Heater in the van in winter

Hi folks,
My van, a Symbol has a Taylormade screen protector and I originally put a greenhouse heater in to keep the inside above freezing BUT I have a problem. Condensation is forming and the van is getting damp.
I have since disconnected the heater and the van went to minus four last night and the dampness is going.
So it seems like I am better without heating in the winter, what do you folks think?

To prevent condensation you need ventilation so that would probably cancel out the heat which makes it pointless. I don't heat the van at all unless I'm in it and then I'll always leave a small window or the rooflight open just a bit.

Flying High wrote: Condensation is forming and the van is getting damp.

I think it depends on whether it’s an electrical or paraffin greenhouse heater. The paraffin version would be bad news because of the amount of water it produces when burning. It’ll probably do more harm than good.
If it is an electric heater the moisture must be coming from the upholstery / carpets so I’d leave it on with some ventilation to dry the van out.

Brod

I think you'll find every vehicle is different.
I have a '97 Zook Vitara and it is always dry and never mists inside but my neighbour has a '10 Huyundai Sorento and I swear it has it's own weather system inside.
For me, before I leave a vehicle I always run the hot air for a couple of minutes with the air con on (recirculating) in order to remove the moisture from the air.
The issue you have I think is that the moisture in the van is condensating out and being absorbed into the materials.
You would be far better off allowing the internal and external temperatures to naturally balance.
Alternatively you could keep the van at about 10 degrees and leave a window cracked to let out the moisture.

I'm a big fan of oil filled radiators. They are low energy and very safe. I leave mine on low and it prevents the van getting to freezing point.

I tried a few methods, firstly a external screen is a must if you intend using heat inside the camper or you will get condensation as the warm and freezing air clash against the windscreen.
Next we fit in our Cotswold 2 large dry bags which we swop with 2 we have on the radiators in the house each week.
We then use a 55w heater which is on test this winter and seems ok but havnt made any final decision as we thought we may need 100watt one as the van is large, these heaters switch on and off via the thermostat and have built in protection.

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We also have a mini oil filled rad if we were to get those crazy minus 5 to -15 tempatures any night.

lastly we tend to leave all cupboard doors open inside the van when its not being used for more than a couple of weeks, o and fridge/ freezer doors

I think this topic had a good run last winter, some members use their van electric heaters and others like myself use a low wattage oil filled electric heater.
Mine goes on before the temperture drops and stays on until its above freezing, My Nuevo has plenty of vents so condensation isn't a problem.
Boaby

burlingtonboaby wrote: use a low wattage oil filled electric heater.
Mine goes on before the temperture drops and stays on until its above freezing, My Nuevo has plenty of vents so condensation isn't a problem.
Boaby

Hi there,

Ditto in "Petal", a 1998 Duetto, but using a Dimplex "looks like it is oil-filled" heater.

Because of the orientation of the van (front pointing North) any moisture that is there after we have finished living in the van condenses out on the front windscreen.

Two days with the heater on for a few hours in the middle of the night and it's gone.

Best regards,

Hi All,
As I have posted previously I tried the truma electric ultraheat fitted in our van, but this was raising the heat to around +14 to 15 degrees even on the lowest setting, which I felt was to high and used more electricity than necessary, I now use an 800 watt electric radiator which by fiddling with the thermostat will keep the temprature at around +4to5 degrees.
I have also had a hygrometer in the van to check the humidity and it is constantly around 68 to 70 so no problems in that direction either.

Brian2

Thanks everybody for all your replies, I am leaving the van closed up at the moment and it seems to be better without any heat. I cant use the air con as Winnie hasn't got it, poor old girl.
About ventilation, as the snow is about how do I ventilate an old Symbol without water getting in? At the moment there is about two inches of snow on the roof. I will try another couple of days minus any heat and see how we go. The upholstery is cold and dry at this time.
Thanks for all your help, very interesting different points of view.

Cheers from Mike, Sue and Winnie

Flying High wrote:
My van, a Symbol has a Taylormade screen protector and I originally put a greenhouse heater in to keep the inside above freezing BUT I have a problem. Condensation is forming and the van is getting damp.

I have since disconnected the heater and the van went to minus four last night and the dampness is going.

So it seems like I am better without heating in the winter, what do you folks think?

Much much better without heating!

