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09-21-2017, 08:36 PM
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#1
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Member
Name: Tom
Trailer: Bigfoot 17
Ontario
Posts: 41
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Mold and Mildew keeps coming back on top of my roof
Hi
Every Fall and Spring I have to Bleach and Wax the top of my 1990 Bigfoot Roof because of Mold and Mildew growth.
Does anybody know how to stop the Mold from coming back year after year......??
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09-21-2017, 08:51 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Name: Robert
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Past Tents" 2018 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB SuperCrew
Arkansas
Posts: 1,298
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Tom, although it may not look it, fiberglass gelcoat is porous. The little pores trap moisture and dirt and give mold and mildew a great place to grow. The roof is also a relatively horizontal surface, so the dirt and water puddle there and don't drain off as with the sides of the trailer. Bottom line is that you can't stop it from coming back, but you can reduce it. To reduce the mold and mildew you have to make the surface smoother and less porous. That means a good buffing to a high sheen, and liberal application of a good wax - multiple coats. The wax will fill the pores, making it harder for mold to find a place to live.
In general I would say clean it, buff it smooth, and wax it well. Should last about a year if done right.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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09-22-2017, 03:50 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler 13 ft / Casita FD
Posts: 2,038
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I wax it with a good floor wax Zep is the product everyone is using now but I had a product call Red Max (which is no longer available)
I also found a regular car cover, breathable, to cover in the winter, and park it in the back yard where it isn't under any trees so it can get Max Sun Shine, although it is only in the sun maybe 4 hours a day.
The green stains I get are on the roof if I do not use the camper for a month or so and I park under pine trees and in Maine that's easy to do, But with the good coat of way I just have to go up and use a brush and water to get this off.
I Wax at the beginning and end of each season and that's it.
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09-22-2017, 04:26 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
Posts: 5,155
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerry
I wax it with a good floor wax Zep is the product everyone is using now .....
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Everyone? I would sooner guess that it is a small minority who use a product meant for floors. And many of them are not happy with it after a time.
I still think that a good quality marine wax after proper preparation of the gel-coat is the best thing to do. And park it under cover such as a carport with good air circulation.
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09-22-2017, 04:48 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Name: Dave
Trailer: Casita SD17 2006 "Missing Link"
California
Posts: 3,738
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon2
Everyone? I would sooner guess that it is a small minority who use a product meant for floors. And many of them are not happy with it after a time.
I still think that a good quality marine wax after proper preparation of the gel-coat is the best thing to do. And park it under cover such as a carport with good air circulation.
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Well Gordon I guess I'm in the minority, I've done paste waxes on my stick RVs and have gone to the Zep with the FG TT. With the year to two good result I get with my uncovered TT in a desert location before the Zep starts to flake is not bad. The 5 to 6 hours it takes me to strip and rewax with 5 coats of Zep is many hours less than the time it took with a paste wax. Might be a location thing too .
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09-22-2017, 05:06 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Trailer: 1983 13 ft Scamp
Posts: 3,082
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Use this first then a coat of Zeb floor wax.
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09-22-2017, 08:04 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Name: Steve
Trailer: 2018, 21ft escape— 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie
NW Wisconsin
Posts: 4,500
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I am just finishing up putting the second coat of Nu Finish on my trailer before winter. Come Spring the Winter's accumulation of dirt and stains wash right off the fiberglass exterior using car soap . I do get black specs in my trailer's caulk which I have to scrub with a stiff toothbrush. I have seen trailers that are coated with Zep , some looked great but others were flaking and yellowed.
At $4.99 a bottle Nu Finish works for me
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09-22-2017, 09:33 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Name: To Infinity & Beyond!
Trailer: 1985 Uhaul VT-16 Vacationer, 1957 Avion R20 & 1977 Argosy 6.0 Minuet
Tennessee
Posts: 655
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Quote:
Originally Posted by steve dunham
I have seen trailers that are coated with Zep , some looked great but others were flaking and yellowed.
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The trailers you see with ZEP that look great are trailers that the owners care for on a regular basis. The trailers with ZEP that are flaking and yellowed are owned by folks that read about how good ZEP works and "think" it's an "apply it once and forget it forever" type of application. NOTHING works that good. Not even NuFinish!
There is no magic wand that will prevent the fading and chalking on the exterior of fiberglass trailer that is exposed to the elements at some point. Wax it, ZEP it, Clear Coat it, paint it they ALL have their different issues, problems and effective time frame. After that they all need upkeep. The sun and crap in the atmosphere is tough on anything that is outside.
The one solution "I" found that works best and will keep your trailer looking GREAT the longest amount of time is completely cleaning the trailer perfectly once then parking it in a garage covered up and never leave the garage with the trailer. It still gets dirty from dust and sitting however cleanup is now MUCH easier!
__________________
Mike
Remember "Drive Fast, Turn Heads, Break Hearts"!
