Bubble wrap We are being asked similar questions by many people so I will answer new ones here to save time and just refer people to the pinned post. DISCLAIMER First thing I will say is use this at your own risk. We have no idea how this will pan out over time and we might ditch it for something better. We continuously improve everything we can in our van to make life easier. This is an experiment not settled science. We are not experts on condensation. LATEST UPDATE Last night I did further tests but this time I used an aluminium container (which presents a super cold surface ideal for condensation) to try and force condensation to form on it. Temperatures got down to zero but there was no condensation on that canister. This was a test using all counter measures we will be using going forwards, bubble wrap, ventilation via cracked windows, heater holding 15 deg C and a fan to keep the air circulating in the van. This morning I had almost no condensation at all anywhere I could see. WHAT CAUSES CONDENSATION The key thing to understand is that condensation forms when the temperature falls. Cold air is not able to hold as much water vapour so the warmer the air the more water it can hold before condensing. Cooking, breathing, wet clothes, leaks all cause the water vapour to increase due to evaporation. WHERE DOES CONDENSATION FORM Condensation forms on surfaces COLDER than the air so if you have no surfaces colder than the air condensation will not form. We are experimenting with bubble wrap to cover our coldest surfaces - our window glass. BEWARE HUMIDITY LEVELS The amount of water suspended in the air is known as it’s humidity level. We have a monitor in the van that measures humidity and temperature. See our affiliate link to our Amazon store if you want to see which one we use (we will get a small commission if you buy one but it won’t cost you any more. ) If air becomes trapped in a space with people inside humidity will rise. Even if the air is warm eventually you will get condensation. The answer is to get rid of the moist air. Very high humidity will dump the water on anything as it just can’t hold it in the air any more. VENTILATION Leaving the windows and air vents open. We have done this and it certainly helps in the spring and autumn when it’s not too cold. We have experienced rain being driven in even with wind deflectors so it can sometimes not be an option if you have to park with the wind hitting the side. In the winter we found we still had the condensation and used a lot more gas so now we tend to keep them shut. On this test they were all shut. Ventilation is key though so we will be cracking the windows as well going forward. HOW DO YOU BEAT CONDENSATION We can see then that we need to do a combination of things to beat it. Cover cold surfaces (carpet,bubble wrap,insulation) Keep the air temperature warm (heating that does not produce moisture) Reduce evaporation ( cover pans, open a window or use a fan to let steam out) Ventilate the wet air outside (crack your windows at night but use rain shields) We will be using all four going forwards. BUBBLE WRAP Bigger bubbles will work better for retaining heat as they create a bigger air gap. Place the bubble side to the glass as this creates a better air gap. Air does not conduct heat which is why double glazing works well. Cut it to size so that it’s able to cling to the entire surface. Bubble wrap treats a symptom i.e. water condensing onto a cold surface. The water vapour is still in the air and if it reaches 100% it will rain inside the van but it does not reach that level. If you look at the temperature monitor when the heating fails it actually shows the moisture level in the van is low when the inside temperature is only 4 deg C. We normally sleep at 15 deg C which can hold much more water Vapour. Humidity level is not the key problem, it’s the cold of the glass that is the issue. WHERE IS ALL THE CONDENSATION GOING I don’t know if the condensation is going somewhere else that I can’t see but we are carefully checking cupboards etc. Condensation needs a surface colder than the air for it to form. If there is no surface colder it remains in the air until the humidity is so high it rains. Our humidity does not get that high and with all measures in place (now tested) there is virtually none. I could be wrong which is why I say do this at your own risk. Caravans and some campers have double glazed windows that don’t suffer condensation. I can’t recall a video complaining about condensation in those set ups. OUR VAN INSULATION Our van has only 3 season insulation. We didn’t build it so I cannot say how it has been insulated. We make heavy use of it all year and touch wood have never suffered damp. When at home we air the van often on sunny days which probably helps a lot. EXTERNAL SCREENS - DOUBLE GLAZING External screens work much better at stopping condensation and keeping the heat in but we don’t use them when wild camping. If there is trouble at night we want to be able to drive off without getting out to remove screens. On our next van I would probably specify double glazed caravan style windows. These offer far superior insulation and don’t suffer condensation. They don’t look as nice but I am more interested in performance than looks which you will know if you have ever seen my sun screens 😁👍 INTERNAL SCREENS We did make some internal window screens which worked quite well. Trouble was our van is so small we found storage to be a pain during the day, especially if we wanted to pull the bed down for a kip. Bubble wrap does not take up much space. WINDOW VACS We have tried 3 different window vacs as can be seen in our early videos. We bought the professional one which can be used inverted. A window vac does not solve water pooling at the base of the glass during the night. It’s a pain to store in a van as small as ours. It needs an inverter to charge it, it consumes battery power during the worst part of the year for solar. It has much higher maintenance times and is not as quick as a microfibre cloth. SHAVING FOAM ON THE GLASS We have so far not tried the shaving cream / soap trick on our glass but I have seen a video that has and it was not successful as their windows had high levels of condensation which froze. He put a lot of effort into it as well. FANS ROOF VENTS Max fans - yes these are very useful things but our biggest strength in this camper is we can limbo under most height barriers. We are 1.94m tall and a max fan will stop us getting under 2m barriers. This is important to our style of camping so will not be fitting anything that raises our height. 👍 REFLECTIVE BUBBLE WRAP Reflectix doesn’t cling to the glass like bubble wrap so you need to use suckers or a pressure fit to hold it to the glass. The suckers create an air gap but you still get condensation because it’s not sealed. Reflectix needs a minimum 1” sealed air gap to provide insulation otherwise it provides virtually none. It is very effective at reflecting radiated heat though even without an air gap. We use it on the outside of our windows to keep heat out. We hold it in place with magnets.

