Need help asap with fixing beds

[Serenity]

We have had mold all over the bed area (mostly underneath).  
It has been bleached and dried out.
My question- can we put polyurathane (sp?) on the wood bed pads?
Is there any reason these need to breathe?  Will this protect against mold in the future?

We also need to replace our beds-any ideas?
TIA- we really want to go camping soon.

[dthurk]

Most surfaces that are unfinished are that way for a reason.  I would suspect if you were to finish one surface, you would need to finish all sides, including the edges.  I would think it very difficult to treat the edges of your bunk decking.  If you don't seal everything, warpage can result.  Best to leave it alone, if possible.  Has mold re-occurred since treating?

[NittanyL]

I can't help with your question about the polyurethane, but we just made new mattresses and seats for our PUP.  We live near a local mattress factory/store (Page Bedding). We ordered the correct size foam from them (about $350 total for two mattresses and 4 pieces for the seat cushions/backs). We bought fabric at Wal-Mart, similar in texture to what was there already, but more neutral color.  We had a friend cover the mattresses where he works. They also put vinyl on the bottom and sides of the 4 inch foam, so the material wouldn't get snagged on the bottom wood of the bunks.  The seat cushions were easier for us to do ourselves, since they are smaller.

My husband cut plywood the same size as the old pieces, we sprayed adhesive on the foam and stuck it to the plywood.  Then we just wrapped the fabric around the foam and stapled it to the plywood on the underside. It's sort of like wrapping a present - not too hard. They look really great and are not mildewy anymore.

Hope that helped a little...good luck.

[wavery]

It may be best to leave them unfinished. If moisture gets in (and it will) it needs a place to get out. If the moisture stays in, it will become a breeding ground for bacterial growth.

If you really want to coat them, urethane is OK but pure polyester or epoxy resin would be better. Epoxy resin is best but expensive. It's best (IMO) to remove the boards and coat all sides with about 3 coats (plus one extra pre-coat on the end grains). You can coat resins "Wet-on-wet". Just let the first coat cure to the point where it is barely tacky (about 30 minutes), then put on the next coat, etc. That way, you don't have to sand between coats. If you let it cure, you MUST sand between coats because the resins bring wax to the surface as they cure.

Let the boards cure for about 3 days before reinstalling them. Re-drill your holes and put silicone sealer on the screws before you run them in. This should give you a surface that is impervious to moisture and/or mold.

You might want to consider using an inflatable mattress. We love ours. You wouldn't even need an "upholstered" mattress that way.

[Old Goat]

Here's how I sealed the tops of the bunk boards [OSB] on our 01 Niagara with urethane varnish. The first coat was thinned down so it would really soak in when applied. I lightly sanded the surfaces and applied two more unthinned coats during the next two days..I did not seal the bottom sides so that the panels can breathe and dry out if they ever get wet... I then cut sheets of 1/2" blue foam insulation [from Lowes] to fit tight on the bunk tops  Foam is not fastened down...Mattress lays on top of the foam with out any problem...We have camped for five days straight in rainy weather and never had a problem with dampness, mildew or warping in the bunk ends.....

When we bought the camper we left the clear plastic covers on the mattresses for protection from moisture in case we ever had to fold down in wet weather. They still look brand new and have no dirt or stains on them....I just replaced one mattress with a 4" foam one that was custom made in a plant near here..It too, is sealed in plastic...The higher quality and thicker foam sure has made the bunk much more comfortable and well worth the extra money..I plan to replace the other one soon.......

[wavery]

There may be a possible problem with a mattress that is sealed in plastic. If the foam mattress is not allowed to breathe, you end up with 2 different pressure gradients between the mattress and the outside air. That means heating and cooling at much different rates. That may lead to condensation between the mattress and the wood. Also, when you are sleeping on the mattress, you may end up with condensation inside the plastic cover.

