Anyone hear of "sick camper" diagnoses? - Fiberglass RV
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Old 04-15-2017, 06:04 PM   #1
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Anyone hear of "sick camper" diagnoses?

Kind of a bad topic, so I apologize up front.

I'm currently house sitting, so I took the opportunity to clean the camper. I don't really "deep clean" while I'm in it. I keep things clean and wiped down but nothing crazy. But I'm going to be using it a lot this summer. I figure every time I'm out of it for a few days, I'll do a deep cleaning.

That got me thinking...like how cruise ships get a food-borne illness type thing going on now and then. Confined space, lots of cooking and all the other stuff that comes along with living. Has anyone ever heard of RV full-timers having issues with a bug in their camper? I mean we're sleeping, cooking, eating, using the bathroom etc all in basically the same room. For people who are a lot more slack on cleaning, it seems like it would come up now and then...
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Old 04-15-2017, 07:10 PM   #2
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The norovirus that happens on cruise ships get passed around through physical contact and contact with surfaces that infected people have touched, and it thrives in those sorts of conditions where there are lots of people sharing space and touching each other and everything around them.

So unless you are going to invite 2000 other campers to hang out in your trailer, you should be more or less safe, at least from contagious things.
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Old 04-15-2017, 07:36 PM   #3
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Fresh air and sunshine are great disinfectants. Throw open the windows, vents, and door as often as conditions allow.

I wonder how much of either the bowels of a cruise ship get...

Nothing wrong with deep cleaning from time to time, though!
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Old 04-15-2017, 08:04 PM   #4
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My Grandma always said " Hardwork and dirt never killed anyone "
Hard to argue with the logic of a 90 year old farmer.

As Jon said throw open the windows and doors and breathe in nature (Assuming your neighbor is not running a generator )
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Old 04-16-2017, 05:35 AM   #5
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Kind of a bad topic, so I apologize up front.

I'm currently house sitting, so I took the opportunity to clean the camper. I don't really "deep clean" while I'm in it. I keep things clean and wiped down but nothing crazy. But I'm going to be using it a lot this summer. I figure every time I'm out of it for a few days, I'll do a deep cleaning.

That got me thinking...like how cruise ships get a food-borne illness type thing going on now and then. Confined space, lots of cooking and all the other stuff that comes along with living. Has anyone ever heard of RV full-timers having issues with a bug in their camper? I mean we're sleeping, cooking, eating, using the bathroom etc all in basically the same room. For people who are a lot more slack on cleaning, it seems like it would come up now and then...
There are quite a lot of full timers whose blogs and youtube vlogs I have read over the years. I have never even once seen any of them have an issue with a "sick" camper. Lots of *bachelor* types on those blogs. Of course the vlogs tend to keep things fairly tidy since they are doing video of their interior now and again.
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Old 04-16-2017, 08:41 AM   #6
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I'm not so much worried about mine. I know there are a lot more messy people than me. It just got me thinking. And a quick google search didn't find anything, so I agree, it must not be an issue. I mean I see some trailers that are just downright gross...and still hear nothing about people always getting sick in them.

Was just curious.

Makes sense that to really get media it would have to spread through a lot of people, but if you've got some nasty stuff growing in your camper due to uncleanliness, it seems like you could keep getting sick. But it must be pretty rare, which is good.
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Old 04-16-2017, 09:26 AM   #7
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Our family contracted the norovirus one time like everyone in town, so I studied everything I could. It isn't a matter of being dirty or close quarters in an RV, we have never gotten it while full-timing BUT is is crucial that people be careful of "sanitary" conditions, not messy, not dirty, but "sanitary". The biggest enemy with an RV is the working with the black tank and not washing your hands or wearing gloves and thinking about what you are touching therefore spreading throughout your living space. Ah, the things I have seen.

Please be aware that many times, I have seen RVers getting ready to pack up and leave their campsite put the black hose over the fresh water connection and wash it out. Think about that.. We always wipe it down and run the water some before hooking up.

https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/ Often called the "stomach flu", it is not a type of flu.

