Getting out to the countryside in your campervan is one of life’s great pleasures, allowing you to bring all your home comforts on your adventures. But, unfortunately, some bugbears of domestic living will join you, including irritating window condensation. So, if you’re wondering how to stop condensation in a campervan, you’ve arrived at the perfect place.
Here at Spinney, we are experts in all things campervans, motorhomes and caravans, offering the best new vehicles alongside expert advice. If you’re looking for new campervans, cutting-edge motorhomes or state-of-the-art caravans for sale, we have everything you need. Once you’ve made your purchase, it’s well worth having a browse through our accessories shop, too, to pick up all your bathroom, kitchen and outdoor essentials.
We don’t stop supporting you after you’ve purchased with us, either, helping you to protect your vehicle for the future with our service centre that offers everything from water ingress reports to a full engine service. With Spinney, you can receive specialist knowledge from our expert team, who proudly hold decades of industry experience and insights.
But, before you browse our excellent services and vehicles, let’s break down exactly how to stop condensation in a campervan to maintain your vehicle’s longevity.
What causes condensation in campervans?
It doesn’t matter if it’s the windows in your home or your campervan, condensation is caused in exactly the same way. Essentially, condensation occurs when a space is warmer and more humid than the outside, so when water vapour comes into contact with a cold window surface, it condenses into water droplets.
As to what can specifically cause condensation to occur, this is usually down to your space being too humid or not well-ventilated. Humid spaces can be created by cooking, showering or drying clothes without proper ventilation. But, for those wondering how to stop condensation in a campervan overnight, you may be surprised to hear that it’s actually the breathing and sweating of the hot human body that creates that buildup of moisture.
Condensation can allow water ingress to occur
‘Water ingress’ are two words that can keep any campervan owner up at night. The feared form of vehicle damage occurs when water seeps into the infrastructure, often occurring due to poorly maintained seals on the exterior. But, campervan condensation and the damp that it can lead to can only make water ingress worse.
While water ingress refers to moisture getting in from the outside, improper maintenance of campervan condensation can lead to mould, rot and weakened internal seals, which can damage the integrity of the vehicle. So, while condensation doesn’t directly cause water ingress, it can help it on its way to forming and causing serious damage.
Why it’s important to avoid water ingress
Water ingress may not seem quite as bad as other potential mechanical or habitation issues, but it can cause serious problems that can deteriorate the integrity of your campervan. Such issues include:
- The development of mould. Damp can carry physical health risks.
- Serious electrical issues and potential fire risks.
- The buildup of condensation, damp and mould can create an unpleasant, unhealthy living environment.
- Depreciating the value of your motorhome.
- Expensive repairs to replace specialist materials.
How to avoid water ingress
Prevention is the best course of action when it comes to avoiding water ingress, as once it’s inside your vehicle, it’s far more difficult to get rid of. The easiest way to do this is to give your vehicle regular checkups by assessing the exterior rubber seals around doors and windows for cracks or breakages. As for condensation, the easiest way to avoid this is to ensure proper ventilation when in use.
These water ingress checks can be carried out by yourself, or, for a more comprehensive inspection, a specialist garage like our range of branches at Spinney. Our experienced specialists are highly qualified to carry out a range of services, from accessory fittings to bodywork repairs, providing water ingress reports, full campervan servicing plans and more.
How to stop and prevent condensation in your campervan
Condensation on windows is the bane of any domestic God or Goddess, but it can be easily prevented. Just like water ingress, it’s important to stay on top of managing condensation to prevent major damage further down the line. If you’re wondering how to stop condensation in a campervan, follow these recommendations:
Wipe away the condensation
Condensation often occurs overnight or when cooking or drying clothes inside. So, when you see condensation building up, one of the easiest ways you can prevent its consequences is by simply wiping it away with an absorbent cloth.
Drying clothes
Drying clothes within your leisure vehicle can make the space humid and susceptible to condensation. Therefore, you should consider drying your clothes outside when suitable, especially if you have an awning. Or, if you have no choice but to dry your clothes inside, make sure that you’ve got plenty of ventilation.
Cooking
When cooking food inside, particularly when boiling water, moisture is released into the air, causing condensation to build up on the windows. The easiest way to prevent the buildup of condensation when cooking is by using an extractor fan, such as the one built into Auto-Trail’s V-Line range.
Using a dehumidifier
Dehumidifiers for your campervan, caravan or motorhome can be an amazing way to easily and efficiently get rid of any moisture in your vehicle. They’re not for everyone due to their bulky size, cost and energy needed to run, but they’re certainly suitable for use inside your vehicle. Alternatively, you can use cheaper moisture traps that aren’t big and don’t require power.
