Mold or old water damage?

[Nickkle]

Thinking about purchasing a Class A motorhome. There is a small area in the ceiling that concerns me. The seller told me that this was area that there was a small leak that the original owner fixed before he purchased the RV. Does this look like mold to anyone? Or just old water damage? The roof was hard and felt solid.

[fla-gypsy]

gbopp wrote:
If you're really interested in the RV, buy or borrow a moisture meter.
They're not very expensive.
Use it to check the walls and ceiling for moisture.
I had a leak in our Southwind, the meter works well for finding the damp spots.
If the one you're looking at has damp walls/ceiling, I would walk away.
If it's dry, use the stains as a negotiating point.

This is wisdom. If it is no longer leaking that's not a hard fix

[gbopp]

If you're really interested in the RV, buy or borrow a moisture meter.
They're not very expensive.
Use it to check the walls and ceiling for moisture.
I had a leak in our Southwind, the meter works well for finding the damp spots.
If the one you're looking at has damp walls/ceiling, I would walk away.
If it's dry, use the stains as a negotiating point.

[db7512]

Run away.

[myredracer]

duplicate. :M

[myredracer]

At the left of the overhead cabinet you can also see staining on the wall. Looks like there was a BIG leak at one time. You will not know how bad it is behind walls and the ceiling until things get pulled apart and as mentioned above can be a nightmare. You have no idea how far water traveled and what hidden damage there is.

That could be a sign that the entire MH was poorly maintained and there could be a whole lot of other problems waiting to be found. Pass, and fuggedaboutit...

[NYCgrrl]

westend wrote:
If unsure about leaking, have a pressurized leak test done before purchase. Seal Tech is a commercial outfit that does them or you can DIY with an adequate blower.

The stains can probably be removed with soap and peroxide.

Wish they had a pressurized leak test for buildings; would've saved me much grief down through the years.

Just bookmarked the Seal Tech link and thank you for the add-on to my knowledge base!:C.

[westend]

If unsure about leaking, have a pressurized leak test done before purchase. Seal Tech is a commercial outfit that does them or you can DIY with an adequate blower.

The stains can probably be removed with soap and peroxide.

[netaq]

Looks like a bunch of money down the road to me. A buddy of mine has been chasing leaks in his parents MH for years, had to replace the walls in the front and the bathroom walls and floor in the back.

[Dr_Quick]

It is what you can not see that would scare me. I have rebuilt four trailers with severe water damage. Once you get to the problem behind the paneling it usually turns into a NIGHTMARE.

Don't walk away, RUN!

[NYCgrrl]

Looks like an old water stain to me since mold is normally grey to black. To be assured it's not an active leak I'd prolly want to run a hose up along the roof and turn the water on.

[blackeyed1]

I wouldn't buy it. Can it be removed or would one be looking at it everytime they get in it?