condensation in van

[sparc]

This is going to sound nerdy (my excuse being that it's been a slow day - a 2nd fix I was due to start this morning had to be postponed - only when I got to site :-( - because builders still hadn't managed to finish two small walls for a new shower room.)

Anyway, this morning was kids back to school and first condensation in the van - nature's way of telling us summer is over. I noticed inside van a plastic storage case was seriously misted up. When I opened it there was water in bottom of case, the sides literally dripping wet. All the stuff in it - Wagos, screws, crimps, screws and stuff were all soaked, and had actually started to rust - trust me,, yesterday this stuff was all pristine.

Nothing else inside the van had condensation on it - just this one case. I think I've work it out - told you it would be nerdy: this storage case alone was sitting on top of my Van Vault - which had got pretty cold, so it seems as if all the moisture in the van 'homed' in on this one place to condense - other cases and the inside of vault were perfectly dry. Also - and I'm hypothesizing - I'm wondering whether the condensate, being ionized, caused the screws and metal parts of the Wagos to rust very quickly?

What I'm interested in hearing from anyone else (still reading the post at this point) about dealing with condensation in the van over the Autumn/Winter, and whether anyone had big problems with the tools and other stuff they leave in over night?

I'm wondering whether a timed extractor fan (12V) would make any difference.

 

[Guitarist]

Dehumidifier will help. Also adds a little heat

 

[imago]

When I opened it there was water in bottom of case, the sides literally dripping wet. All the stuff in it - Wagos, screws, crimps, screws and stuff were all soaked, and had actually started to rust - trust me,, yesterday this stuff was all pristine.

From dry to standing water in 12 hours or less? There is no way that the humidity inside your van was high enough for that. Unless:-

a) Your location is a typo and should read 'Amazon basin' or
b) there was a source of water in the van which evaporated during the day, then condensed at night.

 

[Amp David]

What about the roof mounted rotating vents?

 

[sparc]

From dry to standing water in 12 hours or less? There is no way that the humidity inside your van was high enough for that. Unless:-

a) Your location is a typo and should read 'Amazon basin' or
b) there was a source of water in the van which evaporated during the day, then condensed at night.

Good points - but

a) Amazon basin Fortunately not! But, seriously, this had only been left overnight and there was no other water source or dampness anywhere else in van - other than windows, of course.

b) It would condense on other stuff, not just a single case.

Either I inadvertently left a few ice cubes in the case, or we've entered the Twilight Zone here. I have four case of mixed stuff - my 'ready boxes' as a described above, so I can grab one to take into a job with my tools. All the other cases are fine - these items were all in mint condition yesterday .... now everything has a fine coating of iron oxide - including plastic! Bizarre.

 

[telectrix]

i get no condensation whatever in my van. ply lined and carpet stuck to the ply, including the roof.

 

[jaresquire]

Sounds like a passion wagon Tel, I bet it does steam up! :wink_smile:

 

[HandySparks]

these items were all in mint condition yesterday .... now everything has a fine coating of iron oxide - including plastic! Bizarre.

The only time something of mine developed unexpected rust was when our cat peed on a large stilson wrench in the garage. It stripped the paint and rusted the cast steel below. After a few choice words I forgave him as he was getting on in years.

 

[HandySparks]

i get no condensation whatever in my van. ply lined and carpet stuck to the ply, including the roof.

You have a good point there, tel. My transit is ply lined on floor and sides, but not the roof. Also carpeted on the floor. I get condensation in the cold weather, but always on the inside of the roof, where it drips down onto the contents of the van.

I tried one of those bags of moisture-absorbing granules, but I'm not convinced it did much good.

Might be worth me sticking some carpet, or similar, to the inside of the roof as insulation. On a clear night the heat radiates off into space, making the roof the coldest part and therefore most prone to condensation.

 

[telectrix]

you got it. ply line the roof with an air space above the ply. the ply don't get cold, so no conny.