Mould in my stored caravan
Hi i am not exactly new to caravaning we had a motorhome for a good few years, now have a caravan.We store our caravan when not in use and after being in storage for the first part of the winter when checked
found it to be covered in green mould.i brought the caravan home and cleaned it thoughout with a fungi cleaner bought a breathable cover and returned it to storage thinking that was that. I left a few damp eaters in the van, on my return a few months later
the green mould had returns although not as bad. On checking other caravans parked on the same site they done seem to have any mould in them. I did leave my vents open under the cover and also checked that the floor vents were not covered.I am lost as what
to try next.
Comments
-
There has been quite a lot of discussion on this subject on this forum. Have you got a mildew type stuff or real mould? The mildew is dry and just wipes off. I too have this mildew in my caravan and think that it is caused by the mild damp winter we have
been having. Other than what you have already done cannot offer any suggestions. Sorry.(Moderator, perhaps this should be moved to the Caravan section)
0 -
I have never been sold on the benifits of covers, breathable or not. I think they significantly impede ventilation. Even when a roof vent is closed, there is some ventilation, unless you block it with a cover. My advice would to clean it off again and thoroughly
dry the van out, then try it without the cover.0 -
For the first time ever with my vans, this winter has produced mildew spots on the curtain liners, nothing anywhere else but just the liners. I also put it down to the mild wet winter months, last year my moisture absorbers were close to empty but this year they are full.
0 -
you need to use cat litter to absorb the dampness
0 -
Hi i am not exactly new to caravaning we had a motorhome for a good few years, now have a caravan.We store our caravan when not in use and after being in storage for the first part of the winter when checked
found it to be covered in green mould.i brought the caravan home and cleaned it thoughout with a fungi cleaner bought a breathable cover and returned it to storage thinking that was that. I left a few damp eaters in the van, on my return a few months later
the green mould had returns although not as bad. On checking other caravans parked on the same site they done seem to have any mould in them. I did leave my vents open under the cover and also checked that the floor vents were not covered.I am lost as what
to try next.Write your comments here...I made the mistake of putting my cover on van whilst it was wet even though instructions said it would be ok and when removed had a green roof, this year made sure van was dry when putting on and so far no green on van.
0 -
Remove the cover and dont put it back on. Dont use heat or any type of dehumidifier( which just hold water) no need to open any vents as there is more than enough air movement in a stationary van.
Tj
Are you talking about passive dehumidifiers, I suppose they will store water as that is their function, better stored in the dehumdifier than in the fabric of the van
0 -
There are other threads where dehumidifiers have been debated and there are various opinions. Mine is that they do very little. As the whole point is to have a well ventilated caravan, if you dry the air out it will be replaced by moist air from outside.
So in effect you are trying to dehumidify the world.I think the most important thing is to put the van away as dry as possible. If using in winter, do not use the shower on the last day. Switch off the fridge the night before, storing unused items in a cold bag in the car, it can then be defrosted and dried
out. Don't let the kettle carry on boiling producing steam. Keep the heating on as long as possible. Remove things such as bedding, which can absorb water.0 -
There are other threads where dehumidifiers have been debated and there are various opinions. Mine is that they do very little. As the whole point is to have a well ventilated caravan, if you dry the air out it will be replaced by moist air from outside.
So in effect you are trying to dehumidify the world.I think the most important thing is to put the van away as dry as possible. If using in winter, do not use the shower on the last day. Switch off the fridge the night before, storing unused items in a cold bag in the car, it can then be defrosted and dried
out. Don't let the kettle carry on boiling producing steam. Keep the heating on as long as possible. Remove things such as bedding, which can absorb water.I agree with your sentiment regarding dehumidifying the world but for the sake of a few quid is it not worth covering all bases
0 -
There are other threads where dehumidifiers have been debated and there are various opinions. Mine is that they do very little. As the whole point is to have a well ventilated caravan, if you dry the air out it will be replaced by moist air from outside.
So in effect you are trying to dehumidify the world.I think the most important thing is to put the van away as dry as possible. If using in winter, do not use the shower on the last day. Switch off the fridge the night before, storing unused items in a cold bag in the car, it can then be defrosted and dried
out. Don't let the kettle carry on boiling producing steam. Keep the heating on as long as possible. Remove things such as bedding, which can absorb water.I agree with your sentiment regarding dehumidifying the world but for the sake of a few quid is it not worth covering all bases
We have had a caravan 11 years and only used the dehumidifiers the first year, because it was what we told you should do. They just kept filling up, you were never drying the van out. We decided to not bother in future and have never had any problems.
0 -
We do not cover our 'van but had the mildew problem a couple of years ago. Since then, I have taken a couple of steps when storing the 'van for the winter and the problem has not recurred (fingers crossed). Firstly, I have increased the number of dehumidifiers from 2 to 4 and checked them monthly, changing the crystals if they have dissolved or solidified. Secondly, I now leave all drawers and cupboard doors open (and the fridge of course).
0 -
There are other threads where dehumidifiers have been debated and there are various opinions. Mine is that they do very little. As the whole point is to have a well ventilated caravan, if you dry the air out it will be replaced by moist air from outside. So in effect you are trying to dehumidify the world.
I think the most important thing is to put the van away as dry as possible. If using in winter, do not use the shower on the last day. Switch off the fridge the night before, storing unused items in a cold bag in the car, it can then be defrosted and dried out. Don't let the kettle carry on boiling producing steam. Keep the heating on as long as possible. Remove things such as bedding, which can absorb water.
I agree with your sentiment regarding dehumidifying the world but for the sake of a few quid is it not worth covering all bases
The problem with humidifiers in vans is that the overwhelming advice is to ensure good air flow through the van and there lies the problem for them. Vans are build with a ventilation 'system' which will eliminate as best possible, the build up of any toxic gasses should they occur from cooking/heating etc and reduce the possibility of retention of damp in the fabric of the van itself. With the best will in the world, dehumidifiers will not alter the natural balance between the moisture content of the air flowing through the van, which of course is an impossible task! They would only have a limited efficiency in a closed and totally sealed cupboard which flies in the face of all advice given.
The only thing to do is to work with nature and ensure air flow through the van is optimised and materials inside it which could retain moisture where possible are removed. Strangely enough these humidifiers do exactly that, collect water, with no effect on the balance between the interior and exterior air humidity flow of a correctly ventilated van.
0
