Remodeling a moldy class C

[decodancer]

• • 
     I'm finally back in the Poconos and started working on the new to me 31 foot Tioga class C. The good news is that it runs perfectly and I got a really great deal from the owner of the campground where I work. The motorhome was barely used by the elderly couple who previously owned it. All appliances are working. The bad news is that they found water damage too late and the mold had taken over one wall in the bedroom. They sold it to my boss who planned on just selling the V10 motor and generator. He parked it in the storage area for the summer without repairing the leak. The water damage and mold spread into the living area. I really wanted a class C but couldn't afford one so I saw this as a way to use sweat equity and get a nice rig. For right now the C is covered with a tarp until I can replace the 2 broken vents and and fix the leaky window when the snow melts. I'm working without heating the rv to prevent the mold from spreading further. I've already removed the jacknife sofa and the dinette and will be replacing them with a desk and two armchairs. I'm currently working on removing the carpeting, padding, and eight million staples and tack strips so I can lay vinyl strip wood flooring. Surprisingly the mattress looks like brand new and I'm planning on treating it for mold spores (no visible mold) and encasing it with a cover for extra protection. The bathroom and kitchen just need a good cleaning. Now for the questions.  There is a fabric ceiling which is stained in spots but appears to be very tightly bonded to the fiberglass. Should I try to remove it or just clean it and how? Some of the paneling is warped , some is wet (frozen at this point) and I plan to replace almost all of it There appears to be styrofoam insulation behind the wallpaper covered wood, do I need to replace that as well? Any hints on removing the upper cabinets and replacing them once the paneling is up? I plan on sanding and painting them as they are in good shape. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me. I know it's a big job but I have almost a month before I start working again and I think the end result will be worth it.  

 

[SoulRaven]

How old is it, and are you sure you have mold and not just dampness?

I bought a Class C once that I thought was probably moldy because of leaky roof vents, but after I added heat and dried it all out, it was okay, no mold, just damp.

If the walls were properly vented, and it's an aluminum frame, you might just get lucky.

The wood framed ones seem to have a lot more mold and dry rot problems.

Heating it up and drying it out shouldn't spread any mold problems.

 

[decodancer]

You can smell the mold and mildew as well as see fuzzy white and spotty black spots on things. The motorhome is a 1995 and is all fiberglass. Walls seem to be Styrofoam and paneling, haven't found a wood stud yet but I've just started. Had a heck of a bonfire today burning dinette seats and cushions, pillows and matchstick blinds.

 

[Almost There]

The cabinets are definitely a two person job, one to hold on to them and one to unscrew them from the walls. There may be trim strips covering the screws that are holding them to the walls and if you were lucky they should be held in place in at least 2 rows (top & bottom). If not, you may want to mount them better than they were from the manufacturer.

And putting them back up is just the reverse of taking them down. Two person job for sure.

IIWM, I'd be removing whatever the ceiling material is, try getting hold of a corner (pliers might give you a better grip than fingers) and pulling. You might have to use a blow dryer to heat the glue that's holding it in place. Water damage can rarely be cleaned out and it will probably be an annoyance in future if you don't get it all.

Once you've got the paneling off the walls will be the time to determine whether the insulation needs to come out as well. I'd take some of them out and check behind them for mold. If you do have to replace any of them, keep the damaged ones for patterns.

Hopefully you don't have too many uprights that are rotten in there as well. Check them carefully before replacing the walls since you don't need to have future problems once you've gone to all the trouble of ripping all that out.

Just make sure that you're taking proper precautions with a face mask to protect your lungs from the mold and dust. I know it was a total PITA when I had to wear one to strip out the van but better safe than sorry.

I envy you being able to work on the project. My van is buried under 18" of snow and it's been well below freezing for over a month now. I keep watching the weather forecast waiting for it to get close to freezing so I can get back out there.

 

[Wabbit]

 I'm finally back in the Poconos and started working on the new to me 31 foot Tioga class C...

Please correct the "no pics" issue with this thread!!! Lol, seriously! Very cool you got this project, a back story is always interesting.

 

[cdiggy]

I am a painter that has had to deal with mold. Hurricane sandy did a Number on many of the houses here and getting rid of it is a problem. Killing it is what you need to do and if you don't get rid of All of it then it will just come back. We use TSP (tri sodium phosphate or 'tri phos' as it is called) mixed with bleach and sprayed liberally on everything that is staying put After it dries and is rinsed and dried again you can rebuild as you wish but getting all of it killed is important. Don't be shy with the tsp and bleach. Kill the organism!

 

[Theadyn]

Glad you are out and about working on your new ride. Take care of yourself and, yes, pics please.

 

[SoulRaven]

I don't know how available this is, but I had a friend who called a mold remediation service, they stuck his whole motorhome in a large plastic bag, then via some sort of machine killed all of the mold. Then all he had to do was clean up the obvious dead mold.

I don't remember where he got it done or what it cost, but I remember thinking it was cheap at the time, and how much time and work it saved him.

Seems like it may have been some sort of an ion process or something. I remember how fresh and clean it smelled after the treatment, with absolutely no hint of a smell of dampness or mold.

 

[decodancer]

View attachment 2820View attachment 2820Ask and you shall receive, a few pics I took today.  I've started remove cabinet doors to clean, sand and restain them.  I can't take anything out of the camper during the weekend as we have guests so I'll start a new burn pile on Monday.

 

[decodancer]

One more pic to show you some of the damage.  I've peeled away a few layers of the paneling inside this cabinet.  Waiting for help to remove the cabinet so I can take all of the paneling off on this wall.

 

[highdesertranger]

that looks pretty cool deco. just keep removing what you are not using and what is is moldy and treat the rest. we use a bleach solution. do it over and over until you get it all. also it wouldn't be a bad idea to fire up the heater to dry things out. highdesertranger

 

[Wabbit]

That is a nice size rig! I think the sweat equity you put into it will be well worth it. Hopefully it goes smoothly for you. Looking at the size of that almost makes me reconsider the extended cargo van plan here!

 

[decodancer]

I've spent the last couple of days removing cabinet doors. Sounds simple but some of those screws are real buggers. I got some mold killing primer and have three doors primed and the first coat of grey green paint on. Looks great and glad to have a job I can do indoors because the weather outside is not suitable for woman nor Poodle. I'll do three or four a day until they're done as that's all I have room for in my travel trailer.

 

[decodancer]

Before and after of the cabinets I've been refinishing.  Slow process but I like the way they are turning out.  Three done, four more primed and one coat on, six more yet untouched. 

 

[donrebyct]

What about some updates? It's been almost a month.