Never quite figured out why people do this. Ask yourself this.....would you do the same in a car? No!! I thought not!!

As you have seen the main reason you are getting condensation is due to the hot air from your heater meeting the very cold outside temperature. It's also a good idea to leave the heater vents open for air to circulate inside the van rather than shut them off altogether.

What is there inside a van that cold temperature could possibly affect? Nothing!

Bulletguy wrote:
Much much better without heating!

Never quite figured out why people do this. Ask yourself this.....would you do the same in a car? No!! I thought not!!

As you have seen the main reason you are getting condensation is due to the hot air from your heater meeting the very cold outside temperature. It's also a good idea to leave the heater vents open for air to circulate inside the van rather than shut them off altogether.

What is there inside a van that cold temperature could possibly affect? Nothing!

Cold air contains moisture, when that is in your van you will get dampness.... If you leave your car unused in the coldest part of the winter for 4 or 6 weeks will it get damp if it has ventilation holes like a camper does for cookers/fridges/microwave YES IT SURE WILL pop in a moisture detector and it will show up right away.
However put to much heat in and that's even worse than none. The key is to keep the campers around 5 degrees, that way there is very little moisture drew in due to the clash of hot and cold and at the same time its just warm enough to keep that dampness out of the campers.

damage.......... dampness causes things to go fusty!! can swell cupboard doors, catches don't operate as they should, not good if u decide to head away for a weekend as u go from damp and fire in heat all weekend on a site which causes things to twist.
Everyone seems to have their own theory, but as long as your not to extreme in any way it wont be far wrong, a wee bit of warmth and a few dry bags don't cost much and cant do any harm especially when you consider the average van has to be over 40k new these days

Just my opinion

Thanks Bullet Guy and Robbie, all very interesting.

A lady friend of ours has a exact same van just down the road from us and has been poorly and in hospital. She bought her van at the same time as us, in fact that's how I got involved with Winnie Her van due to illness has not been used since November and is quite dry, well it was before we had the snow. She has dry bags inside as have I.
The only difference in the two vans (same age) is that her cooker and heater vent flaps are missing so it looks like the Symbols may need the flaps removed to allow air circulation in the winter. I will try this if I can get out the front door in the morning.

Best regards Mike.

Bulletguy wrote: ...........

Never quite figured out why people do this. Ask yourself this.....would you do the same in a car? No!! I thought not!!
..........

Er ..... but I don't sleep and cook in my car and my car doesn't have mattresses, sleeping-bags, clothes and bedding left inside either!

Actually, to be honest, I don't even have a car nowadays!

Best regards,

Hi Bulletguy,
I dont know about other people, but the reason I want the inside of our van above freezing is because of possible retained water in the pump and plumbing, (you dont have a water pump for potable water in a car) and it is nearly impossible to be sure of removing it all, and for this reason alone I will continue to use my oil filled radiator to maintain the temprature at around +5 to 6 degrees C.
[b ]If water freezes in the pump this could result in serious leaks and a possible new pump.[/b]

Brian2

Hi Murph,
I thought that the reason for winterisation was to clear the water from the pump by blowing down the shower head which I have done. Also running about with the heater drain plug loose drains the water after the shower trick.
There will be lots of people using different ideas. I think it is great that we all share our thoughts especially with a 66year old newby like me.

BTW it is snowing slightly in the south east.

Best regards, Mike. Sue and Winnie

If someone does not use their van over winter at all totally draining the system as much as possible is fine. However using the camper all winter its a right royal pain in the butt to totally drain every drop from the system each time its used. We were even told as our pump is inside the tank and the tank underneath the van that it was recommended to drive the van up and down the road a wee bit after draining to ensure everything was out of the pump. This was because even when drained a few drops of water can be in the pump and that is enough to break them. Our dealer told us this and the info come from AS.

Robbie wrote:If someone does not use their van over winter at all totally draining the system as much as possible is fine. However using the camper all winter its a right royal pain in the butt to totally drain every drop from the system each time its used. We were even told as our pump is inside the tank and the tank underneath the van that it was recommended to drive the van up and down the road a wee bit after draining to ensure everything was out of the pump. This was because even when drained a few drops of water can be in the pump and that is enough to break them. Our dealer told us this and the info come from AS.

