MOLD!!

[lgna70]

Well, it's our own fault. We left the trailer uncovered for several months and upon opening her up she was wet and moldy on the inside. The drops of moisture were literally dripping on me as I stuck my head inside. I have a Little Guy 5 wide about 3 years old. We got a lot of the moisture out with those little beads you get in a bucket. We have yet to fish out the mattress. My primary concern however is the mold on the carpeted walls. I have been reading online there is no way to get rid of it without removing the carpeting. These seems expensive and severe. I am wondering if anyone has had this issue and possibly some remedies? We have since moved the tear to an underground parking garage that is dry and secure. We have also cracked the fan cover to let some air circulate inside. Any help is appreciated and thanks ahead of time!

[Desert-rat]

step 1: open everything up to get air in there. Mold doesnt much like moving dry air.
step 2: get yourself several bottles of hydrogen peroxide
step 3: spray the HP onto the mold. let it fizz, it will break down the mold.
step 4: scrub the fizz to loosen the mold from the fibers
step 5: blot up what you can with paper towels

repeat a few times and keep dry air circulating through it afterward to dry up the peroxide and should be okay.

I use this on my home carpets under end tables and stuff that my kids spill juice and stuff works just fine. the first aid strength stuff is diluted enough it shouldnt bleach the interior.

good luck

[Junkboy999]

I have never dealt with mold in a teardrop Only in a garage. Mold need somthing to grow on ( food ) moisture
and oxygen. If you take away any of these the living part of the mold will die. Sadly when it dies and dries
up, the spores and dried mode will be left behind. The dried parts and spores are what gets into your lungs
if you disturb it.

In a house you remove the parts you can replace. Things you can't replace need to be treated and sealed with
a mod killer / sealer to keep the dead mod trapped and isolated. you might need a professional to help clean
it up. Getting the carpet off the floors, walls, and ceiling might be the only way to determine if you can seal
the plywood walls with a sealer. If the wood behind the sealer get wet again, like from a leak, the mod will
grow again under the sealer and spread. Hope your moisture was just form condensation.

Take this information for what it is worth, just like the internet.

GL.

[Kharn]

The "right" way to treat it would be to throw away the mattress and bedding, remove the carpeting and give the interior a thorough scrubbing with the right solution (I forget if that is bleach or sodium hydroxide) and replace everything. Another option may be renting a Rug Doctor or similar tool with a stair attachment and finding a good anti-mold solution that does not foam in the machine's recovery tank (or you could damage the machine) to clean the walls.

[48Rob]

I have been reading online there is no way to get rid of it without removing the carpeting. These seems expensive and severe.

Some people feel this way, and try to get by on the cheap.
They usually end up with severe and expensive health problems.

You may have severe mold in the framing, or ply behind the carpet, as well as rot.
You really need to peel back all the layers to determine how much damage there is, before anyone can determine how to correct it.

Rob

[razorback]

I have experienced great results with ozone generators.
The pros used these to get rid of mold after floods.
It will also get rid of the smell.
It might take a while, as I have no idea just how bad the inside of your tear is.
Check it out..
.http://www.amazon.com/Sylvan-Ozone-Gene ... B001J2GNW2
Larry

[milliejohn]

I would remove the carpet and never put it back if I lived in your neck of the woods, what caused your trailer to get in this condition? If you can't prevent the problem, it will just return after you clean it up.

[91kuhndog]

several years ago, I owned a 15' Sunline camper... if I left it closed up during hte winter month's, my moisture and mold would begin to build. The first year I owned it, I kept a dehumidifer in it and had to empty it every other day. After that winter, I opened the roof vent, cracked a few windows and monitored it closely. Let it breathe... that's the answer. As for the mold you have, I hope you can get it cleaned up or all the carpet replaced. Best of luck.

[Dale M.]

I would remove everything the is contaminated, mattress, carpet, curtains, whatever.... Dispose of them....

Once trailer is cleaned and sterilized, I would seriously look at way trailer was "stored".... Putting a roof over it is probably a good thing, but do not cover it with tarps or plastic.... You need to have air space around trailer and need to ventilate it with dry air through out all seasons to keep this from reoccurring worst thing you can do is "cover it" and keep it enclosed where any condensation can not escape...... Keep windows or vent open to some degree all the time....

Some cleaners like Clorox Bathroom Cleaner that contain bleach will also kill the mold, BUT it may discolor any finished wood surfaces.... This is scary stuff and you want it gone >>>> ALL GONE<<<<... You do not need any health issues from mold...

Dale

[Martiangod]

Borax, $5 in the laundry isle
Clean everything down with Borax and water solution.
When it drys vacumm up the chalky residue and repeat. Wear a particle mask. Borax is the very best mould remediation there is. Ion generators are dangerouse and expensive. After several cleanings with Borax. You can go to the orange store and rent a fogger and use Concrobium in it, also if you have a marine supply around, get some Captain Phab mould spray, once everything is clean' seal with a good sealer.
Mould is the most dangerouse thing in an enclosed space, BUT it can be treated and safe. Soft goods such as mattress, if its not turning black, lay it out in the sun as much as possible, and ait out the unit as much as you can, maybe assist with exhaust fans
This comes from 30 years workin on RV's, NOT guess work

[milliejohn]

Borax, $5 in the laundry isle
Clean everything down with Borax and water solution.
When it drys vacumm up the chalky residue and repeat. Wear a particle mask. Borax is the very best mould remediation there is. Ion generators are dangerouse and expensive. After several cleanings with Borax. You can go to the orange store and rent a fogger and use Concrobium in it, also if you have a marine supply around, get some Captain Phab mould spray, once everything is clean' seal with a good sealer.
Mould is the most dangerouse thing in an enclosed space, BUT it can be treated and safe. Soft goods such as mattress, if its not turning black, lay it out in the sun as much as possible, and ait out the unit as much as you can, maybe assist with exhaust fans
This comes from 30 years workin on RV's, NOT guess work

So you know how to clean it up, how about how to prevent it?

[lancew]

co worker went through this couple years ago. after he cleaned it all up he put a Rubbermaid container, like the ones you store under beds. he would fill it up half way with charcoal and open a window just a crack. he said he has never had a mold problem since.

[91kuhndog]

Great idea Lance... charcoal is very absorbant. I like your thinking. I used a dehumidifier in mine, set on a timer, to keep mine dry... seemed to work well but where we live in South Carolina, some say we dont have winters.

[doug hodder]

I think I'd also take a look as to just how that much moisture got in. Does it have a partially unsealed door or a galley hinge that is allowing it in? Is the aluminum trim sealed on the roof completely? If it's literally dripping from the ceiling, somehow, a fair amount of water got into the cabin somewhere. Unless taken care of, you may have a similar problem down the road. Just my opinion. Doug

[Kharn]

A boater trick to preventing mold/mildew/freezing is to put a 100w conventional light bulb inside a metal coffee can and leave it running 24x7, the bulb heats the air and the coffee can is cut to draw the air through it continuously, creating convection throughout the space, pushing humidity out (as the interior will always be warmer than the outside) and preventing mold and mildew from growing. Here's one write-up on how to build one: Low cost heater for storage, but instead of a 2x6, I would use a 18x18" chunk of OSB or some other board, so there is absolutely zero chance of the heater falling onto its side as the coffee can will get very hot.