Damp mattress pads on new X23F

[steelerboy29]

So we have a new 2016 X23F that we bought in the spring and we've had dampness/water on the undersides of all 3 mattress each time we've been out. We've had it out under all kinds of conditions (hot, cold, wet, dry, humid, etc.) and it doesn't seem to matter. We've had dampness under the mattresses each time. Sometimes it's been light enough that you can't see any water, but you can feel dampness on the under side. Other times there's water that you can see. This is our second hybrid (had a 2013 X17Z) and we didn't have a single drop of water under the mattresses of our old unit. I haven't found any leaks anywhere and we've had dampness when there hasn't been a drop of rain. We run the AC a lot which should make the air inside dryer and usually have the ends open during the day to promote good airflow. There's been no condensation on the inside of the tents either. So, I'm thinking the problem lies with mattress themselves. The old (dry) mattresses had a vinyl bottom. The new mattresses have a fabric bottom. I think it has sometime to do with our body heat while we sleep as they are dry when we set them up and then damp in the morning when I check them. Anyone else have this issue?

[DocBrown]

Yes, we've had this. It's condensation. With our old Kiwi 17A all I had to do was leave a canvas flap open a little to reduce condensation. But in that trailer we never had it under the mattress. With our X20E the flap open didn't work, and we'd get some moisture under the mattress. I found that leaving open the small crank out window above the sink works great. You'll have to experiment a bit. Either way the "fix" to condensation in a hybrid is to give the moisture a place to escape.

[navymommy]

I have the answer! I tried every suggestion on this forum, and the only one that worked for us is putting HyperVent Marine under the mattresses. It's a bit spendy, but our first outing was 4 weeks at Camp Pendleton, and wiping down 3 mattresses and bunks and setting a fan every morning was NOT going to be an option for me. Go to HyperVent Marine - Putting An End To Condensation and check it out. I could even send you a small piece of my leftover, if you need to see/feel it before you order. Call 360-657-5503, and talk to Rex. He's great, and will walk you through the process. I was so frustrated with the wet bunks, I told him if this worked, I'd advertise for him forever. And I will!

[justman]

Seems like anything that puts an air gap between the mattress and the bed support would prevent condensation from forming. The mat seems like it would be a good idea. Lightweight, and easy to fold up into the bed end.

[bankr63]

A cheaper possible solution. We have a foam mattress topper that is has an egg-carton waffle kind of surface. Since I didn't like the feel of it on top of the mattress, we put it under the mattress. Haven't had any condensation issues yet, possibly because it provides some air flow below the mattress, or possibly because it absorbs it? Was $30-40 at Wal-Mart IIRC. Added benefit of increasing your mattress comfort.

[TWP723]

HyperVent is nothing but a big old ScotchBrite pad. But they work.

[Benno]

Navymommy"s solution works very well, Having lived on board of boats for 13 years, we can sing a song about damp mattresses. By drilling a bunch of breathing holes into the plywood base with a 1" hole saw will solve the problem too!