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Old 03-17-2015, 10:19 AM   #21
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So you are saying the a/c is not big enough to "condition" the air as it should? Maybe a 13,500 BTU unit would work better for those in the south just as the texas fan option helps the refrigerator. The a/c should operate to where both the temperature and humidity is comfortable. An oversize unit will cause the unit to operate in short spurts of on and off. A properly sized unit will run until the thermostat shuts it off and hopefully the inside air will be properly conditioned, both temperature and humidity wise. Too small of a unit will mean it runs non stop, never reaching the off set point. How does your a/c operate and which unit do you have?
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Old 03-17-2015, 10:56 AM   #22
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Seems to me if you can plug them in outside then you really do not need them. I always thought dehumidifiers were for winter time and storage. In the summer with the trailer open I doubt you will need them. If it gets too humid, close up and turn on the a/c.
I've needed them in the fall after a couple days of rain, then it gets too cold trying to let the A/C keep up with it. The electric dehumidifier just does a much better job. I have heard of, but not tried, running the A/C and the heat at the same time for this purpose.

We've even resorted to taking the bedding and towels out to a laundromat to dry them out.
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Old 03-17-2015, 11:04 AM   #23
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In the new Escape, I think renewing the units will be much easier using the inverter and an extension cord outside.
Peace,
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Seems to me if you can plug them in outside then you really do not need them. I always thought dehumidifiers were for winter time and storage. In the summer with the trailer open I doubt you will need them. If it gets too humid, close up and turn on the a/c.
The smaller Eva Dry units are a vented, plastic case filled with crystals that absorb humidity. They are renewable in that when the the crystals have become saturated with moisture, you can plug them into an outlet, which heats them and dries out the crystals. I usually like to dry the units out away from the area where they recently absorbed the humidity--hence the outside outlet. When left in a closed cabinet or closet, these units really help keep clothing drier and help eliminate potential mustiness. In the south, or when camping in rainy weather, I try to avoid mildew at any cost. Ike uses a CPAP at night, so we crack or open windows and use fans (battery operated, when needed) to keep the air circulating as much as possible.

We had AC in the Casita and will in the Escape, but when not hooked up (we also like to dry camp), using it is prohibitive. We have a propane generator, but reserve its' use for recharging batteries and for emergencies. The dual solar panels on the new 19 will be a vast improvement over our portable panel and allow us to leave the generator behind on some of our trips. But you are right, the AC will suck moisture out of a trailer in no time!

We built a bay in our carport for an RV and when parked there, the trailer is plugged in and a smaller electric dehumidifier runs. The little plastic Eva-Dry units are still tucked away in places, even though the cabinet doors are cracked open. I do whatever I can to keep moisture from accumulating in the trailer. A bit of a moisture freak
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Old 03-17-2015, 01:07 PM   #24
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For two winters we've used the "Air-Dryr"

Amazon.com: Davis Instruments Air Dryer: Sports & Outdoors

It works great, our trailer is parked under cover so we just open the roof vent a crack and place this dryer on the floor underneath. Even though we live on the "wet-coast" the trailer stays amazingly dry all winter. It's cheaper than a dehumidifier, and less bothersome than the crystals
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Old 03-17-2015, 01:52 PM   #25
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i only use my electric dehumidifier in the winter - and need it. I also use the crystals at times but if they spill they cause big issues!
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Old 03-17-2015, 02:03 PM   #26
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Don't spill the crystals or the liquid. It's like trying to clean up Jello with a paper towel ( it's not absorbed ). Dri-Z-Air recommends using a wet/dry vacuum. I place the container in another container and handle carefully to prevent spills.
FAQ here:

DRI-Z-AIR® DEHUMIDIFIER - MOISTURE ABSORBER - MADE IN THE USA - FAQ's
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Old 03-17-2015, 02:38 PM   #27
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The Davis Air Dryer looks good, too. The thing I like about traveling with the non-electric Eva-Dry dehumidifiers is the gel crystals are contained within the hard plastic housing of the unit. Unless you take a hammer to the thing or drop it on a very hard surface, the crystals stay intact. I've dropped one on the vinyl floor of the Casita several times, no problems. They are made to be renewed and used for 10 years. A good investment, in my opinion. Two points, though: 1) I keep "spare" Eva-Dry's on hand when traveling, cycling them out as they become saturated and 2) it is sometimes inconvenient to plug in and dry the units. I've resorted to asking friends and even park office staff if I could use their outlets. With the inverter on the 19, I can put a multi-plug extension cord outside and take care of this, if need be.

