MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: POD on November 24, 2010, 05:09:29 PM
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Hi Team,
This is more for those of us who live up in the Northern parts of the country or those who have:
I have ordered a Jayco Eagle from Victoria with the expectation that we were to be returning to that state. However, it appears we may be up here (Kuranda, near Cairns) for a little bit longer. We have two options now - wait until we can get down to Vic to get our van (maybe 6 months or more, but I can get a 'lation to pick it up and store it for us) or do we go on a road trip (no issue, quite happy to) and bring it up here.
BUT - and here's the dilemma: HOW DO WE KEEP IT FROM GOING MOULDY AND MANKY?
I know everyone will say "go and get it" but that is not the issue here. We want it desperately (who wouldn't) but we don't want it to get smelly and mouldy.
So - how do people up around here get their vans/campers dry in the damper months and, if not using it for a couple of months say, how do you keep it from damage of the mould variety.
My thoughts - have it set up in the shed with a small bar oil heater in it, on all the time on low. BUT - will that just make it more humid and do more damage?
Teabag - what are you planning to do?
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Not too sure with the Jayco when I get it but when we had the Kimberley Kamper up here I would regularly on clear days open the tail gate to let it breath and never really had an issue with mould. I would be very reluctant to use a heater with canvas for obvious reasons but vehtilation would be the key......Possibly a small fan sitting inside the van when closed to more the air around and open regularly when you can...... ;D
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we have had campers for years in cairns never had a mould problem. as teabag says let some air into the jayco and this should help. you mentioned you live in kuranda if your are in the rainforest part yes you may have problems there as you need the sun to dry everything out.
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I don't feel it will be that extreme.
The only suggestion is to ensure it doesn't get wet inside, or is closed up wet.
The trick to fighting mould is sun, it simply kills it. So if you can open it up everynow and then you'll be doing it a great favour.
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Would putting some of those damp rid / hungry hippo moisture absorby things in the camper while it is is packed up help - just a suggestion, I'm not a canvas expert!
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As long as it's not directly on the canvas, I reckon it's a good idea - I can't see how it could harm the material in anyway. Worth a shot.
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they could just go on the floor or somewhere where they are easy to reach and therefore emptied. Then they would be drawing any moisture away from the canvas
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I believe the stuff your talking about is called Desiccant which is a silcon gel used to absorb moisture. We use them heaps in electronic cabinets but you would need a lot for a camper but wouldn't hurt. To re-activate they go in the over spead out oven a baking tray by which they change colour when restored......
You can get it off Ebay pretty cheap....
http://shop.ebay.com.au/items/_W0QQ_sopZ12?_nkw=desiccant%20bags&_fromfsb=0&_trksid=m270.l1313&rvr_id=173851125177&rawquery=desiccant&MT_ID=384&crlp=41622570041_55&tt_encode=raw&keyword=desiccant+bags&geo_id=31
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Get some Silica Gel. Its used for keeping moisture away from sensitive equipment (camera gear/electronics etc). Something like these might be useful for a camper while in storage - http://www.silicagel.com.au/categories/Silica-Gel-Dehumidifiers
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was actually talking about this stuff
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss231/lcandlp/images.jpg)
you get it from woolworths, they generally go in cupboards etc, the water collects in the bottom, they are refillable and two or three of them in the camper should be heaps
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I have one of these in the camper when we pack it up wet or damp. Seems to work okay. This claims to remove smells as well, so there must be some bi-carb in it. These retail for about $8 or so at the Stupid Market, and claim to be good for 90 or more days.
(http://aws.prstatic.com/pr.products/t/150x150/hippo-moisture-absorber_4cdb5a581ee03.jpg)
As the kitchen tap can sometimes leak, I also put one of these in the sink after each camping trip. Gets a bit expensive at $8 for the 3 pack, especially if you use the camper every other weekend though.
(http://aws.prstatic.com/pr.products/t/150x150/selleys-absorb-it_4ce480706f487.jpg)
Kit_e
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We are lucky enough to be in the dryer part of the north, but I find I buy those moth ball thingys, the green plastic container ones (could be camphor balls) and leave one or two under the mattress, (we using 6inch foam at moment) so when you open up camper trailer, it smells fresh. cheers
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As long as you pack it up dry you shouldnt need to worry about mold or add any of the moisture absorbing stuff.
