Mould!!!
Having just opened our caravan after storing it for the winter, have found the inside cupboards and surfaces covered with green/grey mould!
We are not new to caravaning and so store this newish van in the same way we always have.
It is not covered and has plenty of ventilation. It does not have any damp.
The only thing different to this van and any others we have had is the fact that it has a wet central heating system!! There is a vent pipe sticking out of the top of the header tank into the wardrobe in which it is sited.
Obviously cannot cap the vent pipe as there could be a build up of pressure in the system.
Also noticed that the header tank level had dropped considerably over the winter!
We think this is the problem.
What do others think?
Any and all suggestions welcome. 
Comments
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We have wet central heating as well. Although you do get some vapour escaping from the vent when in use, especially when you have it on full. I would not have thought there would be a problem once it was off. The level does fall on ours dramatically from hot to cold. When cold it is just about on the min mark, when bubbling close to the max. If it has fallen much more than this you may have a leak somewhere, and that would certainly increase the humidity in the van. The thing to do would be to follow the pipe work around and check for any seepage, or possibly pink staining (blue if two year old fluid) if it has since dried up.
edit
Another reason for it falling significantly can be an air lock. These can occur after having the fluid changed.
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There is now a second thread on this subject.
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Presumably if everything is switched off only fluctuating air temperatures will be affecting internal van surfaces. As in the previous thread clean the van well before storing, check air vents aren't covered and open up the cupboards and appliances and let the airflow move around. Check the van regularly.
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No, the other one is called Wet Central Heating....etc. It's a duplicate by the OP.
Two moulds for the price of one?
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I suspect that the mould issue has nothing to do with the type of heating.
Far more likely that the new 'van, for whatever reason, does not have as much free air circulation as your previous 'vans. This could even be due to changes at the storage location ... such as change of location or a large van now creating a wind shadow.
I certainly know that if my sailing yacht is in a sheltered marina, it suffers vastly more mould than if it is on an open swinging mooring.
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As Steve suggests evaporation of heating fluid would not be a problem. Far more chance of my having such a problem when temperatures were below freezing and I had Alde set at 5c.
If it were evaporation from the header tank then the prime location for mould would be the exterior wall in the wardrobe.
I doubt that keeping a cup of water topped up in the 'van would cause mould. Fluids evaporate more slowly in cold weather anyway and adding antifreeze lowers the freezing point of water but also raises the evaporation and boiling points. So the Alde is a red herring.
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This is the time of year when mould occurs - as the temps start to increase - and several people are discovering this now. It could well be that conditions are particularly favourable for mould spores this year.
I, too, believe the thought regarding Alde is a red herring. Alde wet central heating has been used in cvans for at least 25 years and I think someone would have made the connection before now if it was the cause of mould. The only difference is that, these days, Alde is far more common so it's inevitable that a higher proportion of vans suffering from mould will have Alde fitted.
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It's not just mould! There appears to be a chemical attack on all the halogen down lighters! The screws and cupboard hinges have also been attacked with heavy corrosion! This is not moisture as these are all plated and designed to withstand corrosion!
Fabric is all fine, which if it was damp you would expect black mould on the fabric.
Our previous van was an Elddis, in exactly the same storage place with exactly the same neighbours, stored and maintained during storage inn exactly the same way.
Strongly suspect that the evaporation of the central heating fluid, has led to an elevated humidity and a localised chemical environment.
It also does not seem to be logical that the overflow line is connected to the neck of the reservoir and then vented overboard via a hole in the floor, whilst the vent line is just cut off and vented into the wardrobe. Logically the vent line should also be vented overboard. The overflow line also acts as vent line provided the tank is not in an overflow condition so it not clear why there is a need for two lines.
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There appears to be a chemical attack on all the halogen down lighters! The screws and cupboard hinges have also been attacked with heavy corrosion! This is not moisture as these are all plated and designed to withstand corrosion!
I wonder if there is a mixture of aluminium and stainless steel components in this instance causing some galvanic corrosion?
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Its nothing to do with the heating unless you have a leak, and even then i would be sceptical.
1/ Do you leave cupboards doors open in storage.
2/ Do you go round all the hinges before winter storage and lubricate them, i use furniture polish on mine, and after 7 years they are like new.
They are not protected sufficiently to prevent rusting, unless they are brass or stainless steel.
3/ I have had mould in my early years of caravanning, due i believe to putting the caravan into storage with a high humidity present. And we had blown air.
Since then we have had no mould, apart from when the fridge door was accidently left closed, instead of on vent.
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"This is not moisture as these are all plated and designed to withstand corrosion!"
Sorry, Engineer, but caravan fittings are generally the cheapest and flimsiest the manufacturer thinks he can get away with. They aren't usually designed to withstand anything.
I refer you to my earlier post re the Alde. If it was the cause, the problem would have shown up years ago. It's an age old system and I'd have one again like a shot given the choice.
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