How to Prevent (And Remove) Damp from your Campervan

It’s no exaggeration to say that damp is one of the worst things that can happen to your campervan or motorhome.

You’ll feel less comfortable, and there are some quite serious health implications to sleeping in a place with damp.

And, if left untreated, it can cause permanent damage which will impact the value of the vehicle.

Thankfully, it is preventable. And treatable even if you are unfortunate enough to spot damp in your campervan – as long as you act quickly.

This guide tells you everything you need to know about damp and your campervan.

How to Prevent Damp

There are a number of things you can do regularly to make sure you don’t have any issues with damp.

Keep it Clean

Ensure everything is cleaned, hovered and wiped-down with anti-bacterial products. Do this regularly, particularly if you’re about to close up for a few months.

They’re often overlooked, but it’s important to keep your cupboards clean too – as damp can often show up in these locations. Make sure they’re dry when you’re done.

Air it Out

If you’re not planning on using your campervan for a prolonged period of time – i.e. more than a few weeks – don’t just leave it sitting in the driveway untouched.

Once in a while, go in and open a few windows for a little while. Let the air circulate before locking it back up.

Open the Windows

There are certain appliances you might have in your campervan, or motorhome, that will create additional moisture in the air.

So, whenever you’ve had a shower, or cooked a meal, make sure to open the windows for a bit to let it all out. This will prevent build-up of this extra moisture in the vehicle’s interiors.

Wipe Away Condensation

For the same reason, you need to keep checking to see if there is any condensation built-up on the windows.

If there is, just wipe it away for a cloth. It might be a good idea to have a special cloth kept on the side, just for this reason.

Dry Outside

This might seem like an obvious suggestion, but it’s one worth mentioning anyway. Never dry anything inside the vehicle itself.

If you have clothes, hang them up outside. If anything else gets wet – like a towel, or maybe you’ve spilled water on a cushion – then dry those outside too.

How to Remove Damp

Before removing damp, you need to be able to spot it when you see it.

Here are a few of the signs that you have damp:

• The walls and interiors of the vehicle might be stained
• The walls and interiors might have damp-looking patches (even if they don’t feel damp)
• Walls might be soft when pressed
• There might be a musty smell inside the vehicle
• There might be black marks around the window frames

If you’re not sure, then you can always buy a damp meter. They’re quite cheap and are available from hardware stores.

Once you’ve established there is a problem, then you need to learn how to get rid of it.

It’s actually relatively easy, as long as the problem isn’t too serious.

Simply buy a dehumidifier, place it in your campervan and turn it on.

Dehumidifiers work by absorbing all the excess moisture out of the air. It may take a little time if the problem is widespread, but should clear up any damp you have.

If the problem is bigger than that – for example, if the damp has led to the creation of mould – then a dehumidifier might not be enough.

In this case, we would recommend getting in touch with a professional.

Of course, you could try to remove the mould yourself, but it’s a little bit more difficult.

You should check out a few guides, like this one, for helpful information on what to do.

Once it’s gone, apply the above methods, and ensure it never appears again!

For ways to ways to improve storage and comfort, and other caravan hacks check out this guide by caravansforsale.co.uk

 

To find the best policy for you, give our insurance experts a call on 0208 9840 666 –  98.97% of Comfort Insurance’s customers say they’re happy with our service and would recommend us to a friend*.

 

*April 2014