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Old 07-23-2019, 06:49 PM   #1
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2020 28' International
Wilmington , North Carolina
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Dehumidifier use during storage?

Here in SouthEastern NC it gets pretty hot and humid in the Summer! We store our 25 Flying Cloud in a covered storage bay which also has a 30 amp plug.
I was thinking of getting a small dehumidifier and leaving it on in the trailer and running the drain tube to the shower drain (purchase a separate plug and drill a hole to accommodate the drain line).
Has anyone done this? - thoughts or feedback? I'm trying to avoid potential mold or mildew...
Thanks!
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Old 07-23-2019, 06:55 PM   #2
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Dehumidifier use during storage?

We run a dehumidifier in our rig when we’re not camping. Ours sits on the kitchen counter and drains into the sink. We leave it set on 60%, and it cycles accordingly. The gray tank valve is left open.
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Old 07-23-2019, 07:03 PM   #3
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Hi

The main risk is the normal "gizmo running with nobody around" sort of thing. If it gets out of whack, you might have a mess on your hands. At the extreme end, you might get some actual damage. As long as the dehumidifier is in good shape / new , not a lot of risk. If it's something you bought from a guy named Bob at a garage sale ..... hmmmm.....

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Old 07-24-2019, 07:55 AM   #4
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I live in Eastern NC and have dealt with this issue for over 20 years, first with my boat, then with my Airstream. I think I have tried most things. First I found that a dehumidifier was less successful than hoped for...still got mold. What I ultimately found was that an ozone generator was completely successful in preventing mold in a boat on the water all of the time, as long as the boat was buttoned up.
That did not seem like a good solution for my Airstream as it required constant AC power, but should be fine for you, if you can trust the power supply. However, I have tried containers of Damp-rid, etc. and what I have found is that with adequate ventilation, I get no mold or mildew. I leave one of the Fantastic fan lids open( I have a cover for that fan that precludes rain and bugs) and I leave both shower and bathroom vents open. That has worked for years.
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Old 07-24-2019, 08:14 AM   #5
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You are better off using anti- desiccant containers in the trailer over the winter months.
I don’t like the idea of leaving electric devices with moving parts running 24/7.
What if something were to occur, it could lead to a fire.

We have used anti- desiccant containers successfully for many years
The passive devices are inexpensive and work well.
They are easy to find in any big box store
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Old 07-24-2019, 08:40 AM   #6
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I have a decent sized home dehumidifier mounted permanently in my trailer, and it runs 24/7/365 (except when I have the AC running or when rolling down the highway). I have done this for as long as I have owned an Airstream in Florida. Over 15 years now.

I drilled a hole out of the bottom of the trailer so it drains constantly. In the event the drain line gets clogged, the internal tank will fill and the unit will shut off when full. They are pretty reliable units and are designed to run non stop.

Here in Tampa the humidity is brutal. I can go in the trailer at 3:00 in the afternoon, and although it is over 100 degrees in there, it is actually comfortable because of the low humidity. If I turn on the AC, it will cool down much quicker. Some years ago I lived in my trailer for 2 years while renovating my house. The dehumidifier was a life saver in keeping the trailer comfortable.

Just my .02 cents.
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Old 07-24-2019, 10:00 AM   #7
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An old timer suggested cat litter. Have used it here in SW Florida with good results. Don’t have AC power at my storage area. Use 2 large aluminum basting pans. One in front and other at bedroom.
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Old 07-25-2019, 06:30 PM   #8
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Mold n Mildew in Humid Weather

Quote:
Originally Posted by GatorDave View Post
An old timer suggested cat litter. Have used it here in SW Florida with good results. Don’t have AC power at my storage area. Use 2 large aluminum basting pans. One in front and other at bedroom.
This is tough problem it is mold and mildew! In my vintage trailer i hang a bag of DampRid in the closet and leave another one on dinette table same product DampRid in a container and dump the water out and just refill and check again in another month when not in use, and leave windows cracked open! But it is also in a open front barn! Which protects the trailer from the bad weather! Very Happy with this product DampRid! Safe travels always
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Old 07-25-2019, 06:44 PM   #9
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I use 6 containers (spread throughout a 27 ft. trailer) of Driz-air and have been able to hold my humidity around 50% through a near Portland Oregon winter. I would be careful of some other anti-mold products as I had some do some serious corrosion of my stainless sinks. They obviously created some caustic gas as part of their anti mold process which attacked the metal. I now have "sinks with an aged patina".....and don't use that product any longer.
Interesting is that in the Portland Oregon area I am using more desiccant in the spring and fall than in the winter. And, technical language thing here it is a desiccant, not an anti-desiccant as that would be adding water and then called a humidifier.
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Old 07-25-2019, 06:55 PM   #10
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Vinnie’s Northbay AS repair Facebook page has a great video on why a dehumidifier is worth it. Amazing how much water he pulls out of an AS. I winter in Palm Springs and very low humidity.
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Old 07-25-2019, 07:13 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sneakinup View Post
I have a decent sized home dehumidifier mounted permanently in my trailer, and it runs 24/7/365 (except when I have the AC running or when rolling down the highway). I have done this for as long as I have owned an Airstream in Florida. Over 15 years now.