With 3 of us having it at the same time, it was a nightmare. They said the hospital was telling people not to come in because there was no space for them, and they would be better off at home. Once that many people have it, the contamination is pretty much impossible to halt. It would be on shopping carts, door knobs............
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Old 04-16-2017, 09:49 AM   #8
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I just went out and refreshed the Kanbera Tea Tree oil in our camper. I keep it in the camper year around. Due to the high cost for small containers, I purchased the BAG and refreash the small container as required.

https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...sl_fqqiaz4zh_b
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Old 04-16-2017, 10:12 AM   #9
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I have seen many used RV's for sale I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole because of the smell of mold and mildew. I would think that would make sensitive individuals sick. I would also think that campers that have had leaks at some point would be susceptible to mold growing in the walls, especially stick built. But I'm just making this up...haven't seen any official reports.
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Old 04-16-2017, 12:59 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by ZachO View Post
Kind of a bad topic, so I apologize up front.

I'm currently house sitting, so I took the opportunity to clean the camper. I don't really "deep clean" while I'm in it. I keep things clean and wiped down but nothing crazy. But I'm going to be using it a lot this summer. I figure every time I'm out of it for a few days, I'll do a deep cleaning.

That got me thinking...like how cruise ships get a food-borne illness type thing going on now and then. Confined space, lots of cooking and all the other stuff that comes along with living. Has anyone ever heard of RV full-timers having issues with a bug in their camper? I mean we're sleeping, cooking, eating, using the bathroom etc all in basically the same room. For people who are a lot more slack on cleaning, it seems like it would come up now and then...
Getting sick is usually caused by germs. If you are healthy when camping then you shouldn't get sick in your camper from your camper. They are your germs and you're used to them. If you let black water back up or don't use proper sanitation when dumping such as disposable gloves and then washing your hands then you could get sick. I see people do awful stuff like using re-usable gloves and putting them in the compartment with their drinking hose. That is an illness waiting to happen. But all in all no you should not get sick from your camper if you keep it reasonably clean. You may get sick when out in public and it shows up later.
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Old 04-16-2017, 01:25 PM   #11
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Well I'll explain where my line of thinking came from a little better.

There are a few different situations that are combined in my head to bring up this question, though they don't necessarily relate directly to one another.

One is the norovirus thing. Quick spreading and an entire ship/hotel etc needs to be sanitized. Food-borne illness. Nothing to do with my own germs. This would be from not cleaning up well enough after preparing food. Right along with this would be the already mentioned black water tank stuff. I think more often than not when I'm behind someone at the RV dump, they don't wear gloves, or they wear leather gloves...

Another is something like what can happen in a brewery or I guess hospital. It is such a good environment for breeding germs, that they breed. Because of that, people sanitized the heck out of them. Which can create super bugs. Sometimes a brewery will need to shut down and clean all the lines and everything way better than usual, because they start getting their own special stuff growing and it funks up the beer. So really good sanitation or not, it's such a good breeding ground for things that there's just only so much you can do.

Third I guess is the "sick building" syndrome. Either because of something like lead, mold or other things, a building gets infested and creates constant, low-level irritants to people. Some are more sensitive than others, but everyone's immune system is having to work overtime.

I'm sort of surprised it doesn't happen more in RVs but maybe Jon is right with the sun and fresh air.

As far as "my own germs", it's true, but only kind of. We all have e-coli in our guts. But we also have "good" bacteria. It's when the good and bad get out of balance that we get sick. We are all walking around with more foreign cells in our body than our own cells. When things are balanced, we're healthy. When they get out of balance...But there are constant inputs to my trailer, from the wind, rain, anything I bring in from outside. So even though "my own germs" can and do make me sick, my trailer is getting exposed to, and possibly breeding all sorts of things that aren't mine, personally.

All of which is not to imply I'm a germaphobe...I think the fact that I've learned as much as I have about all this, yet still am not OCD about it and am pretty relaxed, shows how little of a germaphobe I am

It's just stuff I think about sometimes when I have time.
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Old 04-16-2017, 03:36 PM   #12
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Most likly, some people could make the unit sick!!!!!!! Just saying
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Old 04-16-2017, 04:00 PM   #13
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Mold can be a problem, black mold! Mold allergy Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

