Mold/Mildew in enclosed area

[LK23]

I have an enclosed area under our bed board that gets condensation and ultimately mold and mildew. I can remove the bed board and clean the mold and mildew with a bleach solution. How do I keep the condensation from returning. This area is part of the bedroom slide that extends and is exposed to temperature swings. If I insulated the inside of the cavity would that possibly prevent the condensation.

[kenyonman]

I don't believe insulating will help since the moisture is caused by the heat inside and cold out. The insulation may retain moisture making it harder to detect. I have the same issue, one day the matress was actually frozen to the wall. I've gotten to the point where I pull the matress away from the wall daily for a few hours. Then every week I spray Lysol down in the gap to kill any mold. Another place you may want to check is in the linnen closet and clothes closets. They are a huge source of condensation in my rig.

[Barbaraok]

You need to get air moving. Small fan for a few hours a day. Keep a vent open a crack in the bedroom to get the moist air moving up and out. You may need to cut a hole at the bottom of the bed to increase air flow under it.

Barb

[LK23]

This area is sealed and no way to get a vent fan in there. The bed board is screwed down. To get access to this area I have to remove the mattress and remove the screws. And a hole in that board would not do any good since the mattress is on top of the board.

[AFChap]

Quote:

This area is sealed and no way to get a vent fan in there. The bed board is screwed down

Mine is similar, but the return air passes under the bed cavity so I have regular airflow. My bed platform hinges up, and I have left the screws out. For yours, I would be tempted to cut a couple of vent/light holes in the side and/or end of the bed platform ...put a screen over them if you thought necessary, or make them the size of floor vents and pop in the vents from the local hardware store. It would be pretty easy to install a small fan on the inside of one of the vent holes (with switch on the outside) to pull air into the area if that were necessary too.

[Savannah]

We had some mold issues in the rear so bought a dehumidifier and run it all the time. When it's running I set the humidity at 55% and the time on at two hours on low. It runs for two hours at a time til the inside humidity is at 55% or lower then it just cycles as needed.

It needs to be emptied about every other day normally and if it's raining out then daily. It does cut off by itself when it's full.

We're in Florida and the floors always felt damp and the towels were always clammy. NO MORE though.

Since it's fairly good sized I move it from the back to the front as I need the space or if one area feels really damp to us. It is large enough to dehumidify the whole coach but with alot of rain the area away from it can feel damp sometimes.

[Ray,IN]

This product may reduce or eliminate any mold/mildew issues: Concrobium Mold Control if it works as advertised.

[LK23]

Having received no responses on insulation, am I to assume that is a bad idea?

[DAN L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LK23 Having received no responses on insulation, am I to assume that is a bad idea?

i cannot tell what kind of rv you have.
you can update your signature block with this info.
generally, on one side of insulation there is a moisture barrier. so you will have moisture there anyway. just not where you can see it.
we have a small 8" fan from wally world that we move around the moho
closets and such as necessary to keep moisture evaporated.

[Ray,IN]

re: insulation. You might research using ReflectX. It is a bubble-wrap looking, aluminum-backed material which will not hold/trap moisture inside. You will find it at most building supply stores, as it is mainly used to insulate metal roofs on pole-buildings.

[LK23]

Dan, I have an Itasca Horizon 40AD. The area that gets condensation is under the bed and the portion that extends outside the coach when the bedroom slide is extended. It is about 60 x 24 inches and 4 inches high.

I was thinking I could lay a a piece of the dense 1/2 inch construction foam (from Home Depot) in the bottom of that area. Currently it has a wood base board that gets mold.

[Harry B]

How did you determine you had a mold problem Rex. You now have me concerned about what is in that area in my slide out.

[LK23]

About two years ago I changed out my Sleep Number bed for a better version. I had to pull the bed board up to get access to the Sleep Number air pump housed in the cabinet under the clock radio. I found mold on the bottom wood board in the compartment under the bed. This is the area that extends with the bedroom slide-out. I surmised that the mold was from condensation. I put a bleach solution on the mold and that seemed to kill it.

Most often we traveling in dry climates. However, this year we have been traveling on the humid, west coast, currently in San Diego. My allergies have been giving me fits so I plan to open the bed base again. I fully expect to see mold again. If so, I want to do more than just spray bleach on it.

[ChiefJohn]

As others have stated, ventilation is the key to solving your problem. Cut some holes in the bed frame and install the small circular vents that you can find at most RV supply stores. Sine you have a source of power under the bed where the Sleep Number unit is connected, I would also install a small fan that can be controlled from above -- this would ensure air-flow through the vents.