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Old 11-16-2018, 07:45 PM   #1
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Condensation running down to floor

So yesterday I noticed some dampness on the floor below our wrap around windows, with evidence of a bead running down from the window. I noticed a lot of condensation on the metal windows trim, is it reasonable to get enough condensation that it runs down the walls, or should I assume this window is leaking? (Never leaked before, but we just had the first ice storm of the season which could contribute)

These windows are always behind curtains, so they wouldn't be getting much airflow to carry the condensation away
In your experience, does reflectex and sealing up with plastic help with condensation, or just trap water further?
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Old 11-16-2018, 08:01 PM   #2
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Th only way to remove the condensation is to have air moving past it and out a vent. The dual pane windows that were used on some of the older models with the "winter" package helped, but not a lot. Are you living in the trailer, or using for a short period of time. I have found on house windows, a piece of styrofoam about 2 inches tall, across the bottom of the window helped to stop some of the condensation. If you have curtains closed it will stop air movement and you will have lot of water to clean up.
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Old 11-16-2018, 08:05 PM   #3
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The best way to manage condensation is with air flow. Crack a window or two, or a roof vent. A dehumidifier helps too. I use a thermo-electric cooler dehumidifier. It doesn't trap a lot of water but seems to help with condensation on the windows.

The windows and frames (and interior skin, for that matter) will be cold enough to condense moisture from cooking, showers, and breath. Insulation, per se, won't help but if whatever you put in the windows keeps the moist air off the glass, that's a good thing.

Al
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Old 11-17-2018, 06:30 AM   #4
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Thanks for the replies
Given how leaky this old 83 motorhome already is, cracking a vent definitely isn't the answer at the moment, ill freeze to death, lol

Sounds like you both agree lack of airflow over the windows is probably the biggest part of the problem, I'll try insulating and plastic wrapping, if that doesn't help maybe some small 12V fans back there
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Old 11-17-2018, 09:44 AM   #5
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The main reason for condensation is lack of air exchange. For example in many homes in the winter there is moisture on the windows. The fallacy is the windows are bad. Wrong!! The fact is the humidity inside the house is too high! Thus in modern homes the need for air exchangers. My house has an air exchanger. As soon as I see water on the windows I turn it on. Within a few hours the moisture is gone.

What has to happen is you need to bring the humidity within the AS down. It probably should only be about 30% inside the cabin. Otherwise you will get condensation. This is the reason AS’s are not made to live in during the winter.

My suggestion is to get a dehumidifier and run it night and day. Turn the fans on in the shower and bathroom. Also turn on exhaust fan over the stove. You don’t need to crack a window. That won’t help. Also you might need to limit showering and cooking within the trailer. These add moisture to the air, and the AS is a pretty small space.
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Old 11-17-2018, 10:16 AM   #6
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I was in the window business for over forty years and in our west coast climate the biggest complaint was condensation. I was called to come look at a trailer several years back as the owner had bad condensation problem and wanted to know if we could build some storm windows or?? to help him.
Unfortunately because of the curves etc it wasn't possible to do that for him without spending more than the trailer was worth. My answer to him at the time was .......I have a solution but it will cost you about $1000 ..... he asked what?? .... I said get on the ferry ...get off and turn south and head to the states and don't stop until you hit warm weather !! and dont come back until it warms up here!!
We both had a laugh ...
I told him unfortunately RV's aren't built for living in the cold . You are also probably getting some condensation in the walls that you cant see as well.
As a minimum I would definitely get a dehumidifier and run it constantly .... your cooking ...breathing ...washing etc is all causing humidity to build up. Using your exhaust fans is good but I dont think you'll ever reduce the humidity enough in such a small space with such extreme cold .............. its only November too !!
Propane is heat heat too.
Good luck.
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Old 11-17-2018, 11:10 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Magnet18 View Post
Thanks for the replies
Given how leaky this old 83 motorhome already is, cracking a vent definitely isn't the answer at the moment, ill freeze to death, lol

Sounds like you both agree lack of airflow over the windows is probably the biggest part of the problem, I'll try insulating and plastic wrapping, if that doesn't help maybe some small 12V fans back there
In my opinion, you don't want air exchange over the windows, you want to stop it. The humid air has the water in it. When it passes over the cold windows/trim the moisture condenses. More air flow will make the problem worse. As others have said, you need to lower the humidity with air exchange or a dehumidifier. The moisture in the inside air is going to condense somewhere, if not on the windows, then somewhere else.

