Our first winter in an RV was in a bumper pull holiday trailer. We parked in an RV park in Alberta, Canada and we had to keep things really closed up to stay warm. Our humidity and moisture were from cooking, showers, and breathing.
Ventilation, window insulation, a dehumidifier and moisture-absorbing products will reduce the moisture in your RV in winter. First, find a way to track the humidity level. Then use a combination of these methods to achieve the desired level. Finally, target moisture in specific parts of your unit.
Let’s look at this in a little more detail.
3 Steps To Reduce Moisture in Your RV in Winter
To use the 4 methods to reduce moisture in your RV in winter, follow these 3 steps:
- Find a way to track the humidity in your unit.
- Use ventilation, window insulation, a dehumidifier and/or moisture-absorbing products to lower the humidity to the level you desire. Once you know what the humidity is in your RV, you can decide which of these ideas to use. You can add them one at a time until you reach the target humidity. Most experts suggest keeping the relative humidity between 30% and 50%
- Add more measures to target specific areas of your unit. Even though you have the relative humidity down to an acceptable level, you may still have some areas where moisture accumulates. Add measures to combat this.
Monitor
I’ve heard it said that “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
Several products are available to measure the relative humidity.
A simple hygrometer, like the one shown may be all you need. I picked up this one at a local Home Building Store.
Other devices allow you to track high and low humidity levels for the day. Others allow multiple sensors in different parts of your RV. Some use your WiFi or home automation systems to track conditions over time.
Ventilation Can Reduce Moisture in Your RV in Winter
Ventilation means airflow.
Proper airflow can help you. In other seasons or locations, this might mean that you want to reduce airflow to keep humid air out. In winter, in Canada, you want to reduce airflow in and out of your RV because you want to stay warm. It’s cold outside.
But airflow can help you get rid of humidity. You just need the right amount at the right time.
For example, we use fans to get rid of humidity due to showering and cooking. We have our roof vents blocked with pillows that are made for the purpose. That keeps us warm.
But removing the pillows, opening the vent and turning on the bathroom fan is a great way to get rid of the humidity from showering.
Also, using the fan in the range hood is a great way to get rid of humidity and moisture from cooking.
We are balancing between getting the humidity out and keeping the heat in.
Window Insulation Kits Reduce Moisture in Your RV in Winter
If you were lucky, or smart, you might’ve bought an RV with double-pane windows. This helps with reducing moisture collection on the windows.
If you have single-pane windows, like most of us, a window installation kit can help.
The ripples in the picture are where we didn’t get the cellophane stretched evenly. These kits work best when they are on the inside, but we did the outside. Our humidity was coming from the inside of the trailer and we found that the moisture was going through to the cellophane and moisture was building up there.
They are very inexpensive and can be purchased at Home Building stores or online.
The kit is basically a layer of cellophane that you stretch over the window and seal with the double-sided tape provided. It traps a layer of air for insulation. It is also a barrier against moisture.
You might do this as part of your planning to winter in your RV or you might wait and find out whether it’s an issue for you. It might be something you add during step 3 when you are targeting specific areas of your unit.
You’ve done right, these kits help you reduce moisture in your RV in the winter.
A Dehumidifier Reduces Moisture in Your RV in Winter
As its name suggests, a dehumidifier reduces humidity. It does this by condensing the water vapour from the air and collecting it in liquid form.
The people who wintered in our trailer before us included the one in the picture. It is bigger than we would have chosen.
A fan blows air through a dehumidifier and across a cold surface which causes the water vapour to condense. The condensed water is collected in the container at the bottom of the humidifier or drains away through an attached hose.
The unit shuts off when the tank is full it starts up once it’s been emptied. Some models have a tube that can be attached so the water drains out. Some RVers keep the dehumidifier in the bathtub so that the water can drain away on its own.
When you’re looking for a dehumidifier, consider the size of a tank, the amount of energy it uses, the size of the unit and whether it will roll around when your RV is moving.
In freezing climates, a dehumidifier is almost always needed to reduce moisture in an RV in winter.
Moisture-Absorbing Products for Your RV in Winter
Moisture-absorbing products include Damp Rid, Wisesorb and others.
Damp Rid is a moisture-absorbing product designed to help control excess moisture. Moisture-absorbing crystals or pellets trap excess water from the air and turn it into liquid. The liquid is collected in the bottom of the container.
Containers come in various shapes and sizes:
- One is designed to hang in a closet.
- Others come in tubs of various sizes.
- There’s even a reusable one that can be plugged in to reactivate it.
Most have a way to let you know when the crystals are saturated in the devices and are ready to be replaced.
Wisesorb has moisture-reducing bags, packets and reusable silica gel beads that change from blue to pink as they absorb moisture. They can be recharged by baking them in the oven.
Moisture-absorbing products provide a way to control access moisture in specific areas of your RV that need extra attention. You might use them at step three when you are targeting these areas.
Moisture-absorbing products provide another way to reduce moisture in your RV in winter.
To Sum Up
The reasons for high humidity in RVs differ depending on the climate where you are. If you follow the 3 steps described and use some or all of the 4 methods described, you will be able to reduce the moisture in your RV in winter.