Cleaning

[bgambino]

I too have a Palomino Mustang. I have been a subscriber to PUT for over a year and we just purchased our first PU. We have been tent camping until now. However I have a question about how to clean the vinyl/canvas material. The white portion is very difficult to get cleaned. The portion I'm refering too is the roof sections over the sleeping areas, the sidewalls, etc. On the sidewall windows they appear to be made of a different material more canvas like. We took the camper to dealer for some repairs and they apparently got it wet. I opened my camper and it was wet inside the tent material and some mildew has formed on the window section of the canvas like material. I have tried everything to remove it. Of course I was not happy with the dealer. We have been religious about not putting the camper away wet. Any advise would be appreciated. Also any advise on what not to use would be appreciated as well.

How is Armor All on the tent material?
Thanks

[tlhdoc]

For the "roof" area of the bunkend I use Protect All, but it will not take mildew off.  It is a cleaner and it leaves the surface sort of slick so that dirt doesn't stick on it as well and is easier to clean.  About the only thing that removes mildew is a bleach solution or a commercial mildew cleaner.  I don't know if they will be safe to use on your tenting though.  If you contact Palomino they will be able to tell you.

[springer02]

We use a very mild bleach solution to clean the roof and sides and simple green to clean the tenting and awning.

DH has put the PU through the spray-off car wash before but he's very careful not to "blast" the seals with the high pressure water.

Tena

[HersheyGirl]

I used simple green on my Pal's tenting and I swear it took the waterproofing off of it. Had to rewaterproff. Is the mildew on the inside or outside? If it is on the outside, I believe that Dave sells some stuff that gets the dirt and mildew off fast...Instagone... it is sold at the PUT store under RV assesories. I think that you could use it very carefully on the inside too. Good luck.

[SpeakEasy]

We took the camper to dealer for some repairs and they apparently got it wet. I opened my camper and it was wet inside the tent material and some mildew has formed on the window section of the canvas like material.
Thanks

I'd absolutely get it back to the dealer and talk to them about correcting the situation they caused. This is a serious problem, because just about anything that will get mildew off will damage the tent material. I know because I've done it more than once.

[bgambino]

Thanks for all the imput. I'm going to try some of the tips you all provided and also contact Palomino. I'm also going to contact the dealership. They should actually take care of the problem. I did'nt think much of it until I tried to clean it off. I assumed it would come right off but it did'nt.
Thanks again.

[maromeo]

Our dealer got us hooked on Castrol - Citrus Pro. It works great. You can find it at most Auto Parts stores. Hope this helps.
Mary Romeo

[Rowdy]

According to industry representatives, you aren't going to get all the mildew off, and if you try very hard, you'll do more harm than good. Mildew is unsightly, but it won't hurt the canvas. The secret is to keep mildew off in the first place. Even put away wet, water will condense inside the camper and invite mold. Protect-All will help. Mold must have something to eat, so keep the canvas (rubber roof, vinyl strips, etc.) clean. Sweep off the roof of your camper regularly to keep mold away. Keep the inside of your camper dry with ventilation and buckets of crystals like Dri-Z-Air and similar absorption products (try Lowe's, etc.)