CONDENSATION ON BOTTOM OF CAMPERTRAILER MATTRESSES
Submitted: Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 17:37
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bradley1411
We recently purchased a camper trailer with a 4 berth checkerplate (folds out like a suitcase) sleeping area - one double bed sits on top of the trailer the other double bed supported by legs. Our maiden voyage went great. One small problem - when taking the foam mattresses (about 4 inches thick) out of the trailer on return home we noticed that the underside of both mattresses and the aluminium base were wet (no unsavour comments about wet spots please!). There were also no river crossings or rain. We are thinking it may be caused by condensation - the overnight outside temperature was probably about 0 degrees. Has anybody else experienced this problem. We thought that perhaps a thin piece of marine ply between the aluminium base and the foam matress might solve the problem. Has anybody else experience this? Any suggests on how the fix?
Reply By: Member - Vince B (NSW) - Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 18:00
Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 18:00
Hi Bradley.
A friend had a similiar problem with his Jayco.He went to Clarke rubber & ended up buying a protector to fit under the mattress.
This solved his problem.
Vince.
AnswerID:
273485
Reply By: Member - Kevin J (QLD) - Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 18:23
Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 18:23
Hi Bradley,
If you try the web site for www.campertrailers.org and click on Yahoo groups you will find that there has been a greeat deals of discussion on this subject and a range of very successful solutions to your problem.
Egg carton style underlay seems to have worked for most campers.
Kevin J
AnswerID:
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Reply By: 96 GXL 80 series - Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 20:46
Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 20:46
Clark rubber sell the egg carton type rubber, it is not the foam type but made of rubber.
It is expensive like $20.00 to do a gun case, so you would expect somewhere about $100.00 or so for a bed base.
The checker plate creates moisture and is a real pain to stop.
Good ventilation might help also.
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Reply By: Member - Franga (QLD) - Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 21:08
Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 21:08
Bradley 1411 Hi,
We had the same problem with our Jayco Swan, and all we did was use a blacket. We just put it down first then put the mattress on top, no probs since.
Regards
Franga
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Reply By: Des Lexic - Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 21:41
Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 21:41
Bradley. You can buy a double thickness open weave mesh to lay under the mattress which will cure the problem. I've been using it for years and no problems at all. We bought it from our local
camping shop.
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Follow Up By: Member - Bucky (VIC) - Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 06:28
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 06:28
Thats the stuff Des !
I think Roachie has similar stuff under his mattress !
We have Marine Ply, ( I think ) under our mattresses, in the Trak Shak, and there is no problem with condensation.
Cheers MAte
Bucky
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Follow Up By: Axel [ the real one ] - Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 21:04
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 21:04
The only thing Roachie has under his mattress is 100s + 50s $$$ notes , hundred and hundreds of them , LOL for some odd reason he does not trust banks LOL.
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Follow Up By: Des Lexic - Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 21:12
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 21:12
Not quite right Axel. Yes he does carry the money there but it is for the running repairs on the Troll. He trusts the banks but not the troll. LOL
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Follow Up By: Member No 1- Monday, Nov 26, 2007 at 07:59
Monday, Nov 26, 2007 at 07:59
someone once said he still has his first paypacket...onopened
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Reply By: Philip A - Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 21:47
Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 21:47
The only sure method IMHO is to lift the mattress every day. I double
mine over from the top as nearly all the condensation is from your body not legs.
My Campomatic has a ply base which is polyurethane coated, so ply will not help.
I cannot put a mesh thing underneath as it will make the bed too high, as I already have a 4inch foam mattress and cellular foam overlay.
Regards Philip A
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Reply By: Philip A - Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 21:54
Reply By: Member - Roger B (VIC) - Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 22:42
Saturday, Nov 24, 2007 at 22:42
Our old Jayco Dove (1978) has three pieces of ply about one metre by thirty cm laying loose under each bed. I just move them around each time we go away on a trip, and we've never had any mattress condensation. It obviously allows enough air to circulate underneath. Works for us. Cheers.
Roger B.
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Reply By: Ray - Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 08:55
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 08:55
My son-in-law had a Jayco camper. He had the same problem with condensation. He went out and traded it in after a fourtnight and baught a small Coromel caravan simular to a nipper. No problems since
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Reply By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 09:43
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 09:43
In the interests of maintaining my hard earned reputation of being
a tight, miserable old fart...here is the economically sound cure for
your problem....Shade cloth doubled. We had to air our foam Mattress daily during 45 deg heat but no moisture underneath
using this cheap trick. Here endeth the lesson....oldbaz.:)).
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Reply By: Twinkles - Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 17:13
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 17:13
I have a friend who is Australian manager of production for a large bedding manufacturer. I was discussing this type of problem with him at one time. He said the base under the matress must breathe, ie be fabric or slats. My camper has a base made with slats in a frame. Never any moisture problem. It's the condensation from our bodies that causes the problem.
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Reply By: Member - Cruiser (NSW) - Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 18:48
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 18:48
Bradley1411,
We built a small wooden slat base to put under our bed in our camper when we had it and it worked a treat.
Cheers,
Cruiser
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Reply By: PradOz - Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 22:43
Sunday, Nov 25, 2007 at 22:43
try laying some newspaper out under the mattress. i hear it works perfectly although i have not tried it or needed to with our jayco swan all seems perfect (touch wood). its a cheap option to try too. i have read about it from old travellers quite a few times in different mags over the last 3 years or so. cheers mick
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Reply By: pjd - Monday, Nov 26, 2007 at 11:02
Monday, Nov 26, 2007 at 11:02
use hypervent its available on 03 9744 4422
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Reply By: Member - Douglas M (SA) - Monday, Nov 26, 2007 at 17:19
Monday, Nov 26, 2007 at 17:19
Hi Bradley 1441.
Philip A is on the right track. A bit expensive but an easy fix ie. no mods. We have had hypervent under our camper mattress since day one and never had a problem with condensation. Yes we have
camp out in cold weather on the odd occasion.
Doug
AnswerID:
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Reply By: arewelost - Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007 at 00:31
Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007 at 00:31
hi
we had problems much as you are describing ours was fixed very simply by using peg board under the matteress no more problems
cheers steve
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