I’ve been reading through a lot of the bigger full-time RV forums as well as AirForums.com to try to anticipate some of the problems I might face as a newbie in the full-time Airstream living world.
And while some of my pre-planning has worked out, one issue I didn’t take seriously enough was condensation and moisture in the Airstream. We haven’t had much rain in Northern California this winter compared to recent years and the early morning fog seems to be just that – early morning fog that burns off pretty quickly once the sun comes up.
But I found out today that there has been a significant buildup of moisture under the mattress probably for the last month or so since I relocated to the Sac West RV Park. This RV park is convenient for a quick 15-minute drive to work, but also gets me a little closer to the ski areas in Tahoe as well, so there’s a double bonus with the location. However, the park does sit next to a pond as well as the Yolo Bypass which collects rainwater and snowmelt from the Sierras and prevents downtown Sacramento from flooding.
The downside of this location is a little more fog and cooler air especially at night and the early mornings. Most early morning temperatures have dipped into the mid 30’s (but will bump back into the 50s during the day.)
I’ve also been avoiding running the propane furnance during the day when I’m not around, relying more on the heat pump feature of the roof-top AC unit.
Add in a few days here and there of wet weather, and I now have a moisture under the mattress problem!
Mold on the plywood platform as well…
Mold on my RV foam mattressWhat causes moisture under the mattress?
What are the problems with continued moisture under the mattress?
How to prevent moisture under the mattress
How to fix moisture under the mattress
One of the best solutions I found for eliminating moisture under my RV mattress was using Hypervent Condensation Prevention Matting under the mattress. This matting is a firm 3/4″ plastic coiled pad with cloth backing on one side that you put under the mattress (cloth pad face up and coil side down) that allows for better airflow under the mattress and prevents moisture build-up and stops mold growth.
HyperVent Condensation Prevention Padding out of the boxIt’s easy to cut to trim to fit any mattress size. My biggest hassle was getting the mattress out of the way to get the Hypervent matting underneath it. Such is life living in a 23-foot Airstream!
