I have noticed a lot on here about beds and condensation. To all folding camper owners, is this something I need to be checking for with our pathfinder? I did not think to look under the mattress when we used it at Easter and there was no problem in the camper with condensation anywhere else, despite the weather. I think it would be a bit of a chore if we had to get the beds out each day for an airing.
In addtion can anyone tell me if we need to treat the wood bed bases at all, (the outside of course) there is a very slight warping of the wood along one edge near to where the supporting bar 'digs' into the base. only saw this the other day when we had closed the beds down. Should I be worried or not about this
You should air under the mattresses regularly, whether it's in a FC or TT. You just need to prop them up a bit though to get some air underneath....a couple of tins of beans or an upturned basin would be enough.
The real condensation danger spot in folding campers though is between the cabin roof liners and the roof. There were a lot of posts about this last year with people getting mildew and mould on the roof canvas. It's worth unhooking the liners to check every so often, and letting them hang loose when you go out for the day to allow the gap to air out properly.
If you treat the bed boards with a waterproofing solution or varnish they won't breathe properly and you'll be more likely to get condensation under the mattresses. If you have warping this is more likely to be because of a leak at some point, or ...yup, condensation. I would investigate further if I were you.
We air the mattresses each day by lifting them jup on two extending poles which we push under the mattress and support on cans etc. Condensation is a common problem.
Well i can only speak for myself but we seem to have cured the condensation under the bed in our dandy, i have always used the thin insulating matt's under the mattress but they only ever reduced the problem but with self inflating air beds on top its cured, even at Christmas when it was blinking cold out side.
mike
------------- they said it couldnt be done so i left it and went camping
a bad days camping is better than a good day at work
Quote: Originally posted by mike.wilkinson on 16/4/2010
Well i can only speak for myself but we seem to have cured the condensation under the bed in our dandy, i have always used the thin insulating matt's under the mattress but they only ever reduced the problem but with self inflating air beds on top its cured, even at Christmas when it was blinking cold out side.
mike
The air mattresses are waterproof that's why it works. The condensation is caused by heat from the body going through the mattress and hitting the cold bed board. A picnic rug with a foil back laid on top of the mattress will also work.
------------- What light? I'm still looking for the tunnel.
I remember my dad using corugated cardboard under the mattresses, I dont know how good this was as I have been unable to find any of a desent size. As it is we follow every body else and air the beds every morning.
if the problem is the heat from above hitting the cold boards below could you not put a layer of the foil insulation inbetween the mattresses and ply boards.i belive this would also stop some of the cold coming up.
It's not heat that is the problem . To put it bluntly it's your sweat. It creates a mini humid rain forest environment on the mattress. If the matress is waterproof the moisture either wicks in to the bedding or evaporates into the air around you. You also breath moisture out as you sleep. All this can cause a humidity rise in the unit. When moist hot air hits anything the water condenses , if the surface is cool enough then the condensation is quite sever, Best bet is to let the air at everything . If there is moisture under a mattress then let air circulate . This causes the water to evaporate again. The reason you usually get mildew is that the water is puddling and the surface is remaining constantly damp. Damp and warm are ideal conditions for most fungi type plants. It's the same reason why cooking in your main unit is better done with very good ventilation (that and the build up of carbon monoxide possible if you are not allowing a free flow of air or your burners are not operating properly (yellow flame is one sign). We like to get the sides up on the awning and keep the kitchecn flap open to allow free air flow . It's especially apparent after a damp night when you go out and it's really sunny, You walk in to the awning and it's like a greenhouse. If it's a dry heat then that's OK but if it feels damp then let the air through. This is the first winter we have had to store our pennine outside and I'v enoticed we have had a little bit of a problem but luckily it seems ok. Hope that helped in some way.
So far so good - we don't bother taking any action on a day to day basis (2 young children already give us enough to do!)and haven't had any trouble yet. I just open the bedroom windows to air the whole thing through.
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Topic: beds and condensation
