Update !!!Need Help - water problems - camping tomorrow

[uchwear]

My family and I have a three day camping trip scheduled tomorrow about 45 minutes away from home. I decided to pull the camper out of the back yard this morning before church and pop it up to get it ready. When I opened it to my surprise one of the bunk end canvases was soked. Here is where I am to this point:
 
1. Curtians were soaked and ruined - I took them down and tossed them. We wanted new ones anyway.
 
2. The canvas on one bunk end was wet and the canvas zip up window cover has either black mold or mildew on it. It looks like when It dries I may be able to vacuum it off???
 
3. We pulled all the cushions out after the last trip to wash their coverings so none of the cushions or the mattresses were wet.
 
I thought I had this leak fixed after the last camping trip. I thought it was the condensate line on the air conditioner but it turns out it was the seal around the air unit. I tightened it up this morning because it was loose and I hope that fixes the leak problem.
 
Now here's my question: Do you think I can just vacuum the canvas off and wipe down all hard surfaces in the camper with a cleaner and go camping in the morning or are there bigger issues I need to worry about? I know I'm going to have to have the ceiling fixed but I think the ceiling is already dry. The canvas should be dry by the time I get home from church. The camper smells musty but not unbearable. When I took the curtians out it improved the smell greatly. This is my first camper and I've had water issues from the time I purchased it back in april and I'm getting discouraged.
 
Thanks for any advice you can give and sorry for the long post.
 
uchwear
 
 
Update:  We went camping.  I tightened the a/c seal.  The second night of our trip we got between 4 and 5 inches of rain which is very rare in one day for this area.  Might only happen once a year at the most.  About three hours into the rain the roof started to leak around the air.  The ceiling wrinkled even more and the cieling around the air conditioner is spongy now.  I have an appointment wednesday at a starcraft dealer to get the seal replaced.  If I have to replace the ceiling will I have to replace the entire roof or just the insie part?  Anyone know how much it will cost approx?

[austinado16]

Sounds like a bad leak and doubt that tightening up the A/C unit will cure it. Usually when a seal like this is allowed to leak, it becomes ruined and needs to be replaced.  At a minimum, I would suggest applying that self leveling roof sealant around the seam where the A/C mounts.

As far as cleaning the canvas and windows, I can't really help.  I'd be careful using anything on the plastic windows that might scratch them....like running a vacuum cleaner nozzle back and forth.  Maybe hot/warm soapy water and a sponge is your safer method.

[CajunCamper]

I would clean everything as best I could with something that will kill the mold and mildew. Leave the camper popped up tonight and open it up to let it air out all night. If some of the surfaces are still wet, you may even want to run a fan tonight. Go camping as planned and get on that leak issue as soon as you get back.

That's just my opinion.

CajunCamper

[tlhdoc]

The mold/mildew will not vacuum or wipe off.  You will have to use some type of mold/mildew cleaner.  I would clean what you can for this trip and then contact the manufacturer to see what they say to use on the mold/mildew.  If the AC was loose that could be your problem.  You can try hosing the camper roof down and see if you have any leaking around the AC unit.  I know several people that have had a leak from the AC unit.  Good luck and enjoy your camping.

[uchwear]

Guys,
 
Thanks for the advice. I started cleaining the camper up after church and here it is 9:00 pm and I'm finally ready to go camping. I looked in my owners manual and it says to clean the Aqualon brand canvas with tilex or x14 for mildew so I mixed tilex at half strength and it worked great. I thought it would bleach and damage the fabric but it looks better than it did the day I bought it. We washed all the cushion covers even though most were dry.
 
I tightened up the a/c unit and the bolts seemed loose to me. I turned each of them about a dozen times and I think I could still tighten them more. Do you tighten them until they are very snug or do you want to have some play there?
 
I found that the only part of my cieling that is damaged is a channel through the center where the water used the path of least resistance. Both sides where the a/c brace is attached are completely dry and undamaged.
 
We're going to leave the camper open all night to let it air out but the humidity is 90% tonight in our area so I don't know how much it will aid in the drying.  I've got every fan I own blowing in there.
 
We're going camping, thanks again for the help
 
uchwear

[uchwear]

I've posted an update at the bottom of my original post.

