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Subject Topic: Keeping motorhome damp free during winter Post Reply Post New Topic
Persondavelympo
05/11/2017 at 3:23pm
 Location: Wales
 Outfit: Peugeot AutoQuest 100 2009 View davelympo's Profile View Profile   Reply to davelympo Reply   Quote davelympo Quote  
Joined: 03/6/2008

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Hi guys

We've just stowed our Autotrail up for the winter months water drained, hoovered and cleaned etc but my biggest concern is keeping her damp free from now until spring...any tips or advice please?
I appreciate using the on-board heater keeps it warm and dry but leaving it on 24/7 isn't feasible and too costly

Thanx


PersonSwiftnewman
05/11/2017 at 3:36pm
 Location: Cambs
 Outfit: Elddis Autoquest 165 View Swiftnewman's Profile View Profile   Reply to Swiftnewman Reply   Quote Swiftnewman Quote  
Joined: 11/10/2015

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Open all cupboards, lift any beds,remove cushions away from walls, every now and then open the windows on a warmer day to allow air to circulate. Take for a decent long run once a month. We also have a few cheap gel pots from BandM or Poundlands that suck up moisture. Worked for us last winter,


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PersonOpensauce
05/11/2017 at 3:54pm
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Joined: 25/1/2010

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Provided it does not leak it will not get damp. As pointed out it needs to be kept well ventilated. Cold air is not wet air. You will get far more condensation while you are using it than when it is empty.


Personcheckley1973
05/11/2017 at 4:25pm
 Location: Sheffield
 Outfit: Sterling Eccles Sport 636 View checkley1973's Profile View Profile   Reply to checkley1973 Reply   Quote checkley1973 Quote  
Joined: 29/8/2012

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I agree with opensauce. If it doesn’t leak you don’t need to do anything. We don’t with ours and we leave everything in it including the duvets


Personrogerangie
05/11/2017 at 5:15pm
 Location: Notts Lincs border
 Outfit: Burstner A538 View rogerangie's Profile View Profile   Reply to rogerangie Reply   Quote rogerangie Quote  
Joined: 21/5/2006

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We have had our camper a very long time & it's over 20 years old. Every year we put a couple of de-humidifiers, the crystal variety from poundland in, leaving all cupboards open, wardrobe door and loo door wide.
They do gather some water but not much.Everything stays dry including the bedding.
Unless there is an ingress of water there should not be a problem.
Don't listen to the so called experts,look on here for advice!


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Persondavie
12/11/2017 at 6:34pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: None Entered View davie's Profile View Profile   Reply to davie Reply   Quote davie Quote  
Joined: 30/5/2007

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Only ever had a damp problem in winter with my previous Swift - but it was a generally damp motorhome. My new Elddis has no damp in winter.
After all, you can view hundreds of motorhomes in dealers during the winter and they dont take any special precautions and the bedding is not damp


Persondavelympo
12/11/2017 at 6:44pm
 Location: Wales
 Outfit: Peugeot AutoQuest 100 2009 View davelympo's Profile View Profile   Reply to davelympo Reply   Quote davelympo Quote  
Joined: 03/6/2008

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Just seems odd that if you left bedding in a cold bedroom that didn't get used for weeks on endwith no heating then it does tend to smell a bit damp and musty...i can't see how a motor Home is any different, I think just plenty of fresh air on nice dry days


PersonBig Brian 56
12/11/2017 at 9:39pm
 Location: Morley
 Outfit: Coachman Amara View Big Brian 56's Profile View Profile   Reply to Big Brian 56 Reply   Quote Big Brian 56 Quote  
Joined: 17/12/2005

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Don't stop using it, when we had a motorhome we never stopped, now we've a caravan same applies, don't stay at home whilst you can get out and about.carpe diem
Your a long time dead 👍

-------------
Keep smiling, its later than you think !


