Re: Re: motor homes for MCS people?

June 12, 2004

Good Morning Beverly,

We have followed your experiences since we joined this group.

Our own experiences predate the MCS problems that Ruth has and my Cancer.

We lived in first a motor home...a 1990 Gulfstream and had no difficulty

with

off gassing at that time...we were not as sensitive of course.

Our second RV was a 5th wheel with a slide out...a lot more roomy for

fulltime

living.

Since Ruth became ill we have researched the RV life again thinking as

you are

that being able to move away from exposure environments will be a big

asset.

I also contacted the folks that do the rehab of Air Stream trailers etc.

Interesting how in depth they were in this endeavor.

My own experience has been extended with a small motor home we had bought

in an earlier time. It was a 1972 Ford and needed transmission work as

well as

interior repairs caused by water damage.....Oh My!

I was first into getting the mechanical repairs done....so it was usable

for a w/e

outing. The water damage was we thought " minor " .

We never got out with it because the rear was banged up by a limb from a

tree.

This revealed the rot and mold inside.

I was still interested it salvage of the unit so I stripped the interior.

Replace all

the rotted woods and panels and insulation down to the bare metal

exterior.

I washed it well with bleach. By late summer it was finished...new

interior...the

cabinets etc were OK. All new drapes and mattress coverings etc.

We slept in it three times before we got the desire to go on the road

with a

larger rig. The RV dealer was impressed with the old relic...it looked

good!

And everything worked. So we got a healthy trade.

But it was more importantly a learning experience regarding what one can

do.

We had later experiences touring the RV factories in North Indiana, i/e

the

Holiday Rambler plant... very impressive. We saw how walls were pre built

and installed it was an amazing tour.

None of this helps you as yet...I am coming to the research since Ruth

got MCS.

RV full time living is documented in many books and articles...

But nothing equals first had experiences.

Looking for the RV you can live with....

#1 almost every dealership will have used units....but before you attempt

to look

at any one beware of the closed doors and vents.....do not enter any RV

that is

closed up. In particular on a sunny hot day. The test for outgasses is at

the door

to the RV....before entering. If it is safe you will not sense the

formythide or all

the cleaning products. I have opened many in searches that I could not

enter!

And I am sensitive because I am now living with out all the exposures at

home.

Occasionally you will find an RV you can enter.

Here is where you start searching.

You need a sensitive nose...prefer to not expose an MCS person until a

sensitive

nose test is conducted.

Open all doors and vents....look at all for signs of care!! Cleanliness

is caring for!

Surface clean is not always an indicator...use a strong flashlight to

look at corners

and areas around vents and bath room and kitchen sink.

Look for loose floor coverings....check the carpets....you will get rid

of them later.

The area aound and under the RV is a place where you need to spend a lot

of time

looking for damage. Looking for water leaks. Dents in tanks etc.

The entire waste disposal system must be in good shape.

The water intake area is also a place to check for damage. The storage

areas are

vital areas to check for dampness...even mold.

When you find an RV that seems to be OK it is time to spend some time

sitting in it

with your MCS partner..! It maybe necessary to return for a second

visit...With the

whole family.

OK this far ... now to rid the RV of the possible exposure products or

reduce to

a tolerable point is essential.

Out with the carpets... install no glue wood flooring (real wood) not the

composition stuff.

Replace all drapes with safe fabrics. i/e cotton that is not a product of

the normal processes.

No pesticides etc. Note the existing ones may have off gassed all the

dyes...but will need

to be washed..if the farbic allows it. Washing may release more off

gasses.

A full cleaning of all surfaces is necessary...use your safe

products...such as white vinegar.

Note that there are a number of coatings available to coat all wood and

panels with to reduce

any possible off gasses. I will send web sites later.

How to add to your RV the extras that will make it safer....

install an in line water filter...check Walmart..about $30 plus

replaceable cartriges at $8

A brita pitcher is essential for drinking water. The confines of an RV

shower increase the

risk of clorine gas. So the water filter will help there.

The propane gas cook stove can be removed in favor of electic surface

units. The RV wiring

can be updated to a 50 A system...or add a second 30A cable for use while

heating or

cooking with electric units. (added wiring). Usually the propane furnace

and water heater do

not cause a problem as they are outside vented. However avoid being near

these when they

are venting. i/e sitting under the awning...

It may be necessary to add vent covers that allow full time venting from

the interior. These

are available to keep vents from allowing rain to fall through. Living

inside a lot means more

venting. The airconditioners need to be kept very clean and recycled air

should have a mess

filter. Add a good quality HEPA filter that is oversize for the air

space....this will make a

big difference in air quality!

