Motor Home condensation question.

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Bill and Debbie

Bill and Debbie

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 7, 2014
Posts
374
Location
Poulsbo, WA
As the temps begin to drop, I'm experiencing some condensation especially on the front windshield. Mostly occurs when we are using our 30" range. Wondering other than opening windows if the is some magic I can perform to minimize or eliminate. May just be a by product of heat produced by the stove/oven.

Small thing I know, but if I can minimize it other than not turning on the oven, that would make my day.
 
well, it's humidity coming into contact with colder surface, right.....
so ventilate to eliminate the moisture
or
warm the surface....

you say windshield, so I wonder if those exterior shades that cover the glass form the outside might help. (assuming the outside temps are cooler than inside, and the condensation is on the inside of the glass)
I'm only brainstorming here, I have no practical experience with this....
 
I've had that happen to me too.

Since not breathing is not an option  ;D  and yes humans are some of the problem with condensation,  try opening a roof vent some.

I would also roll up some towels and place them along the bottom edge of the front glass because the water will run downhill sooner or later.
Another thing to try (I haven't yet) is to get some form fitting foil to place in the window so it makes contact with the glass - that may keep
the warm air from hitting the glass which causes the problem.
Other than that maybe a small fan pointed at the inside glass will help - also something I may have to try - but I'm heading South when the
cold air hits so it may not (hopefully) effect me too much again.
 
Are you using the range hood vent fan while you're cooking?  If so, make sure it vents to the outside (some don't) and if it does, make sure the outside vent's flapper is free to open.  Some have latches to keep it closed while travelling
 
Open a roof vent and turn the fan on. Also open a window a little on the opposite end of the rig.  Make sure you are running the hood exhaust fan when cooking.
 
Burning propane puts water in the air. Open vents or fan on low speed. Breathing will also produce moisture on windows and may be noticeable in cupboards so keep an eye on clothing or mattresses etc that touch cold wall surfaces so they are not damaged. Leaving cupboards open can help.
 
What about using a dehumidifier?  That is what we use, specially during winter.
 
No magic. You need to ventilate to help hold the interior humidity done. Or use a portable dehumidifier.

An RV is a relatively small space, so two people breathing, cooking, showers, etc. quickly bring the relative humidity up high. And there are plenty of chilly surface handy for it to condense on.
 
All good information. Thanks. I've just started using a big squeegee making sure I have a big towel at the bottom of the windshield to collect the moisture running off. Been using the furnace at night as well and may need to open a window up front to vent. Its all good though and not really a big deal when I think of what my issues could be. PTL
 
You shouldn't be creating much if any moisture from your furnace because it's vented.  While burning propane does create moisture, that is in an un-vented situation.  So, your first post was right on... your stove and or oven is the source of some of the moisture.

In the northern climates (rural areas) where propane is the main heating source, burning propane in a vented furnace actually consumes moisture, which is why we have to actually run humidifiers in the winter so our skin doesn't fall off from cracking  :p
 
Burning propane does not "consume" moisture.  It's just that cold air can't hold as much humidity as warmer air, so as the inside air is heated, it's relative humidity goes down.  The opposite case is condensation, as humid air is cooled it reaches a temperature where it's relative humidity exceeds 100% and the excess falls out as water droplets.

It's called "relative" instead of "absolute" humidity because the amount of water the air can carry varies in proportion to it's temperature.
 
Sorry to disagree, the relative humidity in my house after we switched to geothermal is about 25 points higher in the wintertime over propane. I guess if you can explain that I?d be willing to listen, but I say burning propane consumes moisture.

And, I don?t need to run a humidifier anymore. That is the only thing we changed was the furnace.
 
Squeeging the window is good, but the humidity is still probably too high in the rest of your vehicle, so you need to keep a vent and maybe one window open just a bit to ventilate the place.  You do not want excess moisture to cause mold in places you cannot see as easily as you can see your windshield. 
 
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