benson Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 any ideas/tips on overwintering the motorhome? Having purchased one a few months ago I followed the procedure used in my caravan for years i.e.a dehumidifier, and seem to be emptying it daily. Do they get damper than caravans, and if so, why? I can only say that the interior appears to be dry and has a warm feel about it so it must be working but at what cost! I have closed all blinds and curtains but cannot remove the upholstery as there is no room in our house. Any other tips please? Regards Benson. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 benson - 2008-11-16 9:48 AM any ideas/tips on overwintering the motorhome? Having purchased one a few months ago I followed the procedure used in my caravan for years i.e.a dehumidifier, and seem to be emptying it daily. Do they get damper than caravans, and if so, why? I can only say that the interior appears to be dry and has a warm feel about it so it must be working but at what cost! I have closed all blinds and curtains but cannot remove the upholstery as there is no room in our house. Any other tips please? Regards Benson. *-) If you can't actually remove the upholstery I think it's a good idea to at least turn it over or prop it up from time to time so that air can circulate around it. Also occasionally open all the windows and vents to give it all an airing. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 It has been very damp lately, which won't help. I suspect you have more ventilation than you think, leading to you trying to de-humidify half of Bristol! Check that the rooflights are all closed, check around for any open ventilators, and and check that the dashboard ventilation selector is set to "recirculate". Remember that if yours is a recent van, the change may not work unless the ignition is on, and a lot of the newer dampers are electrically powered and not mechanically (bowden cable) operated. It can take several seconds for the damper motor to fully operate. If you do as suggested above, and open up to change the air - do this on a cold, dry, day - otherwise you'll just import more atmospheric humidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Re Brian Kirby's advice. Surely Brian you ment to write "NOT set to recirculate"? i.e. to leave the vehicles ventilation system open, so as to allow air to move more freely? We have used a caravan for 23 years and motorcaravan for the last 8 years and all we have ever done is lock the door at the end of the season. Provided the vehicle is watertight and dry when you stop using it, that is good enough, given that all the fixed ventilation is open. We live inland (Stockport), so I cannot comment on what it might be like nearer the sea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 No. I did mean recirculate. The point is, Benson is using a dehumidifier. The more fresh air is admitted, the harder the dehumidifier has to work removing its moisture. Hence my quip about dehumidifying half of Bristol.The ideal would be a sealed box, in which, once the humidity is reduced to the set level, the dehumidifier could shut down - job done. In reality, sealed boxes are not easy to create, and motorhomes aren't even close. However, when using a dehumidifier, it is sensible to reduce the amount of fresh, potentially moist, air that is admitted to the van. Benson was worried at the amount of water the dehumidifier was producing. That indicates a relatively high level of internal humidity. This may be coming from either air changes, or leakage.If the air changes are minimised, as suggested, and the water production continues unabated, Benson should probably start looking very carefully for evidence of leakage. If there are no leaks, he just has a draughty old van! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshague Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 brian thank you for your posts .have learnt something .got the new cab and you don't here a thump when you close the vent and yes it can be cold when open on site at this time of year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benson Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share Posted November 21, 2008 Thanks for the advice Brian. I will try the recirculation idea and see if it works. As you say, the air has been rather damp recently, so there has been no chance to open the van up as it would only make matters worse. I have propped up the seats to get better circulation and on the plus side, although I am remving damp from the air, the upholstery always seems dry to the touch. Would there be any mileage in blocking up the ventilation outlets whilst not in use? Regards, Benson :-> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapido-lass Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 It makes me realise that carrying on using the motorhome all year round saves a lot of hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 Rapido-lass - 2008-11-21 10:59 AM It makes me realise that carrying on using the motorhome all year round saves a lot of hassle. Just make sure that the hot and cold water system is fully drained down when it freezes and you are not using it - and it does freeze in Kent, unlike the Pembrokeshire Coast as I recall from my youthful days long long ago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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