Intake of fresh air is essential....but needs to be filterd...a window

with an attachable filter

can be used.

The West and SW are areas where dust and sagebrush is inhaled a lot...in

the RV engine

filters and everywhere else.

I was amazed to find my big diesel truck labor up a small hill in

Arizona. After I removed

a bucket full of sage brush it was fine!!!

Living in an RV permits many choices...optional outdoor uses....a canopy

tent and lounge

chairs etc. Even outdoor cooking. But camp parks may be unsafe if sites

are too close.

Fumes from non-sensitive RV'ers will invade your space....camp where you

are furthest

from others.

Drain hoses are alway being damaged...never last through many stops. We

keep them

in a 4 " PVC pipe with loose caps and use duct tape to seal. two pieces of

PVC cut to the

width of the RV and one with a end to slip over the other pipe will allow

use of the drain

hose inside supported and protected.

There are a number of safe chemicals for waste tank use....note you never

leave then drain

because solid matter does not flow through...it must decompose...the gray

water tank can

be treated with baking soda 1/2 box....down the drains

The black water needs a stronger probuct so be sure to get a non-toxic

safe treatment.

Get also a hose to use for washing the RV and rinsing the waste tank.

All water hoses used for the interior uses must be safe...usually marked

and white at

Wallmart or any RV store.

use boric acid powder around wheels and all that touch the ground where

ants are present.

Borax is also a big help as a cleaner and bug chaser.

KC always advocates White Vinegar for everything...so we are using it to

clean and for

some extras like ear washes for fungus infections.

Oh !...when that water filter is installed ...put it after the tank so

the tank has clorinated water

in it. Other wise it may become a source of bacteria etc...Fungus?

I know I have a lot more but this is lonf enough for now.

God be with You all!!

Bryce and Ruth

On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 00:41:57 -0400 " Beverly Weikert "

<weik004@...> writes:

> Hello to everyone,

>

> It's been a while since I've been able to write. As most of you

> probably

> know, my family recently went through a chemical exposure (or

> " poisoning " ,

> whatever you choose to call it) in a rented home. It has been much

> more

> severe on our health than even our multiple mold exposures in the

> past

> several years. We again had to abandon our home. (It's a long

> story that

> most of you probably have heard about here through a good friend

> that

> developed a website for us.) We have been out of a home since

> March,

> sleeping in our car at times; and otherwise in hotels/motels that

> continue

> to make us ill, and strain us financially. This large dose of

> chemicals has

> made us much more chemical intolerant of all chemicals, indoors and

> out. We

> seem to be having trouble with something outdoors in our local area

> to very

> severe degrees.

>

> We are now considering an out of state move. Since we are not

> certain what

> state will work best for us, we are checking into buying a motor

> home and

> thereafter finding what area will work best for us before making

> permanent

> residence. We have realized that this way will be less expensive

> than

> living indefinitely in motels/hotels and will allow us to see what

> places

> will work for us.

>

> Can anyone on the group tell me if there are any particular brands

> that are

> better than others for people with extreme chemical intolerance? I

> know

> that there is a man that makes Airstream motorhomes to accommodate

> people

> with MCS, but I don't know of anyone or any companies that tailors

> other

> motorhomes for people like us. We'll need a good size one to have

> enough

> room for 2 kids. Any information that can be provided is

> appreciated and

> needed as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone, and my best to all

> on the

> group, old members and new.

>

> Beverly Weikert

>

> ________

> MSN Toolbar provides one-click access to Hotmail from any Web page –

> FREE

> download!

> http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/

>

June 12, 2004

Good Morning Beverly,

We have followed your experiences since we joined this group.

Our own experiences predate the MCS problems that Ruth has and my Cancer.

We lived in first a motor home...a 1990 Gulfstream and had no difficulty

with

off gassing at that time...we were not as sensitive of course.

Our second RV was a 5th wheel with a slide out...a lot more roomy for

fulltime

living.

Since Ruth became ill we have researched the RV life again thinking as

you are

that being able to move away from exposure environments will be a big

asset.

I also contacted the folks that do the rehab of Air Stream trailers etc.

Interesting how in depth they were in this endeavor.

My own experience has been extended with a small motor home we had bought

in an earlier time. It was a 1972 Ford and needed transmission work as

well as

interior repairs caused by water damage.....Oh My!

I was first into getting the mechanical repairs done....so it was usable

for a w/e

outing. The water damage was we thought " minor " .

We never got out with it because the rear was banged up by a limb from a

tree.

This revealed the rot and mold inside.

I was still interested it salvage of the unit so I stripped the interior.

Replace all

the rotted woods and panels and insulation down to the bare metal

exterior.

