Hi all, We have been living full time from just before christmas in our 684 and you all know about the weather. Buttoned up like eskimo nell our airstream suffered with condensation, especially windows with flyscreens, our cure keep all windows shut tight and open the curtains as wide as possible, undress by the light of the bathroom window, and hey presto, condensation over the next few days reduced to nil , its dark, no one can see in, Try not to let the temp. drop too low.

Saw this modification to the standard Airstream window catch on a trailer in Scotland this winter. The owner had this done in an effort to reduce condensation and for him it worked.

Just a slot machined to the inside. Window can be 'cracked' open and locked in the new slot to prevent rattling. Tebay carried out this mod.

(Sketches not to scale)

Good idea. They should make this mods permenant on production models.

What a simple and great idea... I too suffer from condensation at certain times during the winter (not me personally, my 684!), dripping brown stains left on the end curtains, I'm sure others have experienced this effect? Never got to the bottom of it, often noticed that it's happened when I return back after a short period away when the van's been shut-up tight.

We also got the brown stains on our curtains. There is a gap between the overhead lockers and the window. Behind the locker is only the outer skin and insulation but no inner skin. We noticed moisture dripping from this gap.
Last autumn Pete squirted expanding foam into the gap ( from inside the locker, having removed the orange side panels). It did help but I think another factor is the window frames themselves. they get cold, condensation forms, it drips.
But I'm pretty sure the stains on the curtains are brown because it's moisture from behind the locker, coloured by the glue holding the insulation in place.

Water will always find a way through, however ingenious the solution. I'd cope with just plain clear condensing water dripping onto the curtains but brown sticky water! You're correct, it's the water based adhesive that's used to bond the insulation material to the outer skin. I've also seen dribbles of this solution tracking down the outer skin by the bathroom, which proves that condensation is forming in other areas too. It's a hard nut to crack and I'm sure many people find various ways to deal with it. For me, it's only a problem for a couple of months a year and I'm more vigilant now at airing and drying out my van during these colder snaps - not always practical when it's humid and cold. As I said though, it can happen when I'm away for short periods when things are buttoned up tight. My curtains are dry clean only and some have already suffered shrinkage from hand washing last year, I'd like to see the back-end of the this problem for sure.... In the long term I guess, the water soaked insulation material will rot and will need replacing in years to come unless I find a permanent solution to this small problem?

Don't forget that there is a really easy way to test the insulation in many places of an EU Airstream (except Bambi).

All the spotlights are held in by clips, and you can just pull them out of their holes (being careful of the mouse-trap springs trapping your thumb in the process). Voila! You have access to the insulation in that area, and can feel whether or not it is damp.

Crikey - that goes against all the principles of building insulation - an outer shell, an insulation medium (fibreglass/closed cell foam, etc.) and an inner vapour barrier on the warm side of the insulation.

You're missing the vapour barrier in the area you describe, so you have moisture laden air hitting a cold outer shell.

Serious condensation will form on the inner side of the outer skin and 'wick' into the fibreglass and drip.

John

Ermm, what's a vapour barrier and do other Airstreams have these to prevent warm moist air finding these cold nasty places?

The vapour barrier can be anything - foil/plastic/tar paper, etc. In the case of an Airstream it's the alloy inner skin.

Per Shoe's post, parts their inner skin (i.e. vapour barrier) is missing.

John