Help - it's wet in here!!

[bblbethie]

Maiden voyage with our new X23B (10 night trip!). Been pretty cold out at night and also had some rain. Discovered beds are WET under the mattress! I've searched for holes/gaps in the canvas covering but can't find any issues.

This morning we found condensation completely lining the canvas over both bunks. Checked under the mattress and it felt like standing water under there.

What did we do wrong? What do we do to keep this from happening?

Any help appreciated. Thanks!!

[3'senough]

I am going to say it's the condensation from the heater going then hitting the cold surfaces. In tighter spaces with no ventilation you will experience a moderate build up unless you vent the unit somehow. I would recommend a Maxx air or Maxx Air II vent cover so you can crack it to allow for air transfer. This will keep the moisture down. Also a bucket of Damp rid will help.

In my first TT the unit would look like a used shower in the AM if you did not crack some vents.

[Tunce the traveler]

You said " it's pretty cold out" bet you had the heat on and it was nice and warm inside RIGHT ? Besides breathing did you cook and boil water for Coffey? What was the temp.inside the TT? Did you crack open the zippers a little on each end for some fresh air. Camping in cold weather can be a challenge but you can over come this problem for the most part. First you'll find that (PoP Up Gizmo's) help quite a bit to keep it warm inside and you might want to invest into a small dehumidifier they work just great in the hybrid. I'll give you the name and size of mine later today(6:00 AM here) and need to check outside. After you get these things figured out your going to love that thing.

[Tunce the traveler]

Here's the dehumidifier that I have for camping in cold weather ( March,April, late sept. Oct.). My first trip was just like yours so I can relate 100% and I was thinking just what the heck did I get myself into !!! But now that those little bugs are worked out we couldn't be happier.
It's called EVA-DRY. Model EDV-2200 believe me it's just the right size and very quiet. Go to www.eva-dry.com for info and where to see and hear one in your city. I Think it was $89.00
I placed it next to the dinette to give you an idea of its small size.

[Jagiven]

We had a little condensation, but I heard about and have experienced it with all the tent camping I have done. What we do is, crack one side windows in each tent end. We place the zippers in the upper corners, then pull them back about 2 inches in each direction. Then pull the window cover material out and away from the screen. We also crack open the bathroom vent cover about ½ inch. This technique takes care of 99% of our condensation issues.

Some people swear by the use of Pugs or Pop-up Gizmos, I have not tried them but I also have not seen the need for them.

One more thing, in the owner’s manual there is a section that talks about “seasoning” the tent ends. What they say is to do is set up the HTT. Then lightly spray the tents with a very light coat of water, three times and let the water dry between applications. I expect this is to relax and allow the fabric to swell around all the stitches.

I have seen some condensation under the front bed a few times; I just wipe it up before closing up to go home. At home, if it has been wet I ALWAYS open up the HTT to ensure that it can fully dry out.

[MNWild]

We also camped in clod weather and have a 19h. We leave the bathroom vent opened and unzip the ends a little and no problem.

[jdorant]

We use a full size dehumidifier as we camp all winter. Moisture is a big problem in the winter.

[bblbethie]

Tarps solved the problem. Covered each bunk with a tarp using bungee cords and absolutely NO condensation this morning. Yay!!!

[Jmooney]

Are you sure your not really leaking?

[Tunce the traveler]

Look into the PopUp Gizmo's they do the same job as the tarp but in the summer they really keep the heat down inside. Take a close look at mine

[bblbethie]

How do you keep the center of the pugs up high on the bunk? Seems they would slip down the sloped angle of the bunk top...

[Tunce the traveler]

You clip it to the drip edge that's at the top of the bunk. You don't need to go all he way to the center,just go as far as you can reach. They send you the "red" clips but I don't feel there quite strong enough so I bought these colorful clips at Target for a little over $1.00 I think and they work great. Bought 2 pkgs. and use 6 clips per bunk. I have 4' aluminum ladder that I take with me to close up the ends at the end of our stay and to clip the gizmos up.