Of course any time a surface is colder than the dew point, water will condense on it. So control the variables.
1-Lower the dew point of the air inside the camper by removing moisture (dehumidifier).
2-Raise the temperature of all surfaces above the dew point, thus there is nothing for water to condense on.
3-Make the evaporation rate exceed the condensation rate on a surface (fan blowing on a surface or a lot of surface area (like cloth))

If there is just a couple surfaces that are more problematic (like the front cap/headboard), I suggest method 2 and 3 combined. An easy way to do it is with insulation. Consider a product like Dynamat. Thin closed cell
foam sheets with a sticky side. Warm up the camper real good and clean the front cap. Then apply Dynamat (or similar) over the whole surface just like wallpaper. Then use a 3M spray contact cement and put a fabric cover over it in your wife’s favorite color or pattern. Now you have a insulated front cap that will stay warmer so it is less likely to cause condensation, a fabric cover which looks good and provides surface area for evaporation, and bonus the Dynamat is a sound absorber so you have less noise from outside right at your head.
Cheers,
Steve

 

The mat idea is interesting as my wife and I were just discussing how the Northstar front cap is insulated thinking it may be less well insulated than the rest of the camper. Not sure we will go that route, but it is something to ponder.

I know some other folks winter camp. I wonder how Arctic Fox front caps, for example, do in the cold. Same as Northstar?

Steve

 

As you know, most of the condensation in an RV during the winter forms by the occupants breathing.... How many people are sleeping in your camper?
As discussed, I always remove the factory "head board" over my bed. I get a piece of the regular old blue insulation board like used in housing industry. I fabricate the outline of the factory head board onto the insulation, spray with 3M adhesive and cover it with a suitable material that coordinates with my RV interior. Simply having insulation near where I am breathing reduces the condensation around the head board of my bed.

Being you are in the RV industry..... The term "4 Season's" RV should be familiar. double pane windows, enclosed belly pan, heated tanks, etc... Even a 4 Season's RV has it's challenges.

Enjoy the day.

Hobo

 

I am not sure this would make any difference but it is something I have thought about. Most people sleep with their head facing the front of the camper so they are breathing right next to the front cap all night and that is where the condensation is forming. Would it make any different if you put your feet toward the front of the camper and had your head facing the interior of the camper? I thought it might give more open space around your head for the humidity in your breath to dissipate.

I have no idea as most all of our camping is done here in the Rocky Mountains where the humidity is very low. I don't typically camp during the winter months up here so I have not experienced the condensation issues I read about. In our Northern Lite, the entire interior is basically covered in a short carpet material and my guess is they do that for probably this reason.

 

Well so far asking my wife to breathe less at night brought a cool response and though I think flipping around to sleep might help the condensation issue, the first time I had to get up to pee, I suspect my wife might be cool to this idea also.

Steve

 

Just trying to help, Steve, just trying to help! LOL

 

Catheter?

 

Sure , just pile on.

 

If the condensation is isolated to just the front wall then it could be poorly insulated. The cargo door of my toy hauler isn't well insulated. I put a sleeping bag across it and that made a significant difference. I didn't have condensation on the cargo door, but it's at the back of the trailer so maybe the humidity doesn't get back there as well as it does by the windows in the middle of the trailer. Next year I'm thinking of using a couple sheets of rigid foam insulation against the cargo door.

 

I use the Dri-Z-Air for storage. We also have a couple of the Eva-Dry although I've pretty much quit using those.

Dri-Z-Air works well in the camper and even here in the very soggy part of Oregon, the white beads last quite some time and the reservoir doesn't seem to fill much. If I add heat, park the camper in the driveway and set the Thermostat to above 50 on either the electric space heater or the furnace, then within just a couple of days the white beads are dissolved and the reservoir is full.

On the Eva-Dry, they work well and there is no reservoir to worry about. When the beads turn orange, I plug them into 120, they dry out - turn green and I stick them back in the camper. The problem I have is that on a couple of them, after some, but not much, use and repeated drying cycles, the heater in them that dries the beads out has gotten warm enough to warp the case around the plug in. I view this as a fire hazard and those little beads start leaking out and it seams like it takes forever to 'capture' those little rolling *****. They do seem to go a long time between drying cycles. Costco used to carry them, but they are not carrying them now.

When we are camping and condensation has become an issue, big or small, I set the Fantastic Vent thermostat at a setting that turns it on, but doesn't cause it to fight the furnace. With the vent over the bed cracked and the Fantastic Vent cycling, we never have an accumulation problem.
When we are cooking, making coffee, boiling water...condensation builds up rapidly even with the vents and windows cracked just a little. Our Lance 1062 does not have a range hood / vent, but does have a vent with a fan in the roof over the stove and we use it. Even though it is on, condensation from cooking can still build up on the windows. I turn on that Fantastic Vent with a window or vent cracked up towards the front of the camper, it dries out in a big hurry even when raining or snowing outside.

 

Got it, thanks,

Steve

 

Maybe a simple fan blowing air on the front? When I get condensation on my windows in the house, I turn on the ceiling fan for a few minutes.