How do people keep the dust out of their vans while traveling , I know you can tape up all vents but I am a bit worried about ripping of paint and the decals when I go to take offthe tape after, I have a pressure vent but I don't know how well they work on really dusty roads. Plus the vents for the fridge, do you tape them or is there a better way, in my travels I cant say I have seen anygood ideas.
A fellow in the Avan club solved the problem by fitting a Davies Craig electric cooling fan to one of the dome windows - used some filter material as well to trap the dust. The Avan is only 12ft long and does not have the height of a full caravan but the method could be modified to suit.
This way the van is pressurised when travelling and dust cannot enter. Apparently the system worked quite well. All up I'd say it cost less than $50 and once fitted you don't have to worry about dust again.
I can PM you the blokes email as the original article is on the Avan club's members only forum - I'd have to ask him first naturally.
Good Luck.
On 13 feb this year, I posted a reply to this question in the Techies corner. Have a read of it. Basically the idea is to block up vents as much as possible (that slows down the dust entry) and to then have some fresh air coming in (via a scoop in the roof) to pressurise the van. Without the scoop, we cut down the dust entry by at least 95%, by bunging up the vent in the lower part of the door. On the run from Thargomindah to Tiboorburra, at times we couldn't see the van for dust, but dust entry was minimal, and that was before we fitted the scoop in the roof. Sadly, we haven't been able to try it out in similar conditions since fitting the scoop to out van. Also, if you fit a scoop, I suggest that you squeeze some airconditioning filter material into the opening to minimise insects and dust entering through that path.
-- Edited by erad on Thursday 25th of February 2016 08:57:56 PM
Thanks for your replies, I have a scoop in the roof but I was,nt sure if it will work all that well on a really dusty road since I,ve had the van I have not had any dust to speak of.
Lucky our caravan passed the test by accident, sort of. We were going to a meeting and we plugged the address in the Mavman and the rest is history about 40ks of dusty road first time out and thought here goes a real mess to tidy up. Nope to our surprise there was no dust anywhere in the caravan, further checking found minimal dust around the frig, a/c compressor.
Since then quiet regularly we will go down a unsealed road if we think its worth it to see something or do something. We don't have a roof vent but have now started leaving one part of the four season hatch open to help.
Our friends off road camper would get dust in, made covers for all the opening, went to great heaps of trouble and was on the verge of selling it when one day in frustration was laying under it poking about found a open ended rhs chassis member that fed dust up into the back plastic trim across the back which allowed the dust into the cabin of the camper. Some pool noodle, sealastic, problem solved but it did take about 500ks of unsealed roads to find the dust leak.
Maybe take your caravan down a pleasent unsealed road for a test if dust is going to come in, dust will come in on a short drive also and work from there.
-- Edited by Radar on Friday 26th of February 2016 08:57:06 AM
Thanks for your replies, I have a scoop in the roof but I was,nt sure if it will work all that well on a really dusty road since I,ve had the van I have not had any dust to speak of.
Since you haven't had much dust in the van, maybe the roof scoop works? If you want, it is easy to shove some A/C filter mesh in as well to minimise insect and dust entry.
The "Pressure Hatches" do work well although the name is confusing. They don't pressurise the van so much as prevent vacuum in the van which sucks dust in. It is not necessary to block vents when using the hatch either.
__________________
Neil & Lynne
Pinjarra
Western Australia
MY23.5 Ford Wildtrak V6 Dual Cab / 21' Silverline 21-65.3
Thanks for your replies, I have a scoop in the roof but I was,nt sure if it will work all that well on a really dusty road since I,ve had the van I have not had any dust to speak of.
Since you haven't had much dust in the van, maybe the roof scoop works? If you want, it is easy to shove some A/C filter mesh in as well to minimise insect and dust entry.
I should have made my statement clearer, I have not been down a dusty road to really try out the scoop but the idea of filter mesh sounds good I have noticed a few bugs.
Thanks Radar, I will get under the van and have alook around