Speaking from a fractured America, let me just say what lovely people this couple are. So calm and kind.

The way you rubbed her back in the intro 😊 I’m glad you two have each other

I just turned 50. When I was younger , 50 was so far off I didn’t know if I’d ever see it. But Man did it get here quickly. Life is short. I’m starting to appreciate my time here and my family more and more. You and your wife are a great team. God bless you two. Endure till the end.

"This is our personal windsock" at 4:35 ... too funny!

My husband used to tell me that the windows would steam up due to all the hot air coming from me. Brought me smiles. He passed 12 years ago. Anyway it was nice to put my feet up n relax watching your video. I just finished roasting a variety of nuts. My daughter is coming tomorrow and we will make a couple gallons of mixed nut butter ( no peanuts)for family and friends n neighbors. Next week will be canning venison that the family hunters brought home. Thanks for the video

Oh my…………,.you’ll freeze! The poor heater just gave up! 😂😂😂😂😂 Ken you are a good guy to stay up and get the heat working for your Bride! 👏👏👏👏👏 Great success with the bubble wrap!

I cut to fit Reflectix bubble insulation to fit all the windows in my Promaster. They insulate in summer and winter, the provide privacy and reflect the hot sun in summer as well. Each panel has a smaller Velcro tab window in case I want to peek out.

From a corrupt evil America, it nice to see two beautiful spirited ppl, Elohim bless both of you wonderful ppl, thanks for your tip!!

My tip - when you drive off on that blue sky morning, make sure the vehicle heating system is set to let outside air in. Crank the heat up to maximum and briefly open the windows fully as you drive. The goal is to let the hot dry air absorb moisture from the inside, and then evacuate all that air to repeat the process. Hang your bedding outside when you can, and ventilate, ventilate, ventilate at every stop when it is a clear day like that.

football sock filled with kitty litter absorbs excess moisture. will need replacing monthly though

It is wonderful to see real science in action unlike the science fiction we are getting from the...whatever they think they are. Onions and cheese please. I like the idea of camping near others yet as individuals. I suspect one reason you are valued by your subscribers is your expression of relevant factors of your circumstances with that touch of humor inferring well being. Good chemistry guys, keep it up if only to show children of the future what good nature among humanity is. Best wishes and Merry Christmas from Pennsylvania.

Condensation will be a forever topic in vanlife I suppose. When I still had my campervan, I furst tried to fight condensation by e.g. preventing it to fog up my windows. However, I read and came up with the idea that condensation on windows is actually not that bad (only if you are not stealthcamping and people may not know that you are inside the van) The reason i dont mind condensenation on my van windows is that, as other people also mentioned, condensation/water in the air will always be there if you live in such a confined space, no matter how hard you try to combat it. This moist in the air is only visable when it condensates in colder surfaces, such as windows. The point is that if you use any covers on your windows, may be it bubblewrap or other covers, it only prevents the moist air from condensating on -that- surface. However, if it then doesnt condensate on these covered windows, it will by itself find the next cold place to condensate on and release its moisture. And that next place might not be as visable like windows, but all the nacks and cracks where your van isolation ist just perfect, or inside your cupboards. On these places, it can be hard to discover that build up moisture, which over a long time can create mould or even rust! So what i would do is keep the windows free from covers (unless you want to isolate it against freezing temps outside), so the moist air can have a visable place to condensate on, which you can easily spot, remove and control. Furthermore, ventilation is key obviously but that everybody knows. Cheers! Ivo from Holland.

