Condensation question

Great idea. We'll have to look into it. Jim was harping about some extra insulation under the mattress and there was that incident with the water coming in the window vent during a long drive through the snow one year. That was a mess. Would be nice to have extra protection from moisture.

sue
 
I used the hypervent for one season under a foam mattress tent camping, and didn't have moisture under it.. when the previous year and same foam I did. for my so far one and only ci season, it was drymesh under the ci mattress-- and no moisture either. I still have the 6' hypervent section in storage. (nephew borrowed it and foam mattress for tent camping last summer).

I think either will work. the hypervent is a little thicker and stiffer, and I think has bigger air pockets... if I were you Jenn I think the hypervent may be a better fit for a full timer. if you are wandering thru Wisconsin anytime before you buy either if you want to stop by and see both, feel free to stop by.
 
https://www.fisheriessupply.com/hypervent-hypervent-mattress-pads
Hypervent on sale for $8.98 per foot
 
pnutbuttrptty said:
https://www.fisheriessupply.com/hypervent-hypervent-mattress-pads
Hypervent on sale for $8.98 per foot
Click to expand...

Looks like the website upped the price to $10.40/ft2. Still $2+ off.
 
Now I'm not sorry you missed the sale. You got a better deal because of the shipping and probably sales tax is less where you are. I'm still happy though. I hope it solves your issue with condensation. We need to think of a way to circulate air under the mattress. The sides of the mattress being tight against the sides will block any potential flow of air. We won't get the best result without some way to get the air under there. Hummmm? I wonder if some pieces of PVC in the corners would allow some air to be sucked in as we move around during sleep. Small fish tank pump?
 
No, air flow isn't a problem. it's only tight up against the door pieces (on each side). All along the sides (not by the door) is a good 1/4" to 1/2" space. How do I know that? because it's the perfect place to store my Kindle @night. Right there, horizonally between the mattress and the side wall by the pillow. (eReaders... I love mine for camping (and @home. And babysitting. And goofing off. And...))

...and I went out to the garage just now to go double-check. Once you have Hypervent (or Drymesh, like I do), there's plenty of space.

I don't even know if I would ever have actually needed hypervent or drymesh. I had it before for tent/on-the-ground camping, so to me it was a natural thing to add it to my teardrop setup.
 
That's good news that we don't have to worry about air flow. I got my Hypervent material today. That was quick. I know someone put on here how long to cut the material so will look that up and pre cut it before leaving to pick up my trailer.
 
Looking at the hypervent, it reminds me of AstroTurf. I wonder if that would work to provide airflow under the mattress. I would imagine you could pick it up for less and it would work in a similar fashion as the hypervent.
 
I'm wondering how prevelent the condensate problem is. Does everyone experience it at one time or another? Does moisture just show up under the mattress? or is it moist on the walls ect. If you vent properly with the windows and or the fan is there no problem? Guess I could invest to be on the safe side but don't want to buy if not needed.
MDP
Mike & Denita
 
I had the same thought - that maybe some hypervent should be on my list of things to pick up for our 550 2B. I asked Cary about it. I hope he won't mind my paraphrasing his response: everybody encounters a small amount of condensation in cold weather on occasion, which can just be wiped down. People who do a LOT of days in cold weather, like some of the full-timers, may find a need to do something more proactive, like the hypervent.

Based on that, I figured we'd just wait and see whether it ever becomes a problem for us.
 
Glad you ran that by Cary, I'm with you I'll hold off. Now if I thoght it would add a little padding. . . . .
MDP
 
Java Jack, the hypervent is really stiff and rough. It doesn't smash down at all when I step on it. Not something you would want to slide into base on as I think it would remove several layers of hide and meat from your body.
I was going to wait and see how much condensation I had but when I found it on sale I decided to order it. It sounds like condensation could still build up under the mattress and you still would have to check and wipe it up. But it should keep the mattress up out of the wet. I really hate mildew smell so thought a little prevention would be good.
I'm wondering how hard it is going to be to lift both the mattress and the hypervent to wipe it up. I'm waiting for a report from our Guru, Jenn, when she gets back on the road.
Also wondering if our other Guru, Bear, has anything to report on this. It seems I remember he added extra insulation under there. Have you changed anything? Bear, or had any new experiences this winter?
 
If you want squishy--the DryMesh is squishy; Hypervent isn't. However, unless you are taking out the mattress completely and planning on just laying down right on the hypervent or drymesh, you couldn't tell either way. I could potentially see someone who is OK with a 3/4" mat being comfortable on the DryMesh alone. But who would do that, when you have the whole mattress/comfy bed? lol

But really for a weekender; that doesn't live 100% out of their trailer, condensation isn't really a big deal; esp. not if you ventilate. In case it got lost in the length of this thread, I personally as a weekender NEVER had condensation issues--the only reason I got the drymesh was because of my tenting experience w/condensation. Whether or not I would have ever actually needed it...
 
For the most part, condensation is a cold weather camping issue. Full-timers like Bear and Jenn are the most likely to have to deal with it.

It has only been an issue for us when we took SnuggleBug skiing. This is an excellent thread, but the amount of attention that this subject is getting could tend to be misleading. Condensation is a relatively minor issue for the majority of us fair-weather campers.
 
Condensation for us was due to human error. It is mandatory that when two humans are in the camper that windows are at least cracked and if still out, run the fan some.
Leaving soggy stuff in the side tent helps as well.
I try to get my fan set right at the edge of cycling. I don't like it constantly running but cycling on and off as needed.
I wonder if a timer on the fan would be a good idea. Just let it run 5 minutes out of every 30 regardless of temperature.
 
A timer seems like a good idea except if it wakes you up every time it comes on. The houses here are built so tight and insulated that these are put in utility rooms out here. We mostly have cooler nights with heavy due. Most mornings the grass is as wet as if it rained.
 
The timer wouldn't wake one up any differently than if you have your fan set to cycle via temperature. The fan is quiet enough that it isn't bad. Ideally setting the fan to cycle triggered by humidity would be awesome. Hygrometer? I have thought about somehow installing a very small (computer fan) fan that runs continuously for super quiet steady minimum ventilation.

We have similar weather conditions during a lot of the year here. The Smoky Mountains aren't really smoky, they're foggy. Frankly, that's why I prefer desert camping. Less humidity and bugs in general.
 
Good idea, Bear. Looks like a trip to the Dollar Store, in search of mini milk crates, is on the agenda for tomorrow!
 
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