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Ianb



Member Since: 25 Oct 2023
Location: Devon
Posts: 382
United Kingdom 1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi HT Alaska White
Window Condensation - External covers?
Hi all,
On the continuation of our journey for a nordic adventure toasty defender we've insulated a huge amount, but of course one area that cannot be insulated is the windows - I've been searching for double glazed "blindspot windows", but realistically we still have the single glazed driver and passenger windows, windscreen and rear windows, so perhaps a fools errand to double glaze 2 out of 8...oh 10...I forgot the pita alpine windows!
I've heard however that external covers can reduce the condensation aspect, has anyone had any experience with this? or know of any options?
Cheers all. The Yeti - 110 Camper https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic90308.html
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@YetitheDefender
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yetithedefender/
Post #1018865 20th Dec 2023 10:07pm
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macfrank



Member Since: 05 Nov 2015
Location: somewhere in the north
Posts: 1061
Germany 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Keswick Green
Yes, I keep asking myself why there is no double glazing in cars. Don't need self-driving gimmicks Smile

As for external covers there was a discussion in a German forum about pop-top insulation.
Some have an external hood, made from truck tarps or thermomats and both seem to work well because of the air buffer they create. However, some say the thermomats work equally well on the inside, like these: https://www.blidimax.de/blidimax-35/blidimax-roof.html

For the windows we use internal thermomats (https://www.project-camper.de/shop/magnet-thermomatten-land-rover-defender). They are great, but don't reduce condensation.
After all, the water you exhale/sweat has to go somewhere. When air is cold it can't store much water.

We have curtains all around and I noticed they buffer some of the moisture.
https://www.kraxlr.de/making_curtains.html
Post #1018868 20th Dec 2023 10:39pm
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landy andy



Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5652
2006 Defender 110 Td5 USW Zermatt Silver
External covers help massively over no covers or internal covers. Everybody who winter camps in vans/campers/Motorhomes uses them. You can get them made to size for you by companies such as polar, Taylor, minster. Or another option is to buy motorhome external screen covers and chop them down in size.

Mud stuff also do some insulated covers but think they are internal.


https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/collections/exp...dow-blinds


Another option, or extra is to use the Karcher window vac, to clear the glass. Again something else us motorhomers do
Post #1018873 20th Dec 2023 11:31pm
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pistonfields



Member Since: 29 Mar 2022
Location: Zurich
Posts: 72
Switzerland 
My wife lived on a boat for two years in the baltic sea and faced the issue with condensation. She then found a clear foil advertised as window insulation. Put double sided tape on the frame, attach the plastic sheet and heat it up with a hairdryer. It shrinks and gets wrinkle free, creating a second barrier and trapping the air. I don't know if it would work on all car windows (and you obviously can't open them anymore, but it might be an option for the rear side windows or the quarter windows. but be advised: even the tiniest gap will let moisture pass which then condensates and is essentially trapped.
Heating the car with a diesel heater helps too, especially when drawing the air from the outside.
Post #1018881 21st Dec 2023 7:49am
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macfrank



Member Since: 05 Nov 2015
Location: somewhere in the north
Posts: 1061
Germany 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Keswick Green
landy andy wrote:
External covers help massively over no covers or internal covers. Everybody who winter camps in vans/campers/Motorhomes uses them. You can get them made to size for you by companies such as polar, Taylor, minster. Or another option is to buy motorhome external screen covers and chop them down in size.


Good point. The one in the video is fitted with a combination of channel rails and suction cups (we have channel rails all round for the tarps anyway; our internal covers have magnets sewed in, which is great but wont work on the outside).

(trigger warning: this video may contain a lot of grey Wink)
?si=wc-ZDoR1VW3vnR0T&t=1404
(fitting shown from 23:20 mins)
Post #1018889 21st Dec 2023 9:16am
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