A sad story

[Davie B]

This past summer has been incredibly busy. I knew we weren't going to have an opportunity to take the camper out so I unrolled the (never used) canvas cover, put it on the newly cleaned and updated LiteHouse and forgot about it for the last five months, proud of my good idea. Today I took the cover off and discovered mould on almost every surface. The fabric on the cushions is full of black spots and almost every piece of wood is ruined.

I'm taking it as a lesson and adding it to my "you gotta suffer if you want to sing the blues" list. I'm taking the opportunity to do some upgrades and will never ever make this mistake again.

[Raz]

Very sad. The only thing worse is critters. Might try some TSP, bleach, and water. I have had good luck with that when I have encountered mold and mildew. Raz

[Roy in TO]

Follow that up with Concrobium.

[Carol H]

Sorry to hear that! As you say a hard lesson learned. :-(( When covering a boat or trailer the fabric needs to be breathable and I learned from the marine world that a vent or window also needs to be open a little for a bit of venting. Using something like the Moisture Eliminator is another good option.

If the wood surfaces have a sealed finish on them the mold should wash off.

[Bill in Pittsburgh]

I contemplated the purchase of a cover for our 6 month old Lil Snoozy for outside winter storage beside our home. I elected instead to store in an underground limestone mine with controlled 65 degree temp and 65% humidity. At $ 56.00 mo., this storage option is not overly expensive, but an expense I would rather not have.
After reading of your experience with a cover, maybe it is cheaper than I thought.

[Kevin A]

We cover our UHaul VT each winter from early November to early March with a cover we bought 4 years ago that was made to fit the larger Casita. It has never left mold behind, so what's the difference with our cover? I know it has roof vents (front and back). Was the canvas cover you purchased not made for trailers, did it not have the vents, or was it something else? Of course, maybe covering in the winter vs. the summer is the answer, too. Just wondering...

[Cat futrell]

Kevin, the season and climate is likely the reason. Not much mold grows In Illinois in the winter. On the other hand, here in Florida mold grows all year long, and almost anywhere!

Davie, so sorry to hear of your discovery. I will learn from this. Vinegar may help too. Wear a mask when cleaning out the mess, the spores remain in the air especially when they are disturbed.

Cathy

[Eddie Longest]

Try Mold Control ,available at Lowes. I have had good luck with it. Seems to be safe on fabrics, but you need to test it on a small spot.
Eddie

[Davie B]

I've taken care of the surface stuff, cleaned the curtains and cushion covers and have a plan for the warped wood. That leaves the cushion foam which despite sitting in the sun for a couple of weeks, still smells like mold. I'm thinking of putting them in the bath tub with wit a little mild bleach water. Good idea?

[theresa p]

davie--at this point, what do you have to lose by trying this!?!?!!

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by Davie B

I've taken care of the surface stuff, cleaned the curtains and cushion covers and have a plan for the warped wood. That leaves the cushion foam which despite sitting in the sun for a couple of weeks, still smells like mold. I'm thinking of putting them in the bath tub with wit a little mild bleach water. Good idea?

Hi: Davie B... I did our '73 Boler foams with Cascade dishwasher detergent. Low sudsing and has bleach in it. Did them in the bath tub one at a time. Wash/rince/rince/rince and roll to get as much water out then drip dried them on a sweater rack near the furnace vent in the basement. Turn them every 24hrs. Any mold and dirt went down the drain.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Carol H]

Dave you can wash the foam and many have. The big issue with washing it is to make sure that they are completely dry in the middle before putting covers back on them. That may take a number of days or more.

Here is a thread on this topic a while ago including how people washed the foam.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Dave you can wash the foam and many have. The big issue with washing it is to make sure that they are completely dry in the middle before putting covers back on them. That may take a number of days or more.

You can say that again!!!

I washed my foam in the bathtub one (hot) July, and thought a week in the sun with regular turning had them nice and dry. But some time later when sitting on the bench, I had this strange feeling of moisture.... And I'd been camping several times in the interval, but with my Grandkids, who usually sat in that spot. They'd evidently never felt a thing...guess the -er-"extra density" in my center-of-gravity made a difference!

Putting those puppies in the bathtub is a last-resort thing as far as I'm concerned-
If I had it to do again, I'd try putting some bleach water in a spritzer, spraying the foam surface lightly, and air-drying.

Francesca

[Mike Magee]

Why not buy new, better quality foam? Just a thought.