HELP!! Fine white Powder

[DeniseT]

We own a 22 ft Palamino Gazelle Travel trailer and have absolutly loved it for the past 5 years. We use it during the sumer but winter it is sitting. We go through all the winterization chores and leave it heated and even leave Dry-Z-Air on the counter to help keep out moisture. It smells great inside when I open it in the spring but for the last 2 seasons I opened it up to check it in the early spring and every inch of the interior of the trailer is covered in this fine white powder..
Noe we have owned 3 trailers in the past and have never had this problem. It is not Mildew, it does not cling to serfaces. It vacuumes off the furniture easily. But it takes me 3 days with soap and water to clean it all up.. Its so thick on the floor you leave footprints when walking in it... Im stumped. Has anyone seen this before?
Someone suggested the fire extinguisher had gone off, but it is fine. Soneone else suggested the ceiling tiles were degrading but upon further inspection, they are fine...
Can anyone help???
DeniseT

[dodge_guy]

Ya, i don't understand leaving the heat on either. There is really no reason to leave it on. If you winterize there is absolutely no reason to leave it on! I'm betting it has something to do with the furnace and or the desicant bag you leave out.

[pwcdfrcamper]

Why do you leave the heat on? I know my trailer manufacture recommends to winterize, and leave a window slightly open so that the temperature inside the camper is the same as the outside which reduces moisture and thus mold. I've been doing this for 7 years in three different campers and never a problem.

[campntime]

Did you ever figure this out? I am seeing this in our travel trailer and would like to know what is causing it as we have cleaned it once and it is back again and everything is covered. It is so thick on the floor that it leaves foot prints on the stairs when leaving.

[Chuck_Gail]

I'll bet it is junk in the heat vents as said. You could prove that by laying a furnace filter on top of one vent and zeeing which side gets powdered.

[rockhillmanor]

If I understand your post you leave the heat on right?
Open up your floor vents and look inside your vents.

I bought a MH once that when I first turned the heat one night the next day there was a coating of dust all over.

I opened the vents and found 2 inches of dust and dirt laying on the bottom of the vents. So when the heater was on it was bringing it all up into the RV. The MH was immaculate when I bought it but they must have forgot to detail and clean the vents outs too! :B

[sdianel_-acct_c]

powder post beetles can leave residue.

also some mold and fungi

[the_bear_II]

Never experienced that problem.

We have stored our trailer in the desert and sometimes after large dust storms with strong winds there will be a layer of fine dust but it's not white more of an off white. A dust mop like the Swifter dusters gets it cleaned up quickly.

I'm leaning towards a mold that has dried up as the air gets drier. Have you checked with other RV'ers in the Powell River area who also store their RVs in a similar manner.