Hey Marlene & Dan, Can you give us an update how well the anti-condensation mat works? What your thoughts are (pro's and con's) after a couple of months? Thanks!
Great info, will definitely consider this when i start my van build. Btw, your videos have been really helpful in the decision making process of me planning my van build. Thanks
Maybe use the pieces you cut off on your car seat. I am always looking for something to let air flow down my back when I am driving in hot weather. Looking forward to how it works out.
as soon as you said, that you were getting condensation - I was engineering a solution and your condensation mat is pretty close to what I was coming up with. I came up with long vertical channels under the mattress. I think your problem is solved with this mat. A couple of things that might help if it does not solve it completely. A couple of (or many be one) small (very low power 12v fans ) that can suck air from under from under the garage across the new mat and back down to the garage. You'd plug all but the closest holes that you previously drilled, so the air is forced across the length of the mat. You could also put a fan that vents air from the garage into the main cabin. Air will then flow from the main cabin and then between the mattresses into the mat weave, through existing holes into the garage and back into the main cabin. You could to use a piece of PVC to create a channel for air to flow from the garage into the cabin. If you do that put the fan on the far side of the PVC pipe (away from the main cabin) to have the least noise. If you are an arduino guy you can use the temperature humidity sensor and a relay to turn the fans on and off. I just found your channel. I am looking at the Victron BT shunt. I liked you delivery, so I subscribed.
We've done that in the past. It worked when we spent our winters in the deserts of the southwest and was able to avoid extremely cold and wet environments. Now that we are in Europe, it doesn't work anymore.
If you don't want the mat (they can be expensive) it also works very good with the plastic puzzle patio flooring that sells for cheap in garden and build shops. Creates an air gap and is (like the mat in the vid) stiff enough to keep the airflow going while you're sleeping on top. I use it all around my boat with very good results. Easy to wash off also, since it's hard plastic. Just use a brush or pressure wash it.
Very interesting. I saw DJ Chrome with something similar but I wondered how Artificial Grass Mats will work. My cushions are made out of patio furniture material to keep down the mold issue.
I considered trying that but after seeing how sturdy this is, I don't think artificial turf would work. It would just flatten under my bodyweight. This does not budge one bit.
We have a Airstream 22fb and were shocked to see the mold on both the bottom side of our mattress and the plywood it was laying on. I have been using a couple of inflatable thermarest camp pads below it with some success but they shift around a lot. Thank you so much we are anxious to see your followup video!
@@keweenawbee it reaches from the back of the van all the way to the front. That's about 20 ft. But nothing is there is a metal wall in between like when I am outside the van.
@@freelyroaming I was hoping it had the range of my Apple BT headphones so I could check on my van battery from my condo about 50' away. Probably ain't happening.
Thank you for the video. Just a shout out for out struggling planet🌲🌎 There is a more eco friendly option called coconut fiber mats for under your bed. I think some have a mix of coco and latex.
Hope this solves the mold issue. Looking forward to seeing your follow up in a month or so. BTW, had a egg/cheese/bacon croissant from Schatts this morning!
If you keep the garage area warm you won't have this problem. Moisture always collects at the point of temperature difference. The heat from your bodies warms the mattress but the garage is cooler and this causes the condensation issue and that's why the kids mattress does not have the problem.
Dan, as you are in Croatia, have you ever contemplated the idea to live aboard a sail boat? Croatia is a paradise with its islands, and the mediterranian a wonderful area to cruise. You wouldn't feel that cramped like in a van.
Its something we are always talking about. In fact it was my original idea back in 2008 when we first started living nomadically. We've done multiple weeklong charters exploring the islands here. We don't feel cramped in the van and for now there is too much we haven't seen on land to switch. We are not here in Croatia permanently. Just waiting for travel restrictions to ease before continuing to move.
Hey yall where are you now at? Asking because I'm a fellow camper / surfer / tech nerd with a big lithium battery & solar controller in the camper... along with my girlfriend. The camper is now in Hungary near Pecs. Not far from you all if you are still in Croatia. I'm in the US now but will be coming back soon.
Hey there. We are still in Croatia waiting for our vaccines. Pecs is about 400 miles from us. Easily doable in a day. Hopefully by June we will be able to head out and do some exploring.
@@freelyroaming I have yet to explore the local region much. I have a friend who is working on his country house in Romania. So many countries to see in that region, even various written languages and then you are in Greece. I've never explored it because we always went to Morocco. BTW, how did you manage a long stay in Croatia in a camper? They were always known as being very strict on campers in vans. Pushing you into a campground and those are not cheap in croatia. And is it possible to even drive from country to country now? I would love to come over (got moderna) and hop in my camper and go, but my girlfriend is demanding marriage and has taken the camper hostage! II's in her name and she said she'll take the plates! Oh it's an Eastern European relationship!
Sounds like she's got you by the 🥎⚾ now 😝 we've been here about 3 years and have visited 29 countries in Europe (including Morocco and Turkey). It's not enough time so we are staying longer. We have dual citizenship here so we can stay as long as we want to. In the off season wild camping rules are not really enforced here since no campgrounds are open.