We don't travel with the small electric dehumidifier--it is used when the trailer is stored at home.

Some good choices exist for taking care of moisture and remember that moving air also helps reduce the chance of mildew.
Peace~
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Old 03-17-2015, 02:56 PM   #28
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And don't dump the liquid from the Dri-Z-Air onto your lawn! It's a high salt content liquid, not plain water. It will kill grass and make it difficult to reseed without a lot of work.
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:03 PM   #29
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And don't dump the liquid from the Dri-Z-Air onto your lawn! It's a high salt content liquid, not plain water. It will kill grass and make it difficult to reseed without a lot of work.
Same with the Damp Rid. When we've spilled it inside the Casita, it took a bit of work to get the salty, moisture attracting areas completely residue clean.
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:09 PM   #30
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I used Dri-Z-Airs in my sailboat, which was berthed in the harbor where, naturally, it's always humid. Made the mistake of spilling a full container once on the fabric upholstery. That area ended up being almost perpetually damp until the covers came off for machine washing. Even had to wash out the inside foam.
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:27 PM   #31
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I used Dri-Z-Airs in my sailboat, which was berthed in the harbor where, naturally, it's always humid. Made the mistake of spilling a full container once on the fabric upholstery. That area ended up being almost perpetually damp until the covers came off for machine washing. Even had to wash out the inside foam.
I hear ya! After a couple of spills, we called it quits on the salty stuff. Just happened to run into a fellow camper who turned us onto the Eva-Dry units. Like the fact we can use these a long time, hopefully!
Peace~
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:39 PM   #32
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So you are saying the a/c is not big enough to "condition" the air as it should? Maybe a 13,500 BTU unit would work better for those in the south just as the texas fan option helps the refrigerator. The a/c should operate to where both the temperature and humidity is comfortable. An oversize unit will cause the unit to operate in short spurts of on and off. A properly sized unit will run until the thermostat shuts it off and hopefully the inside air will be properly conditioned, both temperature and humidity wise. Too small of a unit will mean it runs non stop, never reaching the off set point. How does your a/c operate and which unit do you have?
That is not what I said at all. A/C units are controlled by a thermostat and shut off based upon temperature. That does not mean excessive humidity is removed when the thermostat shuts the cooling cycle off. I have a three ton heat pump in my house. If I ran it long enough to lower humidity to acceptable levels I would be shivering. I run a separate dehumidifier as well as the heat pump to keep humidity levels acceptable. It all comes down to the fact that the climatic conditions vary in different parts of the country. If I camp in the northern states, the A/C does an acceptable job of keeping the humidity down. If you doubt what I am saying, might I suggest you camp in the Florida Keys in August.
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Old 03-17-2015, 06:48 PM   #33
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I have heard of, but not tried, running the A/C and the heat at the same time for this purpose.
As Bob and Carl explained, sometimes you need to remove moisture even after enough heat has been removed. Since a dehumidifier works by cooling air to the point that the water comes out by condensation, then dumping the heat right back into the air, running the A/C plus heat does essentially the same thing. A dehumidifier is much more efficient, because it puts the heat taken out of the air back, while running A/C and a heater means throwing the heat taken out of the air away, and using more energy to replace it.
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Old 07-04-2018, 08:56 PM   #34
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Small new dehumidifier - Leap of Faith....

