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Old 06-02-2009, 11:07 PM   #1
jm2
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2002 25' Safari
1977 20' Argosy 20
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interior wall stains - leaking or ????

we're considering the purchase of a 2002 Safari Six-Sleeper that I believe was built in the early part of 2002. an unusual thing we find upon inspection are some dark, irregular stains on the front & rear interior walls, mostly hiding behind the curtains....

this trailer has sat covered with a breathable cover since the Fall of '05.

(first picture)


the inside walls are finished with what feels / looks like a very short pile carpet-like material. some of these stains were hidden behind the curtains, and the owner was unaware if they existed when they purchased the trailer. this owner purchased the trailer knowing that it was previously owned, but still about one year old.

(2nd & 3rd pictures)


has anyone seen anything like this? we've been trying to figure out what these stains they are, & how they occurred.

the owner last lived in the trailer in the Fall of '05.

the various theories we've thought about so far include -
  • it's simply leaking - however the owner swears it never leaked in the time they lived in the trailer, and we're inclined to believe them.... there's no evidence of water on the floor below the stains.
  • some of the adhesive used to stick the wallcovering to the inside skin has failed and migrated through the wallcovering?
  • the vulkem sealer inside the walls "melted" and leaked through?
  • moisture in humid air conditions has condensed and the stains are mold or mildew? but it not like the stains feel wet or sticky?

have any of you seen anything like this, before?

any ideas?

thanks!


Joseph
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Old 06-03-2009, 01:03 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jm2 View Post
we're considering the purchase of a 2002 Safari Six-Sleeper that I believe was built in the early part of 2002. an unusual thing we find upon inspection are some dark, irregular stains on the front & rear interior walls, mostly hiding behind the curtains....

this trailer has sat covered with a breathable cover since the Fall of '05.

(first picture)


the inside walls are finished with what feels / looks like a very short pile carpet-like material. some of these stains were hidden behind the curtains, and the owner was unaware if they existed when they purchased the trailer. this owner purchased the trailer knowing that it was previously owned, but still about one year old.

(2nd & 3rd pictures)


has anyone seen anything like this? we've been trying to figure out what these stains they are, & how they occurred.

the owner last lived in the trailer in the Fall of '05.

the various theories we've thought about so far include -
  • it's simply leaking - however the owner swears it never leaked in the time they lived in the trailer, and we're inclined to believe them.... there's no evidence of water on the floor below the stains.
  • some of the adhesive used to stick the wallcovering to the inside skin has failed and migrated through the wallcovering?
  • the vulkem sealer inside the walls "melted" and leaked through?
  • moisture in humid air conditions has condensed and the stains are mold or mildew? but it not like the stains feel wet or sticky?

have any of you seen anything like this, before?

any ideas?

thanks!


Joseph

You must not ever cover an Airstream trailer. Strange things begin to happen because of that cover.

Those stains could be mold.

Vulkem cannot and does not run, nor would it cause stains like your Airstream has.

Water can condense under a cover and then find strange ways to enter the interior, yet not leak in a rain storm.

Andy
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Old 06-07-2009, 10:20 AM   #3
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Hi Joseph,
You asked me in an email to see if it looked like the stains we posted about in another thread. Ours look like black streaks. This photo looks different. I wish I could help, I have no idea. Andy (who posted above) knows a lot more than I about these sorts of things.

I hope you find out so that you can be comfortable with your purchase.
Best of luck!
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Old 06-07-2009, 12:51 PM   #4
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Another possibility is that this is black aluminum dust leaching to the surface of the ozite interior wall covering along with water during high humidity conditions.

2air' wrote about this in his post #18 (especially the last section of his post) in the thread Help with mold (mildew?)

New Jersey is my home state and I know it can get very humid. If the trailer was stored for years covered in a wooded setting in the New Jersey area, I'm not surprised to see something like you showed it the photos.
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Old 06-07-2009, 07:03 PM   #5
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Wow, those stains are bizarre! I've never seen anything like them. I can tell you that these stains DID NOT come from the adhesive used for the Ozite fabric. A clear spray adhesive is used to adhear the Ozite to the walls. As for the orgins of the stains, I'm with Andy on this one. Condensation is the likely culprit.

From here on out I would make sure there are no leaks and once you are sure of that I would replace the Ozite in the effected areas. It's pretty easy to do. I think you could get a pretty good deal with this Airstream and this "issue." If you're willing to fix it yourself, you could save some bucks.
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