One issue I have seen with wearing gloves and the black tank if they keep the gloves on while putting up the hose in an apartment or bag and then touch the outside of the container with the same gloves. The reusable ones have to be stored somewhere, taken off and removed. I have heard many just advocate cleaning your hands. My husband was never able to get the sequence to avoid contamination or, he just didn't want to do the job!
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Old 04-16-2017, 04:05 PM   #14
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Can't you guys just go camping and have some fun.....
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Old 04-16-2017, 04:06 PM   #15
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You can buy a box of 100 latex gloves for less than $20. Peel them off and dispose.
That will do you for fifty visits to the sanidump.
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Old 04-16-2017, 06:52 PM   #16
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I would say that paying attention to the soft surfaces is a good idea for your weekly cleaning. Full time living with upholstered surfaces in environments that can get dusty is the issue. Not just dust from outdoors either, there are dust mites and demodex mites that can cause us health issues. For the area you sleep in I would custom cut to fit one of the mattress pads that are designed to prevent dust mites from getting into the mattress. That way you can just toss it into the washing machine when you go to the laundry which will cut down on your chore time since you won't have to vacuum the cushions as often. It might not be as pretty as upholstery but it sure will be more practical for full time living out close to nature with the windows open in a dusty area.

I am making special toppers for my couch/bed that act both as additional soft top cushioning and a washable mattress pad but will look attractive in the daytime as part of the coordinated upholstery with a complimentary fabric rather than looking like a mattress pad meant to be hidden under bed sheets. For those I have found a product called Nufoam at the Joann's fabric stores. It is a fast draining polyester material that has the density of the rubber foam products. It comes in a variety of thicknesses. I might even use this Nufoam product in its thickest 4" version for my primary cushions as it is light weight compared to the standard foam options. The fast draining aspect is a key factor as it means when I take the topper pad sections to the laundry it won't be so difficult to spin dry and it won't take as much time in the dryer either. Fortunately I know how to sew things like cushions, curtains, popup fabrics and even tents so that keeps means I can keep my cost down to just the materials
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Old 04-17-2017, 01:05 AM   #17
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Some interesting comments here folks. I worked a lot of years as a professional microbiologist, specializing in infection control. I would be the one to go into a hospital, nursing home, meat packing plant or waste water treatment plant when they had a problem.
First you need a source of inoculation for the organisms to come from. Fecal coliform from manure from animals, especially pork and chicken are the most common. Then you need a route of transmission such as unwashed hands or standing water to spread the contamination. Exposure usually occurs from such things as eating with improperly washed hands, dishes, utensils etc. or inadvertently putting fingers in your mouth to bite nails etc.
Use soap and water to wash your hands often. Disinfect dishes and utensils with HOT water and a germicidal soap (dish detergent) especially after handling raw meats. Keep your unit as clean as possible, again soap and water to deny these organisms an opportunity to multiply. Fill your water containers with chlorinated water from a municipal water source. Once the container is opened use it that day or boil it. Use disposal latex gloves when accessing your grey and black water tanks and discard them when finished. Always wash your hands after you take them off.
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Old 04-17-2017, 01:37 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
You can buy a box of 100 latex gloves for less than $20. Peel them off and dispose.
That will do you for fifty visits to the sanidump.
Gets even better Glenn, Harbor Freight, $7.99 on sale for a 100
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Old 04-17-2017, 08:09 AM   #19
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Oh good now I can add dust mites to the list

I definitely do not vacuum out my upholstery often enough.

Sounds like the same protocols that go for a normal kitchen and bathroom go for our trailers, except that part of my point is that all our systems are so close together, if not in the same room, that it makes contamination easier. But being conscious of keeping hands and surfaces clean sounds like is enough.

I always use disposable gloves for the tanks. I know I could be more careful even then, since sometimes while I'm draining the tanks, I'll go inside to check the levels or for whatever reason touch something else.

Anyway, it's just like anything...you want just a high enough level of paranoia to keep from getting in trouble, but a low enough level that it doesn't affect your fun.
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Old 04-17-2017, 02:28 PM   #20
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widgetwizard...


seems like some of us are waiting out the weather and the first gatherings/planned outings...another few weeks and we'll all be off traveling.


if you've ever had the norovirus (I have) you find out that you, too, can leap a twin bed in a single bound to get to a bathroom...and you find out how much un-safed cash the room stewards can steal while you're on an IV in the ship's hospital.


And you'll be so sick you don't really care.


So asking about it isn't unreasonable.


I'd go with those who point out that sunlight and fresh air are VERY effective at helping de-germ/de-virus a space. Also elbow grease and plain soap may be better in the long run than super disinfectants--those leave only the super-bugs to breed! Lots of water, soap, and rubbing (and excellent DRYING) can remove most (at least 90%) of all he bugs at random, leaving weaker ones as well as the few exceptionally resistant. (According to a friend who is an RN at a local hospital).


FIRE will kill everything...but doesn't that seem extreme?


Happy trails to all, and may you fall prey to NOTHING!


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