Storing wet awning

Lykos

Super Trucker
I just left a festival and my ARB awning and awning room are still wet. It's going to continue to be rainy and wet for the next couple days. Have any of you had issues with mold as a result of stowing your awnings while still wet?
 

Lykos

Super Trucker
i believe he has the walls, if I am remembering correctly from out trip to Death valley.
I need a better storage solution for my rim. The included stuff all is lacking to say the least. I thought of having a bag made but of anyone has a good cheap solution...
 

aaen

Adventurer
buy a duffle bag from REI. get one of the water resistant ones, cheap and strap it to the roof. It wears out get a new one. Don't go high end.
 

Lykos

Super Trucker
buy a duffle bag from REI. get one of the water resistant ones, cheap and strap it to the roof. It wears out get a new one. Don't go high end.
I was thinking this very thing. Any idea what size? I'm terrible at guesstimating volume.
 

aaen

Adventurer
Nope, I’d go off of what size box it came
In and go larger so your not fighting it to roll kt up and put it in.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ArkansasDon

Observer
I always hand dry off my RTT whether before leaving for home if the opportunity is their or when the day the weather is dry. Mold will grow on the fabric.
 

trifreemc

New member
I always hand dry off my RTT whether before leaving for home if the opportunity is their or when the day the weather is dry. Mold will grow on the fabric.
Wow... 20+ minutes to say he forgot to open it up after putting it away wet and then trying to clean it after it was all moldy...
 

80t0ylc

Hill & Gully Rider
The guy in the video kinda struck me as - I'm trying to say this in a nice way - prejudice to his understanding of mold/mildew - not open minded. Why was he so obsessed with the stain? With just a little bit of research, I learned a few useful tips.

Mold/mildew can take hold within a couple days, and must be dealt with immediately. Yeah, in the video, he completely forgot about it (no fix for that), but in wet, warm weather, open your tent as soon as possible when you get home or stop for the night. Don't wait for dry weather. It's the closed up and not open to fresh air environment that mold/mildew thrives in. "Moisture from condensation, humidity, rain and snow can leave your tent damp after an outing. Even small amounts of moisture can leave your tent vulnerable to mold and mildew growth." I would recommend opening and airing out your tent after every use, no matter what the weather you experienced on the trip was like.

Current technology has shown that tent material needs to breath. That's why it's not totally waterproof and yet it's the fabric's downfall for mold/mildew damage when neglected. The mold/mildew can get a foothold in the pores of the tent fabric resulting in stains that can't be removed with out almost destroying the fabric. Mold and mildew stains are difficult to remove. If the area does not smell like mildew, the mold has been destroyed and the stain is just a visual but harmless mark.

It may not be a good idea to use bleach, to clean the mold/mildew off your tent. Bleach is corrosive and can damage the fabric and weatherproofing. An alternate treatment is a solution of one quart of vinegar and a half a teaspoon of dish soap in 5 quarts of hot water. I'd recommend checking with manufacturer's website or help desk to find out what their method of treatment is before cleaning. On canvas, it's recommended to use hydrogen peroxide.

Some useful sources:
Treatment
How to clean Mildew
 
Last edited:

Lykos

Super Trucker
The guy in the video kinda struck me as - I'm trying to say this in a nice way - prejudice to his understanding of mold/mildew - not open minded. Why was he so obsessed with the stain? With just a little bit of research, I learned a few useful tips.

Mold/mildew can take hold within a couple days, and must be dealt with immediately. Yeah, in the video, he completely forgot about it (no fix for that), but in wet, warm weather, open your tent as soon as possible when you get home or stop for the night. Don't wait for dry weather. It's the closed up and not open to fresh air environment that mold/mildew thrives in. "Moisture from condensation, humidity, rain and snow can leave your tent damp after an outing. Even small amounts of moisture can leave your tent vulnerable to mold and mildew growth." I would recommend opening and airing out your tent after every use, no matter what the weather you experienced on the trip was like.

Current technology has shown that tent material needs to breath. That's why it's not totally waterproof and yet it's the fabric's downfall for mold/mildew damage when neglected. The mold/mildew can get a foothold in the pores of the tent fabric resulting in stains that can't be removed with out almost destroying the fabric. Mold and mildew stains are difficult to remove. If the area does not smell like mildew, the mold has been destroyed and the stain is just a visual but harmless mark.

It may not be a good idea to use bleach, to clean the mold/mildew off your tent. Bleach is corrosive and can damage the fabric and weatherproofing. An alternate treatment is a solution of one quart of vinegar and a half a teaspoon of dish soap in 5 quarts of hot water. I'd recommend checking with manufacturer's website or help desk to find out what their method of treatment is before cleaning. On canvas, it's recommended to use hydrogen peroxide.

Some useful sources:
Treatment
How to clean Mildew
Great answer! Thank you.

I put up my awning and room in the rain and I'm in SW VA so now we're patiently waiting on a hurricane to pass. I'll let the room air out in the garage. The awning... I'll do my best as it's raining, wet every day for the next two weeks here in Roanoke.

Worst case I get a mildew strain. I don't care so long as it doesn't affect the integrity of the fabric.
Again, thanks for the information.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,541
Messages
2,875,674
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top