Meaco Desiccant Dehumidifier
If there is one device you need in an RV it’s a good dehumidifier. Living in close quarters causes things like cooking, showering, breathing… and just about anything else, all contribute to excess condensation and humidity. In an RV, where your walls are just a step above paper, this is a huge problem!
Mold can (and will) accumulate around the windows, on walls, and even under carpet. This is why it’s so important to keep moisture down inside an RV. For this reason, a quality dehumidifier is our #1 product among our recommended RV gadgets.
When Meaco contacted us to test out their DD8L Zambezi Desiccant Dehumidifier we were more than willing to put it to the test! And what’s a better test than living in a temperate rainforest in the fall?
*Note, we did not receive any compensation or kickbacks for this product review. We strive to write unbiased articles about products that will benefit the RV community.
Quick Facts
Desiccant dehumidifiers do not use refrigerant or a compressor enabling them to operate in colder temperatures
Can pull 17 pints of water from the air per day
Tank holds 6.34 pints
Has multiple settings including “Laundry” and “Ionizer”
Comes with a 2 year warranty
Light weight & compact - 18lbs and 21.5 x 14 x 7.9 inches
Much quieter than a compressor style dehumidifier
Costs around $280 on Amazon
First Impressions
Right out of the box we thought, wow this is fancy and super lightweight. It has more settings than our Frigidaire (which has had two warranty replacements now). It also has a cute little elephant on it! :)
The first night we had it on, it expelled a burning smell so we shut it off until morning. Once we read the manual (I guess we should have done that first) we were relieved that the smell is normal and does dissipate.
Read the manual first! It’s short and has some great information.
Controls
Digital Control Panel
Like I said, it’s a pretty fancy digital control panel. We love that it has so many settings! Not only does is have multiple fan speeds, it also has a laundry mode and an anti-bacterial ionizer setting. The ionizer mode actually removes mold spores, bacteria, and germs from the air. Most dehumidifiers we’ve had simply remove dust and moisture from air, so this is a huge bonus for us!
If you boondock or just want to save energy, there are three fan settings that control energy consumption. These settings range from 300 (low) to 600 (high) watts. If you’re more concerned about the humidity levels, you can set it to automatically control the fan speeds depending on the humidity in the room.
Day to Day Use
This machine requires very little maintenance. The water tank is smaller than our other unit, so it must be emptied 1-2 times daily. It does include a hose, so if you have a water outlet you can set it up to drain out through the hose bypassing the tank entirely.
We like to move it to the front of the motorhome at night and the bathroom during the day. This way, we empty the tank when we move it. There is also a filter on the back that pops off and can be vacuumed to remove hair, dust, and dirt. It’s recommended this be done every two weeks.
Does it Work?
It definitely keeps the humidity levels down! When your bathroom is the size of a normal closet, showers tend to steam up the entire room quickly. We place it in the tub right after a shower and it will absorb the water in about 30 minutes getting the room back to normal.
In the evenings we move it to the front of the RV, where we’ve had the most issues with mold. During the wetter seasons, our front windshield will accumulated so much condensation it puddles! The Zambezi will pull an entire bucket full of water in just one night, keeping the condensation at bay.
About the Elephants
The Zambezi unit was named after a baby elephant found and rescued by the Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia in support by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. Another thing we absolutely love about the Zambezi unit is that a portion of its precedes go to helping Zambezi the elephant and other orphaned elephants being rescued, rehabilitated, and released. Each unit comes with a pamphlet of Zambezi’s story.
That sums up our experience with the Meaco DD8L Zambezi Dehumidifier. We can honestly say it’s a great unit for RV living both for full-timers and vacationers alike.