Many RVers use humidifiers while they’re in dry climates, and many RVers also use dehumidifiers when they’re in humid climates. Dehumidifiers remove moisture from the air, which helps curb the growth of molds and dust mites (and other not-so-fun things).
RVs, since moisture can get in easily because they’re so exposed to the elements, might need dehumidifiers to be used often.
How often do you use one in your RV? Please tell us in the poll below and leave a comment too, if you will, explaining the circumstances. Thanks!
Instead of a separate dehumidifier, I run the electric fireplace and the AC at the same time. I do this, until the humidity level is around 50%.
Running full time all Summer. Humidity right now 72%. Temp is 78 F.
A/c takes care of everything. We don’t even own a de-humidifier.
We run a dehumidifier in our 5th wheel while we’re away from it in the summer on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, & traveling in our truck camper. Our truck camper also has a dehumidifying feature in the air conditioner, but we seldom use it.
We purchased 2 small dehumidifiers for our motorhome and they run constantly. We have one in the rear bathroom and one in the living area. We are shocked as to how much water they collect. We will always use them.
With the high humidity in Florida whenever the air isn’t running we have moisture absorbers in our trailers, they fill up quickly.
We use one while we’re not using the MH, we open the cabinets, drawers, refrigerator, lift the mattress, open the sleeper couch, and also use 2 small fans to keep the air moving. Nice and dry and no musty smell.
Never even heard or thought about it til you asked this question.
I live, and camp, in dry regions. However, yesterday in Waterton AB it rained all day, and last night we could have used a dehumidifier!
Most of our dehumidification comes from our mini split AC/heat pump. We do put a small dehumidifier in our “box room”, the middle bunk room in or 5th wheel, to keep the stored, boxed items dry.
I always have a de humidifier in my camper. I get the disposable ones from Dollar Tree and replace them every couple of months. I learned when remodeling a Casita that had been left locked up and lonely in Annapolis, MD that humidity can do an unbelievable amount of damage. Casitas, while being wonderful trailers, have a lot of particle board in them. It had absorbed all the moisture that was trapped in the trailer, and had to be replaced.
At home in Florida I put a household dehumidifier in and on the road use a tabletop model. Even with ac running it will collect a lot of water.
We winter in Texas Hill Country. At the beginning & end of the season we use our AC to dehumidify. During the chilly part of the season (yes it gets chilly at times) we can get condensation on our windows. We both mop it up with old towels but also use a small collection tank electric powered dehumidifier.
FT in Florida 8 years. I’ve used a dehumidifier 24/7 since my first winter when black mold grew under two dinette benches and on two dinette bench cushions. The 2nd dinette is in the bunk house.
Never. My A/C units dry the air well enough to hang jerky…..
We de-humidify when the RV is in storage. And, while on travel, we dehumidify during high humidity events where we choose not to run the AC.
Always have it on.
I’m with you, Larry. Mine runs 24/7 even when the air conditioner is running. It is a portable one with a one-gallon reservoir. I usually have to empty it at least twice in 24 hours — sometimes more often — but it’s worth it, especially since I’m allergic to mold.
We live in Florida and are on our third trailer (currently a Montana fiver) and have never used or even felt the need for a dehumidifier. We have vent covers and leave our vents open all the time in storage for air flow and have never found any mold, mildew or anything else in any of our trailers.
Being in Oregon, i have one going almost all the time.
We use our dehumidifier when camping and it’s colder outside and we have the heater on inside. We have only one vent in our rig and it’s in the bathroom, so the dehumidifier is needed.
We live in Colorado where outside humidity averages 10-25%. Why would we waste money buying or running a dehumidfier?
Our basement air conditioner is sufficient to remove excess humidity in the summer. When going into winter storage, I put in 3 “Damp-Rid” pails. They collect a bit of water over the seasons. (We have a 34′ class A.) The pails seem to work as I have never found any evidence of mildew etc.. Generally, our ND winters are relatively dry but there are late fall and spring seasons with rain and melting. Due to blowing snow and rain, I can’t leave the roof vents or windows open .
We are full-timers in Oregon where the winters are damp and rainy. We use our dehumidifier all winter long.
We are 5 blocks from the ocean in Newport, Oregon. We use a small dehumidifier and an air warmer in the kitchen/dining area and a smaller air warmer in the bathroom. Never a problem.
We just bought a dehumidifer container to keep with the water-hookup stuff, especially the parts — such as in-line water filter — that are prone to have water inside when not in use. We have no dehumidifers that use electricity.
We’re full timers so every time we are east of the Rockies out comes the dehumidifier. It runs all day and night and we empty it out twice a day, sometimes 3 times. It has a capacity of 30 pints. Better down the drain than on the walls 🙂
We have our RV parked and plugged in next to our home. In the Pacific NW, we use a dehumidifier or dehumidifying devices about 6 months of the year.
We have a couple of portable ones that we keep handy, but living in southern Arizona, and mostly traveling in “dry” areas now, we don’t have that problem!
Class B, every time I drive and run the a/c it dehumidifies. If during humid summer and it sets for a bit of time I set Damp-rid containers in it. I do the same with my other cars that do not get driven that much to keep the leather from mildewing. .
Yes, i agree with previous comments. Our electric model sees frequent use in coastal Oregon. Dri-Z not adequate.