How To Fix Condensation In Your RV

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Condensation

The campervan lifestyle is like anything. It has some great positive aspects and some somewhat inevitable negative aspects. Something no camper wants is condensation. It’s not as innocent as just blocking the view, and you wipe it away. Condensation can occur for many reasons, which this article will address along with how to fix condensation in your RV.

So, what is condensation?

Basically, moisture in the air of your RV comes into contact with a cold surface and condenses to water droplets. The moisture in the air in your RV can come from a range of sources, including you, if you are cooking. The stream off of boiling water or a hot shower can contribute.

All this humid air builds up and tries to escape the RV. If it can’t, it condenses on the coldest things it finds. Usually, these will be the windows of your RV. This is what causes them to become a hazy and  watery mess. The following video gives a great summary of what window condensation is.

 

3 Reasons why RV condensation is an issue

Below are the three reasons why condensation in your RV indicates that there is an issue to be fixed.

1. Condensation is basically moisture in your RV.

With RV’s being heated along with the moisture of condensation, it’s the perfect breeding ground for mould. It’s this kind of mould that can develop in the like of the toilet or window fittings. Black mould is smelly, spreads fast and is very hard to get rid of when it starts spreading. It’s generally just unpleasant and hard to get rid of, so if you can avoid it in the first place, that would save you many issues.

2. Condensation, if it really sets in, can cause dampness.

Damp is very similar to mould in the sense that it is hard to get rid of. Damp is more structurally threatening, however, as it can spread and develop. Generally, you won’t find dampness on plastic surfaces as these tend to be better protected against it. Damp is likely to find its way into walls made of chipboard or wood. The nightmare about damp, minus its awful smell, is that once it has got into a panel, you will have to replace it at some point.

As whatever damp finds its way into it will weaken its structural integrity until it breaks basically. For example, a widespread place to get it is in the cupboards above your cooker if you don’t have an extractor fan. You may find out this is the case when you wake up to find the cupboard on your kitchen side as the fixings have rotted, causing it to fall.

3. The final issue of the condensations problem is linked with the COVID pandemic.

Damp, heavy air is not good for humans to breathe. And seeing as covid 19 is a respiratory infection, the last thing you want is an environment in which the air is hard to breathe in. Basically, when you breathe in damp air in the water droplets you inhale, there could be anything from bacteria to pollen. This upsets your breathing, so particularly if you are asthmatic or have lung issues. The less damp air in the RV, the better.

How to get rid of RV condensation

Here’s the part you clicked on this article to find out. Once you have identified condensation, it’s time to get rid of it. The below methods give a full set of tools to tackle condensation should you encounter this in your RV.

  1. Open your windows. Creating some form of airflow in your RV can sometimes be all it takes for condensation to escape your RV. Even better to open the windows before the condensation occurs. Such as before a hot shower or when you are cooking a meal. This should hopefully help the hot air escape instead of condensing on cold surfaces.
  2. Cook outdoors. What’s the campervan lifestyle without having a bbq or cooking outside. This can totally eradicate the problem of getting condensation inside from cooking. And it can be a more pleasant experience out in nature. Don’t leave a mess behind to attract the mice.
  3. If you have an extractor van or a roof vent, open it up when you use amenities. As hot air rises, extractors can be a great way of getting the hot air out. The impact to do this as the day cools down so their hot air can escape into the cooler night. Be careful to clean your extractor regularly, as dust can clog it up. Find your circuit breaker and turn the fan off to clean it.
  4. If you have an air conditioner, run it. Static, stagnant air is the perfect environment for moisture in the RV to build up. Air cons give a great airflow and circulate all the air. You can crank the heat up in a bid to evaporate some of the condensations. This, along with opening doors and windows, can be a great way to get rid of condensation.
  5. Buy and use a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers are build to take the moisture out of the air to store it in the product itself. Similar to these are air moisture absorbers. These do just as good of job; however, they are one use. Effective but not environmentally friendly but never the less a great way to tackle air moisture.
  6. Max out the heating. After all, damp is only damp if it doesn’t dry. To do this, initially shut all doors and windows and open all units and internal door such as cupboards. This will allow the hot air to get into cold, damp areas. Once the Rv is red hot open all the windows and doors. Essentially you are trying to flush all the condensation out by evaporating it then allowing the hot air to escape, so it doesn’t have a chance of condensing again. This is one of the most simple yet effective ways on how to fix condensation in your RV.

How do you know you’ve got rid of the condensation?

The above methods are all effective. Maybe visually, you can see the condensation was there before, but now it’s gone. However, this eye test is not completely accurate.

What you need to invest in is a hygrometer thermometer. These relatively inexpensive devices can show you the humidity in the RV, which is the best measure of condensation. Indoor humidity should be up to 50%. As you start going higher than this, humidity is high enough to start causing condensation.

These little devices are great and can usually use Bluetooth to connect to a smart device such as your phone, allowing you to see the effects of the weather on your RV throughout the day. You can also measure the humidity before showering and cooking to see just how much of an impact your activities have on the condensation.

What to do if condensation has already caused damage?

This can be the case if you store away your RV for the winter with damp and mould already present. Sometimes the damage can be fixed – mould in a toilet can be ripped out and replaced with new sealant, for example. Or, if a window frame has mould, some mould killer can usually help. A deep clean and a good wipe down may be enough.

However, if the mould has taken hold in a carpet or damp is on the floor you will have to remove whatever the condensation has destroyed. Like anything, prevention is better (and cheaper) than the fix.

It’s always crucial to inspect for damp and mould. A small bit of mould, given the right conditions, can soon spread to cover a large area as can damp. Ideally, it’s better not to have dampness in the first place than to learn how to fix condensation in your RV.

How to fix condensation in your RV Summary

Condensation is not as innocent as it may appear. This article has outlined all measures needed to get rid of it in your RV should you encounter it. At all costs, you need to reduce condensation as much as possible. If you can prevent it in the first place, this is, of course, the best step. However, if you can’t, the sooner you get rid of it, the better. This limits the chance of damp and mould taking hold leaving you a dry, pleasant-smelling RV.

Nobody wants to drive around in a mouldy RV, and this article will give you the best chance of avoiding that!

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