Moldy interior of TT - disgusting!

[BobsYourUncle]

Argh - not a happy camper!

I dragged my TT out of storage for the first time this year to go camping for the Victoria Day long weekend.

I hooked up, did a cursory check inside, closed the fridge, things like that and got home to load for the weekend.

It was then that I looked at the ceiling and saw mold and mildew all over the place. Further examination revealed the same disgusting mess everywhere, in my tub, toilet, kitchen counter, walls - you name it.

Ugh! simply Ugh! I was so disgusted with it all.

I keep the TT stocked with a large amount of extra bedding, blankets, towels, clothing, undies etc. etc. When I park the thing I strip the bed and put the bedding on the sofa and stand the mattress on edge so it can air out.

Well, the bedding on the sofa was moldy. My pillows have to go straight to the garbage - they are covered in huge mold stains. I opened the wardrobes and everything stunk and much of it had mold on it.

Geeeeeez - not impressed, and I only had a few hours to get ready to leave. So I closed the wardrobes, laundered the bedding and towel I was going to use, did a quick cleanup and left. All weekend, nice and warm out and the place stinks.

I got home and pulled EVERYTHING out, 3 huge garbage bags full and I'm still in the process of bleaching and laundering it all. What a task!

OK, I'm done whining......


What do you guys do with your RV's when stored for months over a very wet rainy winter to prevent this stinky moldy situation?

I always make a point of storing it with the 3 roof vents open about halfway for the winter. They have covers and it rains a LOT here in the winter.
But I think I may have left them closed for 2 or 3 months and opened them on one of my monthly checkups of the rig. Don't remember for sure - CRS strikes again!

I have heard of some device you put in the unit that attracts moisture and drains it to a pan or bucket.

It can't be just me!

[rhagfo]

Well this post doesn't really apply to us as we use the 5er year round, but it does sit for about a month at a time during the cold, wet months. I HATE Dri-Z-Air dehumidifiers, I had one and it spilled on a wood surface, I needed to replace that surface as the it absorbed the chemical and was always wet!!

I now use Eva-Dry, reusable drying crystals, no fluid to spill, or crystals to play with. Not cheap, but as far as i am concerned, better than the crystals.

Eva-Dry

[Pogoil]

I also am in Oregon. Here is what I have learned. I take care of no less than 10 stored RVs each winter.
I always advise owners to open all blinds. Mold likes dark and damp.
Open the roof vents if covered by roof vent covers. 1 inch is plenty.
Then the real secret is to super clean the surfaces and window sills.
Then use a vac. to clean the floors.

Mold grows on dirt, dust and dirty surfaces. 2 times in 8 years of storing RVs they have come out with mold and both were dirty when stored and 1 closed the RV up tight and had all the blinds closed.

That is out of about 100 stored in 8 years.

Pogoil.

[Sea_Dog]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

Sea Dog wrote:
Why would anyone store an RV with windows/vents open?

Because leaving them open allows for the humidity inside the trailer to be at the same level as outside the trailer, and the constant exchange/flow of fresh air prevents mold formation.

No need for kitty litter/dehumidifying machines or chemicals that way...

I live in the Pacific North WET, and believe you me- we know what's up when it comes to mold prevention!

Different strokes for different folks!

[Francesca_Knowl]

Sea Dog wrote:
Why would anyone store an RV with windows/vents open?

Because leaving them open allows for the humidity inside the trailer to be at the same level as outside the trailer, and the constant exchange/flow of fresh air prevents mold formation.

No need for kitty litter/dehumidifying machines or chemicals that way...

I live in the Pacific North WET, and believe you me- we know what's up when it comes to mold prevention!

[RambleOnNW]

I'm another that keeps the RV closed up. Some air does still circulate due to the stove vent hood vent flapping in the wind. I do open the vents some if it is going to get hot in the 90's for several days. Used to use Dry-Z-air units, 5 of them, emptied once per month. Now using Eva-dry 500 units, plug them in to dry out when they have absorbed all the water they can.

[JoeChiOhki]

Sea Dog wrote:
Why would anyone store an RV with windows/vents open?

With our Florida fifth wheeler, we set out two large pails of DampRid,
numerous margarine tubs of kitty litter.

All openings are tightly shut.
Sits from April first until mid Oct,
never any sign of dampness or mould!

Aye, confused on that myself. I always buttoned her up tight and let the moisture absorbers control the interior air's moisture content as much as possible.

