Winter Mildew Prevention in Cold Northern Climes

[Padlin]

I'm looking for some ideas on how to keep my trailer from getting mildew over the cold winter months which was an issue a couple years ago. Tried the chemical dehumidifiers the last couple years but they freeze solid at some point and stay that way till spring, hard to tell if they helped much as each only had maybe 1/2 cup of water, but no mildew. The trailer lives covered outside and has so far been unheated in the winter. Considering a small oil filled electric heater this year.

[Lumpty]

One roof vent open under a MaxxAir cover, at least 2 DriEz buckets strategically placed that I will change out about halfway through winter, all cabinets with at least one door open, and uncovered.

Zero issues.

[davosfam]

We crack a window open, cover the trailer and leave a small portable heater running. The portable heater is set on the lowest setting and comes on when the temp gets below 35 or 40. It automatically shuts off if tipped over.

[John_Joey]

Up north during the winter it is so arid nothing is needed.

Down south this is what we do when putting a rig away:

• close everything
• allow the stove flap to open in case of pressure build up
• two large buckets of damp rid
• two pans of non clumping kitty litter
• a few pans of charcoal
• crushed newspaper in fridge and cabinets.
  
  Six months later smells like the day we left it.

[Padlin]

donn0128 wrote:
Mold needs moisture. Are you sure you don't have a leak?

This could be the issue we had. Found half the floor rotted out and soggy early last year, replaced the floor in the fall. No mildew this past winter.

So now which is best, vents open or closed? Heated to just above freezing or not? Chemical dehumidifier or not? Remember, this is for areas that have prolonged freezes.

[Dakzuki]

I keep it buttoned up tight with dehumidifier or Dry Z Air. During the winter here it is damp all the time. Venting will just allow moisture in.

[stetwood]

Northern WIs, temps to -40 degrees. Only have roof vents open. No mildew or mold. It is housed in a shed.

[bguy]

Padlin wrote:
I'm looking for some ideas on how to keep my trailer from getting mildew over the cold winter months which was an issue a couple years ago. Tried the chemical dehumidifiers the last couple years but they freeze solid at some point and stay that way till spring, hard to tell if they helped much as each only had maybe 1/2 cup of water, but no mildew. The trailer lives covered outside and has so far been unheated in the winter. Considering a small oil filled electric heater this year.

Keep all of your exterior openings shut. Vents, hatches, everything. If you leave something open, every time the temperature drops you trailer takes a long deep breath of winter air.

[ScottG]

We do just the opposite here. Close everything and cover. I use two Dri-z-airs and end up dumping them about two times during the 6~7 month storage season. Before covering, I would have to dump the DZA'a every month. Covering made a huge difference. (We have never had a leak in this TT)
I've never had a DZA freeze either - don't know how they could since it's a highly concentrated brine solution.

[CloudDriver]

No cover, roof vents open with Maxxair covers. Eleven years old and no issues with mildew or mold. Only time I noticed condensation on the inside was when I had a leak in the cab over.

[CT_WANDERER]

I like several other's just left the vents open and no cover on the MH. I was plugged into shore power to keep the batteries charged. Now we just spend the winter in TX, don't have to worry about the MH being in the cold northeast. Gary

[xaugievike]

Never done anything other than leave roof vents open.

[donn0128]

Mold needs moisture. Are you sure you dont have a leak?

[Padlin]

Had mildew all over the ceiling, walls, and any other hard surface the one year I left the windows cracked and the ceiling vent open a bit, not a fun job to clean up. Makes one think leaving things open was the wrong thing to do.

The cover is/was one of the Tyvek Adco jobs.

[pitch]

Agree with uncovering, mildew comes due to lack of air circulation. I have moisture problems in the warm months not winter.