Personpepe63
16/11/2017 at 9:13am
 Location: Shropshire
 Outfit: Toyota Granvia (Wellhouse) View pepe63's Profile View Profile   Reply to pepe63 Reply   Quote pepe63 Quote  
Joined: 30/9/2007

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Off Topic..
If leaving it stood for any length of time, especially at this time of year, keep an eye out for mice!...

If they really want in, you aren't going to stop them. (..no matter how many holes folk may think that they've blocked up).

Engine bays, air filters,*cavities behind cupboards/wardrobes (*accessed via cable/pipe runs and/or panel gaps) etc etc

We only had the one spell of "visitations"(we were rural and surrounded by fields and hedges at that time)...and during this spell, it wasn't unusual to trap 1 or 2 from inside the van and a further 2-3 in the traps I placed **outside under the wheels.

(**These outside traps were placed in lidded marg' containers, with just a 1/2" hole at the one end, so as to minimise the risk to birds).

After a few days, the internal trappings stopped(as did any "evidence" of them being there) and after a few weeks the outside traps were also being left untouched..


Personromany girl
24/11/2017 at 10:30pm
 Location: Derbyshire
 Outfit: ElddisAvante462 Honda CRV SE2.2 i-Dtec View romany girl's Profile View Profile   Reply to romany girl Reply   Quote romany girl Quote  
Joined: 26/1/2006

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I may be old fashioned, but in 35years of caravanning, this cheap and easy trick has always worked for us, and that is to leave a few cat litter trays of common salt dotted around the van during winter.

They go in as easy flowing grains of salt, and come out in spring as a solid mass, having absorbed a great deal of moisture from the air within the caravan.

We then dry them out in our airing cupboard, and crumble up the salt and store them for next season.

They work very well.

Julia

-------------
Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife

Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!


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PersonDelk12
via mobile 20/10/2020 at 2:53am
 Location: 
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Hi if you have ehu over winter is it a good idea to keep the motorhome warm ?
Does anyone ever do this .
How would you suggest doing it if the boiler etc is all drained down .


PersonLukeledge
via mobile 20/10/2020 at 9:37am
 Location: Scotland
 Outfit: Adria Compact 590SP View Lukeledge's Profile View Profile   Reply to Lukeledge Reply   Quote Lukeledge Quote  
Joined: 01/1/2012

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Keeping it fully heated seems like a waste of electricity, I put in a small (and cheap!) Electric oil filled radiator set at the lowest temp setting so it will come on when very cold just to stop it freezing inside.


PersonFiona W
via mobile 20/10/2020 at 3:15pm
 Location: Ayrshire
 Outfit: Auto-Sleeper MHs View Fiona W's Profile View Profile   Reply to Fiona W Reply   Quote Fiona W Quote  
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Welcome to UKCS, delk12. If you read the whole thread, the advice is still sound even though it’s 3 years old & largely about keeping a MH & bedding etc feeling dry. There’s no need to heat your MH unless you’re away in it, assuming everything is drained down. I wish you many happy trips this winter. (Try the Site Search tab and click on “open all year”. )

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2024 = 20 sites / 41 nights. 2023 = 9/23. 2022 = 13/35. 2021 = 11/29. 2020 = 4/20. 2019 = 13/35. 2018 = 20/33. 2017 = 10/22. 2016 = 19/33. 2015 = 15 sites / 27 nights. Didn't count 1976 to 2014.


PersonLukeledge
20/10/2020 at 7:07pm
 Location: Scotland
 Outfit: Adria Compact 590SP View Lukeledge's Profile View Profile   Reply to Lukeledge Reply   Quote Lukeledge Quote  
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Didn't spot that!


PersonDelk12
23/10/2020 at 5:07pm
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Hi thanks for the last reply .
Although I’ve had my M/H for three years I’m still a novice at this so if the questions seem trivial I apologise in advance .
I have a bessacarr E769 with Truman c heating .
Can I run the heating on electric only and NOT have to have water in the boiler .
I’m worried about running the boiler dry and knakering the element up .



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