@@freelyroaming nice! I'm part Armenian so have avoided Turkey. How did you swing dual citizenship? Is your wife Croatian? Ok that's a good tip on off season in Croatia. I may come back and try to register. Bulgaria seems doable (can register to a company) but wants annual tech test. Serbia may be doable... Can get a visa with a land purchase. I may just try and wing it with export plates for a while. Or maybe I'll just head down to el salvador for some sunzal surf!
Yes it's hard to separate politics when you travel especially if it's a sensitive region. My wife and kids are Croatian citizens thru her parents (got it thru bloodline citizenship even though they were all born in california). I get to have residency thru her as a spouse. If you marry your Hungarian girlfriend, she could get you into Hungary 😉 Our van is still registered in California. Not planning to keep it in Europe so didn't want to pay all the taxes to permanently import it here. We just have to leave the EU every 180 days or less to keep it legal.
Hey hey i live on the beach at friends place in my van and i solved this by adding floor vents ...i leave them open when not using van and at nigh when.i sleep..never when driving or running engine..also has filters and flow is in and out ...junk yard parts my good sirs
Seems like I hear more about mold issues when it's colder outside then you have colder air below the bed and warmth up above you get that coke can effect
Pretty annoying that you deliberately didn’t mention the name of the brand “Thule” in the video so that people would have to click on your product link to find it.
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Hey Marlene & Dan,
Can you give us an update how well the anti-condensation mat works?
What your thoughts are (pro's and con's) after a couple of months? Thanks!
Another mattress underlayment is the Den-Dry Mattress Underlay available from Amazon.
Great info, will definitely consider this when i start my van build. Btw, your videos have been really helpful in the decision making process of me planning my van build. Thanks
Great to hear that. Thank you.
Maybe use the pieces you cut off on your car seat. I am always looking for something to let air flow down my back when I am driving in hot weather. Looking forward to how it works out.
Nice job and hope it works
🤞
There’s a similar product called “Hypervent”, designed for mattresses on boats. Works well.
Yes I've seen the product. Looks good.
Wonderful, thx u. I was wondering about mold build up in the bedding Yes give us some feedback on how well it works.
Good job guys. Thank you for sharing
Thank you
I’m very surprised the holes didn’t help the air flow. Thanks for sharing
as soon as you said, that you were getting condensation - I was engineering a solution and your condensation mat is pretty close to what I was coming up with. I came up with long vertical channels under the mattress. I think your problem is solved with this mat. A couple of things that might help if it does not solve it completely. A couple of (or many be one) small (very low power 12v fans ) that can suck air from under from under the garage across the new mat and back down to the garage. You'd plug all but the closest holes that you previously drilled, so the air is forced across the length of the mat. You could also put a fan that vents air from the garage into the main cabin. Air will then flow from the main cabin and then between the mattresses into the mat weave, through existing holes into the garage and back into the main cabin. You could to use a piece of PVC to create a channel for air to flow from the garage into the cabin. If you do that put the fan on the far side of the PVC pipe (away from the main cabin) to have the least noise. If you are an arduino guy you can use the temperature humidity sensor and a relay to turn the fans on and off. I just found your channel. I am looking at the Victron BT shunt. I liked you delivery, so I subscribed.
I have been using Reflectix double foil insulation under my beds for 20+ years. NO CONDENSATION, NO MOLD! Quite inexpensive.
We've done that in the past. It worked when we spent our winters in the deserts of the southwest and was able to avoid extremely cold and wet environments. Now that we are in Europe, it doesn't work anymore.
Is it noisy when you sleep on it and roll around at night
If you don't want the mat (they can be expensive) it also works very good with the plastic puzzle patio flooring that sells for cheap in garden and build shops. Creates an air gap and is (like the mat in the vid) stiff enough to keep the airflow going while you're sleeping on top. I use it all around my boat with very good results. Easy to wash off also, since it's hard plastic. Just use a brush or pressure wash it.
Sounds like a good suggestion.
link?
Very interesting. I saw DJ Chrome with something similar but I wondered how Artificial Grass Mats will work. My cushions are made out of patio furniture material to keep down the mold issue.
I considered trying that but after seeing how sturdy this is, I don't think artificial turf would work. It would just flatten under my bodyweight. This does not budge one bit.
I considered 3M miners moss, a little lighter yet must be bonded to size. A company ASR will cut to size. Will last forever.for my '77 VW camper.
We have a Airstream 22fb and were shocked to see the mold on both the bottom side of our mattress and the plywood it was laying on. I have been using a couple of inflatable thermarest camp pads below it with some success but they shift around a lot. Thank you so much we are anxious to see your followup video!
It's only been a few weeks but so far so good!
@@freelyroaming BTW what kind of Bluetooth range are you getting to read your Victron Smart Shunt?
@@keweenawbee it reaches from the back of the van all the way to the front. That's about 20 ft. But nothing is there is a metal wall in between like when I am outside the van.