Ours sits packed up outside for the entire wet season up here and we do nothing to it.
In all the years we have had our ct the only time it had mold was when we packed it away wet...
Bill and Morag
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Reviving this post as I have been dealing with some mould issues with out CT. The statement "fold it up dry" is hard when the humidity level is somewhere about 60%. What is dry enough is the question. Anyway, after the wettest year In Ingham since 1970 and our first year, and after 8 or 9 outings during the supposed dry season, I had not had any issues. If I had packed up wet, I would errect in the back yard and leave until we got atleast 3 or more hours of good hot afternoon sun. Of course the bottom of the tent is still wet, and its a pack up a bit, dry and bit more job. But so far no mould on the main tent. But, the drifta kitchen is horrible for mould. I have often pulled it out and left it in the sun for a while to try and keep it at bay. I recoated the wet area around the sink with marine varnish, and that has helped, but its an ongoing issue. Today it was hot and sunny, so put the tent up, pulled the kitchen out and washed the kitchen down with a light bleach solution and left in the sun to dry for 4 hours. It was hot, 35c and a gently breaze. I then pulled the drifta storage box out to find mould all around the end boards, and on the canvas bag that holds annex. The sweet smell was ripe, white blotchy mould had begun to develope inside and out of the bag. The annex walls and roof dont appear to have mould on them, although there was a couple of spots where there had been contact with the bag. I wonder if the bag is more susceptable than the tent as it has some air ventilation in the trailer which might aid moulds growth? Again I washed down with a sponge and light bleach solution and they are out in the sun drying, as is the drifta storage box. I will keep an eye on it, and might leave the annex out of the box for a while and air out as much as possible for a week or two. I am not that surprised that something is going mouldy with the wet we have had. but the mould on the ply and on the storage canvas bag has caught me by surprise.
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I got the odd mould around the drifta kitchen now and then and then just wiped it down. I leave the tailgate open so the air can circulate inside the camper. I have had 4 campers when we hired them and really never had a problem they sat out in the weather with tarps on them. We put milk crates on the camper tops so that the tarps would be on an angle and the rain fell away.
We would spray wd 40 over the springs etc to keep the moisture away. Apart from that no problems with mould for 4 years.
Mark
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Hi skamme we bought our ct tent 2nd hand and it had had some mould issues before we got it, I set it up and left it set up for about a week in full sun on some concrete that seamed to have fixed it. just to make sure I sealed it inside and out ;D, if I have to air it out after a wet trip I give it all day and some times put a fan in it with all the windows open so it's as dry as I can get it on the day.
Reviving this post as I have been dealing with some mould issues with out CT. The statement "fold it up dry" is hard when the humidity level is somewhere about 60%. What is dry enough is the question. Anyway, after the wettest year In Ingham since 1970 and our first year, and after 8 or 9 outings during the supposed dry season, I had not had any issues. If I had packed up wet, I would errect in the back yard and leave until we got atleast 3 or more hours of good hot afternoon sun. Of course the bottom of the tent is still wet, and its a pack up a bit, dry and bit more job. But so far no mould on the main tent. But, the drifta kitchen is horrible for mould. I have often pulled it out and left it in the sun for a while to try and keep it at bay. I recoated the wet area around the sink with marine varnish, and that has helped, but its an ongoing issue. Today it was hot and sunny, so put the tent up, pulled the kitchen out and washed the kitchen down with a light bleach solution and left in the sun to dry for 4 hours. It was hot, 35c and a gently breaze. I then pulled the drifta storage box out to find mould all around the end boards, and on the canvas bag that holds annex. The sweet smell was ripe, white blotchy mould had begun to develope inside and out of the bag. The annex walls and roof dont appear to have mould on them, although there was a couple of spots where there had been contact with the bag. I wonder if the bag is more susceptable than the tent as it has some air ventilation in the trailer which might aid moulds growth? Again I washed down with a sponge and light bleach solution and they are out in the sun drying, as is the drifta storage box. I will keep an eye on it, and might leave the annex out of the box for a while and air out as much as possible for a week or two. I am not that surprised that something is going mouldy with the wet we have had. but the mould on the ply and on the storage canvas bag has caught me by surprise.
