RE: VERY rainy trip - need your advice a.s.a.p.

[my4cuties]

 We were in Lancaster County for two STORMY & RAINY days, and now we are home trying to " dry out" .  Please give us tips for cleaning spots inside AND out on our PopUp (mildew, etc.)  We have an asthmatic son who is allergic to mold & mildew, and we don t want our next trip to be a hazzard to his health.  We DID suffer some leaking just above the zipper on the KING bunk end, but there is mildew on other parts of the tent as well.
 
 Thanks so much.  We know we can count on you for help with this.
 
 Here is to a RAIN-FREE trip in JULY!
 
 P.S. Is leaking common in our type of camper?  If so, how do we take care of it so our feet don t get wet the next time it rains?  Thanks again!
 

[wahoonc]

 my4cuties
To get rid of mildew that has already started on the vinyl I use a mild bleach solution and a scrub brush. There is also a product called OSSO (I think) that some people use.
 As far as the leaks are concerned, if you have driving rains all bets are off, I have seen brick walls leak when the rain was heavy enough and the wind strong enough. We have a Coleman and have had very minor leaks in a heavy storm.
 
 Aaron[]

[brainpause]

 my4cuties
If you have your camper set up, even partially (in the garage), put a fan in it, and just let it run for a few days. Circulating air will help lots. That s what we ve done, and we ve become experts at camping/packing in the rain.
 
 Larry

[tlhdoc]

 my4cuties
Check your owners manual and see what it says to use on mildew.  It depends on the material your tenting is made out of.  
 
 As for leaking we have never a leak in either of our Coleman PUs.  The first was a 1987 Sun Valley and the second one is my 99 Nevada.

[cmalinowski]

 my4cuties
Our trip was a little wet this weekend as well.  It was my first time using a pop-up, and I was quite happy with the results.  We were on MD s eastern shore, and the it rained for several hours.  The only drip I got was when I turned off the AC (and, it was only a drip so part of me thinks it was condensation).
 
 But, I am also wondering about water.  When I packed the PU up on Sunday, I turned the AC off and went about my business.  There was still a little bit of water on the outside of the tenting.  Not a lot.  I shook off as much as I could, folded up and went home.  Should I be concerned?  Should I try to find time to open it up and air it out?  I don t know when that will be...
 
 Thoughts?
 
 Thanks,
 Chris

[MtnCamper]

 ChrisM

 

ORIGINAL:  ChrisM
 
  Should I be concerned?  Should I try to find time to open it up and air it out?  I don t know when that will be...
 
 Thoughts?
 

I would open it as soon as I could, and dry it out. Why take the chance and have to deal with the mildew? If you are in a humid climate, open and dry everything. Otherwise you may open to a really bad surprise next time.
 

[mike4947]

 my4cuties
Chris, with the humid & warm climate around there and closing up with damp canvas, you should definitely open it up and dry it out. Takes a lot less effort than cleaning mildew.
 IMHO you should also look into getting some Damp Rid or Silica desiccant for the PU when it s closed up. Just the moisture in a humid day when closing up can give mildew all the moisture it needs to start growing and there s nothing worse than opening up right before a two weeks trip and gagging on mildew smell.

[The Overmans]

 my4cuties
My wife and I went to SC to stay with relatives a couple of years ago.  We stayed in a rented  popup trailer.  Within a couple hours, she became asmatic (Due to Mold and Mildew in trailer and AC).  Father inlaw brought out an Ozone generator and plugged it in and within 3 to 4 hours my wife was feeling ok.  She slept well that night and no further problems that week.  You can look on internet and find some small units thou they are a little pricy.  But, hey can you put a price on good health for your family?

[cmalinowski]

 my4cuties
I will try to find a day where it s not raining here in MD to try and open it up just to make sure it is dried out.  Of course a day where it is not raining is a hard find here over the past 60 days or so
 
 I thought about going to a boat store and getting that damp rid.  I m new to all this camping stuff... but having fun learning.
 
 I guess the fact that it s only 60 degrees out will help.

[whitestar505]

 ChrisM
ChrisM,
 
    Put some damp rid in the trailer on Sunday after coming back from a weekend camping trip and the bucket that hold the damp rid is half full already. Only one bucket sitting on the floor by the door. Seems to be working very well. You might ought to try some. Get it at Wal-Mart if you can, if not try Home Depot. DO NOT BUY IT OVER THE WEB. Cost is out of sight.
 
 Got may start/idea from a forum user with the handle of kathybrj.[]

[vjm1639]

 my4cuties
Yep...I see a couple more from the surrounding DC Metro area!  :>   The weatherman said last night that out of the last 47 days, 38 of them had rain!  Only 5 weekends so far since JANUARY that we haven t had rain.  I don t know about you folks, but I m sure looking forward to the sunny weekend they have predicted for this week!  We re taking our new PU out for the first time! Picked it up last weekend and haven t even had a decent enough day to go over and play with it!   All we ve gotten to do so far is practice backing it.....which I can certainly see is going to be a job for DH...NOT me!  <snicker>

[angelsmom10]

 my4cuties
We have been out 4 times with the new PU this year.  It has rained every time.
 
 Over the weekend, heard some weather stats.
 
 Out of the last 22 weekends, we have had 19 of them with some form of precipitation.  We are also below average by about 2"  and 6"  below last year.
 
 I M TIRED OF THE RAIN -- I M OFF FOR THE WEEKEND AND WANT TO CAMP, BUT RAIN S*CKS
 
 [>:][>:][>:]

[vjm1639]

 my4cuties
Wow...Below average with all that rain???  Last year at this time we were almost 5 inches Below our average...this year we are over 10 inches ABOVE average!
 
 Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!!!!  
 
 :>

[jawilson]

 my4cuties
This place sells some cleaners that might do the trick...http://protectall.com/rvs.htm

[wssfetch]

 my4cuties
Best mildew cleaner for pop-up is Scrub Free Mildew Stain Remover or Scrubbing Bubbles Mildew Stain Remover.  Both work well without scrubbing.  Just spray it on the mildewed area and rinse well.  You will need to spray the treated area with a water repellant after the canvas has dried.
 
 Make sure you keep air circulating inside the camper with either a fan or the rooftop a/c fan if you have one.  When you close up, add be sure to put some containers of Damp Rid or other dessicant in the camper.