Rain coming into new Coast

[AMH70]

My daughter was sitting playing on her iPad and noticed rain coming on her. Coming from the vent. Surely this isn’t right?!

 

[LRGS253]

Never had a problem with rain in my vents, but I guess it will depend on wind direction also as there is nothing preventing it from blowing in. Are yours just holes on the coast as mine has a mesh over it?

 

[AMH70]

It’s a mesh. Water wasn’t pouring in just dripping.

 

[Stu@rt]

My daughter was sitting playing on her iPad and noticed rain coming on her. Coming from the vent. Surely this isn’t right?!

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Can I ask what the conditions were like? The vents are close the "eaves" if you like, so protected a little, i'd have thought? Was the rain blowing horizontally i.e. really strong wind?

 

[AMH70]

Can I ask what the conditions were like? The vents are close the "eaves" if you like, so protected a little, i'd have thought? Was the rain blowing horizontally i.e. really strong wind?

Not really strong - probably horizontally. Is that normal? We didn’t sleep up the top but we will do at some point in the rain.

 

[altvic]

Rain being driven through the air vents is an unusual occurrence and unlikely to happen again.

 

[Resfeber]

Rain being driven through the air vents is an unusual occurrence and unlikely to happen again.

I have had a similar experience on a couple of occasions in my Ocean when it is raining and water drips off the roof and is blown on to the outside of the mesh.
What then happens is that air entering through the vent causes the water on the mesh to blow into the van in fine droplets and land on the bedding and anyone resident up top.
For such weather conditions (as we always sleep up top) when the van cannot be parked tail into the wind, I have a roll of gaffer tape in the drivers door and stick a piece over the offending vent inside after wiping dry.
Works and easily removed without any damage to the vent mesh.

 

[AMH70]

I have had a similar experience on a couple of occasions in my Ocean when it is raining and water drips off the roof and is blown on to the outside of the mesh.
What then happens is that air entering through the vent causes the water on the mesh to blow into the van in fine droplets and land on the bedding and anyone resident up top.
For such weather conditions (as we always sleep up top) when the van cannot be parked tail into the wind, I have a roll of gaffer tape in the drivers door and stick a piece over the offending vent inside after wiping dry.
Works and easily removed without any damage to the vent mesh.

Thank you so much for this! I’m glad it’s not a fault with the new van. I’d consider buying an internal liner but out of stock for some time. I assume you don’t use one? I found it quite noisy up the top...

 

[Resfeber]

Thank you so much for this! I’m glad it’s not a fault with the new van. I’d consider buying an internal liner but out of stock for some time. I assume you don’t use one? I found it quite noisy up the top...

Just to reassure you it is not a common occurrence, involving a decent amount of rain and the wind gusting on to the side of the van.
At times the fine spray was quite refreshing but being woken up in the middle of the night was not much fun.

In 30 months of ownership this has only happened twice and we average about 50 nights away each year between March and November.

Always sleep up top with no liner, using the heater on 2 or 3 overnight if the temp drops to freezing. It also helps reduce condensation on the canvas inside.

In all our camping, we have only retreated from the roof bed once when a storm hit in the middle of the night at Durness. Our pitch was on the cliff edge pitches and I felt that the violent gusts were putting too much stress on the roof structure irrespective of the van orientation.

 

[AMH70]

Just to reassure you it is not a common occurrence, involving a decent amount of rain and the wind gusting on to the side of the van.
At times the fine spray was quite refreshing but being woken up in the middle of the night was not much fun.

In 30 months of ownership this has only happened twice and we average about 50 nights away each year between March and November.

Always sleep up top with no liner, using the heater on 2 or 3 overnight if the temp drops to freezing. It also helps reduce condensation on the canvas inside.

In all our camping, we have only retreated from the roof bed once when a storm hit in the middle of the night at Durness. Our pitch was on the cliff edge pitches and I felt that the violent gusts were putting too much stress on the roof structure irrespective of the van orientation.

View attachment 78229

Durness is beautiful - haven’t camped just visited. I think my main issue when up top was the noise of other campers chatting away. At the bottom no noise at all. It’s something I need to get used to - I want it to work sleeping up the top. Thank you.

 

[Resfeber]

Durness is beautiful - haven’t camped just visited. I think my main issue when up top was the noise of other campers chatting away. At the bottom no noise at all. It’s something I need to get used to - I want it to work sleeping up the top. Thank you.

My tips would be plenty of exercise, drink (of your choice and in moderation) and if all else fails, ear plugs.
We usually find that the first night you can be “alert” to all the different sounds and keep waking but you adjust to this and soon settle.
We tried sleeping downstairs but found the bed uncomfortable and didn’t want to compromise the van storage with an additional mattress topper.
The upstairs bed is so much better (comfort, width, view) and can be pushed upwards with bedding in situ if you are not going to drive that day rather than having to pack away to use the downstairs living area.
I gather that the T6.1 independent bed springs are even more comfortable than our T6 wooden slats from various reviews.

 

[Resfeber]

Durness is beautiful - haven’t camped just visited. I think my main issue when up top was the noise of other campers chatting away. At the bottom no noise at all. It’s something I need to get used to - I want it to work sleeping up the top. Thank you.

Thank you so much for this! I’m glad it’s not a fault with the new van. I’d consider buying an internal liner but out of stock for some time. I assume you don’t use one? I found it quite noisy up the top...

We are having to resort to Gaffer tape today as cannot orientate van to avoid wind driven rain on to the side of the roof.
Hopefully just for today near Padstow

 

[IainB]

We are having to resort to Gaffer tape today as cannot orientate van to avoid wind driven rain on to the side of the roof.
Hopefully just for today near Padstow

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Did it make a difference? Was there any "wicking" of water around the tape edge?

 

[Cali Phillip]

Durness is beautiful - haven’t camped just visited. I think my main issue when up top was the noise of other campers chatting away. At the bottom no noise at all. It’s something I need to get used to - I want it to work sleeping up the top. Thank you.

Ear plugs work a treat. I sleep light and I have slept thought thunder storms at woke the people in houses. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078QWL7JL/?tag=eliteelect-21 Use these

 

[Resfeber]

Did it make a difference? Was there any "wicking" of water around the tape edge?

Odd few drops make it through at the bottom edge and dribble down on to the ledge with the light switch but nothing compared to the spray that can come through in this situation. Think I will try to make a “rain-hood” that can be Fastened on the outside of the vent with velcro when I get home out of spare tent material.
Will report back eventually.
Back to the game !!