(Side note: “Condensation Conundrums” sounds like a great band name, right?! Sorry, couldn’t help myself!)
The last two weeks have been pleasantly relaxed. I’ve gotten to know my little Airstream better and better, and at this point, I feel like I have a sixth sense for my battery charge and propane tank levels. I’ve been spending a lot less time worrying about freezing pipes, dead batteries, or other off-grid disasters and a lot more time just living.
Of course, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about this lifestyle, it’s that just when you think you’ve solved all the problems, a new one appears.
Early on, when I was researching winter RV living, one issue came up over and over again: condensation. Until last week, I hadn’t really experienced much trouble. But then, as overnight temps dipped back into the teens, I noticed a new problem: the walls around my bed were damp. I was about to learn that winter RV living is a balancing act of insulation and airflow.
Ice, ice baby.
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving was crystal clear, full of incredible stars, and bitterly cold. At 4 a.m., I woke up and, out of curiosity, checked my weather station readout.
10°F.
The coldest night I’d had yet in the Airstream. At least the furnace and batteries were up to the task, keeping Hudson and me warm all night. Still, I burrowed a little deeper under my blankets, not quite ready to face the day.
Finally, around 7 a.m., I peeked out my bedroom window. It looked like a kaleidoscope. The inside of my bedroom windows were coated in ice.
Even worse? So were the walls.
Yikes.
Luckily, the day was bright and sunny, meaning the Airstream would warm up quickly. I cranked up the furnace, made breakfast, and stepped outside to move my solar panels. Every evening I would tilt them to the east to catch the first rays of sun in the morning, but last night, I had been lazy and neglected to do so. I threw on my jacket and boots, stepped outside, and was immediately hit with an icy blast of arctic air.
It was cold.
I walked over to move my panels and failed. They wouldn’t budge. Oh yes, they were completely frozen to the ground.
Well, that’s a first.
I tried everything but couldn’t budge them. Chiseling them out seemed like a bad idea, so I waited for the sun to do the work. A few hours later, I scrounged up some plywood to put under them, hoping to avoid this in the future.
I laughed to myself.
Just another typical winter morning in Twisp, trying to excavate frozen solar panels from the ground and melt out iced-over windows.
At this point, I really had to wonder: what in the hell am I doing?
Once the sun was up, the ice on my bedroom walls and windows started melting fast so I got to work mopping it up. I thought the condensation might be the result of a bad seal on the emergency window or the exterior storage hatch but both seemed pretty tight. I couldn’t pass up such a gorgeous blue bird day so I made the decision to ski first and investigate the condensation later.
Though Wednesday night was nearly 10° warmer, which practically felt like summer, I still woke up Thanksgiving morning with a lot of condensation around the bed. After fixing coffee, something made me look under the mattress.
The plywood bed platform was soaked. So was the underside of the mattress.
Ugh. No wonder the walls were covered in condensation.
I needed to get the mattress out to dry but of course, my Airstream has a corner bed layout, which means moving the mattress is an Olympic-level event. Despite folding myself into pretzel-like positions, I somehow suffered no injuries and managed to wrestle the mattress into the narrow space in front of the kitchen.
In hindsight, I wish I had set up my GoPro because I’m pretty sure I looked like a clown escaping a tiny car.
A Hilariously Difficult Fix.
With the mattress finally out, I inspected the plywood platform and saw small access holes leading to the external storage compartment below. Aha. The cold air trapped underneath, combined with zero airflow, had created the perfect recipe for condensation.
So how to fix it?
The solution was clear: elevate the mattress. Cue another ridiculous adventure.
My old IKEA slatted bed bases were in storage in Brewster, so I made a quick trip to grab them. They weren’t the right size, but with some rigid foam and ingenuity, I managed to cobble together a makeshift bed platform. Getting the mattress out was bad. Getting it back in? Absolutely ridiculous.
At one point, I somehow ended up crawling under the mattress and between the slats, which I do not recommend. Let’s just say that after this experience, I may never, ever own another corner bed Airstream.
Dealing with condensation.
So, has my solution worked?
So far, it’s much improved and now that the bed is elevated, I can check underneath to make sure it’s staying dry. I also added some dehumidifying crystals for extra insurance.
As for the windows?
I still get some condensation, but now I wipe them down each morning and make sure to crack ceiling vents and windows when cooking.
Another unexpected culprit?
I realized the Reflectix insulation I had been using on my exterior door and windows was making condensation worse. I replaced it with a hanging blanket and kept the Reflectix only on the ceiling vents.
Living in an RV through a cold winter is a balancing act between insulation and airflow. Too much of either? Bad. Too little? Also bad.
Staying warm has actually been the easy part. Who would’ve thought?!
Luckily, I think I’ve finally figured out the trick to mitigating condensation and avoiding another mattress-wrestling fiasco. With that, I was able to fully enjoy my Thanksgiving with so much gratitude for this tiny, cozy Airstream that’s been such a reliable little home, despite the challenges. I also get to spend life in this beautiful place with my always-grateful doggy partner Hudson.
And last but not least?
I’m deeply grateful that I got that damn bed back into the corner.