I drilled a hole out of the bottom of the trailer so it drains constantly. In the event the drain line gets clogged, the internal tank will fill and the unit will shut off when full. They are pretty reliable units and are designed to run non stop.

Here in Tampa the humidity is brutal. I can go in the trailer at 3:00 in the afternoon, and although it is over 100 degrees in there, it is actually comfortable because of the low humidity. If I turn on the AC, it will cool down much quicker. Some years ago I lived in my trailer for 2 years while renovating my house. The dehumidifier was a life saver in keeping the trailer comfortable.

Just my .02 cents.
I agree with all of this analysis. I do likewise.
Using my 20 pint unit does indeed help the A/C performance....by quite a bit.
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Old 07-25-2019, 09:02 PM   #12
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We used the Driz-air for the first few years and they were better than nothing but did not do the job adequately for us. Then bought dehumidifier that lives in the trailer when we’re not in it, and night and day difference. Been using it for 10 years or so flawlessly. I would highly suggest getting one.

Kevin.
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Old 11-19-2019, 02:44 PM   #13
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We store our 1999 30' Classic in covered storage with 110V supply.
We're in HOUSTON - very humid - and have always run an electric dehumidifier.
It definitely makes a difference.

Many brands have a hose attachment that will bypass the tank and allow continuous draining. Just make sure you buy one that has that. Any garden-type hose will work. I had an old hose for a washing machine and I just cut one end off at about 3.5 feet. You'll want to make sure the hose end is lower than outflow from the tank... and I try not to have any sags that will hold water.

The first dehumidifier lasted 10 years and sat on the kitchen counter, and drained into the kitchen sink. Its vented air was on the side, so I aimed it back toward the bedroom.

The second one vents out the top, so I put it on the floor in the bathroom and drain it into the shower. It is 4 years old and running...

As said in a previous post, it is amazing how much water it dumps into the grey tank! We can't leave our grey tank drain open in storage or I'd have water all over the concrete floor and running into the neighboring unit. Never had a problem with overfilling.

One note of caution, at least from my experience - it will, if left long enough, dry out your under-sink traps. This will allow any odor from the grey tank to get up into the trailer - which leads to a very unhappy co-pilot.

It will also dry out the standing water in the toilet and leave the rubber gasket to dry out.

I make sure to plug all the drains except the shower. I leave extra water in the toilet with the lid closed, but on those occasions where it still gets dry, I use it as an opportunity to put some silicone spray on it to "refresh" it. Seems to work OK.
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Old 11-19-2019, 09:14 PM   #14
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we used to dri-z-air it seems to be quite effective I'm at the AS every couple of weeks draining the containers and adding more crystals, works for us.
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Old 11-19-2019, 09:42 PM   #15
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So to further confuse things.....I use a combination of Driz-air year round in the trailer...being in the Pacific northwest. I just don't want the stuff to get a chance growing so I put two buckets in the living space, one in the bathroom, and one in the shower. I dump them 3-4 times a year it seems.
So my definition of a bucket is one driz-air container in a bucket I get from a hardware store so as to contain the dribble that will happen, about a 2 gallon bucket but keeps the space tidy.

Then use a oil space heater in the fall, winter, and spring to keep special parts from freezing set at 40F, after anti-freeze in the tanks to keep them happy, and a gallon of anti freeze to flush the toilet with if it is needed over the winter.
You have a good question, but where you are located makes a difference...when on the east coast I used 20% less desiccant than I do now. So look at the info you get carefully and make your best decision as I think you can clearly see now from responses that there are a number of ways to achieve your goals.
So my best advice is read them and see what works for you.....in the end it will be right.
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