Condensation question

Sherry, you might want to duct tape them, just because they will have to be moved to access storage under the bed. Not sure if that makes things easier. I am also going to have to work out how slick/sticky the mat is. I like to slide the mattress upon to the bench area to put the sheets on, then slide it back into place.

My folks have a sail boat, so I might check with my mom and see if they have places to buy to the foam. After making new outdoor cushions this summer, I have a new appreciation for foam. Man, that stuff is expensive, especially anything to do with water. I half wonder if I could do a thin layer of what I used outside (it is super porous, to allow any rain to drain out). Going non-nautical sometimes takes some cost away, plus, you can have it cut to fit and it comes in a range of thicknesses.

Craig, Mick was pondering a bit of spray foam insulation on the bottom of the trailer, right under the bunk/bench. Any pros and cons you can foresee? Any experience with that? We were thinking that would drop our interior dew point also.
 
Since you are in Oregon, Hyperventmarine is based in Marysville, WA; still almost an entire state in between; but maybe you can contact them and see if they have local referrals, and you could check out what the stuff actually looks like.

As for sliding; the top of the mat isn't slick/slippery (the part that is in contact with the bottom of the mattress), but neither is it velcro. I've "shoved" my foam camping mattress around on it to make it more "centered" on the mat (on the tent floor) but once I'm done, the mattress doesn't slide around on it's own.
 
Mick'nSarah said:
Craig, Mick was pondering a bit of spray foam insulation on the bottom of the trailer, right under the bunk/bench. Any pros and cons you can foresee? Any experience with that? We were thinking that would drop our interior dew point also.
Click to expand...

Adding insulation would definitely help with the condensation. Adding the insulation will not stop the condensation, but it will lower the outside temperature at which the condensation forms in that area.

I do have a few concerns:

1. The reason we don't put anything under the trailer to seal it (other than varnish) is that if the seal isn't 100% and ANY water gets behind the seal it will be trapped and not able to get back out. You want everything to be able to dry out as quickly as possible after it has gotten wet.

2. Is the foam open cell or closed cell after it has cured? The skin seals it, but a single stone thrown from the car tire will break that seal. If it is open cell, any water that gets in can migrate through the foam. (Think foam rubber or a sponge.) If it is closed cell, then water can't migrate from the hole into the surrounding area. I would only recommend something that you know is closed cell. (make a small sample spray, allow it to cure fully. Slice a small cube out of the middle so it is a cut surface on all sides. Put the piece between your lips and blow. If any air leaks through, it is open cell and should not be used.)

3. Do not coat the foam onto the trailer frame. If you bridge the gap between the frame and the floor, then any water that gets between the frame and the floor will take longer to dry out, if it ever dries. IF you covered only the floor and left a 1/2" gap between where the foam ends and the frame starts, this will give plenty of room for air movement.

4. You would need to inspect the foam on a regular basis. If the edges of the foam start to peel away, or you find that it is holding water, you will need to remove all of it.

5. Urethane spray foam is not UV resistant. You may need to paint it to protect it from UV rays.

6. Since this is an unproven method, if it causes problems, they may not be covered by the warranty.

7. If I was trying this method, I would inspect it after every trip whether it rained or not. I would look for any sign of deterioration of the foam or wood. If I saw any problems starting, I would remove all the foam.

There are a couple things you could try first:

A. Use both cushions on the bottom bunk.

B. Use the top bunk.

C. Put a plastic sheet on top of the mattress. This moisture barrier will keep most of the water vapor from penetrating the cushion.

D. Increase ventilation when you are sleeping. (The drier the air, the lower the dew point)

Hope this helps.....
 
I have a wool mattress pad that I use at home and now put on the mattress in the camper when I go on a trip. I have the camping mattress, 1 1/2 inch memory foam and the wool mattress pad. It keeps you cool in the summer and adds warmth when needed. It is extremely comfortable. It has a durable polyester backing. It is suppose to protect your mattress from mold and mildew. Below is a link to where I purchased mine. I believe that you can buy them elsewhere. I may add the plastic sheet as well just for added protection although I have not noticed a problem with condensation on or under the mattress.

http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/imperial-wool-fleece-mattress-pads.html

Amazon has a crib size one that would probably fit the bunk bed:

http://www.amazon.com/SnuggleWool-Lambs-Wool-Crib-28x52/dp/B000H4C6QU
 
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We have our last summer trip this week, and I will give that a try (with the two cushions). Thanks for all of the suggestions and education!
 
I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on drymesh found @http://drymesh.net/
Looks to me that it would be as effective as the Hypervent but at half the cost.
Thoughts?

Daryl
 
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Certainly looks like it has the exact same purpose as hypervent. I just measured the thickness of the section of hypervent I have; and it's about 3/4" thick. based on the drymesh stats it's about 1/2" thick. But it probably is just as good. And yes, much more reasonable. a 6' x 6' 6" section for $70? sounds like it would fit perfectly.
 
