Recommendations for 110v dehumidifier?

[DaveWA]

I have a 2014 LTV Free Spirit Class B. It is stored outdoors, and being the Northwest, we get a lot of rain. Winter temps are in the low 40s. No snow. There are no noticeable roof or window leaks, but the humidity in the van is around 80%. I want to get it down to 50% or below to avoid any mold growth. I have deployed a couple of DampRid desiccant units, which are removing moisture, but the humidity is still too high. I am going to buy a 110v dehumidifier to run periodically when charging batteries to get the moisture to a lower level. Any suggestions on a brand and model? Interior floor space from back doors to forward floor of the driver/passenger area is is around 160 sq feet.

I see heavy duty models for $200 price range that will work for 3000 sq ft spaces, but they seem like overkill. I don't want to underspend and be disappointed in the result however.

I am planning to reseal all roof perforations this spring to eliminate any possibility of water coming into the van and being between the outer skin and the interior walls.

[booster]

One problem with removing humidity is that it isn't a short time period event in most cases. Every porous item in the van is also at a moisture content that is equivalent to the 80% in the air, so even if you quickly take the air down to 50% and then quit dehumidifying, all those items give up some of the moisture to the dryer air and raise the humidity back up. It can take days to weeks many times to get to a stable lower humidity even with constant dehumidifying. A small unit turned on all the time but running on a humidistat would probably work the best if you have power and and a drainline available to do it. The unit, if sized right, will run a lot of the time, but less and less as the van slowly gives up the moisture.

[DaveWA]

Thanks for the great advise. Really makes sense.

I found this article that compares compressor vs thermo-electric dehumidifiers. Thermo-Electric Dehumidifier Reviews | How They Work

I prefer not to leave the van plugged into 110v power full time. I have been plugging in for a few days every three week just to trickle charge the flooded acid house batteries. I am leaning towards going with a higher capacity compressor dehumidifier and running it for a week or more, then unplugging and watching what happens. To your point, air humidity will probably rise, if for no other reason but the moisture in seat cushions and wall coverings. As it comes back up, I will turn it back on for as long as needed.

I suspect that I have some roof leaks, which need to be sealed but until they are, the humidity problem will recur. We don't get much rain here from March to October, so humidity will not be an issue during those months. By next fall, I will have resealed all roof perforations and there should be less of a problem.

[DaveWA]

Originally Posted by DaveWA

Thanks for the great advise. Really makes sense.

I found this article that compares compressor vs thermo-electric dehumidifiers. Thermo-Electric Dehumidifier Reviews | How They Work

I prefer not to leave the van plugged into 110v power full time. I have been plugging in for a few days every three week just to trickle charge the flooded acid house batteries. I am leaning towards going with a higher capacity compressor dehumidifier and running it for a week or more, then unplugging and watching what happens. To your point, air humidity will probably rise, if for no other reason but the moisture in seat cushions and wall coverings. As it comes back up, I will turn it back on for as long as needed.

I suspect that I have some roof leaks, which need to be sealed but until they are, the humidity problem will recur. We don't get much rain here from March to October, so humidity will not be an issue during those months. By next fall, I will have resealed all roof perforations and there should be less of a problem.

So just a quick update regarding interior humidity on the van:

I bought a ThermoPro Indoor Hygrometer Humidity Gauge from Amazon for $14 for the van. I found that the humidity was actually about 70% so I wanted to do something to reduce it to below 50% to avoid any mold or mildew. I bought a large DampRid desiccant drier to augment my small DriZAir desiccant. This did have an impact, but only dropped the humidity by about 5%. The warmer the air, the more effective the desiccant will be so I added a heater to keep the air temp to around 50 degrees. This also had a positive impact, but the humidity was still too high.

So I added a Inofia 30 Pint Dehumidifier for $150. It has been running for 24 hours so far and it pulled 2 gallons of water out of the air! Humidity is now 45%. I have it set to 40% and once achieved, the dehumidifier will cycle to keep it there. Mission accomplished.



Hooray for a sweet smelling camper van this Spring!

[mkguitar]

I'm in the music business- taking care of equipment/electronic


When we ship our stuff in sea containers we use dessicant packs which are essentially bags of clay --- similar to kitty litter


when they loose capacity to absorb more moisture we bake them to dry them out, then reuse ( or store in barrels until the next trip)



you may find that organic material ( clay) kitty litter in a turkey pan is a cheap effective way to grab moisture...then throw it in the oven to get ready for reuse




Mike

[Ron J. Moore]

I have been using Charcoal in my workshop for years. I buy two, twenty pound bags, break them in half, and set around. I have used the Damp Rid, in their Long Containers, it worked, but I find the charcoal to work better...and I burn them come summer.