Installed fiberglass insulation with craft paper backing... mold...

[solyoung]

I bought my '81 AS a couple months ago as a project and I'm in the process of a full renovation (my first). The seller, a good metal worker and welder but not a former Airstream owner either, had taken it down to the frame and done a great restoration of the frame. He used rock wool in the floor and fiberglass insulation (with the backing facing the interior) in the walls. He reinstalled the interior skins.

I noticed leaks inside and wet fiberglass insulation and got to work sealing all-the-things on the exterior. I'm replacing the furnace and water heater, and when I pulled them out the insulation in those areas was both wet and had early black stages of black mold.

Now, I'm torn. Perfection wise, it's probably best to pull the interior skins and re-do the insulation without the backing (and solve any more leak issues in the process). This is intended to be our forever trailer after all.

But is that necessary? Or is sealing and maintaining the exterior, running a dehumidifier (I'd planned on that anyway), and proceeding with use of the trailer fine? No mold is evident inside the trailer, and air shouldn't flow from between the walls to the inside of the trailer, right? (the mold would be isolated?)

I think I know the right answer, but trying to come to terms with it. I'd love to get y'all's insight and help in thinking this through.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Ideally, a properly assembled AS trailer should not require much sealing. The only place it really comes in is around things that go through the skin. The skin its self should be water tight. If yours is not, that needs attention .....

To me, the bigger concern than the insulation would be the floor. If the plywood has gotten wet and stayed wet, it will rot out.....

Bob

[solyoung]

Thankfully, the sub floor isn't wet. It's completely exposed, and I can see any spots where water has dripped. It seems the water at this point has been limited to between the walls.

I decided to go ahead with removing the interior skins and replace the insulation with R7.5 1.5" foam board from the orange store. It's the right thing to do, and it'll more easily let me run a few more 12v and 120v circuits to new appliances while I'm at it