Moisture control

[WX_Guy]

CaCl2, calcium chloride can be very helpful in controlling excess moisture.  It is cheap, environmentally gentle, readily available at Walmart, Home Depot, and even $ stores.  Look for brand names like Damp rid.  CaCl2 pellets are also used to melt snow and ice.  People have been using it to help keep cabinets, basements, etc dry for many years.  It also seems like a good solution for rv's, vans, cars, etc.  It works for me.

 

[snarfersnarf]

I came here to look for answers on this. THANKS! How much would you use for a van?

 

[user 13531]

I'd start with the small container, it might be a pint. We use them in ocean side home closets and anchored boats at the harbor all the time. Cheap and very effective....

http://www.dehumidifierbuyersguide.com/damprid-fg50t-review/

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I found these Eva-Dry thingies at Costco today.  It's the beads that absorb moisture. When they get saturated, you plug them in to dry them.  That is, if you have the power-they draw 22 watts and it takes a day to dry them). At least it's not disposable.

$18.99 at Costco, $29.99 on Amazon. 

I'm in AZ and I don't foresee needing one anytime soon.  But got the two-pack, split with Hubby and will see if it works, come the day.
Ted

 

[lenny flank]

CaCl2, calcium chloride can be very helpful in controlling excess moisture.  It is cheap, environmentally gentle, readily available at Walmart, Home Depot, and even $ stores.  Look for brand names like Damp rid.  CaCl2 pellets are also used to melt snow and ice.  People have been using it to help keep cabinets, basements, etc dry for many years.  It also seems like a good solution for rv's, vans, cars, etc.  It works for me.

It doesn't work.  It would take a ton of the stuff to have any noticeable effect in the volume of a vehicle.

Sciency stuff here:
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=26950

 

[WX_Guy]

It doesn't work.  It would take a ton of the stuff to have any noticeable effect in the volume of a vehicle.

Sciency stuff here:
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=26950

Actually, it does work.  People have used it for controlling moisture in basements for many years.

The chemistry is fairly simple.  The water molecule is attracted to the Calcium ion in a somewhat exothermic process using what is known as heat of enthalpy.  Google calcium chloride moisture absorption or calcium chlroride desicant for more information

I don't have any financial stake in calcium chloride or the companies that sell it.  Do you think that they would stay in business if it did not work?

 

[WanderLoveJosh]

I think possibly the size of the space and the weather really depends. We started with a Damprid container and one of the hanging bags when it started getting cold in Colorado Springs. Yes you could see some of the moisture being collected, but for our 16 foot travel trailer it most def wasn't cutting it. We have to break down and get a dehumidifier, It got the job done, I cannot wait to get down south so we can stop using it. It sucks being having it in the way while trying to cook. lol

 

[John61CT]

Ventilation, at high CFM on demand.

Heating when cool, vented of course, ideally burner outside the living space.

Aircon when hot.

Easy to say I know, but IMO the more passive measure are really only effective when the unit isn't being actively lived in.

 

[GypsyDogs]

word from the experienced... if you are using the black UFO-over-bowl variety... put the whole thing into a small dishpan or in your sink or something..
I had an overflow.. and the water is not JUST water.. can be corrosive and is messy to clean up...

 

[lenny flank]

Ventilation, at high CFM on demand.

Heating when cool, vented of course, ideally burner outside the living space.

Aircon when hot.

Easy to say I know, but IMO the more passive measure are really only effective when the unit isn't being actively lived in.

Yep. Despite the claims one sees on the Internet, the Damprid stuff just doesn't work. It's not intended for a voluem the size of a vehicle interior.

Ventilation is the only really effective solution.

 

[RVTravel]

Another pissing contest.

 

[gypsyjoker]

Agreed, but will any of those devices absorb the moisture that piss is creating?

 

[eugenevdw]

If you're going to go the dehumidifier route then make sure you get something really quiet. Nothing worse than listening to a noisy compressor all night. Desiccant dehumidifiers are some of the quietest options but their limited capacity and higher price tag have made me look in the compressor direction after all. There are some good quiet options here:
http://thequietest.com/best-quiet-dehumidifier-review/
http://thequietest.com/best-quiet-dehumidifier-review/

and here:

https://www.knowitalllearning.com/quiet-dehumidifier-reviews/

 

[Seav]

Calcium chloride desiccants ‘work’, but it all depends on factors like room volume, humidity, temperature, and desiccant volume. If you want to try it, use an open plastic or glass or stainless container (pan, pot, baking dish). CC is very corrosive and will eat/rust through steel pretty fast. That’s true for the granules and the water that they draw off. Don’t let a single granule, or drop of the water, get on the metal of your vehicle! Also, if you’re getting the ‘Ice Melt’ form (pure CC), you have to mix it way down with kitty litter first. If you don’t mix, it will form a solid block and stop working. When your mix gets wet from absorbing humidity, you can bake or microwave it and ‘recharge’ it for reuse countless times. Of course you can’t bake plastic containers so consider that when starting. A better use for CC is to keep dried foodstuffs totally dry in sealed containers, but make sure the CC is in a container that keeps it away from leaching onto the food.

 

[lenny flank]

They're not practical. It would take a LOT of it, and it would need to be changed often. They are simply not designed to work in a volume the size of a van--especially with someone living in it and constantly producing new moisture.

EDIT: The best solution for condensation, always, is better ventilation.

 

[ValerieP]

So, if my front window is wet on the inside in the am, I should crack one of the front windows? It seems dry in the back and I have a window cracked and an electric heater when I’m plugged in.
Thanks for the advice!

 

[seak]

Mariners have fought moisture and condensation for millennia. It destroys ships. Their solution is adequate ventilation and the introduction of dry heat.

Valeriep, if the windshield is getting condensation, then warm moist is condensing on that surface. If you're in a van or motorhome, maybe you can keep that air from getting up there. Otherwise, you might need to open the windows a crack to ventilate that area.