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09-22-2017, 01:23 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Name: Jann
Trailer: Casita
Colorado
Posts: 1,307
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hoppy1962
Hi
Every Fall and Spring I have to Bleach and Wax the top of my 1990 Bigfoot Roof because of Mold and Mildew growth.
Does anybody know how to stop the Mold from coming back year after year......??
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We use a liquid cleaner/protectant that is easy to use. It is The Solution by Super Seal Specialty Co, Inc. Phone 1-888-299-2136. Get your vehicle clean and all mold and mildew off. Then just spray with a hand spray bottle and wipe off. No need to polish or put on multiple coats. We always get comments like is you trailer new. It is a 2007 and looks new. We use it on our cars also. Makes everything easy to wash after that. Then just spray again if you use anything harsh to clean it. You can also just spray on and wipe off if the vehicle is just dusty but we prefer to wash first. We've done about 8 vehicles with a quart so the cost is worth it. We don't have the desire to spend all day polishing and working our tails off to make it shine. One easy spray and a rag to wipe off is all it takes. Since it is liquid it will get down in the pores. If you do it on concrete protect it from the overspray so it doesn't get slick. I know everyone else uses all kinds of waxes and buffs but that is not necessary. We have a better look than all that waxing and buffing and it protects better.
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09-22-2017, 10:06 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Name: Michael
Trailer: Trail Cruiser
Alberta
Posts: 825
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Mold needs three things to grow.
(1) A food source (organic material). In your case it will be soil dust which will contain debris from grass clipping, leaves etc. You can't do anything about this unless you want to dust off your roof daily.
(2) A source of mold spores (similar to seeds) to initiate the growth. Mold spores are always present in the outside air. You can't do anything about this.
(3) Moisture, in your case condensation/precipitation accumulating on your roof
You can do something about this and this is your ONLY option to prevent mould growth.
- You can shelter your trailer under a roof like a can port.
-You can park your unit with the roof slightly angled (unit tipped forward, backward or to the side) to help water to run off.
- Park your unit in a location where the sun, wind will facilitate moisture evaporation.
- insure your roof is as smooth as possible (paint, a good car or marine wax).
Fiberglass shouldn't be porous but can have surface irregularities so it isn't smooth. Water can sit in these small pits and provide moisture for mould growth.
DO NOT USE CHLORINE BLEACH! It will damage your roof and won't do anything to stop mould growth.
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09-26-2017, 09:57 AM
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#11
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Member
Name: Tom
Trailer: Bigfoot 17
Ontario
Posts: 41
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Thanks for all your advice! Seems like there's no magic solution. I'm just going to continue washing and waxing the roof twice a year. Then leave the trailer jacked up really high so there's no accumulation of water on the roof. Too bad they don't make an anti-mold/mildew wax.
Thanks again
Tom
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09-26-2017, 05:29 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler 13 ft / Casita FD
Posts: 2,038
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I just finished getting all the black and green gunk off of my larger 5th Wheel, a Holiday Rambler (All Fiberglass) and on the roof where the water pools it was quite a bit of scrubbing with industrial mold and mildew remover but upon reading the instructions the mixing of the solution was to include bleach... I did not use it and it all came off with a little work.
The sides of the camper, where the water has ran down the back was just as black and green.
My point is that I used that floor wax on the sides of the camper and it was just a matter of running the brush over the fiberglass back and side to get this to come off.
So conclusion is that the floor wax did prevent the mold and mildew from sticking onto the fiberglass.
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09-26-2017, 07:01 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Name: Jann
Trailer: Casita
Colorado
Posts: 1,307
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hoppy1962
Thanks for all your advice! Seems like there's no magic solution. I'm just going to continue washing and waxing the roof twice a year. Then leave the trailer jacked up really high so there's no accumulation of water on the roof. Too bad they don't make an anti-mold/mildew wax.
Thanks again
Tom
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Try waxing with The Solution and that will make your work way easier.
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09-26-2017, 08:04 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Name: Michael
Trailer: Trail Cruiser
Alberta
Posts: 825
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Too bad they don't build trailers that are better contoured to prevent standing water.
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09-26-2017, 08:31 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Trailer: Bigfoot Silver Cloud -1988
Posts: 1,543
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We have used a spray-on product called Wet & Forget. Thoroughly clean the trailer, shine it up if you need to, then spray this on. It makes it very difficult for mold, mildew, and moss to get a foothold. Rain actually helps, too, as it washes spores away so they can't grow. Works on fiberglass, wood fences, house siding, decks, etc., too.
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09-27-2017, 03:01 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Trailer: Boler 13 ft / Casita FD
Posts: 2,038
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike_L
Too bad they don't build trailers that are better contoured to prevent standing water.
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There is no problem with the little egg and standing water. Talked to friends with an Air Stream and with the curved top, No problem with water or even Snow.
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