The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Preventing moisture in truck using heater or desiccant

I did some searching, but couldn't find where this has been discussed. This is the first full winter I've had my AD truck and I live in the very damp Pacific Northwest. I keep my truck under cover, but noticed recently that with temperature/humidity changes, I'm getting a lot of moisture inside the truck. Obviously these old trucks don't seal up too well. Has anybody else solved this problem with either an electric heater or desiccant?

This is a good topic, I'd be interested also. Not all of us are able to garage our trucks inside.
I guess desiccant might work as long as the temperatures stayed above freezing. In the basement we use to stretch a piece of cheese cloth over a gallon ice cream bucket and pour desiccant in the cheese cloth, the absorbed water would drip into the bucket.
John

only thing you can do Greg, is keep the windows open so the inside temp and humidity stay the same as ambient outside, the condensation happens after the inside warms up and the higher humidity condenses on the cold outer surfaces

Bill

When I lived in Ohio I kept one of my cars in a pole barn that had a concrete floor. When I stored it in the winter I put the car in a Carjacket. http://www.carbag.com/

It's a zippered plastic bag (think plastic tarp type material) you put the vehicle in. They also sell large perforated steel cans of desiccant as well as bags of desiccant.

What I did was unzip the bag, drive the vehicle onto it, remove the battery, prop the hood and trunk partially open, roll the windows half way down, place a desiccant canister inside the vehicle, place another under the vehicle, put the car cover on the car, then lift the rest of the bag over the vehicle and zip it up.

The desiccant containers can be re-used after baking them in an oven.

Worked great. I now live in Colorado, dry enough that I no longer "bag" the vehicles.

Hope that helps

John

point is, is Greg asking about long term winter storage?

Bill

As we all are, Bill, I do believe.

that point isn't really what Greg is looking for, that's for garage queens .... in the PNW with weeks on end of humidity around 100% and temps fluctuating from freezing overnite to well above in the day, keeping it 'under cover' doesn't prevent interior condensation, and using the vehicle, or working on it regular makes it rather impractical to 'bag it', the only practical solution is to keep the inside and outside the same temperature and humidity, heating the interior will increase condensation and desiccant without the bag would need to be changed 4 times a day

Bill

You can do it fast,
You can do it cheap, or
You can do it well.... pick two.

That rule works pretty much with everything in life.

If the bag is too impractical (not fast enough) park "ye ole bolt" in a shop with a heater, air conditioner and a humidifier. (expensive)

John

I helped a buddy restore a 56 panel, he stashes it in the breezeway beside my building every winter, windows open, never had any condensation problems even when the concrete is wet for weeks ... long term storage or daily use, you can have all 3 in the rain forest, park it under cover, open windows, head inside for a beer

Bill

Winter + Rain Forest + Breezway + Windows Down + Drinking Beer + Fast + Cheap + Well = No Condensation... got it.