usafamom
Akron OH
New Member
Joined: 06/30/2008
View Profile
 Offline
|
We purchased a used pop up camper today. It is a 20 yr old Jayco and is in very good shape. No rips or tears in the screen. Everything is in great shape.
The problem is that the canvas on the tent part is a little moldy and smells but not much. I am just a clean freak and can't stand dirt. I know why am I camping LOL????
My question is how do you clean this?? (I know I probably won't get the little black dots out of the canvas) my boyfriend wants to pressure wash it but that would flood out the inside and we don't want that.
The previous owner said he used 4 cans of water proofing product to keep it from getting wet inside.
Also if I can get it clean and smelling good again. How do you keep it from getting moldy again?
When we store it for the season should we put cedar chips/blocks in each side to keep bugs/moths out of it??
We purchased this camper to house our crew when we do outdoor music shows at campgrounds so it won't get a whole lot of use. Also they aren't the cleanest bunch which is why they AREN'T staying in our nice 40 ft RV. 
Any ideas on cleaning and storage would be appreciated.
Thanks
Annie
|
NPD MECHANIC
Hooksett, NH
Senior Member
Joined: 01/15/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
i am interested in this also. i have a 2008 1207 and we camped in the rain is there is a way to keep the inside from feeling damp and the inside of the bunk end tent roofs from feeling wet?
2008 Jayco 1207
2002 Suzuki XL-7 "Surprisingly Powerful Little Engine That Could "
Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller
|
mike4947
N. Syracuse, NY
Moderator
Joined: 08/26/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
First Mom's answers:
At that vintage it's most likely real canvas. We've had good luck using Tilex bathroom cleaner for mildew removal. BUT it will remove the waterproofing as well. 3M Scotch Guard works well for rewaterproofing that age canvas; and yes it will take that many cans to do areal good job that will be completely waterproof. No leaks when putting bedding or pillows up against the canvas.
As to prevention first thing is to seal up the bottom of the camper. Thermo cycling from the difference between daytime and nighttime temps causes moist air to enter when the camper cools off at night, but the moisture stay when the air is pushed out during the day.
A caulking gun, a strong light, and 2 people can seal up a camper tight as a drum in an hour. With one person in the camper shining the light everywhere including in dinette seats and all cabinets; and the other under the camper caulking till there's no light showing.
Add a container of Damp Rid or silica desiccant during storage and you'll never open up to that musty mildew smell.
For Mechanic: As for damp during camping, that's you fault...LOL Each person puts out a pint or more of moisture over 8 hours and if the tenting is colder than the inside air the moisture condenses like on a frosty beverage on a hot humid day.
The cures are ventilate, circulate, and insulate. Opening windows and/or vents a little allows moisture to escape. Fans help move the moist air you create around the camper so it's not all stuck in the bunk ends. And last but not least Bunk end covers like those from PUG's keep the roof canvas near the inside temp so the material doesn't form condensation.
blog.rv.net Your daily guide to the Open Road
Subscribe to the daily digest
Want to sell some of your gear? -
Free Classified Listings on RV.Net
They say you learn by your mistakes, in that case I must be a genius.
|
campingrandma
South Carolina
Senior Member
Joined: 08/03/2007
View Profile
|
Take the canvas off to clean it. I washed ours in a kids plastic swimming pool. Tilex is nothing but a cleaner with bleach. Add a bit of bleach to the water when cleaning, just mix it in thoroughly and wet the canvas before putting it in the water. A garden hose works best for this, not a pressure washer (which won't remove the mold/mildew anyway, you have to kill it as it is a living organism). We then hung the canvas over a tall stepladder and rinsed with a garden hose and left it to dry. Removing the canvas to clean it is really the only way to do a thorough job and to rinse completely. Soap residue will encourage leaks even if waterproofed.
After it is just damp, put it back on the camper and leave it up until it is completely dry. Then apply waterproofing. Allowing the camper to dry out is also the trick to avoiding mold/mildew in the first place. If the camper has to be put away wet, pop it up ASAP and dry it thoroughly before putting it away again.
Edited to add, the only real way to rinse out the years of accumulated dust and dirt is to remove it to clean it. You just can't use enough water to rinse with it on the camper. I tried cleaning ours on the camper and, while it was cleaner, it wasn't as clean as I wanted it. The water I washed it in in the pool was very brown after I washed it in there, and that was after a good "cleaning" on the pup!
* This post was
edited 07/01/08 07:09am by campingrandma *
|
springoflife
Butler, PA
Full Member
Joined: 06/15/2005
View Profile
|
Welcome to the forum, USAFAMOM!
Our used Pop-Up stank pretty bad when we bought it. My wife used Fabreeze on the interior fabrics, and it stayed remarkably fresh all season.
For the canvas, there were some black stains (probably mold). We used a cleaner that was available at our local RV shop, called "Reliable". We diluted it and used a soft brush-on-a-pole, and got the canvas fairly clean without loosing the waterproofing qualities.
More info here:
http://www.reliableproductsonline.com/rvcatpg1.html
|
|
|
usafamom
Akron OH
New Member
Joined: 06/30/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Me Again!!
Ok Jim said the canvas is caulked across the top really well and he doesn't want to take it off. Will taking it off create a huge issue putting it back on??
I may just kind of wipe it with a damp rag this time since we won't have much time to dry it. If any of you live in Ohio you know we have had 12 days of rain! We can't even fix the roof of the Navigator!
The guys staying in this pop up sleep in much worse conditions at their homes so I don't think they will be bothered by it and it doesn't smell much at all. I am just picky
After we get back I will try taking the thing apart one side at a time. That way if I screw it up I only have one one side to fix. What is funny is only one side is moldy the other side looks like new. ?? Go figure. But I am going to do that calk thing with a flash light and also get the Damp Rid. I have seen that in the stores and wondered if it actually worked.
You all are great and thank you so much for helping us out.
|
campingrandma
South Carolina
Senior Member
Joined: 08/03/2007
View Profile
|
Well, if it is chaulked on there, there is a problem! The original installation woudld not have used chaulking. If it is chaulked, then the previous owner did it, probably to stop the leak that caused the mold/mildew in the first place.
|
CampnDan
Lexington Park, MD
Full Member
Joined: 05/07/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
usafamom,
The last time I cleaned the pop, I used simple green with a solution of bleach. I came really clean, especially the awning which I removed to clean the under side. Good luck and welcome.
Dan
Me
DW
Daughter
Son
2004 Chevy Trailblazer EX
2004 Starcraft 2106
http://community.webshots.com/user/campndan
|
springoflife
Butler, PA
Full Member
Joined: 06/15/2005
View Profile
|
CAMPNDAN,
Didn't the Simple Green and Bleach solution damage the canvas or remove the waterproofing? 
|
mike4947
N. Syracuse, NY
Moderator
Joined: 08/26/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
The thing is there are apx 10 different materials that have been used for the tenting on PU's over the years. What works on one can damage, discolor, or remove the water proofing.
I should have put in my first reply that you should test any cleaner or waterproofer on an area that won't show much to see what effect it will have on the material.
I had one poor trailer end up looking like a pinto pony from the wrong cleaner, and another where the material turned to goo that was impossible to remove from the wrong water proofer on another. Thank god I learned from the pinto incident that I used the test on the goo and only had a hand sized spot under a bunk end; and I ended up cutting it out and patching it.
|
|
|
