Leaks/Mold/Mildew Thoughts

[goobscoob]

Howdy once again. Thanks to those who have already answered questions (whether you knew it or not because I've been reading everything I possibly can)

Status: Deposit placed on 1972 31ft Sovereign Rear Bath. Will be driving to pick it up in 2x weeks.

Concern: When I inspected the trailer I did notice what appeared to be mold/mildew inside it. I wasn't surprised because hey it's been around a while but it never struck me that it could be a big deal, I didn't hardly think about it at all when doing the inspection because I was intensely focused on leaks/floor/frame. I don't even know if it's possible/probable to find an older model without mildew/mold unless it's been stored in a climate controlled unit for the past 20 years? The 2nd night after making deposit I came back home and was reading horror stories until 3am about mold inside people's trailers and it struck me that it's probably a much bigger issue. In retrospect, when I did the inspection there were no standout areas that were absolutely scary looking, no huge black patches but there were bits of it everywhere, on every single wall surface, in the closets, on the seam that runs down the middle of the ceiling, tops of cabinets, etc. My inspection (took place during a monsoon and of which about 2 hours was devoted to checking for soft floors, leaks, frame rot and possible rear end separation) revealed 5x leaks, all of which I believe I can alleviate.


Question 1.) Is it practical to think I can wipe it down with a cleaner, seal all the leaks and call it done or am I going to have to gut the entire interior? I know it's tough for you guys to make a guess but if any of you have had prior experience with mold/mildew I'd like to know what you'd have done in retrospect. Like I said I have read other posts but I'm wondering what you fellas would do in my situation.

Question 2.) Is this metal in the hole on this picture frame? It looks suspiciously like rusted through steel frame to me... It is the inside of the area where the hot water heater was. The hole in the wood is right beside the vent cover. I jammed my phone in there, took the picture but never actually looked at it until now.

I'll be honest I'm considering cutting my losses and looking for a different trailer at this point. I wrote into the bill of sale contract a clause that would allow me to cancel purchase anytime prior to pickup, the seller keeping the $500 deposit. My only objective was to find a trailer for my fiancee and I that WOULDN'T be a major project and if there is recurrent mold that requires gutting the entire trailer to replace insulation and the trailer also needs frame work it would appear that I have failed my objective...

[cameront120]

Did you check for rear end sag? Very common for the long, Beatrice trailers.

[goobscoob]

Not really to be honest. I checked for separation, which it certainly didn't have. I did look for sag via eyeballing it but the trailer wasn't parked level and I really didn't know how else to check for sag. Here's a picture, what do you think?

[nickclifford]

Disclaimer ... I'm no expert but be very very cautious with mold, it can be truly devastating to your health. I understand the excitement of buying an Airstream or new car even, easy to overlook or turn a blind eye. I'd pull in an expert for advice or walk away from the 500.00, its petty cash in the bigger scheme of things.
Watch the movie , think it's called Mould made by Dave Aspry

[Wabbiteer]

Sorry if you have found a wonderful trailer and don't know it yet, but what looks like fear mongering posts just might be blessings from heaven.

There are vast surface areas not accessible for cleaning - inside the pocket doors, behind the bath liners, undersides of everything, the fridge nook, ... then square that number a couple of times for the surface area of the 45-year-old insulation.

Have look inside the heating ducts - those turn into mouse superhighways with dunes of mouse dung possible even in nice trailers that were stored unattended for a few years.

Is your & momma's noses happy in the trailer? Does it smell like a dear old ladies handbag or does it smell like hobo's socks? Has there been long term seepage from plumbing that unlocked ancient elementary school bathroom odors? That turned out to be the main concern on my project, the acids and salts from the effluent disappeared iron, aluminum and wood rapidly; back then the old style black-tank chemical treatment had formaldehyde in it that degrades to formic acid that amplified discomfort.

IF I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW... I'd still be making payments on a 3-year-old used trailer....

[Pygmypoacher]

It's a good looking shell. You would have to replace the axles - about $1500 if you do the labor. At least some of the floor will need to be replaced. For the right price it looks like a good fixer.