Mildew in the basement

[mraymondsr]

Eagle Ridge

John, I recently bought 34rlsa and have the same thing in the tool box and the recessed area on the other side. It looks like white mold growing on the carpet. Not sure why but I need to find out.

 

[jmaguire]

We have not figured it out yet. Still working on it, but I believe it is condensation. Heartland has been contacted about it and we'll see if they have any info.

 

[markfromark]

I received a call today from David H. in the warranty dept. at Heartland. He stated he was unable find out any information concerning the "wet basement". It has been turned over to the ElkRidge plant manager. David said he had seen the multiple posts of the problem on the Heartland website. That was also communicated to the plant manager. David said he would call me when he heard from the manager.

Mark

 

[jmaguire]

Well, thats a start. Has your problem gotten any better or worse?

 

[markfromark]

John, I had propped the lid to the compartment open for 2-3 weeks and there was no moisture. The lid has been shut for the past 2 weeks and it is wet. I still have the problem. I hope the factory comes up with something soon.

 

[lwmcguir]

For mold or mildew to grow and live you have to have a moisture source. Something is leaking or dripping to provide that. Find the leak/moisture source and you will stop the mold. A 10% solution of chlorine bleach (household 5.25%-1 part bleach 9 parts water) sprayed will stop the growth but might bleach some color as well. Mold and mildew can cause respiratory issues if it is the wrong kind. Be careful to avoid breathing with your head in the compartment without adequate ventilation.

 

[jmaguire]

Our camper is empty of water and winterized. It is still getting wet. Actually it is moist. Not standing water or anything.

 

[lwmcguir]

Worth putting in an inexpensive hygrometer and see what the heck is going on. If you had a lot of moisture in the camper at some point it is hard to git rid of it without a de-humidifier. A few very dry days with the doors open will work as well but in storage that is hard to do. I would run a de-humidifier and get the humidity down below 40%-45% or you will have wall board and mold issues at some point. There may have been a water leak that saturated insulation some where. Sounds darn serious for sure. Good luck.

 

[lwmcguir]

Just a note about humidity levels. Remember that cool air wont hold the amount of moisture that hot / warm air will. When the dew point is reached the moisture in the air is going to come out. That is why the humidity should never be over about 45% in the coach when you store it. Preferable <40% .

 

[cookie]

Last night when I fueled up, and opened the lid on my aluminum, bed mounted tool box, there was frost inside. Today it is much warmer and no frost. The lid is always closed and there is a tonneau cover over it. The point I am trying to make is just what every one else has said. Its all about percent of humidity verses temperature. Last night when it was colder the temperature could not support the amount of humidity in the air, so the moisture clung to the solid surface as frost.
So in my opinion I don't think the mold and mildew is a result of manufacture, but a result of nature.
Perhaps ventilation holes would be one avenue of resolution. Don't know for sure but maybe.

Peace
Dave

 

[markfromark]

David Hilliker of Heartland called today and told me what the factory had concluded about the basement mildew problem. He said it was a lack of ventilation/air flow in the area. The "fix" is to cut a 2" vent hole in the side of the tool box to allow air to circulate. This isn't really a surprise since several of you suspected this was the cause. David told me to have our Heartland dealer make the repair. I hope this helps.

Thanks Heartland!

Mark

 

[jmaguire]

Thanks Mark. Not bad that a company monitors the web site and makes decisions based on real life experiences.

 

[jimpav]

Great......I assume that all the dealers are or will be made aware of this "fix"?
I guess the vent will be in the metal lid someplace? Just curious as not to prevent further issues.

 

[JesseM]

Looks like I will be installing vents as well, These forums are pretty handy for getting info

 

[markfromark]

The vents were installed in the ends of the tool box area. I picked the fiver up 3-4 weeks ago and have checked the tool area several times since then. No mildew so far. I'll keep you updated if the mildew starts. Yee ha, we are planning our first trip of the year in a few weeks. Sorry about that, I'm just excited.

Mark

 

[jmaguire]

Dropped mine off at the dealer yesterday for some warranty work. The mildew was included in the work, and we'll see if it gets done by the dealer properly. I was going to do it myself, but thought I'd let them try it while it was there. Our first trip this year is going to be the first weekend in April. Can't wait.

 

[markfromark]

Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the air vent in the tool area did not solve the mildew problem. I just checked the 5er this afternoon and the mildew was back and the bottom of the tool area was damp. I'm not sure what the next move is, but I guess I'll contact the dealer and factory again. I'll keep you posted.

Mark

 

[jmaguire]

We had our rig in for some warranty work in March. Our dealer told us that they thought the mildew problem was because of some caulking issues. I told them Heartland suggested the vent, but they did not think that would help. They removed the access door panel and re caulked it. It has been 1 month and we have had NO mildew yet. I will keep monitoring the situation and keep you posted. By the way, Mark is going to call our dealer and talk to them about what they did. I'm sure he will keep us posted also.

 

[goodtruck]

John we have a 34QRSL and the tool box is on the off side right in front of the UDC when we got it there was a waterline leaking near the water heater that the dealer found it was letting water into the underbelly of the unit.There are about 8 screws to remove the back wall of the basement that will give you get full access to almost all the plumming in that area.(and a really good idea of how the unit is built I enjoyed the view)Hope this helps