I'm afraid to ask...

I am fortunate enough to have received a '99 3023 from my mother as a gift last summer.  We stored it for the winter, and when we popped it up a few weeks back, there was white shaving "stuff" all over the place.  Actually, not all over, just in the top/outside fold down portion.  When opened, though, it found it's way onto the couch, bed, and curtains quickly.  I vacuumed and vacuumed, there was lots of this "stuff" in the cabinets at the front/top of the trailer.  The "stuff" was mostly white, but had some brown as I got up front towards the cabinets. My fear is that there is something between the walls that is chewing them up and making sawdust out of my trailer ... could be?  I had it all cleaned, took lots of time to vacuum, then I went out this morning to see a new pile on top of a curtain. Above the curtain, where the "Hot Wheel" looking tracks are, there is a break, a spot where they are to be joined, and that is where the "stuff" looks like it is coming from.
Help ... any advice would be appreciated!
Amy

[Denny_A]

I am fortunate enough to have received a '99 3023 from my mother as a gift last summer.  We stored it for the winter, and when we popped it up a few weeks back, there was white shaving "stuff" all over the place.  Actually, not all over, just in the top/outside fold down portion.  When opened, though, it found it's way onto the couch, bed, and curtains quickly.  I vacuumed and vacuumed, there was lots of this "stuff" in the cabinets at the front/top of the trailer.  The "stuff" was mostly white, but had some brown as I got up front towards the cabinets. My fear is that there is something between the walls that is chewing them up and making sawdust out of my trailer ... could be?  I had it all cleaned, took lots of time to vacuum, then I went out this morning to see a new pile on top of a curtain. Above the curtain, where the "Hot Wheel" looking tracks are, there is a break, a spot where they are to be joined, and that is where the "stuff" looks like it is coming from.
Help ... any advice would be appreciated!
Amy

Sounds like polystyrene insulation from the roof wall area.

I had that occur in my house when new. Mice got into the exterior foundation insulation, and breeched a gap through a basement window casement (where shims and fiber insulation goes). They left a telltale sign of white polystyrene beads on the basement floor and walls. Was easy to follow the trail. A happy little nest, 'tween insulation and poured concrete was made of "beads". Their movement to-from the basement left the piles.

Sooo... chances are something small got access to the polysty sandwich during the winter, in the area behind/around the clock or between cabinet doors, if no clock. The constuction in that area, of the roof and walls, can be seen at:

       http://www.trailmanor.com/construction.htm

Mind you, above is speculation based on my experience. It may be worthless.


Denny_A

I think I know what you're talking about as I had the same thing going on in mine when I first opened it up. That white stuff is more than likely spider eggs and/or sacs. I'm still trying to get it all cleaned up in some places. It looks almost like white dried shaving cream. I doubt it is mice getting into the foam as they'd have to chew a hole in the aluminum skin to get to it...Which I doubt is the case. The another possible way for a mouse to get to that foam would to chew a hole through 1.5" of wood and/or steel (depending on how your pocket stops are constructed, but I'm guessing steel as they haven't been using wood in the lower portions in YEARS.....so I doubt that as well. The only way possible if it is styrofoam, would be if it got up in the cabinet via the lower seal and chewed on that foam tbere that is exposed where it bends at the top....If you look in the cabinet, and there's no damage, my best guess is the same thing that was in mine.....spider eggs/sacs. What they look like is small shrivelled white balls powdery with hatched and unhatched eggs...in essance, they do look a lot like dried up shaving cream, but they have a light grainy texture to the touch. But yeah, I had a TON of them in mine...prolly spent 2 hours vacuming them all up, and still have them in some remote places I just haven't had time to get to yet, as well as between the front and rear window and their screens. (Think about it, they're too big to have just "gotten" into a place like that by a mouse......) At any rate, the spiders will vacate now that the trailer is being used, and you can do a few things to it to protect it next time ya put it in storage........My 2 cents worth.
You can see a great deal of the way their constructed at my web site: http://members.aol.com/br768
Hope this helps!
Happytrails.......

I was afraid of that as well, I hate spiders, and the thought of sleeping in spider eggs is gross to me  
Anyhow, I had the same thoughts, as they were places that no vermin should be able to get to, such as between the screen and window, but why was there some brown "stuff" near the brown cabinets up front? Just a coincidence?
They are very light, and when you vacuum, they fly around ... sound familiar? Actually, I would rather that be the case than something between my walls, termiting my trailer to pieces! Thanks, I'll go vacuum some more, and maybe do some "spider be gone" dance.

Brown stuff that lofts around.......um, spiders shed their brown skins.........YUK! Sorry for the icky thought, but think we've solved this one............

Happytrails.....

gack ... Thanks for your help!

NP, is what we're here for....good or bad.  

Happytrails.......

[RickNewcomb]

..in sickness and in health, 'til TrailManor we do part.

Just couldn't help myself.

..in sickness and in health, 'til TrailManor we do part.

Just couldn't help myself.

Rick your comment is funny but it help me make a major decision.  Living in Mexico we keep the Trailmanor in storage in the Rio Grande Valley.  We took the option of buying new and got great financing from my credit union in San Antonio.  

The dilemma:  The drive to the border is two hours on a good day, toll highway fees, insurance to cross to the U.S., etc.  and we only get to use it every six weeks if we are lucky and of course summer and Christmas vacations.  I'm addicted to my Trailmanor.

To bring the TM to Mexico I need to pay an import tax of 3500.00 (u.s).  So if anyone is wondering why we have attempted to sell TiMi (my current name for the TM) now you know the reason.

Well, thanks Rick, because now I have decided that I can't live without the TM and am willing (or crazy enough) to pay the import tax to have my TM with me every weekend.

Based on some of the TMs that are still out there, I'm sure we will get more out of it than what it will cost us.  With the TM and the roads we have,  we will be able to go where no other trailer has ;D.  How many Trailmanors are there in Mexico anyway!!  Could this be a first for Trailmanor? ;D

[RickNewcomb]

I guess I forgot about the part "for richer or poorer".

When you find an RV you love, you want to spend as much time with it as possible.

I think I see a metaphor here.