Mouldy caravan

[byron_5078383]

Since buying my 2003 Rialto from Reads in Blackburn almost 3 years ago, I have been plagued with mould growing on the furniture and fixtures on the inside of the van when it is stored for the winter. It has been serviced every year and no damp ingress has been found. I have tried a breathable cover, chrystals and this winter I took the advice of Reads and left several windows open on the catches. I have just been up to the caravan today and the mould has appeared again and the worksurface over the fridge is wet to the touch (which is nowhere near a window). Can anyone help.
Thanks Byron

 

[Damian]

First question is where is the van stored? What is the surrounding area like? Trees? Farm? Industrial?

 

[byron_5078383]

Hi thanks for your reply. The van is stored on a storage compound with a couple of hundred other caravans. next to a few industrial units and open moorland

 

[Damian]

Mould is caused by spores, and I am wondering if there is some kind of airborne contaminate which is settling in your van and allowing the spores to grow?
An Industrial area could have just the right conditions to exacerbate this, or pollen from the moorland.

Worth asking other owners if their vans suffer the same problem.

 

[bill_374352895]

Hi Byron,
I had the same problem with my Senator Wyoming. Reported it to the dealer's service department and it was suggested that I leave the windows on latch. My answer was that that would void my insurance policy. The dealer offered no further help. The windows on that van were metal and condensation flowed freely. We swapped it for a Compass Rallye with plastic window frames and haven't had any problems since.
Bill

 

[forestgump]

some times if the caravan is to air tight then they can get damp ,drop vents need to be clear we used to put pots of salt in to ease damp. I my self dont use a cover and never willlook at all your floor vents.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I have a 2009 Bailey Senator with the aluminium window frames. I haven't put any heating on in the van since we were out in it last October. All I've done is move the cushions away from the walls and left the cupboard and end washroom doors open. I haven't any moisture or even the feeling of fittings being damp. I must admit that when I checked after seeing another similar post I was surprised to find it dry. Infact the first thing I did on entering the van was put the heater on. I turned it off again when I could see there was no need. We could probably sleep in it without giving it an airing.
I'm no expert but from leaving the windows on the catch all it seems you are doing is letting in more moisture laiden air. With the caravan probably a couple of degrees warmer than the outside the moisture condenses to water on the fittings. As Damian said, all mould spores need is water to germinate and grow. This is why I won't drink water from the caravan taps because of the black mould spores that grow in the pipe from the AquaRoll.
I've never used a caravan cover because I've heard that this can cause problems.

 

[forestgump]

its a avondale they can be a problem with damp ive had some come throgh me and the front and rear suffer that is not to say that they have a genral problem ? But the ones ive had did seem to have the same inherant problem may be my bad luck.

 

[Mel]

This may be completly wrong but....it strikes me that once you have mould spores in your van they are going to keep growing from one season to the next unless you kill them. Have you tried a fungicide of some sort?
mel

 

[forestgump]

i found a bleach solution is best.

 

[vauxhall2]

i had this one year ,the caravan is kept at the rear of the house.checked fully by the caravan engineer for damp and checked by myself as well.non found but after a couple of months mold/mould spots on the wall over the sink and cooker appeared.i cleaned all the wall and fridge door with a anti bacterial spray.having done this for a few years when laying up the van for winter i have had no problems since.always clean the fridge with fendox after each trip but now i do the door outside as well.i think it is unseen food or fat particles that splash when cooking or washing up.
www.fenwicks.info for fendox

 

[vauxhall2]

i had this one year ,the caravan is kept at the rear of the house.checked fully by the caravan engineer for damp and checked by myself as well.non found but after a couple of months mold/mould spots on the wall over the sink and cooker appeared.i cleaned all the wall and fridge door with a anti bacterial spray.having done this for a few years when laying up the van for winter i have had no problems since.always clean the fridge with fendox after each trip but now i do the door outside as well.i think it is unseen food or fat particles that splash when cooking or washing up.
www.fenwicks.info for fendox

 

[catherine2]

Sorry to hear about your problem.
One year we had a lot of fine white mould on the vertical surfaces of our cupboards. Afterwards we always wipe all the surfaces with antibacterial wipes and this has never happened again.
Last year we moved our van to another storage area and found a lot of condensation inside, depending on the weather outside. Before this winter we followed advice from Bailey caravans and made sure all the window latches were on night setting and have a couple of the roof vents on a similar setting. On the advice of our dealer, we also drop down the compartment under the cooker as there is a good airflow here. Since then everything has been fine - I think the trick is to match outside and inside temperatures as far as possible and to get a good breeze going through the van.

 

[max1979]

we checked our rialto the other week an all the beds were quite damp so think im gonna bring them home to dry out rather before we use it again

 

[Guest]

My understanding is the problem is more prevalent in fixed bed caravans, it would appear moisture trapped in the mattress is the cause?
Certainly later fixed bed vans have extensive floor ventilation under the bed to help keep the mattress well 'aired' and prevent mould growth while in storage. This ventilation has though been found in itself to be a problem when trying to heat the van while used in winter, catch 22?!

 

[Damian]

Quote "My understanding is the problem is more prevalent in fixed bed caravans"
Not had the problem in our van which has fixed beds, however we do ensure good ventilation and clean down everything with Anti Bac before storing.

 

[extrucker1]

hi all, we had this problem with our rialto once, but we had left the awning in the van and it must have been slightly damp. haven't had the problem since. we always make sure it is bone dry before putting it back in van. regards ray.

 

[ChrisUK]

Can you put a dehumidifier into the van for a few days, I know that more moist air will get in from the vents but as I understand it spores can not reproduce below a certain % humidity and dehumidifiers can break the cycle. A week in southern Spain might do the same!