Packing Up During Rain

[wheatbread]

What is the best way to pack a popup either in the rain or if it is still wet from rain? I was just thinking about this because we are going camping this weekend and there is a chance of rain. Will the inside of the camper get wet if we have to pack up to leave while it is still wet? Thanks!

[Trevor43]

Wipe it down as best you can while putting it away and open it up to dry as soon as you can to let it dry out.

[JPBar]

X2

Enjoy your trip!!

[RSchleder]

Also, take some care to fold the canvas portion in such a manner that all wet/damp surfaces are folded into each other. This keeps the moisture contained until you can get home and setup the unit for whatever time it takes to completely dry in the sun. Don't forget to open it completely up when the sun comes out to rid the inside of the unit of any humidity.

[RollingDownTheHighway]

when my neighbor had their popup, he would put it in his garage and load it up for the weekend if it was raining or calling for rain, now if it was raining when the left the CG, I have no clue what they did.

[Wiscampsin]

X2 on what RSchleder said. The odds are that at some time you will have to pack up in the rain. Opening it up ASAP to thoroughly dry is important.

[Millerx5]

Because of our neighborhood "rules" we used to put it in the garage and pop it up to dry out. We had to rotate it 90 degrees to avoid the garage door opener, but it worked.

[Wilco]

The interior may get damp, but it should not be wet if you avoid packing up when it is actively raining. Most of the time you will have periods between showers to allow you to close up the trailer.

After you have loosen the supports of the canvas, give the canvas a shake to get as much water off of it as possible.

Set it back up when you get home to allow it to dry.

[kraftengr]

All of the ideas listed such as shaking the skin off, etc. make good sense, but the one other thing we do is cover the mattress with plastic before folding up the camper. Nothing will take longer to dry out than a wet mattress! We always carry a roll of painters drop-cloth plastic for that purpose!

[DustyRoads]

When we had our Popup we stored a shower curtain under the mattresses on each end. When it was raining or wet we cover the mattress with the shower curtain to give some protection, to the mattresses, while we were closing up. We would then open the trailer as soon as we could, when we got home or to our destination. Don't want any mold to grow.

[Dutchmen]

All good suggestions, I would follow them all. The biggest and most important thing if closing wet is making sure it's fully opened on a dry day and let it dry out. Regardless of where you store it. Mold and mildew will be a problem if you don't let it dry. I hate closing my pup in the rain because I know I will have to open it up in a day or so to dry out. But well worth the effort.


Dutchmen

[Wygantmb]

I'm about to make some rain flies for my popup. It would be installed before lifting the top and be the last thing removed. You can buy the channel at camping world or Amazon. Then just sew welting into your material to slide it on and off with. A few straps to hold it in place. Should be good. Something like this.

[cincia]

When we had our pop up we have had to pack up in a couple of downpours. We closed it up like normal but used a broom or towels to wisk off as much water as possible. As soon as we got home we opened it up until it was thoroughly dry (sometime this meant leaving it up for several days), never had any problems with mold. Cincia

[DCarver]

Guys, I may be different than everyone but I don't necessarily wait for that perfect sunny day to reopen mine. If I end up camping in the rain, which can happen a lot if you camp a lot, I open it up even if the forecast is for more rain. Here is my thought, everything is already wet, and a warm moist environment is a breeding ground for bad stuff to happen while you wait for your next nice day which could be a few days down the road. However, even in the rain, the air is circulating through the inside and can dry it much faster. They are designed to withstand reasonable weather, they aren't designed to sit packed up while wet so I lift mine as soon as I get home, even in the rain.

[rsdata]

They are designed to withstand reasonable weather, they aren't designed to sit packed up while wet so I lift mine as soon as I get home, even in the rain.

^^ X2

if it is not sunny and your inside is wet, turn on a portable fan to circulate air inside and start your AC running or put in a dehumidifier if you have one...
black mold starts to grow in a day or two especially if it is warm

[DCarver]

The DW reminded me of a mistake we made with our first popup, if it's open in the rain, open it to dry out. We came home, lifted it to let it dry but forgot to extend the awning. We had a nasty little surprise waiting for us on our next adventure. Live and learn I guess...