Thanks for your thoughts Robbie, as I am new at this every little bit of advice helps.

This weather is a pain and I cant wait to get out and use Winnie

She is parked up on the drive and plugged in, the moisture content is falling so I am sure she is ok.

Once I have been through our first season I am sure that my knowledge base will be a lot better. I am bound to make a few mistakes, that's what life is all about, hopefully it wont cost me too much.

Best regards Mike, Sue and Winnie

Hi

Fairly new to all this but have owned our Symphony now since 2010 and this is our third winter. I keep the van taxed and insured all year and use as frequently as we can during the winter to make sure that the whole vehicle is given a 'work out' to keep it in good health. I close up the front air vents put on fridge covers to stop gales blowing through, open up all the cupboards and loo doors and place inside the van a couple of those Unibond humidity absorbers which I get from Amazon, these take in all the excess moisture in the air and appear to keep the furnishings dry. I do not use the van to sleep out in the winter months so all water is drained out, I then keep all fingers crossed that all will be will, so far so good.....

burlingtonboaby wrote:I think this topic had a good run last winter, some members use their van electric heaters and others like myself use a low wattage oil filled electric heater.
Mine goes on before the temperture drops and stays on until its above freezing, My Nuevo has plenty of vents so condensation isn't a problem.
Boaby

Don't forget about the hab and van batteries located inside the van, during the winter of 2010/11 we had minus 18 degrees here in Brid and my hab battery in my 59 Symbol froze because the van wasn't heated. It came back to life after a good thaw and trickle charge, however it didn't hold the charge for long after that.
This winters lowest temp here has been minus 9 degrees. snowing at the moment at zero.

Boaby

I use a Pro-Tec cover and leave the roof side windows open 1 notch. No heat. The only problem I have is some slight fungus on the steering wheel which wipes off easily in the Spring.

Dutto wrote:

Bulletguy wrote: ...........

Never quite figured out why people do this. Ask yourself this.....would you do the same in a car? No!! I thought not!!
..........

Er ..... but I don't sleep and cook in my car and my car doesn't have mattresses, sleeping-bags, clothes and bedding left inside either!

Actually, to be honest, I don't even have a car nowadays!

Best regards,

Take 'em out then!!!

Double post!

murph wrote: Hi Bulletguy,
I dont know about other people, but the reason I want the inside of our van above freezing is because of possible retained water in the pump and plumbing, (you dont have a water pump for potable water in a car) and it is nearly impossible to be sure of removing it all, and for this reason alone I will continue to use my oil filled radiator to maintain the temprature at around +5 to 6 degrees C.
If water freezes in the pump this could result in serious leaks and a possible new pump.

Brian2

Brian

A 'must do' for all campers before winter particularly PVC's, is to drain down off both fresh and waste water tanks then leave the taps open. The Cascade hot water tank is the most important because if any frost damage is done here.....it's way more expensive to sort that than either of water tanks! Remove the drain plug then drive around a bit to get any surplus water out. I've actually left my plug out as my van is on SORN over winter. You can also run the pump a little but be careful you don't do it for too long....just enough to shoot what bit of water may be left in it out. As long as all taps (including the sink and shower) and plugs are left open you won't ever get pipes freezing up or cracking because if there is still a few drops of water there....it can get out. As an example I do this every winter with an outside tap on my house. You see a lot of 'fussers' who wrap the taps up with all kinds of insulation. Lot easier just to shut the water off (there should be a valve before every outside tap) and then leave the tap open. Done that every year for the past 20 years and never had a problem.

Needless to say the same goes for the Toilet tank. Make sure thats well drained off too. I also remove the cassette though mainly just to give it a good.

A cold van in winter is better than a warm van as all you are doing with a heater is creating condensation that would not normally be there. You only need to watch how your car windows go when sticking the heater on in a cold car. Unless you have aircon and heated windows they will be running with condensation until the car has been driven a good few miles and had chance for air to pass through.

I don't put any kind of heater in my van over winter at all. Earlier this afternoon I was in it searching for a toolkit. Yes it was damn cold.....but zero condensation or damp anywhere.

just read this forum thread and its very long and interesting,
but i agree with the last entry.
I drain my 1997 duetto down, and leave taps open, take indoors loose bedding and it has been fine for the last three years, down to -5 one year. no condensation, no damp.