Wardrobe condensation?

[GaryB]

Our caravan has two wardrobes on the end wall, the caravan is Swift's GRP inner and outer wall sandwich construction. When the weather starts to get cooler we get a lot of condensation in the wardrobes forming on the GRP surfaces, so much that the clothes get wet if they touch the wall. Now I know what causes condensation and that ventilation is the best cure, BUT trying to vent inside the wardrobes isn't easy, so has anyone found a solution to keeping them dry?

 

[otherclive]

We had a similar problem with a Sprite rear end overhead lockers. If clothes touched the wall we would get condensation. The way we got around it was to ensure clothes did not touch the wall and always left the locker doors ajar.

 

[Jcloughie]

You can buy this sort of thing from Amazon. Lots of sizes and colours, cheap.




John

 

[Mel]

We put some of those dehumidifier condensation soaker upper traps in the wardrobes ( rear wardrobes on a twin axle. I realise those are no good generally in a van as there is too much ventilation but I think they did some good in an enclosed space.
Also have one of those Karcher window vacs which we use on the shower. Gave the walls a go over with that too.
Never solved it, just managed it.
Mel

 

[Mr Plodd]

Leave the wardrobe doors open?

 

[GaryB]

Leave the wardrobe doors open?

Tried that but it didn't make much difference.

 

[Van Fisher]

What about further insulation in the wardrobe on the exterior facing panels, for example lining them with 25mm polystyrene sheet?
At £13 for 2.4m x 1.2m from B&Q, it's not an expensive experiment.
(https://www.diy.com/departments/jab...ation-board-l-2-4m-w-1-2m-t-25mm/26822_BQ.prd)

 

[shouldknowbettor]

If leaving the door open isn't enough to sort it then no amount of vents will, but ventilation wont hurt either way.

2 options probably -

1. If you have a blown air system could you route some of that to the cupboard? Its not hard to work with and you can get smaller diameter pipes to make little offshoots that dont carry as much air.

2. Add insulation. The issue is of course that the skin is colder in that spot and lack of warm air circulation causes the problem. As above you can add insulation. I would probably go with 10mm of kingspan type insulation then a new back board to finish. Hopefully you can find a good laminate/veneer board to match. You wont even need to attach the insulation, just use L brackets (The plastic style probably) to hold the board and sandwich the insulation. If they sell something you can use your local B&Q may have a big table saw (only upright) and will cut to size for you for free so the whole job would be very easy.

 

[Jcloughie]

Does the condensation only occer when the van is in use? Or does it happen in storage as well? Just wondered how it is affected by being occupied.

I wonder if the general fixed, permanent ventilation around roof lights and under bunks, is sufficient . I have noticed this seems to vary greatly between manufacturers.

I don’t see it as different than our shower. Which is an enclosed space lined with plastic. Nevertheless. Mine did not suffer from condensation.

John

 

[GaryB]

When it's stored at home and the weather is colder all wardrobe doors etc are left slightly open and there is definitely some condensation in the wardrobes. As they're in each corner there's TWO faces that are "outside walls" and these are the ones where the condensation is most prevalent. It isn't damp as they're bone dry in the summer even in driving rain.

During colder months, when using the caravan the condensation is at it's greatest, we shower in the caravan which will add to the moisture-laden air, we always open the roof-lights but to-date success has been limited! I do wonder whether the all-GRP wall construction is making it worse as (possibly) previous wood-based walls would have absorbed some of the moisture?

 

[Jcloughie]

As I feel sure you well know, condensation is attracted to the coldest surface. I wonder if the construction in that area differs from the rest of the van. I understand that it has different wall lining, but so does the shower.

I imagine this is a common Swift practice. So I would have thought it would be a common problem.

John

 

[shouldknowbettor]

I quickly looked into it and it appears the front and back panels on your swift would be only a 25mm polystyrene sandwich which is not huge for regular EPS insulation, so adding some extra would be good to do either way!

 

[GaryB]

When the weather cools down I'll experiment as I have a couple of sheets of 25mm Kingspan insulation left over from when I insulated the garage, I'll cut them to size and put them in the wardrobes on the outside walls and see what happens.