I washed it well with bleach. By late summer it was finished...new

interior...the

cabinets etc were OK. All new drapes and mattress coverings etc.

We slept in it three times before we got the desire to go on the road

with a

larger rig. The RV dealer was impressed with the old relic...it looked

good!

And everything worked. So we got a healthy trade.

But it was more importantly a learning experience regarding what one can

do.

We had later experiences touring the RV factories in North Indiana, i/e

the

Holiday Rambler plant... very impressive. We saw how walls were pre built

and installed it was an amazing tour.

None of this helps you as yet...I am coming to the research since Ruth

got MCS.

RV full time living is documented in many books and articles...

But nothing equals first had experiences.

Looking for the RV you can live with....

#1 almost every dealership will have used units....but before you attempt

to look

at any one beware of the closed doors and vents.....do not enter any RV

that is

closed up. In particular on a sunny hot day. The test for outgasses is at

the door

to the RV....before entering. If it is safe you will not sense the

formythide or all

the cleaning products. I have opened many in searches that I could not

enter!

And I am sensitive because I am now living with out all the exposures at

home.

Occasionally you will find an RV you can enter.

Here is where you start searching.

You need a sensitive nose...prefer to not expose an MCS person until a

sensitive

nose test is conducted.

Open all doors and vents....look at all for signs of care!! Cleanliness

is caring for!

Surface clean is not always an indicator...use a strong flashlight to

look at corners

and areas around vents and bath room and kitchen sink.

Look for loose floor coverings....check the carpets....you will get rid

of them later.

The area aound and under the RV is a place where you need to spend a lot

of time

looking for damage. Looking for water leaks. Dents in tanks etc.

The entire waste disposal system must be in good shape.

The water intake area is also a place to check for damage. The storage

areas are

vital areas to check for dampness...even mold.

When you find an RV that seems to be OK it is time to spend some time

sitting in it

with your MCS partner..! It maybe necessary to return for a second

visit...With the

whole family.

OK this far ... now to rid the RV of the possible exposure products or

reduce to

a tolerable point is essential.

Out with the carpets... install no glue wood flooring (real wood) not the

composition stuff.

Replace all drapes with safe fabrics. i/e cotton that is not a product of

the normal processes.

No pesticides etc. Note the existing ones may have off gassed all the

dyes...but will need

to be washed..if the farbic allows it. Washing may release more off

gasses.

A full cleaning of all surfaces is necessary...use your safe

products...such as white vinegar.

Note that there are a number of coatings available to coat all wood and

panels with to reduce

any possible off gasses. I will send web sites later.

How to add to your RV the extras that will make it safer....

install an in line water filter...check Walmart..about $30 plus

replaceable cartriges at $8

A brita pitcher is essential for drinking water. The confines of an RV

shower increase the

risk of clorine gas. So the water filter will help there.

The propane gas cook stove can be removed in favor of electic surface

units. The RV wiring

can be updated to a 50 A system...or add a second 30A cable for use while

heating or

cooking with electric units. (added wiring). Usually the propane furnace

and water heater do

not cause a problem as they are outside vented. However avoid being near

these when they

are venting. i/e sitting under the awning...

It may be necessary to add vent covers that allow full time venting from

the interior. These

are available to keep vents from allowing rain to fall through. Living

inside a lot means more

venting. The airconditioners need to be kept very clean and recycled air

should have a mess

filter. Add a good quality HEPA filter that is oversize for the air

space....this will make a

big difference in air quality!

Intake of fresh air is essential....but needs to be filterd...a window

with an attachable filter

can be used.

The West and SW are areas where dust and sagebrush is inhaled a lot...in

the RV engine

filters and everywhere else.

I was amazed to find my big diesel truck labor up a small hill in

Arizona. After I removed

a bucket full of sage brush it was fine!!!

Living in an RV permits many choices...optional outdoor uses....a canopy

tent and lounge

chairs etc. Even outdoor cooking. But camp parks may be unsafe if sites

are too close.

Fumes from non-sensitive RV'ers will invade your space....camp where you

are furthest

from others.

Drain hoses are alway being damaged...never last through many stops. We

keep them

in a 4 " PVC pipe with loose caps and use duct tape to seal. two pieces of

PVC cut to the

width of the RV and one with a end to slip over the other pipe will allow

use of the drain

hose inside supported and protected.

There are a number of safe chemicals for waste tank use....note you never

leave then drain

because solid matter does not flow through...it must decompose...the gray

water tank can

be treated with baking soda 1/2 box....down the drains

The black water needs a stronger probuct so be sure to get a non-toxic

safe treatment.

