Alleviating dampness in covered Tab over winter?

CanadianTabber
CanadianTabber Member Posts: 148
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
Hi all!
I will be covering our Tab 320 as soon as the cover arrives next week.
What do you do as precautions to minimize dampness?..leave windows open a crack?..put those RV moisture things in?...all suggestions appreciated!
Peace!
Brent
2021 Tab 320s Boondock-2016 Toyota Venza V6
Toronto, Canada

Comments

  • MuttonChops
    MuttonChops Member Posts: 2,012
    Well I do both.
    Crack the vent open just enough to see daylight.
    Place an Eva-Dry in the cabin and place a dry chemical moisture absorber in the wet bath & hold wet-bath door open.

    It also helps to remove paper products if you are in a really high humidity area for several months.

    This is the rechargeable Eva-Dry for reference
    { recommended by other T@B owners when I purchased my rig }

    '18 320 S, pitched axle, 3020HE; PNW based

    TV: '17 Colorado V6 Z71 4x4, Tow Package, GM Brake Controller
    TV: '25 Canyon AT4
    Adventures: 59 Nights: 411 Towing Miles 50,350

  • dragonsdofly
    dragonsdofly Member Posts: 1,927
    @CanadianTabber, we crack the fan vent cover an inch, then put on our Pahaque cover. We have a maxxair vent cover installed on our t@b, so there are never any worries about water intrusion, and being covered doubles the winter protection. We are in a very humid environment, next to one of the big lakes (Erie) and can wave at your fellow Canadians from our house (just across the Detroit River), and as long as the interior of the t@b stays as warm or as cold as the exterior temp, condensation does not occur. Beginning our sixth winter and have remained dry and mold/musty free. We do not use any type of chemical or mechanical dehumidifier. I think allowing the trailer to breathe works well in our environment. Good luck with your prep. And may the weather gods smile on everyone this winter!
    2017 t@b sofitel(Dr@gonsFly)TV 2015 Silverado 2500hd(Behemoth). Wyandotte, Michigan.
    Draco dormiens numquam titilandus.
  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,679
    I suspect a lot depends on where you live and how much the temperatures swing above and below freezing.

    I just button up the camper and throw the cover on. No chemicals. I don't even bother cracking the roof vent as it is not airtight to begin with. (Try spraying it sideways with a hose if you don't believe me--ha ha.) I do live in snow country so the air is pretty dry for most of the winter and I've never had an issue with condensation since 2015. YMMV!
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
  • ChanW
    ChanW Member Posts: 3,165
    edited November 2021
    Hey Toronto... Lately, we've been known to bring the beddig, and couch cushions into the basement for the winter, just to be sure they dry out from the humid summer months. We used a couple of RV dehumidifiers one winter, but neglected to put them in in other years. I might crank up the Alde for a few days in the fall to get things dry in there.

    We have a humidity gauge in the Tab that I keep an eye on. Once things are freezing up regularly, the air gets pretty dry, so I don't really worry about it in the winter. Autumn and spring are more wet, but summer is really the humid season, and it's easy to keep things vented in the summer.

    IOW, I've stopped worrying about it. I think those that need to be concerned are in the warmer, more southern states, where winters aren't dry like they are for us. 

    (I also know that the air has dried up when the cat starts jumping whenever I pet her, from the static electricity!)
    Chan  -  near Buffalo NY
    2014 S Maxx
    2011 Tacoma 4cyl ... edit: 2022 Tacoma 6cyl - oh yeah! 

     A_Little_T@b'll_Do_Ya
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 831
    Yea, I've never vented any of my T@Bs since 2015 and I've never seen any reason to. I live near the MD/VA/DC line. We have very humid summers but dry winters I guess. 
  • Scrunchy
    Scrunchy Member Posts: 11
    Get a bag of charcoal and open it up. Place a hand full of charcoal in some old socks and place them around the inside especially near water drains and leave the open bag in the camper. The charcoal will absorb all the moisture all winter long. Put a few drops of vegetable oil in drains and that will keep the drains from drying out too ;)

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