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

[otherclive]

We bought a new Bailey S5 Bordeaux and noticed it did not have anti condensation panels behind the lounge seats or around the fixed bed in the rear. First trip out in the April and we noticed condensation on the seat backs as we sat in the lounge, then again the following morning it was along the bed wall.
Complained to Chipping Sudbury caravans and it seems we were not the first. Bailey authorised anti condensation boards to be fitted and the problem went away. So they were just money crimping even in 2005/6 but in our favour was that the caravan press were beginning to comment on such a basic omission.

 

[Buckman]

We had an issue on our wheel arches and used this to stop any condensation. See https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/26242272...L8qlyxasilRqo5knpf03aH0NDa7N5KsJyy42DJKpB5Sms

 

[ProfJohnL]

I strongly suspect that you will never completely eliminate condensation in UK caravans, becasue there will almost always be some level of moisture in the air, and with the fact that sun cannot shine on all the walls of a caravan at the same time, you will get differential heating in side a caravan. Where the sun shines the air will warm up inside, and that will mean its ability to take up moisture will increase, so it will absorb the drops of condensation on that side of the caravan. As the sun moves round areas that were warmed will cool as the go into shadow, and as the air in that vicinity also cools it will condense some of the moisture out onto the cooler surfaces. This cycle will occur to some extent every day.

This is NOT indicative of a damp problem, as its simply the natural levels of moisture in the air and fabric adjusting due to temperature changes. The overall averaged moisture levels are will most likely be quite normal and certainly not made any worse by the daily cycle.

The particular issue with the cupboard would improve to some extent with better ventilation, and or additional insulation but unless it has been affecting any hung up clothes, (in which case you may have a water ingress issue) just leaving it alone is probably a suitable solution.

 

[Mr Plodd]

I have a Bailey (2019) with a rear bedroom, so my wardrobes are also in the rearmost corners, and I have never noticed a condensation issue. But we are ventilation freaks!

In addition we never place too many clothes in the wardrobes, I would imagine if full of clothes any airflow within the wardrobe would be very restricted which might add to any condensation issues.

Showering in the caravan, without extensive ventilation after doing so, (especially during colder weather ) will always exacerbate any condensation, (opening the vent above the shower is never, in my experience, anything like enough) particularly in areas of minimal airflow (like a closed and full wardrobe)

Ask yourself why domestic bathrooms have Extractor fans linked in with the lighting, to extract all that exceedingly moist air before it condenses out! Biut of a clue there?

 

[GaryB]

Ask yourself why domestic bathrooms have Extractor fans linked in with the lighting, to extract all that exceedingly moist air before it condenses out! Biut of a clue there?

I looked into having the current bathroom roof vent replaced with an electric Omnivent but they don't do small ones unfortunately. Ventilation IS a massive help with condensation there's no doubt, but it certainly seems much worse n this caravan than others we've had, but this is the first one for MANY years with rear corner wardrobes.

Looks like there's no undisclosed trick to sorting it so we'll try the extra insulation in them when the colder months arrive and opening the windows for longer. With my wife going through "the change" I'm used to her wanting it freezing cold one minute and roasting the next!

 

[Mel]

It’s not just the showering. It’s the breathing. On our Bailey the wardrobes were in the rear bedroom so in the oldest spot on two outside walls and subject to us breathing out saturated air all night. Stopping that is not compatible with life. I also favoured a freezing bedroom, so the window was always open. Didn’t stop the condensation in the wardrobes.
Mel

 

[Jcloughie]

Just a thought Gary. Is it the rear wall that is worse? From my tiny knowledge of caravan construction, the side walls are a sandwich construction, therefore consistent insulation throughout. However. The rear and front are of different construction. So perhaps, poorer insulation either by design or application.

John

 

[GaryB]

Just a thought Gary. Is it the rear wall that is worse? From my tiny knowledge of caravan construction, the side walls are a sandwich construction, therefore consistent insulation throughout. However. The rear and front are of different construction. So perhaps, poorer insulation either by design or application.

John

Both rear and sides seemed to be the same. I know what you mean about the front/rear being a different construction, the fact that both side and rear inner surfaces are the same makes me believe the air is so saturated that the construction differences don't make a difference.

I'll leave it until later in the year and play around with some of the suggestions above. We won't be using the caravan at October half term like we normally do (off to Tenerife for some sun- hopefully!) so after next weeks trip it'll be in hibernation until February.