Weep holes?

November 21, 2022

I learned something new today.  We’ve noticed in the past few days, especially since it has been very cold outside that the condensation on the interior side of the windows is significant. First few days, I simply wiped them down. We don’t exactly have a dryer to put a wet towel in so that wasn’t a great option, especially since we can’t hang the towel outside to dry in this cold temperatures. So I went to the expert…Google.  We found various ways that it should be managed.

First, there are weep holes, OR SHOULD BE, in the bottom of the windows.  Interestingly, although each window on the exterior appears to have a weep hole, those same weep holes don’t exist on the interior of each window. Specifically, if it’s a window with a screen or an emergency escape window, they seem to have weep holes on both sides. However, the windows that don’t open didn’t have them on the interior side of the frame. Examining the exterior, it appears that the weep holes, or at least some of them, were working on the windows that have them both inside and outside because large icicles had formed on the outside of the RV where the condensation was draining. However, for the windows that don’t have the interior hole, the condensation fills up in the bottom of the window frame and then spills over down the wall and onto the floor.

We only noticed the dripping down at the wall and onto the floor when Kasha had another vomit incident on her dog bed, and I decided to pull them both up to wash them only to note that there was mold on the bottom of the bed closest to one of the small windows. Those went in the trash!

It took us a few days to research and figure it out. Most of the commentary said clean out the window well and holes. Other suggestions were things like don’t shower or cook as they both create moisture inside the RV. Well, those are two things that I’m already struggling with!  I’ve gotten used to the five minute showers, but the stove is really unusable.  It is so tiny and uses so much propane, it’s impractical. We researched and researched how to get rid of the condensation and ordered a small dehumidifier, which should help.  We sprayed vinegar and water on the windows which is supposed to help the condensation not form. In the end, we came up with our own solution, and we drilled tiny holes on the inside of the base of the windows that didn’t have interior holes. Although now the condensation runs out, it hasn’t solved the condensation issue.  Any closed cabinet or outside wall has condensation, and there is nothing we can do about it. Lots of wiping down every day is the only real solution. That’s ok, it’s a great way to get more steps in that are otherwise difficult to get in given our small space. The tiny house television shows imply a much more glamourous view of this small space living.