoid damp is to not employ the kn*bhead who fitted our satellite dish and left the roof leaking.
 

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