Effects Of Permanent Occupancy; Condensation And How To Control It - Fleetwood 2008 Southwind User Manual

To check the battery charge:
1. Shut off all charging sources, engine, gen-
erator, and disconnect the 120-volt power
cord to turn off the converter.
2. Press BATTERY rocker switch on the panel.
3. Turn on a light or any 12-volt appliance.
The battery must be checked with a load.
4. Read battery condition on the indicator.
EFFECTS OF PERMANENT
OCCUPANCY
Condensation and How to
Control It
You need to understand how to properly manage
and control the humid conditions and condensa-
tion that you may experience.
RVs are much smaller than a house, and are
tightly built. This means that the interior air will
become saturated with moisture more quickly
than in a typical house. The routine activities of
a few people can put a lot of water into the air.
In cold weather, this moisture may become visi-
ble as condensation.
Condensation happens naturally. Just as mois-
ture collects on the outside of a glass of cold
water during humid weather, moisture can con-
dense on the inside surfaces of your RV during
cold weather when the humidity of the interior
air is high.
Water vapor will condense on the inside of the
windows and walls. In really cold weather, frost
or ice may appear. It may also condense out of
sight within the walls or the ceiling. If enough
water collects in the wall or ceiling materials, it
may cause water stains on the wall or ceiling
surface. You might think that your walls or ceil-
ing are leaking. You have a problem with con-
densation if you see these signs. You need to do
something to reduce the moisture inside your
RY.
Living With Your Motor Home
Here are some frequently asked questions about
condensation and some answers that will help
you understand more about your RV and how to
keep it comfortable.
Q. - ill cold weather, my windows and walIs
look like they're sweating. Is that con-
densation?
A. - Yes. Your windows are a good way to
know if the humidity in your RV is too
high. All air contains water vapor. When
air is warm it can hold much more water
vapor than when it is cold. When the air
cools, the water vapor "condenses" back to
a liquid. Since your windows are usually
cooler than the air, the water collects on
the surface of the glass.
Q. - Where does all the water come from?
A. - Moisture in the air comes from many
sources. Some of the most common are:
Cooking -
Meals prepared for a family of
four can add up to a gallon of water per
day into the air from cooking.
Bathing -
An average shower can put
between
Y. -
Y, pounds of water into the air.
Dishwashing - Doing the dishes for a typ-
ical day's meals can add up to one pound
of water to the air.
Floor mopping - When an 8' x 10' kitchen
floor is mopped and rinsed, almost 2
y,
pounds of water can be released into the
air.
Clothes drying -
After 10 pounds of
clothes have been washed and spin-dried
in a washer, they still contain about 10
pounds of water. If these clothes are dried
inside, that water is released into the air in
the RV.
Propane appliances -
When Propane is
burned, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water
are given off into the air. For every 1000
cubic feet of Propane burned, nearly 88
pounds of water is released into the air.
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