mould inside my pop-top

[rainman]

Hello all, long time no post. I'm very much a fair weather camper and so it's been sitting on my drive in all weathers since the end of last 'summer'. I don't know why but I suddenly decided to have a look at it today and was disappointed to see that all the mould I had cleaned up last year has come back. I don't think it has struck the canvas yet but is on the fuzzy stuff lining the fibreglass roof. Cleaning it off isn't such a problem but I'm a bit concerned about how damp it is in there. Is this just something I have to live with as I don't have the facilities to store it in a nice warm garage?
It's a pop-that I bodged on myself so maybe it doesn't have some essential ventilatation feature. Any ideas on better winter storage?

Thanks in advance

[Jonny Walker]

http://www.justkampers.com/shop/type_2_ ... hable.html

It's done me proud this winter, alothough ive got metal work on the roof which creats a pool of water which soaks through.... but on the whole its great for winter maintenece and it laid my mind to rest!

[Molly Man]

You really need to ventilate it as often as you can when the weather is fine... open a window or door for a while... don't forget to shut them again or you may regret it!
If you can get a power supply to the van then a small de-humidifier may be the answer and you could fit a good weather proof roof vent to the top...Fiamma or similar it all depends on roof thickness. I presume its a pop top... so pop it up on a dry windy day this should give the canvas a good airing. Forget the damp absorbing crystals, you would need a wheelbarrow load for a van stored outside!

[rainman]

Thanks for that advice, I was wondering about those crystal thingys but won't bother now. If we ever get a couple of dry days I'll definitely give it an airing, along with a hefty dose of mould zapping spray. I guess it's my own fault really, i did neglect it over the winter and then expect everything to be ok - I haven't tried starting it yet, that could be interesting.

I'll also look into the breathable cover option, although the roof is a weird shape so I might have trouble getting one to fit.

[Jonny Walker]

Which conversion is it?

[rainman]

Well it was an Autohomes Kamper with one of those rigid-sided, straight up pop-tops but I've bodged a Westy roof onto it because i couldn't find the parts to repair the leaky old one (I'm not a purist so it didn't have to look pretty). It's a bit of an odd shaped roof though which is higher at the back, I'd post a photo if I could find one. Although it is a complete bodge it does the job and I think it probably is just a case of taking better care of it over winter, especially with ventilation.