Listening from Germany I love to hear native speakers. Wonderful and instructive. In times of complete crazyness about a small virus I relax and check vanlife Videos. Thanks for your wonderful storytelling. All the best for you.

Watching your channel for the first time from my "secret semi-retirement location" in the Philippines. Enjoyed everything you shared, the countryside, one pan cooking and a great tip on preventing excessive window condensation that will benefit both van-campers & boaters. Still, for me, the very best part was the wonderful partnership working together the two of you exhibit in all your activates.

i leave the windows open an inch and made by own screen and window defectors from 4 way stretch and heat wrap for my Micro Camper they also block the heat in the summer they look good too the wind helps me sleep on a night too it rocks me to sleep great video thanks for sharing

I actually cackled out loud at the ‘personal windsock’. 🤣

Fill an old sock with fresh cat litter and leav it on the dashboard over night, it will absorb all moisture. You could place more socks in the van too, one under each window...

What a great idea to use bubble wrap. In our old Toyota van from three decades ago, I cut a hole in the roof, attached and sealed a 80mm computer fan to the roof and then covered the whole lot with a hub cap that provided just a tad of space for air to get in between the roof and the hub cap. Never had problems with water, even in a car wash and the condensation was eliminated by running that little fan all night. Air was sucked in through the vents in the dash and other openings designed to let air circulate. I'm sure a modern quiet computer fan (larger the better) that could be made to turn slowly would be a better and quieter solution. However this did increase the heat loss on cold nights. In the summer it was fantastic, when shopping with the van closed and in full sun, normally it was an oven in the van when we got back. With the fan running it was warm but not much more than ambient. Ofcourse, living in Australia, the weather tends to be warmer and drier so the nights we experienced sub zero temperatures were very few and far between. The days we experienced 35+ oC are quite regular in summer. May that old van RIP...

For the windows there is a special aluminium foil isolating bubble wrap. It is slightly more stiff then your bubblewrap and doesn't let any light through. But it has served me well for many years. All the best camping :-)

Great information. Thanks!

Love your video very relaxing to watch

Good tip Ken and Carol, thanks for sharing :-)

That really cool thankx for the advice 👍 happy camping

What a great little tip! Thanks. Andy.

How interesting! Excellent tip!

So cozy in there. Wonderful

Another Great video Ken and Carol Keep up the good work 👍👍👍

Great to see something relatively inexpensive can solve and aching problem. We live in our truck with a camper shell and document our travels across the U.S. We have had this reoccurring issue as well, would love to see if the bigger bubbles help out more so! We’ve just subbed to your channel. Thank you for this.

Very informative thank you 😁

Great tip. Will have to try it! Thanks.

Great tip. Banked for when my new van comes.

good vid on your travels thanks lee

First time gor me to watch you guys. Very easy to watch, no silly inane banter, just straight to the point. Good work👍

Nice video!! You guys are great!

Bloody simple ! Very good tip for moisture and condensation.

Excellent video here guys. Really useful info

Very relaxing to watch ..happy camping

Great idea

Brilliant idea and what a massive difference an essential piece of kit from now on and cheap too thanks for sharing 👍 😀

Love this idea and mentioned it (and your channel) on my podcast this week., Thanks for sharing your travels with us! - Jeff Wagg

Hopping on board for the history and general lovely sanity. Glad i found this refreshing break from somewhat typical vanlife vids👍

I use bubble wrap on my narrowboat’s portholes. Basically it works like double glazing and keeps the heat in. Bonus is it stops any condensation too. Use the big bubbles for max effect. Good channel safe journey

Wow, this is amazing♨️🤩🚐✅🚘 Thanks 💐

Good video folks. Interesting experiment

Love youre cozy little van. I plan on getting a NV200 too in the near future.

You ARE relaxing! Thoroughly enjoyed! ❤️

Great idea might use this in my greenhouse!

