Does the popup ac take moisture out of the air?

[uchwear]

We were camping a few weeks ago in very warm and humid conditions.  After it rained we ran our air full blast for several hours and it was cool in the camper but not dry.  It wasn't soaking like we had a leak but it was very humid.  My question is, does an airconditioner in the popup take out moisture like your home ac or not?  How do you remedy the problem of too much moisture when you are camping in high humidity conditions with 4 people in the camper adding moisture?

[brainpause]

The popup AC does (should) remove moisture from the air, but not all of it. That's much of how it cools.

With 4 people inside, it makes it more difficult to remove humidity, especially in humid weather (I know...I live in a very humid Tennessee). However, it should do a decent job.

Has it done this before? Is it a change from other uses? If so, then maybe there is something wrong. However, RV air conditioners sometimes have a hard time "catching up" when started from 90+ degrees and humid inside the camper, but really not too hard of a time.

If your camper AC is truly working properly, just realize that when you are camping in hot, humid weather, don't expect to look like you are going to a wedding.

If I haven't said it before, Welcome to PUT!

Larry

[chasd60]

An AC unit will cool and remove moisture. An oversized AC unit will cool down an area without removing enough moisture, i.e cold and clammy. In you popup the AC unit is never really oversized but if you use it primarily to dry out you should set it on the lowest fan setting. This way the evaporator cools the camper a little more slowly but also give the moisture time to condense on the evaporator coils and a be removed from the camper.

[memcamper]

I noticed a similar problem in my Santa Fe recently.  I attributed the moisture to heavy humidity in West TN and very hot conditions.  Plus I figured that it's very hard to totally seal up a pu camper so moist humid air is always getting in even though the air conditioner will freeze you out.  I figured camping during those high humidity days was just going to leave us with "damp" feeling sheets, pillows etc. Maybe I wasn't all correct.

I was wondering, however, would a small portable dehumidifier work on those high humidity days to draw out the moisture??

[wavery]

I noticed a similar problem in my Santa Fe recently.  I attributed the moisture to heavy humidity in West TN and very hot conditions.  Plus I figured that it's very hard to totally seal up a pu camper so moist humid air is always getting in even though the air conditioner will freeze you out.  I figured camping during those high humidity days was just going to leave us with "damp" feeling sheets, pillows etc. Maybe I wasn't all correct.

I was wondering, however, would a small portable dehumidifier work on those high humidity days to draw out the moisture??

A dehumidifier will help. However, the AC should do a reasonable job on it's own.

If the AC is cycling, turn the fan down, like chasd60 said. The reason this happens is because the ambient temperature will cool down too quickly and the thermostat will tell the compressor that it has reached it's goal and the compressor will turn off (cycle) but the fan will still blow. This will actually increase the humidity. It is best to set your fan at a lower rate, once you have achieved the temp that you like. That way the compressor will remain running and keep pulling out moisture. That's a big problem on those days when it is 80 degrees and 80% humidity. You turn on the AC to get the humidity down but the AC may cool down the room too fast and start cycling. That's why it is important to get the correct size AC unit for your space. Bigger is NOT always better when it comes to AC.

Also, look to see if you have water running down the outside of your camper from the AC. If you don't, then something may be wrong. As the AC cools, it should cause a lot of condensation (if it is humid out). That has to run off somewhere. If it isn't, it may be getting recycled back into your camper. Sometimes, if the AC condensation is not draining properly, the AC unit will turn itself into a big block of ice. That in turn, could burn up the compressor due to a lack of air flow through the evaporator core because it is blocked with ice.

You might try removing the shroud (cover) from the roof unit and cleaning it out. Sometimes it can get quite a dirt build-up inside there and the water drain can get plugged up. That will cause humid conditions and/or possible roof damage. We always keep our AC unit covered when not in use, for that very reason.

[memcamper]

Excellent info and I may try the dehumidifier just for kicks.  I did run the air on high and had the fan blowing as fast and hard as it would blow. I'll slow it down and see if it helps.  

Now I have another question, I bought my pu used and I don't know the size of the air conditioner.  Where can I look?  Probably a dumb question but this is my first pu and for us it's 3 weeks old!  ('97 Coleman Santa Fe)

Any advice would be appreciated!!