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Condensation under mattress


Bikemike

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   Since the weather has turned colder we have noticed A Lot of moisture accumulating on the underside of our 5 in. open-cell foam in the morning. My wife, child and I have been parked out in front of my sister-in-law's house in Salt Lake City for a few weeks while visiting family. We plug in w/ an electric heater pointed up towards the cab over bed and stay comfortably warm under the covers. Last summer I cut out pieces of 1" insulation and "accordion" or "lattice" -taped them together so that the foam could be easily folded up for installation/removal. This also served the purpose of leveling, due to the fact that there is a 1" thick (foam/wood sandwich board thing) covering the hole to the cab area and protruding into the sleepers back. 

    So. Now we have (I think) two layers of insulation plus a five inch foam and a little bit of metal separating us from the freezing temperatures below us. I don't understand why we would still be getting condensation forming between our mattress and the shiny silver 1" insulation board. I realize that our bodies give off moisture and that the 1" insulation will be a cooler temp...but I wonder what else we can do??  Each morning I prop up the mattress to allow for evaporation and remove the mattress occasionally to thoroughly dry it out in the sun. 

    I wonder if this is standard fair for RV sleeping in cold weather?  Or a peculiarity of my set up?

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Yep to happens to most cold weather campers. Here's is what the boat guys do about.

https://www.miamicorp.com/products/MARINE/HYPERVENT.aspx

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Thanks, that's helpful. I wonder what a cheaper substitute would be?  It looks like the material that is used on floor polishers. It would be nice if I could repurpose some carpet or, even better, some Astro turf....

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humidity control is an issue in toys,  Winter camping is a problem.   You have to "air it out" on a regular basis.  a couple of humans will make a lot of moisture - then do some cooking, take a shower, wash dishes....   

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   ...ok, I wonder about this for a workable solution. Home Depot sells a sheet of plastic lattice that I can elevate up on some slats/blocks. I can level our bed and get a layer of air under us at the same time. 

 

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10 hours ago, Bikemike said:

   ...ok, I wonder about this for a workable solution. Home Depot sells a sheet of plastic lattice that I can elevate up on some slats/blocks. I can level our bed and get a layer of air under us at the same time. 

 

The plastic lattice that the local home depot sells is flimsy,  not sure it would work?  There are 2 different grades of wood lattice, I would think the heavier one would work.  Simply the opinion of a lifetime tinker and putterer not to be confused with knowledge or wisdom.

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Karin posted a product just for this purpose and I can't find it. Been searching but got nada. She was pretty familiar with boats too and this I think was a marine type product. I'm afraid it might be lost in that monster thread "what did you do to your toyhome today".

Linda S

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I too remember the product Corbin K. found.  It was like plastic mesh stuff to put under mattresses for marine bedding environments; designed to create some air underneath the cushions.

 

 

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45 minutes ago, jjrbus said:

Ya that's what I posted at the beginning

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Ok, I did it!  The mattress was dry in the a.m.  When I put my hand between the wall and the bed and rolled around, I could feel a movement of air. I cut up a bunch of blocks of wood for "stilts" instead of framing to increase airflow. I know I could've bought some Hypervent but this was more fun. We'll see how it holds up. The lattice was half price and the wood 70% off at Home Depots (imperfects)-$25

image.jpeg

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On 12/08/2016 at 2:26 PM, jjrbus said:

You don't really expect me to remember do you?  :D

 

I thought you had memorized and categorized the entire " What I did to my Toyota". So a mere 10 post should be no problem?

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  • 1 year later...
8 hours ago, linda s said:

Nice. Is that plastic lattice. Neat way to use it and still light enough to move, cool

Linda S 

Plastic, yes. On a 1.5”x1.5” frame. A little heavier than I wanted but so worth it to have it perfectly flat. 

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