Source
r/RVLiving•
glowingfeather

Best methods of dehumidifying?

I have a "project camper" that's undergoing extensive renovations for wood rot and mold from a leak treated poorly by the previous owner. I have the structural issues covered (resealed every single window/door/light/screw hole/vent/panel, replaced the rotten studs and baseplate and some floor, cleaning, mold sprayed, going to be mold-killer painting and installing new insulation and walls...for the excellent price I got it for and the fun of a good project, it's 100% worth it) but I do not want to go through this process more than once.

I have a few DampRid buckets already, and I'm planning to buy a hygrometer/thermometer to be sure the moisture is low enough. I want a powered dehumidifier to really dry things out. My rig is 25' and is staying in the humidity of northeast USA; I am perfectly willing to empty the dehumidifier daily and carve out space for it, as well as pay a decent price for something of high quality.

Any recommendations for what I should look for, or even specific dehumidifiers? Other ways to reduce moisture in all temperatures, and not introduce more moisture than necessary? Thanks.

Posted Oct 5, 2020, 4:30 PM UTC

44
missmooboo27•

You are doing well with the damprids and a thermostat to monitor humidity.

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codepoet82•

When I purchased my motorhome, it had been literally flooded the day prior when the water pump had been turned on accidentally, while the under sink plumbing was disconnected. The seller had used a carpet shampooer to remove the bulk of the water, but everything was very definitely still quite wet at the time. I went through with buying the rig anyway, but I immediately purchased this GE "20 pint" dehumidifier from Home Depot. It can be set up with a garden hose to drain to an external location for long term use as well, so you don't have to empty the bucket every day.

It managed to fully dry the 30' coach in only a couple days, fast enough I didn't end up with any additional residual water damage as far as I've been able to determine.

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glowingfeatherOP•

I'll pick this up next time I make my (now, near-daily) trip to the big orange store. Thanks for the tip.

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eastcoasternj•

When we were parked and renovating - we had to compensate for water damage and invested in a legit dehumidifier (somewhere around $200?) and a couple of electric heaters to boot. I see your note about emptying the dehumidifier daily – most model have a hose outlet so you can run it non stop without it filling up. Just check every once in a while to ensure the hose isn't clogged...

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Now that we're on the road and living full time - carry a couple electric heater and a small dehumidifier.

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