KonCon Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Hi all, I bought a 1987 Toyota Sunrader 3 months ago. Today I realized, that the area below the mattress was quite wet so I removed the mattress. The mattress was sitting on top of some kind of some foam sleeping pads that were sitting on some fabric that covered some plywood that was sitting on the shell. So it was shell - plywood - fabric - foam pad, and then mattress. I removed the mattress and I saw that there was a significant amount of mold on the bottom of the sleeping pad, the fabric as well as the plywood. I cut out all the fabric, removed the wood and threw everything away. I realize that the fabric, that covered the edges was also wet so i removed everything there only to realize, that the plywood under it was also wet and soft. I ripped it out as well. Not sure how to move forward now so I thought I might ask everyone on the forum for their suggestion.. From your experience, how long has this mold been there. Is it possible that it only grew over the last 2-3 months or does it take longer to make plywood very soft and almost feel like paper. What is the best way to clean the inside? I want to make sure I kill all the mold. Does the plywood under the fabric cover serve a specific purpose (i marked the area red)? I'm wondering if I have to replace it or if I can just leave as is or find an easier solution. What would you recommend to do with the area. What would be the best way to prep it for the future. Put in new fabric and plywood or is there a better and easier way? Thank a lot everyone in advance!!!!! Nico Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Camping in cooler weather you tend to keep the windows closed. Two people breath out a lot of moisture and after a while the mattress soaks it up. Making things worse is that your warm and the cab over is cold, so even more condensation. Running a dehumidifier when your at home helps a bunch. Bleach will kill the mold. Some light reading to help you fix things...https://www.mattressinsider.com/mattress-condensation-prevention.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjoncuueQ7wIV5AN9Ch0p8wsgEAQYASABEgJ-t_D_BwE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KonCon Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 (edited) Thanks for the input. I did purchase a new mattress mid-end December and it has a waterproof cover around so the mattress should not hold any moist. We always ran a small dehumidifier but I believe it was not powerful enough. The last two times we went (each time only one night, last time about 3-4 weeks ago), we used the fan quite a bit to reduce the humidity in the RV and get the air circulating which helped a lot. Do you think that all this mold build up just within 2 months? I would be surprised but I would not doubt it I guess. The link is great. Will definitely get it!!! Thanks a lot Edited March 2, 2021 by KonCon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobBeery Posted March 4, 2021 Share Posted March 4, 2021 (edited) From the wooden boat people, there is a borate powder that I use. It kills dry rot fungus and some bad insects. Mix 2oz with a pint of water or 1lb to a gallon of water. Use brush, sprayer, spritzer bottle, whatever to saturate the wood, keep applying until no more will soak in. Then let it dry. It is available in 1lb from Homedepot.com under the name Board Defense $35.90 ship to store free. Also from systemthree.com under the name Borate Powder 2oz $8.95 or 1lb $23.95 but both plus shipping. Only problem I had with it is on plywood. It doesn't penetrate through glue lines. This stuff remains in the wood and doesn't deteriorate so will prevent re-occurrence for a long long time. Edited March 4, 2021 by BobBeery additional info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KonCon Posted March 5, 2021 Author Share Posted March 5, 2021 Found the source for the water. I posted it here. Still getting the extra layer for under the mattress just to be on the save side. Thanks again everyone. I hope I can fix the window quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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