Before you lock up your motorhome or caravan and leave it for the winter, check it for damp.
Musty smells and mould can develop if damp gets in, perhaps through old rubber seals, un-drained boilers or dated mastic. Even in a new motorhome, normal showering, cooking, hanging washing up to dry and breathing can make it damp inside.
DEHUMIDIFIERS CAN HELP
One solution is to use a dehumidifier. There are plenty of brands available, but the general advice from Meaco is that if your motorhome will be kept in low temperatures, you’ll need a hot gas dehumidifier. A small silica gel dehumidifier may be all you need for for minor damp problems.
A new product just released (October 2012) is the new Meaco Mini-D rechargeable dehumidifier, a small cassette full of silica gel to absorb moisture. Put it into the area of your motorcaravan that is most susceptible to damp and it will capture the moisture before it starts to destroy the interior! It’s only £17.99 and will prevent trouble, ensuring that your motorhome is free from damp smells, ready to welcome you in the Spring. You can also use the Mini-D at home or in your car or boat. It’ll keep clothes dry and fresh in chilly wardrobes and help keep your stored items dry in the attic.
This latest dehumidifier comes with both a two-pin and a three-pin plug for use in the UK and Europe and features a central heating pad, ensuring it is safe and fast to recharge.
When the unit is full of moisture, the silica gel window will change from orange to green to let you know it’s time to put the unit on charge, ready to use again.
MOTORHOMES AND GARAGES GET DAMP
Motorhomes, caravans, garages, workshops, boats and holiday homes are the same as far as a dehumidifier is concerned, according to Meaco. They are all likely to drop below 15°C, the dehumidifier needs to drain the water away continuously, the dehumidifier will be left unattended for long periods of time, it needs to start working again after a power cut (auto-restart) and it needs a good humidity sensor to prevent over drying and to save energy. For use on a boat or motorhome it should be light to carry on board and not have castors so it will not roll around. Meaco’s range of humidifiers for vehicles and boats is detailed here.
SAFER SILICA GEL
Chris Michael, MD for Meaco UK commented: “This unit provides the ideal
solution for those small spaces that can easily get affected by damp
and mould issues. It is so easy to use and highly effective.
“We have also worked with our design team to make sure that the silica
gel is used in the safest, cleanest format – using orange and green
colouring rather than the pink and blue, which has proved to be
carcinogenic. Our unit is 100% safe.”