[Sea_Dog]

Why would anyone store an RV with windows/vents open?

With our Florida fifth wheeler, we set out two large pails of DampRid,
numerous margarine tubs of kitty litter.

All openings are tightly shut.
Sits from April first until mid Oct,
never any sign of dampness or mould!

[Francesca_Knowl]

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Problem solved!!! :B:B

I bought a replacement TT today and I can scrap this rotten old Sportsmen!!

New to me TT thread & pics

:B

The Zsa Zsa Gabor solution! (She once said that when her jewels get dirty she just throws them away and gets new ones.)

Say....I'll do you a favor and come tow that oldy moldy Sportsman away- no charge! :W

[Dakzuki]

BuckBarker wrote:
Either open the roof vents that are covered with Max Airs or run a dehumidifier. Being it's stored away from home I guess you are stuck with the first option.

I button it up tight and use a dehumidifier and/or Dry-Z-Air. Opening vents just lets more moisture into the RV during our wet season in the PNW (Oct-mid July).

[BobsYourUncle]

Problem solved!!! :B:B

I bought a replacement TT today and I can scrap this rotten old Sportsmen!!

New to me TT thread & pics

[BobsYourUncle]

2012Coleman wrote:

Well, the bedding on the sofa was moldy. My pillows have to go straight to the garbage - they are covered in huge mold stains. I opened the wardrobes and everything stunk and much of it had mold on it.

Geeeeeez - not impressed, and I only had a few hours to get ready to leave. So I closed the wardrobes, laundered the bedding and towel I was going to use, did a quick cleanup and left. All weekend, nice and warm out and the place stinks.

Seriously? You went camping in it before cleaning it up? Hope you and your family are ok.

Yes, it does have a leak and the back end is badly rotten in the floor, however, it has been like that for a very long time and I have never had an issue before.

So you have a known issue, leaking camper with a rotten floor, go camping when its filled with mold... not meaning to harp on you, but come on!

Please get it fixed for your families sake if nothing else.

Before you dump on me some more for your perceived offenses, lets make something clear.

Yes, I slept in it. And if you read my post I stated I did a quick cleanup. That means a bucket and soap with bleach and lots of water and rinses of the surfaces. All bedding was washed. Pillows were tossed and I brought one from home. And I opened every window and ran the FF on high the whole weekend.

And I brought a bunch of tents with me. They were pitched nearby. My grandkids slept in one of them, my wife in another and my daughter in yet another.

And the roof does not leak. It never has yet. The leak is in the back near the floor by a corner seam and the storage bay door. I have stated many times in other posts that I am actively looking for a replacement TT. As stated, this thing has seen its day and is not worth repairing. It's a 95 and served me well for 8 years. I am in the ads every day looking for something, some way I can replace it with something suitable that doesn't break the bank. I am not fixing it, I am going to sell it as is for parts or strip it myself and take the rest to the dump. That is all it is good for.

Some of us can just go to a dealer and say "I want that one" Others, like myself, do not have the financial means to do that. I will find a better TT as soon as possible, but until then I must use this old thing the way it is.

I hope this clears up your misconceptions.

[2012Coleman]

Well, the bedding on the sofa was moldy. My pillows have to go straight to the garbage - they are covered in huge mold stains. I opened the wardrobes and everything stunk and much of it had mold on it.

Geeeeeez - not impressed, and I only had a few hours to get ready to leave. So I closed the wardrobes, laundered the bedding and towel I was going to use, did a quick cleanup and left. All weekend, nice and warm out and the place stinks.

Seriously? You went camping in it before cleaning it up? Hope you and your family are ok.

Yes, it does have a leak and the back end is badly rotten in the floor, however, it has been like that for a very long time and I have never had an issue before.

So you have a known issue, leaking camper with a rotten floor, go camping when its filled with mold... not meaning to harp on you, but come on!

Please get it fixed for your families sake if nothing else.

[Chris_Bryant]

While I am not a huge fan, you can also buy paraformaldehyde packets which will prevent mold (and I believe kill any mold that is present).

[spoon059]

Your leaking roof has probably gotten worse and is allowing more moisture than in the past. I would fix the leak and rotten floors first.

We store our RV in our backyard and simply leave both roof vents cracked open about an inch. That allows air circulation from the front bedroom to the rear bathroom. No mildew or moldy smells out of the trailer since we started doing that. We used to use DampX buckets and Evadry plug in "dehumidifiers", but they cost money and didn't really seem to work. Open vents and cross ventilation work.