Get also a hose to use for washing the RV and rinsing the waste tank.

All water hoses used for the interior uses must be safe...usually marked

and white at

Wallmart or any RV store.

use boric acid powder around wheels and all that touch the ground where

ants are present.

Borax is also a big help as a cleaner and bug chaser.

KC always advocates White Vinegar for everything...so we are using it to

clean and for

some extras like ear washes for fungus infections.

Oh !...when that water filter is installed ...put it after the tank so

the tank has clorinated water

in it. Other wise it may become a source of bacteria etc...Fungus?

I know I have a lot more but this is lonf enough for now.

God be with You all!!

Bryce and Ruth

On Sat, 12 Jun 2004 00:41:57 -0400 " Beverly Weikert "

<weik004@...> writes:

> Hello to everyone,

>

> It's been a while since I've been able to write. As most of you

> probably

> know, my family recently went through a chemical exposure (or

> " poisoning " ,

> whatever you choose to call it) in a rented home. It has been much

> more

> severe on our health than even our multiple mold exposures in the

> past

> several years. We again had to abandon our home. (It's a long

> story that

> most of you probably have heard about here through a good friend

> that

> developed a website for us.) We have been out of a home since

> March,

> sleeping in our car at times; and otherwise in hotels/motels that

> continue

> to make us ill, and strain us financially. This large dose of

> chemicals has

> made us much more chemical intolerant of all chemicals, indoors and

> out. We

> seem to be having trouble with something outdoors in our local area

> to very

> severe degrees.

>

> We are now considering an out of state move. Since we are not

> certain what

> state will work best for us, we are checking into buying a motor

> home and

> thereafter finding what area will work best for us before making

> permanent

> residence. We have realized that this way will be less expensive

> than

> living indefinitely in motels/hotels and will allow us to see what

> places

> will work for us.

>

> Can anyone on the group tell me if there are any particular brands

> that are

> better than others for people with extreme chemical intolerance? I

> know

> that there is a man that makes Airstream motorhomes to accommodate

> people

> with MCS, but I don't know of anyone or any companies that tailors

> other

> motorhomes for people like us. We'll need a good size one to have

> enough

> room for 2 kids. Any information that can be provided is

> appreciated and

> needed as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone, and my best to all

> on the

> group, old members and new.

>

> Beverly Weikert

>

> ________

> MSN Toolbar provides one-click access to Hotmail from any Web page –

> FREE

> download!

> http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/

>

June 12, 2004

Beverly;

I bought a Coachman Mirada 34' because OWCP would not pay travel and

accommodations to spend 2 months in Tucson with Dr. Crago for therapy. We

bought one that was used for one year, and in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Apparently the fact that it was in the desert, and it was slightly used

meant that there was much less formaldehyde. We lived in the RV for 9

months, and drove from Tucson, AZ to New York. I had the best experiences

on the NJ shore in March. It was not hot, and the ocean air really cleared

out my lungs and sinuses. My wife, 3 year old son, cat, dog and I traveled

together.

Please contact me off post if you want more information.

Brad Marsh

ebmarsh2003@...

-----Original Message-----

From: Beverly Weikert [mailto:weik004@...]

Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004 10:42 PM

Subject: [] RE: motor homes for MCS people?

Hello to everyone,

It's been a while since I've been able to write. As most of you probably

know, my family recently went through a chemical exposure (or " poisoning " ,

whatever you choose to call it) in a rented home. It has been much more

severe on our health than even our multiple mold exposures in the past

several years. We again had to abandon our home. (It's a long story that

most of you probably have heard about here through a good friend that

developed a website for us.) We have been out of a home since March,

sleeping in our car at times; and otherwise in hotels/motels that continue

to make us ill, and strain us financially. This large dose of chemicals has

made us much more chemical intolerant of all chemicals, indoors and out. We

seem to be having trouble with something outdoors in our local area to very

severe degrees.

We are now considering an out of state move. Since we are not certain what

state will work best for us, we are checking into buying a motor home and

thereafter finding what area will work best for us before making permanent

residence. We have realized that this way will be less expensive than

living indefinitely in motels/hotels and will allow us to see what places

will work for us.

Can anyone on the group tell me if there are any particular brands that are

better than others for people with extreme chemical intolerance? I know

that there is a man that makes Airstream motorhomes to accommodate people

with MCS, but I don't know of anyone or any companies that tailors other

motorhomes for people like us. We'll need a good size one to have enough

room for 2 kids. Any information that can be provided is appreciated and

needed as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone, and my best to all on the

group, old members and new.

Beverly Weikert

_________________________________________________________________

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download! http://toolbar.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/

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June 12, 2004