condensation on windows

[parttime1]

Hello all I have a 2020 Cougar 26RBS and in my first sub freezing trip I noticed water puddled on the bottom of the window sill over the bed and the sun shade was frozen to the inside of the windshield. Any suggestions on how to stop the condensation from building up?

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by parttime1

Hello all I have a 2020 Cougar 26RBS and in my first sub freezing trip I noticed water puddled on the bottom of the window sill over the bed and the sun shade was frozen to the inside of the windshield. Any suggestions on how to stop the condensation from building up?

Crack a window &/or roof vent.

[NH_Bulldog]

Unless you stop breathing and also don’t use the stove/oven, you will have humidity inside and it will condense on the coolest/least insulated surfaces (like windows). Ventilation, dry heat, and maybe a dehumidifier are all part of the solution. I am sure some of the full-timers will chime-in with other ideas.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog

Unless you stop breathing and also don’t use the stove/oven, you will have humidity inside and it will condense on the coolest/least insulated surfaces (like windows). Ventilation, dry heat, and maybe a dehumidifier are all part of the solution. I am sure some of the full-timers will chime-in with other ideas.

Nail on the head!
Bedroom windows are the worst as you expel a lot warm moist air when sleeping. Were you at a campsite or boondocking?
We full time and now have two dehumidifiers large (30 pint) in living area and small desktop unit in bedroom.
Always run bathroom fan when showering and for about 15 to 20 minutes after. Our range hood exhaust outside and run when cooking. We have single lane windows, and use the inside shrink storm windows.
Dry heat is either electric or gas furnace, gas space heaters (catalytic) will add moisture to the air, they require ventilation to be safe.
We don’t like drafts, so no open windows or vents, except as mentioned before.

[mikec557]

Originally Posted by parttime1

Hello all I have a 2020 Cougar 26RBS and in my first sub freezing trip I noticed water puddled on the bottom of the window sill over the bed and the sun shade was frozen to the inside of the windshield. Any suggestions on how to stop the condensation from building up?

We have the 26RBSWE, so we don't have that window over the bed. But the condensation problem throughout the TT is the same. We found that putting the silver bubble wrap between the window and the window shade helps eliminate it. Originally we only put them in the windows during camping trips in the high heat. But it helps keep out the cold and reduces the condensation too.

[RV-burrito]

We run a dehumidifier in the front and 1 in the back.

Here's a business idea: Make a food grade dehumidifier that cycles clean water back into your fresh tank. Haha!

[JRTJH]

If you're seeing condensation on the windows, it simply means there's "too much humidity" inside the trailer. What you don't see is the condensation in other areas that can damage or even destroy your RV.

Places like where the mattress touches the exterior wall, behind the sofa, inside the dinette storage areas (along the exterior wall) are all "cooler than the air inside the trailer" and the moisture in the air will condense in those places, make things "wet" and set up a perfect mold growth environment.

Also check under the mattress if you have a passthrough storage area under the bed. The passthrough is much cooler than the trailer interior and there's little/no insulation in the roof of the passthrough section, so under the mattress stays cold and that sets up condensation under the mattress and inside the bed storage area.

If the windows are wet, you really need to be pro-active to keep the above areas dry or you'll discover some significant mold issues in the spring.

[Ram Nation]

Kinda hard to keep windows open when it's in the 30s. Like burrito says get a good dehumidifier or two. No brainer for anyone whose been around wet places.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Crack a window &/or roof vent.

Originally Posted by Ram Nation

Kinda hard to keep windows open when it's in the 30s. Like burrito says get a good dehumidifier or two. No brainer for anyone whose been around wet places.

Totally agree, this may work if camping in the rain and temp is in the 50's or so, but when cold out one needs to control moisture from the inside.

[JDDilly]

What do people have for a dehumidifier? I have been looking for a couple smaller ones that are easy to travel with and store when not needed. We are taking our 1st retirement trip in March and April. Starting next winter, we plan to get out on Minnesota for about 4 months.

[jasin1]

This is what I have…nice unit and compact

[Ram Nation]

Originally Posted by jasin1

This is what I have…nice unit and compact

+1 on the Haier. We bought two when moving into our Alpine. Normally just the one in the living room area will suffice but when the wife does laundry with our Splendide washer she turns it on in the bedroom. She air drys the clothes and it helps with the moisture immensely. Plus humidity down here in southern Texas is always high. It's a must for sure too have dehumidifiers. The open window thing won't cut it.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by JDDilly

What do people have for a dehumidifier? I have been looking for a couple smaller ones that are easy to travel with and store when not needed. We are taking our 1st retirement trip in March and April. Starting next winter, we plan to get out on Minnesota for about 4 months.

IMO whatever you do DO NOT get any dehumidifier that uses dessicant. It was not meant for dehumidifying a space as large as an RV and does not pull an appreciable amount of moisture out of the air - btdt.

The dehumidifiers that do an excellent job a removing moisture use a compressor. They come in various sizes. I've had a 35 pint but it was a bit too large and now carry an 11 pint (memory) that does the job but I wouldn't go smaller - I empty it twice a day here in FL. Jasin linked a 20 pint which would probably be ideal if you can find one.

We come from an arid climate and are used to very low humidity. Neither of us like it but we like to stay in humid areas which mandates the dehumidiers. Prior to using them we had issues with condensation on the windows, walls etc. as well as having a hard time sleeping feeling like we were "stuck" to the blankets from the moisture. Tried a couple of the dessicant "dehumidifiers" because of their size and low cost - might as well have put a roll of toilet paper on the counter to absorb humidity. Once we put in a compressor dehumidifier all that changed; no more condensation any where in the RV and being inside is as comfortable as sitting in our home in W TX, we won't go anywhere without it. Jason linked a Haier on Amazon, Lowe's sells them (we bought the 35 pint HiSense there (in the barn now) and we carry the smaller Ivation (11 pint) I bought on Amazon IIRC. In the humid places we like to go opening windows just makes things more uncomfortable.