I’m going to change my name to Nanook of the North, because I’m beginning to feel like an Eskimo. It looks like winter has already set in here in northern Indiana, and we’re freezing! There is a small rally of old GM motorhomes here at Elkhart Campground, and I keep thinking that those folks are even worse at planning than I am. We have to be here to get the new issue out, but those fools chose to be here this time of year!
I know that there are folks who enjoy cold weather, but I’m not one of them. I lived in cold country too many years to have any attraction to it. A lifetime ago when I was a young soldier, we held war games in some Godforsaken place like Iceland or Greenland, to prepare us for combat if the Soviets ever invaded.
I suggested that we give the frozen place to the Commies and regroup in Key West to look out for the Cubans, who might use the diversion to launch a sneak attack on our rear. As it turns out, the strategists really didn’t want my input, but time has proven me right. Russia isn’t a threat anymore, but Cuba is still there, just waiting for us to look the other way, and they’ll be swarming ashore and heading for the bars on Duval Street. Wait a minute, they already do that…! I’m not Nanook of the North, I’m a soothsayer!
That’s better anyway. I don’t have room for a sled dog team in our Winnebago, and that whole Eskimo nose rubbing instead of kissing thing just doesn’t work for me. What’s sexy about two red, runny noses bumping into each other anyway?
One problem with cold weather RVing is condensation. Cooking, showering, even running a propane furnace, all put a lot of water vapor in the air, and we have noticed that the outside wall at the back of our bedroom closet, as well as our windshield, are collecting condensation. We open the bathroom roof vent and turn on the exhaust fan when we shower to allow the steam to get out, but it’s still an issue we need to keep an eye on.
Years ago, when Terry was being treated for cancer, we were stuck in Traverse City, Michigan into the winter. No matter what we did, our Pace Arrow Vision, the Motorhome from Hell, was wet inside. It was so bad that Terry had a package of rolls of paper towels stored between the front passenger seat and the dashboard, and they were saturated. Our Ultimate Advantage is a lot better insulated than that Fleetwood lemon, but we still have to deal with condensation.
Of course, the best remedy is to get out of the cold and into someplace warmer. It’s something I’m really looking forward to. I think we’re in for a long, cold winter in much of the country, and I want to get as far away from it as I can and still be on dry land.
Bad Nick is no fool. He spent his time inside where it was nice and warm, working on a post for the Bad Nick Blog titled The Higher Education Scam.
Thought For The Day – In insurance policies, the big print giveth, and the small print taketh away.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Nick, we had similar problems in our 2001 Itasca. We purchased first a very small dehumidifier that sat on the dashboard. It collected quite a lot of water from the air not only in winter but in summer in some humid areas. When that died, we couldn’t find another small one, so we got a larger floor model. That baby really takes water out of the air, a liter or so at a time. It cost somehere above $125, but it was worth it. It’s fairly quiet and rides in the bathroom when we travel. We even used it in our park trailer in Arizona this past summer – monsoon seasonh, you know.
We bought our Compact Dehumidifier at Wal*Mart in 2005 for less than $50 and it is still growing strong. It sits up front on the engine cover when we are parked and gets tucked back in the bedroom when we travel. Sitting here in rainy SKP Racoon Valley RV Park in TN until next Monday, waiting for this front to move on by, it is working hard to keep us comfortable. We also use a couple clip on fans to move the air around. They keep the temperature more evenly distributed from whatever heat source we are using and practically eliminates condensation.
Wow Nick your post was really interesting today and what great suggestions in the comments. We have condensation in the Horizon also but it has never been enough to make me worry. But I like the idea of a dehumidifier. Have a great day!
Travel Safe
Donna
Turning the windshield fans on low generally will clear up the front windshield. It doesn’t take much air movement.
Yes we also get this condensation, but we boon dock so much it would be hard to run a dehumidifier all night. We just use the paper towels
Nick, one thought occurred to me about the condensation in the back of the closet. I always worry that when I see such condensation in a space that is relatively free of air circulation, that there is something wet in that immediate area.
I have had leaks that never showed up as any puddle inside but they leaked down inside of the walls and then stagnated in the closed space until the outside temps dropped enough to cause condensation to form on the interior surface. Part of this was because the moisture in the wall greatly reduced its insulation value so the outside cold could really soak the heat out of the wall pretty fast.
When this happens in only one such area and not behind all similarly closed spaces, I get really focused on looking for a leak in that space.
But I hope, in your case, its not a leak.
Emery