@@freelyroaming I was hoping it had the range of my Apple BT headphones so I could check on my van battery from my condo about 50' away. Probably ain't happening.
Thank you for the video. Just a shout out for out struggling planet🌲🌎 There is a more eco friendly option called coconut fiber mats for under your bed. I think some have a mix of coco and latex.
They don't work in this application. Plus they shed which is a problem.
Hope this solves the mold issue. Looking forward to seeing your follow up in a month or so.
BTW, had a egg/cheese/bacon croissant from Schatts this morning!
🤤
If you keep the garage area warm you won't have this problem. Moisture always collects at the point of temperature difference. The heat from your bodies warms the mattress but the garage is cooler and this causes the condensation issue and that's why the kids mattress does not have the problem.
Yes that's is how condensation works. Keeping storage area warm in cold weather is not an option. That's why we bought these mats.
Dan, as you are in Croatia, have you ever contemplated the idea to live aboard a sail boat? Croatia is a paradise with its islands, and the mediterranian a wonderful area to cruise. You wouldn't feel that cramped like in a van.
Its something we are always talking about. In fact it was my original idea back in 2008 when we first started living nomadically. We've done multiple weeklong charters exploring the islands here. We don't feel cramped in the van and for now there is too much we haven't seen on land to switch. We are not here in Croatia permanently. Just waiting for travel restrictions to ease before continuing to move.
@@freelyroaming my wife and me are planning to buy a boat in the mediterranean and live aboard for some years.
Sounds very exciting. There are a lot to explore.
I have the same issue in scamp..electric and propane heaters intensify the issue
We no longer have a propane heater. Its just people causing it now.
Hey yall where are you now at? Asking because I'm a fellow camper / surfer / tech nerd with a big lithium battery & solar controller in the camper... along with my girlfriend. The camper is now in Hungary near Pecs. Not far from you all if you are still in Croatia. I'm in the US now but will be coming back soon.
Hey there. We are still in Croatia waiting for our vaccines. Pecs is about 400 miles from us. Easily doable in a day. Hopefully by June we will be able to head out and do some exploring.
@@freelyroaming I have yet to explore the local region much. I have a friend who is working on his country house in Romania. So many countries to see in that region, even various written languages and then you are in Greece. I've never explored it because we always went to Morocco.
BTW, how did you manage a long stay in Croatia in a camper? They were always known as being very strict on campers in vans. Pushing you into a campground and those are not cheap in croatia.
And is it possible to even drive from country to country now?
I would love to come over (got moderna) and hop in my camper and go, but my girlfriend is demanding marriage and has taken the camper hostage! II's in her name and she said she'll take the plates! Oh it's an Eastern European relationship!
Sounds like she's got you by the 🥎⚾ now 😝 we've been here about 3 years and have visited 29 countries in Europe (including Morocco and Turkey). It's not enough time so we are staying longer. We have dual citizenship here so we can stay as long as we want to. In the off season wild camping rules are not really enforced here since no campgrounds are open.
@@freelyroaming nice! I'm part Armenian so have avoided Turkey. How did you swing dual citizenship? Is your wife Croatian? Ok that's a good tip on off season in Croatia. I may come back and try to register. Bulgaria seems doable (can register to a company) but wants annual tech test. Serbia may be doable... Can get a visa with a land purchase. I may just try and wing it with export plates for a while. Or maybe I'll just head down to el salvador for some sunzal surf!
Yes it's hard to separate politics when you travel especially if it's a sensitive region. My wife and kids are Croatian citizens thru her parents (got it thru bloodline citizenship even though they were all born in california). I get to have residency thru her as a spouse. If you marry your Hungarian girlfriend, she could get you into Hungary 😉
Our van is still registered in California. Not planning to keep it in Europe so didn't want to pay all the taxes to permanently import it here. We just have to leave the EU every 180 days or less to keep it legal.
Hey hey i live on the beach at friends place in my van and i solved this by adding floor vents ...i leave them open when not using van and at nigh when.i sleep..never when driving or running engine..also has filters and flow is in and out ...junk yard parts my good sirs
Thank you
What if tin snips were used for cutting? Could be a little faster to trim the mat?
Coir mats are also used for this purpose.
I made a grate with furing strips.
old-school wooden boat technology! it works exactly the same way by creating airflow under the mattress for the water vapour to escape
Have you found mould developing on the boards under the mat?
Has not returned since we installed these mats.
Seems like I hear more about mold issues when it's colder outside then you have colder air below the bed and warmth up above you get that coke can effect
Yes that's when it occurs. Moisture in warmer humid air condenses on cold surfaces.
Would the circular saw cut it? Seems likely...
Maybe with the right type of blade.
Update?
Without air circulation always vill be a condensation, wach for European motorhomes, or buy Ikea bed base
We've had this for a year and there is no more condensation.
Open that garage up too, or run your heater ducting into it.
No update after 6 months. Must not have worked
Pretty annoying that you deliberately didn’t mention the name of the brand “Thule” in the video so that people would have to click on your product link to find it.
What's more annoying is idiots making assumptions and complaining in the comments.