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Old 04-05-2008, 09:40 AM   #1
OntMont
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moldy vinyl strips

One thing that has always frustrated me, and I know many others RV owners regardless of brand, is the way the white vinyl inserts in the side mouldings get moldy. I decided to replace mine, which is not all that big a job once you put your mind to it, but I decided to try cleaning the old strips on the theory that I had nothing to lose. Well, I soaked them overnight in a pail of bleach, about 1/2 cup to a gallon, and much to my surprise, when I took them out today, they looked spotless! I am now going to save them for when my replacements start to look moldy again.

It is a bit of work, but not all that bad really.
 
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Old 04-05-2008, 09:51 AM   #2
RC and Samantha
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John that is also one of the things that has always bugged me. I don't think I can Dick to replace them or remove them however. It always a shame to see an otherwise fine looking rig look so icky because of those vinyl strips. We had our front cap repaired & they only replaced a portion of that stripping. It looks really bad and this post reminds me that we need to get her back to the dealer to finish it up correctly. Thanx for shaking up that old brain of mine.

I wish there was a product we could apply that would reduce the mold build up in the future. Seems like they should not mold at all.

John say hi to your lovely wife and Bea for us, OK?

Patty
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Old 04-05-2008, 12:55 PM   #3
c5racer
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Easiest way to fix the problem is to move out West where I live in the desert. Your pets will also like it, as there ain't any fleas here, to dry for them.
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Old 04-05-2008, 02:56 PM   #4
Mrs. CountryGuy
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John,

OKKKK, what kind of special bleach did you use??? Did you use water from the Gulf of Mexico??

Al and I tried that in RGV a couple of years ago and NOTHING! And, we soaked for a long time too.

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Old 04-05-2008, 02:59 PM   #5
RRman
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I haven't tried this, but a more experienced RVer at my storage lot suggested applying Future Floor polish on them once they're clean, and reapplying annually.
A dealer in FL showed me a new RV on display that had black moldy vinyl and dismissed it as "all RVs have it".

Mold and algae growth are prevalent in the damp south for sure... Even southern formula latex paint with extra mildewcide molds up for me. Exposure to sunshine does effect rate of growth/magnitude.
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Old 04-05-2008, 04:40 PM   #6
OntMont
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Carol,

Knowing your experience, I did not have high expectations, but I tried it anyway. Maybe I used more like 1/2 cup of regular Chlorox brand bleach in 1/2 gal. I did not measure anything, just dropped them in and left them for about 24 hours. Figured it was a case of kill or cure.

Chas, It does seem as though the mold gets into the pores, so perhaps the wax idea would work. I was thinking of trying 303 Protectant.


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Old 04-05-2008, 05:13 PM   #7
RC and Samantha
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John,

I don't know if this would be the same for the strip, but when we put 303 on our roof once the mold & mildew got way worse. We ended up using tons of cleaner & bleach to get the roof clean again. We have never used 303 on it again & the roof has stayed much cleaner looking with not near the mold growth as before. Dick says he'll never use 303 again.

Patty
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Old 04-07-2008, 09:50 AM   #8
MacDR50
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I clean mine with Tilex bathroom tile cleaner with bleach and a nail brush. I just make sure I don't get it on the gelcoat as it strips the wax. I also try to keep it off the roof membrane. Oh and remember to wear old clothes and some eye protection. Anyone want to buy a pair of spotted jeans. I hear they will be all the rage this year.
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Old 04-10-2008, 11:15 AM   #9
Still_waters
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I read on another forum Where a guy painted his!! He took pictures of it and it looked pretty good. He said he used latex gloss enamel.
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Old 04-10-2008, 12:13 PM   #10
Ozz
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Another idea, Sue used the Mr. Clean Magic sponge, (or the cheaper version, available anywhere..) effortless, and did a really good job.
I used the Dollar store stuff, also works super, but Sue's sponge is the best cleaner we have found.
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Old 04-13-2008, 02:01 AM   #11
gkbutler
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I tried the Tilex and the Mr Clean sponge. Got the dirt off, but not the mold. I think I'll try the bleach and water mix this coming week.
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Old 04-13-2008, 03:12 AM   #12
stiles watson
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I used the Eraser by Mr Clean and Awesome with success, but it was quite a bit of scrubbing. On this new rig as of yet, we haven't had the mold show up in this first year.
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Old 04-13-2008, 04:23 AM   #13
awaywego
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I use acetone and it does a great job. Just have to put it on a rag and rub on the rubber.
If it is bad just keep putting on until it is gone.
Acetone is highly flamable right out of the can so, if you smoke, do not smoke while doing this.
This is what they use to clean pvc pipe before glueing.
You can get acetone at any paint dept., like Home Depot.
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Old 04-13-2008, 01:24 PM   #14
Ronnelly
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[We spent 3 seasons in Florida and got that ugly mold on those white vinyl inserts. Last season we spent in Arizona and all that mold disappeared. Apparently the humid climate causes the problem and dry Arizona in the winter makes the problem disappear. We do not leave our Montana in Arizona during the summer months.

quote]Originally posted by OntMont

One thing that has always frustrated me, and I know many others RV owners regardless of brand, is the way the white vinyl inserts in the side mouldings get moldy. I decided to replace mine, which is not all that big a job once you put your mind to it, but I decided to try cleaning the old strips on the theory that I had nothing to lose. Well, I soaked them overnight in a pail of bleach, about 1/2 cup to a gallon, and much to my surprise, when I took them out today, they looked spotless! I am now going to save them for when my replacements start to look moldy again.

It is a bit of work, but not all that bad really.
[/quote]
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Old 04-13-2008, 03:26 PM   #15
garyka
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Camping world sells molding strips in 25 ft lengths that look like the ones on our monty's.I haven't checked them out yet but they sell for about $5 to $6 dollars each, this seems like a good fix for the money.
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Old 04-14-2008, 02:20 PM   #16
Thunderman
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I used "Goof Off" purchased at Home Depot. I applied with a cloth and was surprised at how easy the mold etc. came off.
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Old 05-04-2008, 02:18 PM   #17
Art
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I just tried the Mr. Clean Eraser sponge! What a great job it did on the molding...yes, it did take some rubbing...but it worked! Thanks, guys... I have been trying everything on those moldings and nothing even came close to this! Thanks, again!
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Old 05-04-2008, 03:01 PM   #18
ols1932
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Hey guys, I haven't tried this yet but when I had the front end of the rig beefed up last June, the people who did the work cleaned my molding strips with lacquer thinner. Boy did they come out white! I bought a gallon of lacquer thinner but haven't been out to clean the strips due to the knee and back surgeries I've been through. Wife has cleaned some of the strips with the thinner and it works!

Orv
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Old 05-04-2008, 05:20 PM   #19
eeoski
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Orv, you don't think this will have an adverse effect (like maybe making the vinyl brittle (don't know why this popped into my head, but it did))?

Robin
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Old 05-05-2008, 05:43 AM   #20
ols1932
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by eeoski

Orv, you don't think this will have an adverse effect (like maybe making the vinyl brittle (don't know why this popped into my head, but it did))?

Robin
I've noticed no adverse effects on the vinyl that was cleaned using lacquer thinner. If it did, replacing the vinyl is pretty cheap. You can buy it from CW.

Orv
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