I have a question about moisture on the bottom of the bunk mattresses for those of you more experienced with hybrids. We went out on this years first trip this weekend. Temperatures went down to about -5 over night and when packing up yesterday I noticed that the material covering the hinge under the mattresses had water sitting and all three the mattress were wet.There had been no rain.
I have not used the trailer in temperatures this low before and was wondering if this is normal? Only had a space heater on for heat. I should point out that I had heated mattress covers on. Not sure if this caused the problem or just made it worse.
No damage was done just curious as to the cause and if it can be avoided in the future.With the heat off the mattress the sleep was great.
Thanks for any advice or pointers.
steve
I have noticed that on cold nights. I am pretty sure it is the result of condensation. I place a sheet of Reflectix over that very area to reduce the effect.
Bruno, Carol, Thierry and Julien
Sankei the fox terrier
Starla the Gordon setter
97 Dodge 2500 4x QC diesel
2006 ROO19
Probably not the heated mattress pad. I have camped in 19 degree temps and noticed moisture under my mattress with, and without our electric blankets on the matresses. When there is a dramatic temp difference between the inside and outside of the camper its only natural for unisulated surfaces to condensate. Especially if you are introducing moisture into the atmosphere through breathing, cooking liquids, and burning liquid propane to heat the inside.
When we winter camp, I pay special attention every morning to wipe down the areas under our matresses, and try to let those areas breath a little...
How many more hours till we get to eat bacon again???
2010 F150, 5.4
2003 Cub Hybrid
2009 Jack Russel(believe me,he is HELL on wheels).
It happens in cold. The bunk doors are cold, the mattress is warm and the interior has humidity. So at the coldest face the water condenses (since that face of the bunk door is below dew point).
Some have tried reflectex or other insulation. I carry a couple of swimming "noodles" and throw them under the mattress after we get up and let the air dry it out, sometimes using a bunk fan to circulate air as well.
At this point, I don't think there is a permanent fix, unless somehow you could figure out how to increase the insulation on the bunk door, but that is something more to carry.
Jerry9n
2009 23' Cikira Escape EXP
2006 Ford Expedition
Reese Pro Series SC
Tekonsha Primus IQ HTT Mods
CamperJeff wrote: Has anybody tried a small dehumidifyer to combat the problem of condensation?
that would require having hookups and not be usable for those who dry camp.
as Chuck said, Hypervent hasn't had rave reviews for this and is very expensive.
Coyote Steve, does your hybrid have fabric-bottomed mattresses? if so, this seems to happen with these type, whereas those with vinyl-bottomed mattresses don't have this issue.
i've had the best luck using an old wool blanket under the mattress. allows for air movement and insulates some.
Dan- Firefighter, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
We were the Hypervent guinea pigs. The good news is that it helped. The other good news is that it raises the mattress just enough above the bunkdeck that it's out of the moisture. The bad news is that it's pricey, IMHO at $106 for the front bunk only and that was 6 years ago. The other bad news is that we still need to lift the mattress and the Hypervent in the morning and take a towel to dry the bunkdeck. As best we can determine, you need just enough cool, damp air outside and just enough warm air inside - and that includes body heat, and we've got moisture. Air circulation does help - we usually run the furnace and fan during this kind of weather. There is no way DH is going to unzip even a small opening in the flap when we're trying to warm the trailer, not the outside. For about every post about this, there are a multitude of "fixes". What works for one won't work for all. It's trial and error, but the most important thing is to check the mattress every morning and wipe the deck down if needed. We've been known to prop the mattress up with a couple of large cans or similar until we're sure everything is dry. All part of the "charm" of hybrid camping - we love it!
2013 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2604
2003 Ford F-150 with Blue Ox 1000 & Prodigy
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For the top surface, something you might try is that plastic grating used on boat floors and slippery surfaces like showers. It snaps together, and would raise the mattress up about 1/2" off the wood, which might allow the air to circulate a little better.
You could also (or instead) try insulating the cold-side of the compartment with some 3/4" or 1" foam or even some reflectix. That might help keep the hardware warm...
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, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur
, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever
, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