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sorry forgot to mention we do not zip up the top on the camper but leave it you need air to circulate to keep the mould away.
Mark
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yeh, but I got rats too...
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This is the mould on the annex bag. Pretty...not! Has seen a fair bit of sun and air, looks clear, but still smells. ???
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Well maybe we just have to go out camping a lot more, so that the trailer is open and that problem should not occur. Cheers
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Relbel, of course your are completely right, hopefully this year will be a bit more condusive to regular camping trips with a dry season after the wet :D
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Just spoke to the manufacturer of my CT, and here is the recommended product for mould removal and control. Check it out. there are suppliers through QLD, and I would assume nationally. Dont know the cost yet. Claims to re-activate every time it gets wet, and canvas is on the list for applications. cheers.
http://www.wetandforget.com.au/wetforget.htm
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Have purchased wet and forget locally, now to get some weather when I can get the CT out and apply it and get it dry again. Wont be this week but!! Very wet in Ingham again today, just took another 3" out of the gauge. ;D
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After a few nights around cairns i set the rig up in the backyard, and sprayed the whole shebang with wet and forget. There were a few blotches up under the side folds on the trailer that must have had a little moisure over the wet season, just white surface mound. It feels good to have done it, but I wouldnt want to have to do it every year. Hopefully all will be well. It was a very very wet season here, I took a meter out of our rain guage for March...it is well and truly dry now and packed up, but now I want to hook it up and use it again!! :cheers:
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Stick a box of chalk in. This can be used over and over. :cup:
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Stick a box of chalk in. This can be used over and over. :cup:
Please explain??
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I'm guessing the chalk absorbs the moisture. when it stops being effective, you pull it out and bake it in the over for an hour or two to dry it out, then put it back in the camper. Rinse, and repeat. It's a nifty idea - I might have to grab a couple of boxes.
To be honest though, we don't have a problem with mould on our camper. It lives outside, all shut up, and the PVC cover gets a bit manky (light bleach solution fixes this), but nothing on the canvas. I mistakenly pumped some water up into the kitchen while the camper was closed for a few weeks over Jan/Feb (wanted the tank filled for Yasi, in case we needed emergency rations), and that made the kitchen and one of the chair bags get a bit of mould onto them, but after wiping down with some antibacterial spray (just the normal kitchen stuff from Coles) they were right as rain, and haven't had any problem since.
We do sit a couple of water jerry cans under the PCV top on top of the canvas though, mainly so that water doesn't pool on the top of the PVC and make a mess, but it also gives some breathing space to the canvas under the top. Maybe it's the heat from the sun during the day that dries out that airspace, but it's always been perfect for us.
Good luck with the Wet and Forget skamme - I hope it works for you and would be interested if the mould comes back quickly, or even at all. Hopefully you've got it sorted!
Thanks!
Matto :)
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Good luck with the Wet and Forget skamme - I hope it works for you and would be interested if the mould comes back quickly, or even at all. Hopefully you've got it sorted!
Thanks!
Matto :)
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The wet and forget is really preventative rather than cure, apart from the annex bag which had the blotches, and a couple of small spots up under the side skirt around the trailer. I reckon a 20k trailer is worth looking after as best as I can. Mine lives under the house, would hate to keep it outside in the wet and sun ;D Maybe i am just pedantic :cheers:
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That's good to hear then - I hope it stops any future problems. If you can keep the camper under cover, then you've got half the battle already won.
I'd love to keep mine somewhere a bit protected, but unfortunately we don't have anywhere else for it to go, so out in the weather it is. Thankfully it doesn't seem to have harmed it at all so far. If you've got the ability to get it undercover though, you'd be silly not to use it!
Thanks!
Matto :)
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Im pretty sure the annex bag was affected because it was shut up in the bottom storage box of the trailer and there was some condensation for some reason. In future I will leave the tailgate and front side door open a bit after use, and blow some air through for a few days perhaps. We have some rats around too, and I know what they can do to canvas, and really dont want that >:(