Managing airflow
One of the easiest ways to prevent condensation in your leisure vehicle is to manage the airflow, making sure that you’ve cracked a window or vent when cooking or drying clothes. But it’s important to aerate your vehicle periodically, no matter what activity you’re partaking in. Since condensation can easily accumulate overnight, consider opening a window overnight.
Keep monitoring your space
Just like how it’s important to keep monitoring your vehicle to check for water ingress, the very same thing goes for condensation and damp. Although you may think you have eliminated all the condensation from your vehicle, damp may have already built up, so it’s important to check behind any movable furniture or fixtures to make sure no mould has built up.
Install proper insulation
Insulation might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to preventing the buildup of condensation, but it can be a very efficient solution, reducing cold spots where issues can occur. But we’ll talk a little more about insulation later.
How to identify damp in your campervan
The first step to knowing how to stop condensation in a campervan is knowing how to identify what issues it can create. When inspecting your space for signs of condensation and humidity damage, or when asking questions about your new campervan or motorhome, look for the following:
- Mould patches: Dark patches of mould that can grow and spread over time if left unchecked (more on how to clean the condensation and mould of your campervan later).
- Bad odour: Mould gives off an unpleasant-smelling gas as it grows, which is what gives a space its musty odour. This is one of the most obvious telltale signs of damp.
- Spongy surfaces: If you’re carrying out your campervan inspection and come across a spongy-feeling wall, ceiling or floor, this may indicate that the effects of damp or water ingress have already taken hold. The best thing to do in this case is to take it to a professional servicing garage so that they can resolve the issue for you.
- Use a moisture meter: A moisture meter is a small tool that you can use to reveal hidden dampness in your campervan. A reading of anything between 12% and 15% is considered normal.
How to clean condensation and mould in your campervan
Cleaning the condensation and mould inside your campervan is a little different from scrubbing the mould off the walls of your home, largely thanks to the difference in building materials. Walls in campervans, as well as motorhomes and caravans, are often made with plywood, MDF, or vinyl-covered wood, so take a little more care than the plasterboard of your home.
When it comes to cleaning your campervan of condensation and mould, follow these steps:
- Dry the damp area: Use an absorbent cloth to clear the condensation from the windows or the surface damp from the walls.
- Apply cleaning solution: When using cleaning products on the interior walls of your campervan, make sure you’re not using anything too abrasive. We’d recommend a mixture of white vinegar and water.
- Leave the solution: For about 10 minutes, leave the solution to soak and kill the mould.
- Wipe the area: Use a microfibre cloth to wipe away the vinegar solution and a separate cloth to dry the space.
How to stop condensation in a campervan overnight
Waking up in the morning should provide a frisson of rejuvenation, but if you’ve got condensation covering the windows, you may not get the feeling you’d been hoping for.
Condensation builds up in a campervan overnight thanks to the body heat and that you and any of your guests create inside the vehicle. The easiest way to stop the buildup of condensation is by cracking a window while you sleep, but if you’re camping throughout the cold winter months, you might want to invest in a dehumidifier.
How insulation helps to stop condensation
It might seem counterintuitive to make sure your campervan is insulated while on your mission of preventing condensation buildup, but it actually plays an essential role. A well-insulated construction, however, can help to regulate the temperature of walls, floors and ceilings, preventing them from getting too cold and therefore reducing the buildup of condensation.
By using campervan insulation, you can reduce the number of cold spots around the vehicle that can become susceptible to the buildup of moisture. Slowing down the transfer of heat, insulation keeps your space cooler in summer and warmer in winter, meaning that you don’t have to use as much money and energy to regulate temperature by constantly opening and closing the windows.
The latest cutting-edge campervans are constructed with built-in insulation, just like the SMART construction of Swift campervans.
No matter the issue, we can help
When it comes to campervans, at Spinney, we’re qualified and prepared to help you with whatever problems you might be experiencing. Our services team can help you keep your vehicle running smoothly, offering everything from a full engine service to accessory fittings, allowing you to quickly enjoy your awning or campervan Wi-Fi.
Campervans aren’t our only specialism either, we can help you with your caravan and motorhome, too. Offering new and used vehicles for sale, we aim to help you get your purchase as easily and efficiently as possible. That’s why we provide a range of excellent finance packages with Auto Finance Online at fixed interest rates.
You can be sure that when you buy with us you’ll drive a quality vehicle from our premises, with each of our campervans, caravans and motorhomes receiving a 170-point check followed by a full valet before we give you the keys. This doesn’t just go for our new vehicles either, with each of our used campervans, second-hand motorhomes and pre-owned caravans being sold with the exact same attention to detail and quality.
Want to transform how you get away to the country? Contact us today to get started! But, if you still need convincing, just browse through our over 1000 5-star reviews on Trustpilot.
Written by Charlie Holland
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