We get a lot of condensation inside of our air mattress when it is cold out. That's not a big deal though because we suck all the air and moisture out with a vacuum cleaner after every camp-out. You can't do that with a mattress. I would be concerned about the possibility of moisture and bacterial build-up over time. That is why you never see a mattress with vinyl on the top, only the bottom. It is necessary for the mattress to breath.

[tlhdoc]

There may be a possible problem with a mattress that is sealed in plastic. If the foam mattress is not allowed to breathe, you end up with 2 different pressure gradients between the mattress and the outside air. That means heating and cooling at much different rates. That may lead to condensation between the mattress and the wood. Also, when you are sleeping on the mattress, you may end up with condensation inside the plastic cover.
 
We get a lot of condensation inside of our air mattress when it is cold out. That's not a big deal though because we suck all the air and moisture out with a vacuum cleaner after every camp-out. You can't do that with a mattress. I would be concerned about the possibility of moisture and bacterial build-up over time. That is why you never see a mattress with vinyl on the top, only the bottom. It is necessary for the mattress to breath.

My camper is a 1999.  It still has the factory plastic on the original mattress and we don't have any moisture, bacterial build up.  The mattresses look brand new.  I store the bunkend poles under the mattresses and I have never see any moisture under the plastic wrapped mattresses on the bunkend.  I think the reason you get condensation inside your air mattress is that you blow moist air into the mattress.  I doubt that you get all of the moisture out of the air mattress when you suck the air out, and this can cause mold/mildew to grow in your air mattress.  To prevent this from happening you can use a scuba tank (filled with dry air for scuba diving) to fill the mattress.  That way you will not be putting moisture into the mattress.  I have seen many mattresses that are vinyl on all sides.  Hospitals and other institutions use vinyl covered mattresses.  It would be next to impossible to sanitize cloth covered mattresses.  I have seen many  vinyl covered seat cushions on boats too.

[tlhdoc]

We have had mold all over the bed area (mostly underneath).
It has been bleached and dried out.
My question- can we put polyurathane (sp?) on the wood bed pads?
Is there any reason these need to breathe? Will this protect against mold in the future?
 
We also need to replace our beds-any ideas?
TIA- we really want to go camping soon.

Have you figured out why you had mold all over the bed ends?:confused:

[Old Goat]

Here is another point to ponder. I placed the 1/2" thick foam insulation on the bunkends for this reason. Foam provides extra insulation for the bunk and an alike surface for the mattress to lie on.. It insulates the mattress bottom from the temperature changes of the wood especially in cold weather, thus cutting down on the possibility of condensation. Foam is not fastened  or glued to the bunk bottom in order to eliminate the possibility of air pockets and it can be easily removed just in case the bunk end should ever get wet....

 We tried using an air mattress several times but did not like it...It was not firm enough for our likes and it made the bunk to high... We sleep fore and aft in the trailer and the air mattress also made the bunk harder to slide out of  for the night P calls.....

[wavery]

Here is another point to ponder. I placed the 1/2" thick foam insulation on the bunkends for this reason. Foam provides extra insulation for the bunk and an alike surface for the mattress to lie on.. It insulates the mattress bottom from the temperature changes of the wood especially in cold weather, thus cutting down on the possibility of condensation. Foam is not fastened  or glued to the bunk bottom in order to eliminate the possibility of air pockets and it can be easily removed just in case the bunk end should ever get wet....

 We tried using an air mattress several times but did not like it...It was not firm enough for our likes and it made the bunk to high... We sleep fore and aft in the trailer and the air mattress also made the bunk harder to slide out of  for the night P calls.....

Air-beds are certainly a person choice item. That's for sure. Most people either love them or hate them. We have a sleep # air bed at home also.

As far as the height is concerned, if you like the air-bed and have a good one, you might want to consider removing the foam mattress all together. That will locate your air-bed a lot lower, Also, that will give you additional storage space when the roof is closed and the mattress is deflated. It's a great place to store all of your poles, outdoor mat and anything else less that 4" thick. That could be a lot of things.