Mold

[Nole75]

Am I the only person that has mold or mildew inside their Avion? I have areas in the rear of my 1978 28.5 M. Ive run the dehumidifier had the fans going, but to no avail. What am I missing? I plan on cleaning it down, painting with kilz mold mildew paint then coming back with my interior color. Thanks for the help.

[Razorback]

I have not noticed any in our Avion.

Where, exactly, are you finding it?

[KYAvion]

There's got to be moisture and some sort of organic source for mold. Where exactly are you finding it, and what climate are you in? Also, are you sure this is new mold or mold that's been there awhile?

[RISK]

First step is to identify where the water is coming from.
It could be an exterior leak, an interior leak or bad seals on doors, windows and hatches (assuming a humid climate). The first two are very likely culprits.

I would go over all rivets, seams, vents, windows, doors, hatches (any penitration really) and ensure a water tight seal. This can be done a number of ways, but if you notice a bunch of silicone or other off the shelf caulk, you likely have a leak. After that fun, trace all your plumbing lines, another round of fun.

I run a fan in my trailers at all times when not being used, in one older and particularly stinky trailer, I placed a bowl of vinegar on the floor and replenished it every couple days. It really helped with the smell and apperanly can knock back some forms of mildew.

Let us know.

Ian

[silverloaf]

Am I the only person that has mold or mildew inside their Avion? I have areas in the rear of my 1978 28.5 M. Ive run the dehumidifier had the fans going, but to no avail. What am I missing? I plan on cleaning it down, painting with kilz mold mildew paint then coming back with my interior color. Thanks for the help.

We had similar issues in the rear of our '88 30-P when we bought it.

For the record, I did years of residential building diagnostics here in Michigan. This included identifying the symptoms and root cause of mold. Rummaging through attics and crawl spaces was not my most favorite job.

I learned the linoleum floor covering in our trailer had encapsulated a lot of moisture. As a result, the wood never dried out. A tell-tale sign was loose linoleum. When I peeled it back, the trapped moisture had converted the adhesive to a green slime. It had been wet for a very long time.

I encountered rotted wood from corner to corner along the base of the back wall. I determined the outside edge of the floor had not been fully covered by the lower skin. I theorized rain runoff leaked under the lower beltline molding and got sucked in by the plywood.

When I replaced the floor, I applied a moisture-resistant paint to the edge of the bare plywood. I then installed a strip of thin-gauge aluminum under the outer skin to act as a drainage plane over the wood edge.

Mold thrives on anything with a cellulous fiber content. This includes wood, drywall paper, cardboard boxes, etc. When ambient temperature is between 32 and 80 degrees, mold spores will open for business when wood, for example, reaches a moisture content of 19% and/or the humidity reaches 70%. This is what makes trailers a real breeding ground for mold or wood rot.

No amount of dehumidification or fan speed will dry out moisture or retard mold growth that cannot be seen and extracted. I strongly recommend against using the Kilz paint you mentioned. Unless the root cause of the moisture is addressed and kept dry, paint is akin to putting lipstick on a pig.

I recommend washing the affected area with a 8:1 water-to-bleach solution, rinse and then apply your paint color. Concrobiam Mold Control is another good product to use. Spray bottles are available at places like Home Depot about $8.00.

By the way, my S-I-L uses clay desiccant bricks to absorb any seasonal humidity in his trailer. Here's what he uses:
https://www.mcmaster.com/#2139K78

Let us know how you make out. RISK had some good ideas as well.

[Nole75]

Thanks everyone for the input. My trailer is parked in the shade i.e..oaks year round, and I would guess that doesn't help. When the weather is better I will go topside and look for and seal any and everything.
Several posts on the Airstream boards advocated for the use of Wet and Forget, a mildew cleaner.
I agree that the moisture has to be the problem, be it windows, or rivets on top.
I will keep everyone posted as to my progress. Also as a note I'm located in Pensacola Fl, so yes its humid year round.

[Tarnished]

I've been fighting mold in my Argosy since purchased. It grows on the aluminum furniture, on the newly installed cherry cabs and the vinyl covering on the inside. I keep it well ventilated but every few weeks find a few spots on the interior and wipe them down with a bleach based cleaner. I always find signs of new growth. It had mold on the interior when purchased 6 yrs ago in Tx.
My Avion bought in Dec of '17 shows no sign at all of mold although there has been apparently a long term but occasional leak in the front curbside corner probably from the window. I'll try
some of the aforementioned products on the Argosy though will be putting it up for sale in early Mar.