Wednesday, May 21, 2014

DRY-Camping Is NOT What It Used To Be

And I don’t mean that in any negative way or that I am now looking for the comforts of a full hook-up. Even a full hook-up wouldn’t solve the problem I have encountered  here. No, it’s been the cold weather which has caused my clothes to get wet INSIDE the closet.

When I took out a new T-shirt the other day I wondered why it felt soooo cold and well – wet. Investigating the matter, I removed everything out of the closet, which basically is in a slide-out,  and I felt around inside the closet with my hand and came up with water dripping of my fingers!

A leak??? 

No Sir, all that water was the result of condensation! While I am forced to heat the trailer, the humidity from inside hits the cold outer wall and builds up a stream of water. I have had water dripping of the roof hatch over my bed!

With a towel I wiped off everything inside the closet and hung up my clothes around the rig. Actually, I should have taken everything to a Laundromat and put it in a dryer. So dry-camping doesn’t mean you and your stuff is staying dry.

I have often thought that I would like to build my own RV. Take a box truck, insulate really well and start from scratch. Or buy a Chassis and even build the entire box. Some people have done it. What our RV manufacturers never seem to understand is the meaning of the word QUALITY. There are exemptions of course, but most RVs are hammered together in a matter of a few hours. Even when down in Florida we had condensation problems. Seems like RVs are only build for a dry desert climate. 

So, you may have that in mind when you buy your next RV!

Thanks for stopping by!

6 comments:

  1. Our coach is well insulted from the start and has dual pane windows that really help.
    Plus we always have a small window open no matter how cold it gets. Cooking, boiling water and showers cause a lot of humidity, and the fresh outside air helps to eliminate it, worth a try.
    We have never had condensation in our coach except when boiling a pot of noodles on the windshield.

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    1. Like I said there are exemptions and the Holiday Ramblers are known to be good coaches. And yes the hatches are cracked open.

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  2. I hope it warms up soon so you don't have these problems! Would the dehumidifier pellets work for you? We bought some for our trip but never used them.

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  3. We had a few condensation problems in our previous 5'er but nothing yet in our Heartland Big Country. Then again, we've spent most days parked in the desert in Palm Springs so that definitely makes a big difference.

    My new blog address:
    Rick’s Bits ‘n Bytes, Pics and News

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  4. Oh Peter, I just wish you were somewhere WARM !!

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  5. I am running my Wave 3 catalytic heater here in WA and also experiencing the condensation. Goes with the DRY camping. HA!

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