RV Tips for Keeping Your RV Mold and Mildew Free

by Adam OConnor

These 3 RV tips will help you prevent mold and mildew from forming in your RV

For RVers, nothing is more enchanting than a long road trip with many sights to see along the way. However, nothing can be more frustrating than having problems with your vehicle while on the road trying to have fun.

Especially if those problems involve water leaking into your RV while you are out touring a rainy region or flooding from a leaky toilet or sink. Although mold can form while you're out on the road, most mold and mildew formation occurs during those months when it is in storage.

Under a tarp or stored in a warm, humid storage facility, your RV could become an incubator for mold and mildew. Once you’ve got it, it can be tricky to learn how to clean up mold properly – the best method is prevention. To follow are 3 tips for preventing mold and mildew from forming in your RV.

Check Your Plumbing and Ventilation

Every time you leave for one of your RV adventures, check or hire someone to check your toilet valves, lines, and your RV toilet stop to ensure it is all working correctly. Make sure your bathroom is vented properly because poor ventilation in small spaces with ample water is a perfect place for mold to grow. Don’t forget to have someone look at the plumbing under your sinks and your waste disposal system. The last thing you need is a leaky toilet or sink supply line soaking your carpet while you’re blissfully charging down the road to that next destination. 

Keep Tabs on Your Roof and Ceiling

Make sure your roof is watertight by inspecting the caulking, moulding and seams. Examine your roof carefully at least twice a year for exposed fasteners, cracked seams, UV deterioration, mold and mildew, water spots on the ceiling. One clear indicator for RV roof deterioration is a chalky white substance left in your driveway when you wash your RV. If you are a “do-it-yourself-er” (DIY-er), you could start by spraying water and trying to determine the source of the leak, replacing leaky roof vents, removing old caulking, and replacing it with new, and repairing damaged seams. If your roof needs repair and you are not a DIY-er you may want to try a liquid roof system with no caulk, seams, or leaks.

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Prevent Mold from Forming During Storage

Store your travel vehicle under a cover that will protect it from the elements while allowing it to breathe, while venting inside water vapor to prevent mold and mildew from forming. One can find a whole host of RV covers that are triple - layered to provide ample UV protection, air vents to reduce wind lofting and inside moisture for around $300.00 with a 3-year warranty. Though the best method is prevention, if you do discover you have mold, you need to think about the health implications. Make sure it is cleaned up properly, and that you get an air cleaner or purifier to keep yourself and your loved ones from breathing in the spores. 

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Check for Hidden Mold and Clean it Up

Sometimes mold clean up requires some good detective work where you will have to learn to “follow your nose”. Follow the smell and feel around for dampness. Even when mold is not visible on carpets and walls it may be growing on carpet padding or inside walls. Inspect, or have inspected, your air conditioning system ducts for mold, dampness. Once mold spores form in a heating or AC system, they will be spread around the entire space. This could cause some major health problems.

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