Recommend a vehicle dehumifier

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I've been fighting a battle against leaks in my old Dakota, and while I've won many battles, the war is not quite over. I still get a damp carpet after heavy rains or short rains with high winds. At least it's not the puddle it used to be, just a damp carpet.

The problem is, with a long history of leaks, a mold smell comes back quickly with each new wetting. I think the thing to do is to run a dehumidifier in there at all times. It gets driven about once a week, sometimes less, so unplugging something is not a big hassle like it would be with a daily driver.
 
pull the carpet. it's not just a Mold smell. there is mold in the pad. order up a new carpet, but don't install until you have the leak fully sorted. in the meantime, bedline the floor.
 
I would just run a fan in the car overnight with the windows open (inside a garage). Would cost a lot less than running a dehumidifier...
 
Originally Posted by Toys4Life_C5
I would just run a fan in the car overnight with the windows open (inside a garage). Would cost a lot less than running a dehumidifier...




So simple and costs about $16 Wallymart. Those box fans move lots of air on low I love them
 
Originally Posted by maxdustington
I was thinking about buying one of these: https://www.amazon.ca/Eva-dry-333-Renewable-Wireless-Dehumidifer/dp/B000H0XFCS to keep my tools from rusting in my trunk.

I have https://www.amazon.ca/Eva-Dry-EDV2200-Edv-2200-Dehumidifier-Mid-Size/dp/B001QTW6KQ and https://www.amazon.ca/Eva-dry-500-Renewable-Wireless-Dehumidifer/dp/B00BD0FN8A. While both of them work, are not as efficient. I would recommend the first one if you don't mind 'charging' the pellets every week.

Originally Posted by John_K
How about Damprid?

Originally Posted by carloz
I use something like this- https://www.amazon.com/DampRid-Moisture-Absorber-10-5oz-Fresh/dp/B00EUB4NQM/

Damprid is Calcium Chloride, highly corrosive if spilled. They have different packaging though. If you find something that will not leak, it is awesome.

I think the cover is the only solution for you. If you have a garage, you can use the household dehumidifier.
 
Originally Posted by earlyre
pull the carpet. it's not just a Mold smell. there is mold in the pad. order up a new carpet, but don't install until you have the leak fully sorted. in the meantime, bedline the floor.



This is a good answer. Can you find the leak sources?
 
I use the sun.

I don't have any leaks in my truck but my son and I regularly mountain bike and once in a while, one of our Camelbaks will leak if we forget to close the valve.
 
Last edited:
OP,
After you get the leak fixed, I used a combination of wet/dry vacuum, sun, AC run on high.

A (already mentioned) chap box fan and a cheap hair dryer used localized and not left unsupervised would solve some too.
 
problem I've found is it gets in the insulation beneath the carpet.

the micro-dehum's are usually a small heater to keep the inside temp slightly high. it's a slow process, and the heat may help breed more mold. I have always had to pull and clean the pad if it's a big thing, and fix the leak. Once the leak is fixed the smell didn't seem to be a problem unless it got wet again.

back in the day, some leaks were just fixed with a power drill in the floor.

If you can't find it, look for water coming in through the door card.

-m
 
Originally Posted by Toys4Life_C5
I would just run a fan in the car overnight with the windows open (inside a garage). Would cost a lot less than running a dehumidifier...

That's what I've been doing to dry it out. However that means one of my daily drivers has to sit outside.

Right now I just need something I can set and forget, up to a week at a time. Outside.
 
Thank you for all the product recommendations, I'm checking them out.

The water issue has been going on for over 5 years and I could write a book about how many I found, and how sneaky water is. But there's no point to launch into mold fixes while it still gets wet, even just a little.

So, let's focus on the topic, dehumifiers.
 
It seems the Peltier dehumifiers don't work well in cool weather, and I don't know if I want the hassle of drying out dessicants. Still looking.
 
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