Moisture in the van

[Fisher473]

Hey guys whats up!?
So I finally moved into my van, and I'm loving it! However I have a issue with moisture. During the day the van heats up and everything dries up, but putting on wet clothes really sucks! As soon as I get inside the van to watch a movie or sleep I can see the windows fog up, hour or so later there's water drops on the windows. How can I get rid of this issue? If I crack open a window, it helps, but than I get cold. Any help is appriciated...

 

[PastTense]

http://www.ehow.com/how_7688048_control-moisture-campers.html
http://redsirenjulie.hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Reduce-Moisture-And-Prevent-Damp-In-Your-RV-Motorhome

 

[Fisher473]

http://www.ehow.com/how_7688048_control-moisture-campers.html
http://redsirenjulie.hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Reduce-Moisture-And-Prevent-Damp-In-Your-RV-Motorhome

I think my main issue is from breathing to much and my dog snoring and releasing poisoned gas out of his rectum at night, I will go to a store today and see if I can find one of those chemical anti moisture buckets. Also I need a heater, because we will have a cold front passing by for the next few days and it was pretty cold last night.

Thanks for the links, wish I had my solar panel already, could solve everything though a small electric heater.

 

[Lucky mike]

the odds of you running an electric heater off your solar is slim to none....crack the windows and buy a cheap blanket.

unless you stop breathing its not going to go away any time soon

 

[Zil]

Small exhaust fan, you have to get the moisture out before it condenses. If you are cold, get a blanket or sleeping bag.

 

[MrNoodly]

I find it's easier to heat the person than the van. Warm clothing, a down blanket/sleeping bag, warm socks and a knit cap. After all, your body is pumping out 98°. The point is to capture that heat. I've camped through some sub-freezing nights in my van and the only time I used my propane heater was for a couple of minutes to take the chill off in the morning or just before going to bed.

As for moisture, you need to vent it somehow. If your body is warm then it won't matter if the air coming in is cold.

If your clothes get damp you probably need to store them in plastic bags or bins.

 

[accrete]

Greetinngs.

Thumbs up for all the recommendations mentioning personal heating devices (clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, etc....). It truly is the way to go, and we've even incorporated the concept into our daily lives in our full time big rig. We use gloves, down booties, hotties (chemical hand/feet warmers), indoor fleece parkas, and all sorts of experiments. We would rather layer up inside and be cozy than have to rely of fuel/electric heat above say ~60 degrees in the winter. We also turn everything off at night except a small fan for circulation. We have inside/outside temps recorded and if we turn off all heat in the rig it will stay about 10 degrees warmer than the outside even with a window cracked and the roof vent open a bit (maxxfan all weather use).

One thing we decided for ourselves for health reasons is we do not sleep with any type of electric blanket in the _on_ position. We do use one to pre-heat the bed a few minutes before climbing in, but turn it off before we do so. Also, we will not utilize any of the newfangled heated electric socks, gloves, clothing for the same reason we won't climb into bed with the electric blanket on...we don't want to purposely surround ourselves with the electromagnetic field created by the units.

Cheers,
Thom

 

[SoulRaven]

I have been keeping a coffee can filled with cat litter in the van, it absorbs the moisture from the air, and also makes a great base for a solar spike yard light from the dollar store.

At first sign of moisture, I replace the litter (every couple of weeks).

Try to leave a window open whenever possible, the moisture inside will stay trapped without ventilation.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

a vent that can exhaust out helps.
Insulation with/acts as vapor barrier helps too.

 

[christine]

Charcoal works pretty well as a dehumidifier, but it sounds like your problem is a little bit much for charcoal alone. Insulate the heck out of your van, and then open more windows so you can get air moving through it.

 

[MrNoodly]

I don't know exactly what they're called, but there are moisture absorption bags designed to hang in closets. They're about 8" x 10" and come attached to a hanger. There's something like silica gel inside. The bag eventually fills with water, then you replace it. I had them in my below-grade garage. I get them at a hardware store.

 

[LeeRevell]

Silica can often be dried and 'recharged' by heating and drying. Maybe a few days in bright sunlight?

 

[MrNoodly]

Maybe a few days in bright sunlight?

If you have days of bright sunlight you might not have a moisture problem to begin with.

 

[SoulRaven]

If you have days of bright sunlight you might not have a moisture problem to begin with.

Just make sure you have a window cracked so the moisture can escape.

 

[riffraff]

Would a vent in the roof opened be enough to keep the moisture from building up? I've heard of putting small sliding screens in the sides of the van to help ventilate. I'm guessing that kind of system works well.

 

[SoulRaven]

Would a vent in the roof opened be enough to keep the moisture from building up? I've heard of putting small sliding screens in the sides of the van to help ventilate. I'm guessing that kind of system works well.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of roof vents because sooner or later they are going to leak, and probably even sooner it will accidentally get left open in the rain, or while driving and get ripped off by the wind.

Yes, all of those problems are fixable, but your side windows can do just as good a job without the drawbacks.

Window screens can range from simple to complex, but in the end they will improve your life. I have secured magnetic tape around all of my windows with 220° hot glue. I can then use place screens up and secure with matching magnetic tape. If you have metal around your windows already, you could eliminate the first step.

I have done this around all of my windows including my front windows. What I typically do is aim my fan blowing the air out of one window, which in turn will draw air in through all of the other open windows. This can very quickly cool a hot van down to outside temperatures.

When not in use, I simple roll up the screens and store, and leave the front magnetic tape stuck to the back magnetic tape, so it is always handy and ready to go when needed.

The black no-see-um screen is virtually invisible from the outside of the van.

 

[MrNoodly]

I would think it depends on the climate. Low humidity, no problem. High humidity would probably require more than a roof vent. Besides, in order for air to flow outward it has to flow inward somewhere else (otherwise you create a vacuum). If it's damp out, damp air would flow in. Heat helps dehumidify cool air. Cool surfaces promote condensation, which leads to mold and similar problems.

 

[SoulRaven]

I would think it depends on the climate. Low humidity, no problem. High humidity would probably require more than a roof vent. Besides, in order for air to flow outward it has to flow inward somewhere else (otherwise you create a vacuum). If it's damp out, damp air would flow in. Heat helps dehumidify cool air. Cool surfaces promote condensation, which leads to mold and similar problems.

Propane heat will add moisture to the air though too, so you need even more ventilation if you're using propane to heat with.

 

[66788]

I think my main issue is from breathing to much and my dog snoring and releasing poisoned gas out of his rectum at night, I will go to a store today and see if I can find one of those chemical anti moisture buckets. Also I need a heater, because we will have a cold front passing by for the next few days and it was pretty cold last night.

Thanks for the links, wish I had my solar panel already, could solve everything though a small electric heater.

Your comment about your dog releasing poisoned gas from his rectum made me laugh out loud and I almost choked on my coffee!

I'm just wondering where you are located where the weather gets that cold at night. I'm still new to this and need to follow the good weather so please let me know.