Humidity is rocking around 80%+ here, and when you vent the stored camper, that means it gets that humid inside, too. Our big, heavy dehumidifier is a pain in the rear to take in and out of the camper, and the drain plug for continuous draining is too low to gravity flow from the floor into the shower. So, with one of those never-ending 20% Off Bed Bath & Beyond coupons, I took a leap of faith on a Perfect Aire 11 Pint dehumidifier (Model 3PAD11; listed current consumption = 1.9A). Light weight (19 lb), small footprint (9" x 9" x 15" high) and built-in carrying handle. The bucket capacity is small, a little less than 5 pints, but the drain plug for continuous flow is high enough that it can sit on the floor in the entryway and drain into the shower drain. We’ve started out collecting into the built-in bucket to monitor how much humidity it is capturing, and it is pulling about 1 cup per hour, which is about what it’s rated for. Dropped the humidity inside our camper from 78% to 48% (at least according to our little counter top humidity monitor) in around 6 hours. Relatively quiet, too. So, first impressions are great. We’ll see if it holds up for the rest of what promises to be a hot, humid summer.
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/sto...d=perfect-aire
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Old 07-05-2018, 07:24 AM   #35
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This sounds interesting.
Do you leave the windows open when running the humidifier?
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Old 07-05-2018, 08:02 AM   #36
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Do you leave the windows open when running the humidifier?
Leaving windows open would seemingly defeat the purpose of the dehudifier in the first place. Open windows would let more outside humid air into the trailer.
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Old 07-05-2018, 08:42 AM   #37
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This sounds interesting.
Do you leave the windows open when running the humidifier?
No. As Carl mentioned, open windows would just let the humidity back into the camper. That said, the dehumidifier does generate additional warmth as it works, but resulting in more of a dry heat, like in the Southwest. So we leave the roof vent of the MaxxFan open so the added heat can hopefully rise and leave passively (fan not running) during the day. We turn the dehumidifier off at night and let the temperature cool down naturally over night. Not sure I could back any of this up with science, but it seems to be helping to keep the humidity in the camper considerably lower while in storage under our carport. I keep intending to run an independent 120V AC line into the camper to run just the dehumidifier without having the camper's entire electrical system on.
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Old 07-05-2018, 09:20 AM   #38
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I've gotten some questions about our new Perfect Aire 11 pint dehumidifier, so here are some photos. Dimensions are 9"W x 15"H x 9"D, weight is 19 lb., and the electric cord is 6 feet long. The handle folds down flush, and the controls are flush-mount touch sensitive. You can select continuous run (default) or cut-offs at 40%, 50% or 60% humidity. It has an automatic defrost mode, if needed. The bucket pulls out the front bottom and has a 4.86 pint capacity with float for auto shut-off when full. The continuous drain plug is in the back, located about mid-height. It has a spin-off cap to expose a pull-out stopper within in a 1/2" diameter nipple. Take off the cap, pull out the stopper, and slip a piece of 1/2" (I.D.) flexible tubing over the nipple and direct the drainage flow down a drain (the instructions say to use no more than 6' of drain hose). With the drain nipple located so high on the back, the drain hose will go over the ledge of the shower and drain straight into the shower drain. Let me know if you have any more questions or want any more photos.
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DSC09981.jpg   DSC09982.jpg   DSC09983.jpg   DSC09984.jpg  
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Old 07-05-2018, 10:49 AM   #39
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No. As Carl mentioned, open windows would just let the humidity back into the camper. That said, the dehumidifier does generate additional warmth as it works, but resulting in more of a dry heat, like in the Southwest. So we leave the roof vent of the MaxxFan open so the added heat can hopefully rise and leave passively (fan not running) during the day. We turn the dehumidifier off at night and let the temperature cool down naturally over night. Not sure I could back any of this up with science, but it seems to be helping to keep the humidity in the camper considerably lower while in storage under our carport. I keep intending to run an independent 120V AC line into the camper to run just the dehumidifier without having the camper's entire electrical system on.

I added a separate outlet for a dehumidifier last year. I used this inlet
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And a small combined 15 amp breaker/outlet.

While the breaker/outlet is nice I would not pay what they ask for them, I was given one. Here is what I used. Nice but not cheap.
https://www.asi-ez.com/member/~RAI-SAC-109-B.asp?
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Old 07-06-2018, 07:41 PM   #40
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Everything seemed to be working fine collecting water in the dehumidifier's built-in bucket, so I went ahead and hooked up the continuous drain hose, and it seems to be working fine, as well.
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