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MOLD PREVENTION IN STORAGE


SQUISHY

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My grandfather has a 5th wheel that he and my grandmother traveled in for years. The 5th wheel is in great condition and has no major problems, Except for one... MOLD! They no longer travel so the RV is mainly used for a room when family comes to visit. Periodically I go to clean the RV to keep everything looking nice for them. I have noticed that there seems to be a dusty like green mold that is all over everything when I go to clean. The only surface it does not seem to be on  is anything that is material. So things like carpet, bed linen, ect. do not seem to have this dusty green looking substance on it. I clean and vacuum anyway just to make sure. I have inspected the RV for possible water leaks, cracks in windows, leaks in water lines in cabinets. I find nothing.  The RV is parked under a carport for RV's so it does not really get rained on. I know he has tried those bags from Wal-Mart that are supposed to absorb moisture but they do not seem to do much good. I clean the RV every 6 months or so and while the mold is there it does not seem to be very bad. Also, I live in Texas where the humidity in the summer can hard boil an egg so I'm pretty sure that has allot to do with this. Any help or suggestions to prevent the mold would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by SQUISHY
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If it is sitting unused and closed up with no ventilation, that is probably a major part of the problem. You may find operating a dehumidifier will help but someone will need to empty the water collector from time to time. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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2 hours ago, Kirk W said:

You may find operating a dehumidifier will help but someone will need to empty the water collector from time to time. 

Unless it is somewhere you can run tubing out through the bottom for drainage purposes. Maybe you can run tubing into a shower then leave the gray tank open?

Linda

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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@rm.w/aview.... It is possible that it is pollen. However, I do not find this same green dusty like mold/pollen on anything that is material like the carpets or bed spread ect. I thought as you did that it could be pollen but when I pass my hand over anything that is material in the RV I come back with nothing. That is why I assumed it was some type of mold. The linens I would assume would not mold as fast as a slick surface like flooring and counter tops. I think I'm am going to try the dehumidifier as suggested. I will see if this doesn't make a difference. I was basically hoping with this post that there may have been some product out there that someone has used before that might work for RVs that are in storage or not being used that much to keep moisture out of the rv without having to use an appliance. All windows and vents are closed on the RV so I will try the dehumidifier and if that does not make a difference then I guess I'll just have to go and clean the RV more often to try to prevent this from collecting again. Thanks

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6 hours ago, rm.w/aview said:

A little ventilation goes a long way.

Since the RV is parked under a roof it would make sense to leave at least one vent open a little bit. You don't say where in Texas you are located but if it freezes there you may want to do something else in winter to keep enough heat on to prevent freezing of the plumbing. My wife also puts bars of Irish Spring soap in drawers around the RV to help prevent a stale odor. 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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  • 2 months later...
On 5/10/2019 at 9:05 PM, SQUISHY said:

@Kirk W....... For the most part all of the windows and vents stay closed. Do you think that if I open some of the windows a little bit it might help?

Definitely. Air movement is good. It is almost never as humid outside as it is inside a RV. The moisture needs a way out. Without air circulation, when the sun shines on windows and roof, it can warm the RV inside causing a temperature difference which means moisture. And it gets moldy in the result.
As Kirk already suggested, you can run a dehumidifier as well ( or A/C in summer). Also there are chemical type dehumidifiers, the ones where you have a bag of crystals over a container and they turn into liquid, works well in a closed vehicle. As for me, to reduce moisture as much as possible, I just put a plastic barrel with water softener (or any) salt in the camper. That really works great!

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