Ventilation is super important to aid in the reduction of condensation from… YOU! You breathe out about ½ a litre of water a day. Imagine how much moisture you and your traveling buddies add to the interior over one night. Then add cooking or even boiling a jug. There’s nothing worse than waking to condensation covering in the inside of all your windows and drips falling from the ceiling. In a poorly vented camper bedding will start retaining moisture straight away making your sleeping experience pretty damp and musky after one night. Besides all that you want decent and fresh airflow in a confined space to reduce C02 build up.
It is very simple to achieve good ventilation via a commercially made roof vent that cost as little as a few hundred dollars. If you are comfortable cutting a hole in the metal of your roof, installation is quite easy. Getting one professionally installed is easy and cheap too, the advantage of getting one professionally fitted is that the installers are doing this type of thing daily. The most common brands are Fiamma and Thule and there are a multitude of options including clear ones that let it all important light and top models that offer 2 way built in electric fans. The fan models are ideal if you are planning to do a lot of cooking inside. Even the most basic models come with insect mesh so you can leave the vent open all night.
User tip; as part of your departure inspection/walk around always close the vent. And if you are installing the vent, have it with the hinges to the front. The lids are not designed for speed.
A cross flow of air is ideal. Opening windows diagonally opposite is great. A huge consideration would be insect meshing a couple of windows. There are always insects in NZ wanting to get in on your camping fun. There’s a bit of a juggling act here with your window treatments too.