Since I'm feathering my nest as I wait for my egg to hatch (aka, waiting for the 550 to be born for me), I ordered a section of drymesh.

The Good: It's pretty cool; I think it'll work as one would hope it does; I suspect I'll need to trim it to fit (seemed it bit too big, but maybe that's deceptive since I don't actually have my 550 to put it in). And laying on it--just on the wood floor it's actually very supportive. In fact, if I was still tent camping (car camping, because it is bulky) it's a neat alternative to other ground sheets + sleeping bag.

The Bad: I ordered it in early December; from their web site. After not receiving anything... I started trying to email them, call them (their voicemail box is full), and finally through their online "contact us" page they responded. The excuse was that they were on xmas break. Wow. 4 weeks, nice place to work if you can get it, I guess. They said that they shipped it that day, and I should get it within 7-9 working days. So... time passes. Still nothing. Starting trying to call them (voicemail box is full still), emails, contact page again... After 2-3 days got another reply finally that they are trying to trace the package, but no results yet so they said they would just send another one. I replied asking for the tracking number (they never sent it). however at least this time I did get the Drymesh. It was through UPS, so there is a tracking number. Not sure why a) their voicemail box was full for weeks, b) they can't provide a UPS tracking number, c) respond only to every 4th or 5th email request for information.

As long as you don't mind that... the product itself is nice. Since I hopefully will never have to buy from them again, this is a one-time purchase I'm sure; now I don't care how difficult it was to actually get the product.

For comparison... when I ordered the Hypervent last year--they called me within an hour or so of placing the order--because they were surprised I only wanted 6ft of it. Normally they sell to people with yachts who need lots more. :/ He was just making sure that was really what I meant. MUCH better customer service.

So there you go... two products that do essentially the same thing; but drymesh is better simply because it's one piece, where the hypervent you'd have to duct tape sections together to put it under the queen size area. Now... maybe my drymesh experience was simply because it was around the holidays; and any other time of the year it would be no problem. I'm just mentioning my experience, with both companies.

Again--product wise, both I think would function just fine to help with condensation under the mattress. Drymesh is a little thinner; but just as supportive and airflow wise the same as the Hypervent.
 
Jenn, that is pretty amazing - I wouldn't have thought there'd be that much condensed moisture. I didn't see any hypervent or dryvent, or whatever that mesh is called, in your picture - do you use it?
 
Whoa, I need to check under the mattress?? Yikes??heheh.. never thought of it..
thanks..
 
Camping last Thanksgiving near the wettest place in the contiguous US during a period that historically has the highest rainfall and getting hit with what you would expect from such a situation, I can assure everyone that if it is wet and humid enough it will be difficult to avoid serious condensation problems. We have not been bothered with condensation much beyond normal “dew” on the windows and walls. During our Thanksgiving bath, we did not necessarily get standing water but we did get a lot of soggy. We even put up the side tent so we could keep one of the doors wide open to help air out the trailer. The trailer did not leak nor did the side tent; however, we did find out that the side tent’s bathtub floor fills up just like a regular bathtub. We had two inches of water in the tent at one point.

After we got back the first thing I did was purchase a roll of Hypervent, I have not installed it yet but I think it will help mitigate the problem of water under the mattress.

The next thing I did was buy a hair dryer that will live in the trailer from now on. If you do get wet bedding, and can’t easily pull it out to dry it, you can do a pretty good job drying things out with just the hair dryer. An electric heater will help but not nearly as much as the hair dryer.

As we were warned by Bear, the area of the trailer that will be the most prone to condensation is the foot well. The area below the mattress and particularly the area where the mattress butts up to the wall can generate a surprising amount of dampness. One thing Bear discovered over time is that the ceiling of the foot well is also prone to heavy condensation; unfortunately, it is in area that most don’t check and if it is not kept dry, it will according to Bear get nasty.
 
Jenn, I am wondering if your condensation was worse because of going from so much cold In WI to the warmer climate in FL?
 
Based on all of this input, I am wondering if there is an SOP that is recommended....

-AP
 
The manual, page 32, does already have some tips. For me, since I had similar condensation issues tent (car) camping with a foam pad which the hypervent solved for me, I am hoping to avoid, or at least greatly reduce under the mattress condensation issues in the CI

I suspect we won't have a good answer for a year or more when people try it over a season in different weather conditions.
 
I'm thinking the h2out products are probably more storage, not while camping....

Indoor rain hasn't happened to me except while camping in late autumn with 2 people. It temperatures dipped into the high 30s. It's a bit disturbing but moisture in RVs of all sizes me a common issue... Summer camping, this hasn't been a challenge.
 
Jennifer,

That is the stuff we got. Ordered 10 feet of it and cut it in half. Put the two pieces down so the seam goes from one door to the other. There is a flap at the edges that keeps the panels from overlaying each other. We just had to trim a bid on one panel, which you can do with a scissor.

It does not stop all condensation but it obviously helps a lot. It will keep the mattress above any water if does collect on the floor.

Similar products probably work as well.
 
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