Preserving Interior of 5th Wheel In Storage

[bigsky]

We live in Central Florida with high temperatures and humidity.  Currently we keep our RV on our property and have the luxury of power to it to keep the AC on, and a dehumidifier running all the time.  This has preserved our fifth wheel on the inside to where it is just like new.  We are preparing to move into a community where we will have to store our rig in the community RV storage area and won't have power.  We are looking for ideas to continue to keep our RV like new on the inside. Thanks in advance for ideas and suggestions. 

 

[bigsky]

Anyone with any ideas on a solution?  Looking for some replies  :-\  Thanks!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

We also live in central Florida (the Ocala National Forest, east of Ocala) and have never done anything special to "preserve" our RVs, with no probelms.  We do, however,  keep curtains closed on the afternoon sunny sides to prevent sun fade of uphollstery & carpets and keep some windows and vents open to provide some air circulation.  Those are wise precaution most anywhere.

On the other hand, for the past 5 years we have left Florida during the hottest/wettest months and traveled to fairer climates.

 

[Tom]

Some friends of ours who have a trailer in a humid climate put buckets of salt inside the trailer when not in use. I'm not sure how effective it is, but they believe it helps to remove moisture from the air inside the trailer. However, they're still faced with having to remove mold when they haven't used the trailer for an extended period.

Not what you wanted to hear, but maybe someone else has a more effective solution.

 

[Carl L]

Maybe you need to look at what boat owners do to handle the problem.?? ?See at the West Marine link? HERE.

I have used a version of the bag dehumidifiers in my boat and later in my trailer.? ?They worked tho,? living next to a cold ocean, I do not face the problems you have in Florida.? I would only suggest using a lot of them scattered around the trailer? and checking progress every 4-6 weeks.? ?

 

[Jim Dick]

Bigsky,

We live at The Great Outdoors and have a screen room and shed. When we leave for the summer we usually put a few containers of cat litter around the room. Not sure if it does much but we have not had any problems in over 5 years. The screen room is closed up with a small opening at the bottom of the door.

 

[caltex]

I used to use a product for my boat called dri-z-air (not sure that's how they spelled it).  It was a chemical that absorbed moisture from the air and in the process dissolved the crystals.  Buying in in small packets was expensive, but it could be purchased in bulk very cheaply.  I can't remember the chemical. Tom earlier suggested salt, but I'm not sure it was ordinary salt.  Someone that knows chemistry can probably enlighten us.

 

[BruceinFL]

I also live in CFL and have to store my 5er in an RV storage area when not in use. I cover my wheels and leave the roof vents cracked open (with Maxxair vent covers). I also make sure my reefer is off, clean and the doors open. In addition, I keep all the window shades down to prevent sun damage and to keep the unit cooler. Works great. An older unit I had without vent covers was a mess because I didn't have the vents open in storage. The subsequent rigs I had did great with the vents open. One of the reasons to have vent covers even if you have Fantastic fans.

 

[BruceinFL]

We also live in central Florida (the Ocala National Forest, east of Ocala) and have never done anything special to "preserve" our RVs, with no probelms.? We do, however,? keep curtains closed on the afternoon sunny sides to prevent sun fade of uphollstery & carpets and keep some windows and vents open to provide some air circulation.? Those are wise precaution most anywhere.

On the other hand, for the past 5 years we have left Florida during the hottest/wettest months and traveled to fairer climates.

You don't count Gary. You're never there in the summer when it's hot and humid.  ;D

 

[bigsky]

Thanks so much for the replies/suggestions...we'll check out the crystals, vent covers and marine supplies.  Anyone heard of solar for RV's?  Surely, that would do the trick!  We surely don't want the mold and mildew we've heard about here in Florida especially during the spring and summer months.  Wonder what those with the big expensive motorhomes do when they store them to avoid mildew (run their generators?).

 

[bigsky]

Thought I'd share...Just found this site and will research... http://store.sundancesolar.com/sorvboandcak.html

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

For mildew, ventilation and some light is the key, but you don't need a lot.  As Bruce mentions, you want the windows shaded enough to prevent sun fade, but you don't want it real dark either because that encourages several types of mold.

I think you are overly concerned about this problem - it is not as severe as you are imagining.  If you keep some vents or windows cracked and open the rig up periodically, you should have no problem.  Humidity can  be worse in northern climates, where condensation can cause actual water damage.

If you add a large solar panel you might run a thermostatically controlled fan such as a MaxxAir or Fantastic Vent, but it is still going to be 93-98 degrees inside and the relative humidity the same as outdoors. Theextra  airflow will help a lot, though.

The best way to avoid problems is to go camping frequently.  Even once a month will do. 

 

[Carl L]

Anyone heard of solar for RV's?  Surely, that would do the trick!

 

Depends on the trick you want it to do.? I have a pair of 50W panels on my TT.? That is 100W of 12VDC power.? in other words, 8.3 amps of 12VDC.? ? ? However, I am probably running about 50% efficiency during the high sun hours of 9am to 4pm.? ? The panels are hooked to my 2 12V-batteries thru a charge controller that gives me a 3-stage charging cycle.? ?The whole thing cost about $1200.

The panels give me about 29 amp hours of energy or about 1.2 per hour over the 24 hour day.? ?If I? attach say a fan driven device to that to run 24-7, I better be sure it draws no more than 1.2 amps.? ?In storage, the panels keep my batteries topped up and conditioned.? They run nothing else.? In fact, I switch off all trailer service circuits going into storage.

In short, you are best relying on passive mold and humidity remedies.