The wraps looked great

Hi excellent tip thanks for that ken and carol and it looks so cosy into campervan. Keep safe x

Good result 👍

Excellent video. Great info as always. Hope your both well x

Good, like that idea 👍🏻

Great idea!

Great video guys! Lovely, thoughtful and useful. Your a cute couple!

Thanks for the great information.

That wrap looked really good thanks for the inspiration

Very good , i did like it very much for this tip. happy time

I love the scenery and the history

amazing. what a good trick..

Very useful!! Great content! Thank you very much!

Loved the personal windsock🤣

I am going to try this, thank you! I just want to say that it warmed my heart to watch you two. The love you share is evident and I only hope to find the same. Blessings!

It is a good idea, also for isolation. I now use a water vacuumcleaner.

Just came across your video and I would just like to say that I think you to are great - very considerate of each other. Also your explanation of what your doing, why and the instruments/dials you and using is spot on. Hope you keep enjoying your lovely camper van. Stay safe 🚐🎥🇬🇧

Great little experiment and informative video on a hot (cold) topic - definitely one to ponder

This is a revelation. Especially for those on a budget. Excellent advice

Fab video thank you I have a transit converted and stay overnights out and about, and will most definitely try this as I have been using a window vac, have subscribed and look forward to following your videos.

New subscriber. Love the video, I've started my new van build series, so happy as I have this massive of bubble wrap from moving, where I bought to much. Now I can use it all over the van yay! Thank you x

Food looks lovely

God Bless you both ✌️♥️😘🙌 . First time watching your Chanel and with in ferty seconds I subscribed and liked . Love you too so much can't wait to see more

Hello from Florida. I'm a NEW subscriber!! You both are so lovely and I find it so sweet how you interact with your beautiful wife. Your content was great and loved the scenery. Scotland is on my travel bucket list and winter camping is on my bucket list for 2024.

Your video is interesting. I like how Cozy your van is.

God bless you two

will give it a go thanks for the video

I am so pleased to meet you both, a lovely couple! Thank you for an informative videio, I've just subscribed😊

What a sweet Vlog and a charming couple.

What a wonderful video!

Brilliant idea I’ll definitely try it,lovely van ,brilliant video food looked great I’m going to try them wrap 👍thanks for sharing

Greetings from Dallas, Texas USA. Your channel just popped up on my feed. Great content on your video. You two are such a delight. I look forward to your next video. 🤗😘

New subscriber, very nice, very fresh camping experience. Thank you for your effort. Much love From Canada!

Brilliant. I shall be buying some bubble wrap for our caravan. Thank you.

This is a good idea. Thank you

Some more great advice. Thank you. We were just using a Karcher Vac but that doesn't solve the problem really. Just helps clean up the mess 😅👍

Very good test. I want to try this on my RV. Liked your video. First time watching will be looking for your next video.

Just joined your channel ,you both are so easy to listen too ! continue what you are doing x

Great video. Just come across your channel today and after watching had to subscribe. That’s a great tip for the condensation 👍🏼 Going to give it a try and maybe leave the karcher window vac home👌🏽

Good idea.

Thanks for sharing! Looks very promising! As you say a thicker Bubble wrap may be better!

Hello from Orlando, Florida, USA. This is the first video I have seen from you. Thank you for sharing this experiment. I am looking forward to checking out your other videos!

Excellent condensation solution and presentation. The kind conversation you to share is heartwarming 💖. Love from BC, Canada 🇨🇦.

Thanks! for this! Well done video and content. I’ll definitely give this bubble wrap a go next time. Happy trails.

i had to take screenshots of that kitchen. it is top notch.

what a lovely video,enjoyable and relaxing...yes to subscribing and have a blessed Christmas. cheers from BC Canada : )

I live in Seattle Wa USA and just discovered your KZfaq channel. I am now a fan!

That’s really interesting and not something I’d heard of before so thanks for sharing it and such a thorough test. The double layered window did look to be noticeably better. 👍

Wow those breakfast burritos looked amazing! I’m going to give them a try and will add some cheese to them as well 😋 Thanks for sharing this delicious idea 🙌

In the U.S. we've heard of dampening the flat side of the bubble wrap & applying it to house windows for winter insulation. When I mive I'll also be cotting the bubble wrap I use for miving & applying it to apartment windows until I can find permanent coverings that work.

Hello there, I just found your channel and LOVE it! what a great tip on the bubble wrap. it doubles as a frosted glass look -cool bonus. stay warm my friends. watching from Oklahoma

Thanks for the tip