[flyfisherman]

I've posted an update at the bottom of my original post.

Your Starcraft canvas is Aqualon. Here's a site for some immediate information ~

http://www.starcraftrv.com/aqualon.html

My Starcraft owner's manual suggests calling the national distributor for Aqualon (The Astrup Co.) for any updated information on cleaning. (800)786-7601
Obviously that number is only good during the week and during regular business hours, but might be a good idea to call them and 'splain your canvas mildew problems and see what they might have for any updated cleaning prodcedures.

Don't know what to say about the ceiling but I should think the dealer would certainly have some ideas! How about posting what he says about it. I, too, have a '99 Starcraft Venture model (bought new), but I do not have a roof mounted A/C, just the 14"X14" roof vent. Along with that roof vent (called a "convenience Package"), that included having the camper A/C ready, i.e., wired and two steel reinforcing roof braces that run across the ceiling on each side of the roof vent. Have seen in the past postings, right here on PopupTimes, cases where there were no roof bracing and an A/C unit was installed anyway and , of course, the roof saged right in that area and leaked. So let me ask the question ... are there two steel braces running arcoss the interior roof, one on each side of the A/C?



Fly

[uchwear]

It does have the ac bracing and the area where the braces are screwed in are still very solid and haven't gotten wet.  The only part that got wet was down the center about the last 1/5 of the camper.
 
The guy at the camper repair shop said they can take down part of the panel and put in just the damaged portion of the ceiling.  I still don't know how much it will cost but I will update the post when I get the camper back next week.  They said it was about a half day job.  He said he could tell by looking at the camper that the a/c seal was bad.  
 
I'll update when I get the camper back.

[PattieAM]

You might want to buy a few packages of "Damp-Rid" to keep open in the camper when not in use - then dump when the crystals turn to water.  

My AC leaked only when the rain was blown in a certain direction, and the dealership replaced the seal - all is fine now.  But, before then I'd bought an AC cover for the AC and when stored between uses, the AC cover kept it from leaking.

[uchwear]

well,  six weeks later and I finally got an estimate on the repair.  It will be a total roof replacement and they said it would run about $3,000 which is what I paid for the darn thing less than a year ago and It's only worth $2,750.  I think I'm going to go ahead and trade at a different dealership for a hybrid or a small TT.  
 
I know that not everyone has leak issues with their pup but I've had so many problems with this thing the 9 months that I've owned it that I think I'm just going to go to a hardside.  
 
Ok,  someone needs to chime in here and talk me out of it.

[uchwear]

Another update: We can't get anyone around here to give us trade because they say that it will cost more to repair than the trailer is worth. I don't think I want to try to fix it myself because I'm doing good to change my own oil. (I'm a computer guy, not real mechanical)
 
Anyone within 500 miles of Northwest Arkansas want to buy a fixer upper? The only thing wrong is the cieling area..
 
If anyone has any other ideas of what I should do I'm open to suggestions. I'm kind of desperate. We saved $3,000 to pay cash for this camper and bought it less than a year ago. Now from what they tell me at the dealers it is worthless.
 
If you know anyone within 500 miles of me that would be interested I would be willing to deliver or meet halfway.
 
I appreciate any advice you can lend.

[popupcop]

There will be someone in the area that will want to buy it from you who will be able cobble a repair.  The problem will be your getting enough money for it to make anything less than a bitter pill to swallow.  
 
We have owned two Coleman popups and three hard sides.  I love the popupup for its simplicity.  The hardsides do have some amenities that don't come with the PU but the PU can go just about anywhere without taking too much away from the fuel economy.  
 
Hang in there!  
 
By the way, nice to have some moe folks from NWA on the board too. I don't see that too often.

[PattieAM]

We had a storm that rolled through here in July and a branch poked a hole in my camper roof -- insurance covered the roof replacement ($3,000 and shipping).

Had to empty out the camper before it went to the shop for a week - then repack everything when it came home -- that was a major task!

[uchwear]

Well,  It's going to cost $3,000.00 for the repair and since the trailer is a 1998 it looks like the insurance is probably going to total the camper.  We have a lightweight travel trailer picked out.  I guess we're going to move to the "dark side"  I'll know to look for water issues on this purchase.