Damp/moisture??

  • Thread starter Justin and Jane
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Justin and Jane

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Hi all.
Just a Q?
I have bought a moisture tester off (good old ebay) !
and its the % reading one!
I think there might be damp/moisture in my bathroom in my van!! and ive tested the area where ive discovered this and its read 40% on the tester! :(
any where else and its lower (about 10-18%)
is this bad?
if so what can ya recon to treat/stop this?

thanx all. J. :)
 
Ventilation and heating.

You can get quite a lot of condensation in bathrooms, because of lack of heating and hard surfaces getting cold.

Even leaving the door ajar between the bathroom and living accommodation will help.
 
Hi J,

I expect that there could just be residual dampness in the bathroom area due to its function. If you were getting higher readings in warmer weather, I would be more worried.

Have you been using the van lately and does any heat from sunshine etc. get in there while parked up?

I know there is no dampness in my van due to leakage but I get a small amount of condensation this time of year. It is only due to the condensation of my breathing and snow on my shoes being carried in.

Try warming the van up thoroughly and cracking a couple of windows to get a bit of a draught through the bathroom and hab area. I will be doing this myself today as it is sunny and breezy (although cold).

As I said, I would not worry too much.
 
Hi guys thanx for the info!:D

Ive put the van away under cover (maypole) and ive been in every now an then to turn engine on and let it run a bit.
its on a drive and ive just bought a little halogen heater (400w) and soon as i get it will hook it up and leave it to heat the van. I was a bit worried as you all know that dreaded so called "caravan cancer" was showing its self but will keep an eye on the situation.

cheers guys. ;)
 
If you want to keep it warm (ish) and dry, may I suggest that you use your mains power to run the following (on a timeswitch perhaps):

A small 150w tubular heater - designed to screw onto a skirting, but can be made freestanding. They're very cheap to buy and run.

A dehumidifier.

Regards

Chris
 
I'm using a halogen as well now (400 W and 800 W settings - £14 from Wickes)

They are great. They score over fan heaters in that the air is heated at the bottom of the van better. Fan heaters blow it around and it tends to collect at head height much quicker.
 
It would be better if you took the van for a 20 minute drive rather than let it idle. That can be bad for an engine.

You also get condensation in an engine which can turn acidic and cause trouble over time (to seals etc.). I only need to do an oil change once a year, so I have it done at the start of the winter to combat any engine condensation. As vans usually get light use in Winter, this is the best time to do it.
 
condensation ?

when we had static caravans,at the end of the season we would place tupperware dishes with a layer of salt around the van.
this would absorb any moisture in the air like a sponge.
it always worked and i now do it in my motorhome.

in b and q today 400w wall heaters £14, and thet look quite good too.
 
Howdie folks!

Just boughti a halogen heater 400/800w off eBay so will Plug that in sometime this week (I hope) I'll give those tips a try as this is my first year Running a MH.
Thanx very much for helping folks :)
Roll on the summer A! ;)
 
Like bevo, I also have 3 bowls of salt in the van. One of them is in the cab area.

You will probably find that as you introduce heat in the van, you will get condensation on the cab windows. That is because they are single glazed. Keep wiping it off and put salt in the cab. When the salt has got a hard skin on it, dry it on a house radiator, loosen it all up again and replace it.

Put one in your bathroom area as well.

Open all cupboards and lockers to let the heat circulate and get a few windows open on a dry sunny day.
 
If the damp air can't escape heat doesn't equal dry!

Ventilation is the answer, I also put a dehumidifier in the van on a timer if it's not being used for a while - £89 from Homebase, they REALLY work, as shown by the amount of water caught in the tank!

Also the moisture trap salt crystal things work quite well.

My new moisture meter say 0-10% is acceptable, my washroom floor covering gives a reading of 19% even when bone dry!?! So don't panic too much.
 
I built a solar powered fan into the bathroom mushroom vent - haven't had any condensation problems.
 
Nosha said:
If the damp air can't escape heat doesn't equal dry!

Ventilation is the answer, I also put a dehumidifier in the van on a timer if it's not being used for a while - £89 from Homebase, they REALLY work, as shown by the amount of water caught in the tank!
Click to expand...

I totally agree about the ventilation bit and we have a dehumidifier which clearly keeps the interior of the van dry - but I have a question. How come the van doesn't stay damp because surely the damp air outside will just flow in through the ventilation and nullify the effect of the dehumidifier? I resisted getting one for a long time because of this but am glad I eventually did because they work. I still don't understand why though.
 
No point buying a moisture tester if you are going to heed the advice to just ignore it. Of course they may be correct and there really isn't anything to worry about, but on the other hand ...

If the damp spot is - for instance - directly below the taps or shower rose then it needs looking at. If it is opposite a joint in the outside skin or any join on the inside skin then it needs thinking about. If it is below a window then it could be just condensation, or the window might be leaking. Right down by the floor and you haven't used the bathroom in ages, then it may be a leak in the roof and water is running down inside - or getting thrown up from wet roads. Does it appear after heavy rain or after you use the bathroom

Where exactly is the damp spot in relation to taps, joints, windows etc and how long is it since you used the bathroom?

Then the advice might be useful.
 
Think this is due to the continual airflow (damp or otherwise) not allowing the moisture in the air to hang around and condense on cold surfaces. Or something like that...
 
John H said:
I totally agree about the ventilation bit and we have a dehumidifier which clearly keeps the interior of the van dry - but I have a question. How come the van doesn't stay damp because surely the damp air outside will just flow in through the ventilation and nullify the effect of the dehumidifier? I resisted getting one for a long time because of this but am glad I eventually did because they work. I still don't understand why though.
Click to expand...

John's right.... it shouldn't work, but it does, I put it down to the fact that our motorhome is parked under a carport with sides so it doesn't get a lot of air flow through it. I always thought the damp comes mainlt from our breather (up to 2pts per person per night!) and the washing and final brew before you leave for home, then all that moisture remains in the van until next used - for this reason I ALWAYS travel with the heater/vent slider in the 'freshair' posistion rather than 'recirculate'.
 
We picked up from the £ shop condensation packs which we placed around the MH. Works great. Each pack last around 5/6 weeks depending how much moisture it draws in.
 
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