Al
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Old 11-17-2018, 11:18 AM   #8
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sorry ,,,,Propane is wet heat ....also watch out for black mold ...very scary if it dries and you breathe in.
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Old 11-17-2018, 11:42 AM   #9
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We have spent last winter on the Oregon Coast. We used electric heat, had three small dehumidifiers running all the time and wiped all the windows dry every morning. Limit showering and cooking. No matter what you do you will still have moisture on the windows on really wet and cold days. Our solution this winter? We are now in Arizona. Problem solved. I was not going to do another winter on the coast!
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Old 11-17-2018, 12:45 PM   #10
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sorry ,,,,Propane is wet heat ....also watch out for black mold ...very scary if it dries and you breathe in.
Water (along with carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide) is a combustion product of propane, yes, but the combustion chamber is sealed from the inside. Inside air passes through a heat exchanger. The propane flame and combustion products are on the other side. The furnace simply heats inside air with whatever moisture is in it, but does not add moisture.

Al
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Old 11-17-2018, 12:58 PM   #11
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Catalytic heaters are wet heat, furnace shouldn't be I wouldn't think
Hopefully the woodstove I'm about to install will help with humidity, if not a dehumidifier will be next!

Nomadic ability to move South when we want is the goal, but for now we're stuck in thr Midwest and will make the best of it!
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Old 11-17-2018, 01:03 PM   #12
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We run a little electric heater full time during cold-snaps here in Texas, haven’t seen any condensation.
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Old 11-17-2018, 02:06 PM   #13
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We run a little electric heater full time during cold-snaps here in Texas, haven’t seen any condensation.
We are plagued with condensation problems now and then, especially during the colder days.

We bought a small eva dry dehumidifier that helped somewhat.

What really helped was when we started using an electric space heater.

Larry
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Old 11-17-2018, 02:38 PM   #14
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Hi M18,
I can only talk about my findings regarding these motorhome leaks so what happened to mine was my clear coat had degraded as it does, so I did a job off stripping it, up to that point I had leakes that as we know would come in from who knows where as we all know about how water migrates along ribs ect.
As we use this particular machine as a design office with hot running computer servers plus people going about their work. Well winter water collection was part off everyone's job description, till we spent 2 hours on our knees and on ladders with this little white bottle with its long proboscis dropping its watery solution and watching it wick its way around each and every rivit head. I would say in time 5 to 10 secounds per rivit. Where the solution disapesred you'd do it again till that clear watery solution stayed without seaping inside.
Now... every one off our rivits creates its own bowl in the alloy skin which was infact a collection bowl for water whenever it rained or heavy dew.
The interior you could say was getting compromised from allways being damp till as my label says =NOW NO MORE good old Captain Tolly, Marine shops or maybe RV shops.
Hole stack off towels on rotate otherwise.
All the best.
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Old 11-17-2018, 04:32 PM   #15
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we open the bathroom vents, seems to stop most of the condensation
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Old 11-17-2018, 10:48 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Al and Missy View Post
Water (along with carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide) is a combustion product of propane, yes, but the combustion chamber is sealed from the inside. Inside air passes through a heat exchanger. The propane flame and combustion products are on the other side. The furnace simply heats inside air with whatever moisture is in it, but does not add moisture.

Al
yes of course the furnace is sealed ...I wasn't thinking .... you still would get a small amount from cooking.
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Old 11-17-2018, 11:37 PM   #17
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A lot of moisture is given off just by human breathing and perspiration.
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Old 11-21-2018, 11:01 AM   #18
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Air movement is caused by a difference in temperature. Warm air rises, cool air falls. Warm air can hold more moisture than cool air. If you can have a vent open in the roof and another near the floor, ideally at opposite ends of the coach, you can reduce the humidity in the coach. Running a vent fan when cooking, showering, or even washing the dishes will help.


Jo Ann is cooking noodles right now. The vent fan is running and a kitchen window is open. The bathroom vent stays open all the time.
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Old 11-25-2018, 09:28 AM   #19
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Keep the vent open

When we are in our unit ('12 28' International) we keep both the shower and lavatory vent open weather the fans are on or not. It provides a vent and it has greatly reduced the amount of condensation in the trailer when we are in it in the winter.
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Old 11-25-2018, 10:13 AM   #20
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Something like the mr. heater ventless propane heaters will add moisture to the air.


An electric heater is a dry heat.


For winter perhaps running an electric heater instead of a dehumidifier would work.


Condensation, rot, potential mold, and me not having good cheap answers for those is part of why I dream of full timing but don't know if I want to deal with fulltiming.
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