Restoring a flood damaged FG camper

[dblcola]

We have recently purchased a flood damaged 1999 17' Casita that we will restore, modify, and repair. Lot's to do. The camper came out of Texas A hurricane Harvey victim.

One reason we were attracted to this camper was the previous owner/owners had made several modifications including solar.

Our big concern is MOLD. Have any of you dealt with this issue and what did you do? Thanks

Richard

[J Ron]

We lived in a fiberglass boat for years, avoiding and removing mold was always kept in mind. You probably know that once mold is removed it is easy to manage, if necessary. Once the mold is removed a camper should require much less attention to mold than a boat. White vinegar in a spray bottle will kill all mold it is sprayed on, don't rinse it, the odor will go away quickly. A small ionozer left in the rv will help considerably but I doubt one will be necessary. Clorox cleanup should remove any dark residual in visible areas, remember it is bleach so careful to avoid anything you do not want bleached. I believe vinegar will eliminate all mold and will be all you will need. Use lots of it.

[J Ron]

Congrats on your find and enjoy.

[Terry in Fowler]

In my previous employment I I treated a lot of mold damaged dwellings. There is no one way to treat it. It's case by case. The first thing to remember is that mold only grows where it is damp. Remove anything and everything that that can be removed without damaging the trailer. Put it all in a place where it will stay dry and won't warp from having pressure in odd places.open the windows and vents. Set fan to dry the interior completely. This will stop any continued growth The hardest thing to dry out is the floor. It's l likely to get dry root if you can't dry it out. Others may have suggestion, but I would consider boring multiple holes through the fiberglass into the plywood under the trailer. You can plug them later. Use a shop vac with a hepa filter to vacuum all of the carpeted surfaces. you can kill all types of common molds with a solution of 3/4 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. This is likely to discolor fabrics. No stronger or the mold will harden it's spores. Use the solution on every surface you determine won't be damaged. So many people are overly worried about mold. If you have notice most of the hype about mold has gone away because attorneys were losing cases. In most cases, especially in the South, the ambient mold count is as high outside as it is inside and most people aren't sensitive to mold at those levels.
There is an alternate proven method of killing common molds I have used, but I don't know how you would use it in a fiber trailer. 145 degrees for 30 minute. some molds are as low as 125 degrees for 25 minutes.

[dblcola]

Originally Posted by J Ron

We lived in a fiberglass boat for years, avoiding and removing mold was always kept in mind. You probably know that once mold is removed it is easy to manage, if necessary. Once the mold is removed a camper should require much less attention to mold than a boat. White vinegar in a spray bottle will kill all mold it is sprayed on, don't rinse it, the odor will go away quickly. A small ionozer left in the rv will help considerably but I doubt one will be necessary. Clorox cleanup should remove any dark residual in visible areas, remember it is bleach so careful to avoid anything you do not want bleached. I believe vinegar will eliminate all mold and will be all you will need. Use lots of it.

Thanks Ron that's encouraging information. I really think this is going to be fun. I have seen many great remodels on this forum but I don't think I have seen one that has been flooded.

[dblcola]

Originally Posted by Terry in Fowler

In my previous employment I I treated a lot of mold damaged dwellings. There is no one way to treat it. It's case by case. The first thing to remember is that mold only grows where it is damp. Remove anything and everything that that can be removed without damaging the trailer. Put it all in a place where it will stay dry and won't warp from having pressure in odd places.open the windows and vents. Set fan to dry the interior completely. This will stop any continued growth The hardest thing to dry out is the floor. It's l likely to get dry root if you can't dry it out. Others may have suggestion, but I would consider boring multiple holes through the fiberglass into the plywood under the trailer. You can plug them later. Use a shop vac with a hepa filter to vacuum all of the carpeted surfaces. you can kill all types of common molds with a solution of 3/4 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. This is likely to discolor fabrics. No stronger or the mold will harden it's spores. Use the solution on every surface you determine won't be damaged. So many people are overly worried about mold. If you have notice most of the hype about mold has gone away because attorneys were losing cases. In most cases, especially in the South, the ambient mold count is as high outside as it is inside and most people aren't sensitive to mold at those levels.
There is an alternate proven method of killing common molds I have used, but I don't know how you would use it in a fiber trailer. 145 degrees for 30 minute. some molds are as low as 125 degrees for 25 minutes.

Thanks Terry You also are making me feel better about the mold. I plan on removing all surface wood and replace it with other material. I have everything removable from the trailer out and the trailer inside a barn airing out.

I don't think I have ever read of a case where a person has stepped thru the floor of a fiberglass camper. I have heard of many reported soft spots.