Camco 44282 (Multicolor)

Camco 44282 (Multicolor)

By Camco · Dehumidifiers · Home & Workspace

  • 5 lb moisture absorber bucket
  • Fragrance-free beads absorb up to 3x their weight
  • Disposable, no power required
  • Made for RVs, campers, boats and storage spaces

Lowest price seen
~$14.99 (approx.)
from $14.99 at Amazon

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A fragrance-free, passive 5 lb moisture-absorbing bucket for parked RVs, closets, bathrooms and storage spaces with no power source. Check that your space is enclosed and your damp problem is modest before you buy: the bucket cannot keep up with active condensation, and its salty brine can stain or corrode nearby surfaces.

Strengths

  • Needs no electricity, hookups or batteries, so it suits a parked camper or an unpowered closet.
  • Five pounds of medium per bucket means fewer swaps than small 10.5-ounce cups.
  • Fragrance-free, which matters for stored clothing and scent-sensitive owners.
  • Sold at Home Depot, Ace, Walmart and Camping World, so store pickup avoids heavy shipping.
  • The calcium chloride formula is documented in Camco’s own safety data sheet.

Weaknesses

  • The absorbent dissolves into salty brine that can damage metal, leather and upholstery.
  • No level gauge, hygrometer or shutoff; you have to inspect the gel and measure humidity yourself.
  • Single-use bucket with no manufacturer-sanctioned refill for the 44282.
  • The up-to-six-month claim is best case; damp southern summers can exhaust one in under a month.
  • Too slow for active condensation; owners with daily moisture still need ventilation or a powered dehumidifier.
  • Not spill-proof by independent test, and Camco’s page lists no spill-resistant cover.

Verified specifications

ModelCamco Moisture Absorber 5 lb Bucket, SKU 44282, barcode 014717442824.
Absorbentcalcium chloride (CAS 10043-52-4), listed at 100% on Camco’s February 2018 safety data sheet.
Scentfragrance-free, with no added lavender.
Power0 W; no compressor, fan, battery, humidistat, drain hose or pump.
Rated absorptionup to 3 times the dry absorbent’s weight in water, about 15 lb for a 5 lb bucket on the maker’s arithmetic.
Claimed lifeup to six months per bucket; replace once the contents turn gel-like.
Activationremove the foil seal to start it working.
Dimensions8.75 × 8.75 × 8.0 in; shipping weight 6.1 lb.
Country of originChina.
Warranty12 months from purchase with receipt, for a manufacturing or material defect.
Full research notes and sources

How it absorbs and where it fits

The bucket is a passive chemical absorber, not a machine. Calcium chloride pulls water vapor from the air and slowly turns into a wet gel and then liquid; there is no compressor, fan, battery, setpoint or display, and the whole unit is thrown away once it is spent. Camco claims up to three times the dry medium’s weight in captured water and up to six months of use, but neither figure comes from an independent extraction test, so treat both as best-case marketing.

It fits an enclosed, low-airflow space with modest humidity and no power: a stored camper, a closet, a basement corner. The EPA guide says the real moisture source has to be fixed and relative humidity kept below 60%, ideally 30–50%, which a bucket cannot do on its own. RV owners describe passive buckets as helpful for storage but not enough on their own when people, cooking and showers produce condensation every day.

Brine, spills and handling

Once activated, the medium becomes salty liquid that can damage metal, leather and upholstery on contact. Keep the bucket upright on a stable, level surface and in a secondary plastic tray on anything that cannot be stained, away from children, pets and bare metal. Historical Camco guidance for this chemical calls for flushing eyes with water for at least 15 minutes after exposure, and the maker warns against reusing the empty container. Put it on a low-traffic surface, keep it closed until you use it, and check the gel and liquid level regularly.

What owners report

Exact 44282 feedback is thin: Home Depot has three product reviews, and Camco’s own page shows none. Two verified buyers in July 2024 said the bucket was working well in their applications, while a third that April was still waiting to see whether it lasted six months, which is not evidence that it does. No leak rate, defect rate or independent efficacy test for this exact model was found. A March 2025 Walmart review that complains about a humidifier part describes a different product and should not be read as a Camco 44282 failure.

Running costs and value

Running the bucket costs nothing: no electricity, no subscription, no maintenance labor. The recurring expense is replacing the whole bucket. On Camco’s six-month best case that is 2 buckets a year, $37.98 at the maker’s $18.99 or $31.74 at Home Depot’s $15.87; at one bucket every two months it is 6 buckets and $113.94 a year at the maker’s price. Checked offers in October 2026 were $18.99 direct from Camco, $15.87 and $17.63 at Home Depot, $15.99 at Ace, $17.63 at Walmart and $20.99 at Camping World, all shipping-weighted and pickup-dependent.

The same-purpose DampRid FG50T is $11.99 at Home Depot for 4 lb with a spill-resistant cover, which works out to about the same cost per dry pound at $3.00 against $3.17 for the 5 lb Camco. Above $20 the Camco is hard to justify unless you need the extra pound or same-day pickup. Compare full shipping-inclusive totals, not just the shelf price.

Which model this is

This is the Camco Moisture Absorber 5 lb Bucket, SKU 44282, barcode 014717442824. It is not the smaller refillable 44280 lavender unit, the 44284 lavender refill, or a plug-in mini-dehumidifier; the same 2018 safety data sheet covers 44280, 44282, 44284 and 44286 and names calcium chloride for all of them. Camco also sells scented small refillables, so match on the SKU before buying.

Sources

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