Dehumidifiers

[Davecrawf]

I use my motorhome all year round so I don't have any issues with dampness, or anything else for that matter. However I don't have a garage to keep my little sports car in over the winter months, so I was wondering if it is a good idea to use some form of dehumidifier inside the car.
Any ideas or recommendations please?

 

[bigtwin]

What problem are you experiencing with the car?

Ian

 

[Vipar]

We use a little thingamgig from the £ shop collects quite a lot of condensation/ water in a month

 

[ManTheVan]

We found that the best was a dessicant-type, which isn’t affected quite so much by the ambient temperature. Meaco make a good one, but make sure you register the guarantee.

Dessicant dehumidifiers use a bit more power than the compresser types, but dry areas much more quickly and generate some heat while doing so. You just need to make sure that you seal the car as well as possible. Unless it’s incredibly damp and kept outside all the time, often the best method of avoiding damp is to ensure adequate ventilation.

We used to leave the yacht with hatches locked slightly open so air could move around. Never needed to use a dehumidifier on board during the winter.

 

[filopastry]

Dehumidifiers are a waste of money, each time you open the door/window of the motorhome the ambient external humidity balances with the internal levels. They are, in my opinion a clever con.

Turn off the heating, open all the cupboards and doors in the MH and if you do not have water ingress there should not be a problem.

Mold needs high humidity and static air to thrive.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Davecrawf]

What problem are you experiencing with the car?

Ian

As it's a soft top it seems to get droplets of moisture forming on the inside roof when it is very cold and wet weather. This progresses to mould forming inside the car.

 

[two]

I'd look for some kind of mould treatment/deterrent.
If you try to remove humidity, you'll be trying to dry the sky.

 

[Davecrawf]

I'd look for some kind of mould treatment/deterrent.
If you try to remove humidity, you'll be trying to dry the sky.

Good point.

 

[pappajohn]

When I worked in new build houses the plasterers used industrial dehumidifiers to quickly dry the plaster.
All windows closed, any air vents taped up and the room door taped from outside.
No external moist air could get in so the room and plaster dried quickly.
Putting one in a car or motorhome with more holes than a cullender is pointless.

 

[2657]

Is it also pointless to try and heat any space that is not sealed?
Is that considered to be trying to heat the world?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Ridgeway]

We use the desiccant type pillows that are marketed as for car use. They have an indicator on the front to say when they need recharging ie 6mins in the microwave @ 650w. We have one in each car on the dashboard and they help a lot in removing the excessive moisture that we both get in the cars thanks to various things like wet dogs, wet clothing and me being messy moving fish stuff around (i lost 15ltrs of water from a sealed bucket in my boot a few months back )

Ours are like this: (blue is they are still absorbing, change to pink means it's full and needs a recharge)

 

[bigtwin]

As it's a soft top it seems to get droplets of moisture forming on the inside roof when it is very cold and wet weather. This progresses to mould forming inside the car.

I’d try leaving the windows open.

Ian