Mold!

just a reminder:

here in Sacramento we have had a good break in the rain. I went out and opened up the Hawk and found a little mold. The unit is all popped up now, the fans are going, and I hit the little mold patches with Lysol.

Spring is coming so now is the time....be on the lookout!

fyi it was on the forward lift, nearest the roof on the drivers side. i assume a little moisture collected between the liner and the lift board. this is just below the upper hinge.

air them out well folks!

sigining off, old moldy.

Thanks for the heads-up. I will check mine today.

just a reminder:

here in Sacramento we have had a good break in the rain. I went out and opened up the Hawk and found a little mold. The unit is all popped up now, the fans are going, and I hit the little mold patches with Lysol.

Spring is coming so now is the time....be on the lookout!

fyi it was on the forward lift, nearest the roof on the drivers side. i assume a little moisture collected between the liner and the lift board. this is just below the upper hinge.

air them out well folks!

sigining off, old moldy.


Did the same thing in Stockton today. I drive the Tundra w/Hawk when it rains. Ride my ST1300 on non rainy days. Found everything dry and no mold. Almost time to go camping.

just a reminder:

here in Sacramento we have had a good break in the rain. I went out and opened up the Hawk and found a little mold. The unit is all popped up now, the fans are going, and I hit the little mold patches with Lysol.

Spring is coming so now is the time....be on the lookout!

fyi it was on the forward lift, nearest the roof on the drivers side. i assume a little moisture collected between the liner and the lift board. this is just below the upper hinge.

air them out well folks!

sigining off, old moldy.


Yep, got the same the thing going on in mine, cleaned it up last week. Good call on the Lysol, i'll have to go hit it with that later.

Yup, thanks for the heads up! Planning on loading it on the truck and getting ready for spring break travels this week.

We get out about once or twice a month, year round. Because of cooking inside and running the heater, it is the norm for us to have condensation on the walls during winter trips. We dry them as well as we can and open up the camper when we get home, but this is usually what we find on the next trip. Herr is right, pop it and clean it while the weather is good.

I also keep a tub of desiccant in my rig when its parked to help adsorb interior moisture.

I also keep a tub of desiccant in my rig when its parked to help adsorb interior moisture.


pods8,

Where do you purchase the desiccant? How much does it cost?

pods8,

Where do you purchase the desiccant? How much does it cost?


Homedepot and other stores like that, in the painting section. Common name brand is damprid http://www.damprid.com/. Just buy the bulk bag refill they carry under $10. Just pour some in small tub (pint-quart sized is fine) on the camper floor. When it all turns to liquid pour it out and add some more flakes from the refill bag.

Just remember to take if out of the camper before you drive off so it doesn't tip over/spill or do something besides setting a tub on the floor if you want to be able to drive around with it.

Good tip PODS, I am heading out to teach whitewater guide school on the 20th and will spend 11 wet and rainy days in the Fleet, I think I'm going to set out a tub of that in the camper for the week. Is it safe to have out while you are in the camper?

Good tip PODS, I am heading out to teach whitewater guide school on the 20th and will spend 11 wet and rainy days in the Fleet, I think I'm going to set out a tub of that in the camper for the week. Is it safe to have out while you are in the camper?


It doesn't pollute the air or such if those kinds of concerns are what you are thinking. When I've gotten the liquid on my hands its feels a little slimy but washes off fine. I'd mainly be worried about kicking it over, etc. I see a dog in your avatar picture though, so I'd double check on whether its toxic if ingested (they have an MSDS on the site).

I don't carry the stuff when camping just while in storage after I've aired it out so it pulls out moisture that may come in or may have built up. Its a gradual process so I don't know how it'd work in a camping situation with lots of moisture being added but its worth a shot if it doesn't get in the way.

Homedepot and other stores like that, in the painting section. Common name brand is damprid http://www.damprid.com/. Just buy the bulk bag refill they carry under $10. Just pour some in small tub (pint-quart sized is fine) on the camper floor. When it all turns to liquid pour it out and add some more flakes from the refill bag.

Just remember to take if out of the camper before you drive off so it doesn't tip over/spill or do something besides setting a tub on the floor if you want to be able to drive around with it.



Thanks for the info pods8.

Being from the very 'moist' Northwest (Seattle area), I am concerned about moisture too. One thing that I have thought about doing is puttng a dehumidifier in the camper during some of those very rainy days. What a pain though. I went to Lowes and a few other vendors who typically provide these and they only sell them in the SUMMER. Which means to me that they are selling them to people who run air conditioning when dries out the air. Oh well.

Anyway...I wonder if anyone has tried a de-humidifier?

Chris

I live in Portland where, like our big sister to the north, it's a bit damp in the winter. I had a '98 Grandby for 7 years that sat in my driveway year round. I sold it a while back but, at the time, I kept a 40 watt heating bar plugged in and also used those little tubs of crystals that extracted moisture from the air. I never had any issues with mold or mildew inside the camper. I did have some problems on and off with water getting in the outer folds and seeping through the windows, but that is another story that eventually was resolved. I've had an older Airstream trailer for 5+ years and in the colder winter months, I keep two 60 watt bulbs plugged in near the floor and also have an electric heater that can switch on when the temp hits freezing. This works on the west slope of the Cascades where it infrequently gets below freezing. During the dead of winter, I drain the water tanks & hot water heater and drop a bit of RV antifreeze in the traps and that seems to work fine. Since we take the trailer to the coast in the winter months, it's fairly easy to get it ready to roll. I've never had to purge the lines. Again, never had any problems with mildew or mold. I now have a Grandby Shell on order for delivery in a few weeks. I may also go the light bulb route with the shell during the winter months just to keep a low grade heat source on the inside. With the shell, however, I won't be concerned with plumbing, etc.

TK