Funky Smell

[Charles Firth]

Getting ready to go to Hatteras for a few days. Picked up the Windjammer finally got it in my drive, opened everything up, scrubbed it down pretty good inside , cleaned floors , cabinets etc. Still have a funky smell inside, all the windows have been open all day and running fans along with a air cleaner. Its not mildew. I have the roof vents which always stays open, I thought with them open it would aid in air circulation. My DW is very sensitive to odors, so I am unable to spray anything inside. What do you do in such a situation. I am hoping Hatteras will be somewhat cool with a breeze so I can air it out some more. Any suggestions ??? The camper is less than a year old, after every trip all food items are removed and surfaces cleaned.


Chuck " leaving Va for a few days "

[Damule]

What kind of smell Chuck? Do you use tank deodorizer? I add the deodorizer every time I empty the galley/ gray water tank. I have a 2014 v-lite. No odors. I also flush all the tanks out when I'm packing to leave.

[asquared]

Zeolite is great stuff for removing odors of any kind. The zeolite has no odor, it absorbs the
Odors and is reusable. As asked above what kind of odor? Misty, formaldehyde, sewer etc?

[Canadiancrew]

Did you make sure there was a little water in the toilet to keep the seal wet and keep holding tank odors from coming up. Be generous w it deodorizer in the tank as well during off use times.

[Timex]

Chuck, didn't I see a thread that you parked in your son's driveway and on a slope? If so, maybe some rain water has drained the wrong way and seeped in a crack somewhere and caused mildew between a slide or seam in the AC.

Help us with what kind of smell/odor and maybe we can give suggestions.

[Charles Firth]

I flush and clean the tanks, and add tank deodorizer after every trip. So its not that, could be mildew, kinda cross between a musty smell and insecticide ( if that makes any sense ) I will get some type of odor absorber to keep in the camper when its stored. Its stored at my sons home, and I think the next door neighbor sprays insecticide for ants. I have owned and still own boats so I am familiar with the mildew they get in the cabins. I have looked everywhere I can to see if some animal crawled in there and died. I am at a loss. Hopefully a 3 hour trip with the top vents open will air it out. I am leaving the fans and air cleaner running over night to see if that helps.


Chuck " I am leaving Va tomorrow !!! "

[Charles Firth]

Think I found the culprit. Stopped by the RV dealer this am, talked with the guys in service. They feel that the smell I am getting is from my water remaining in the plumbing. When I last used the TT, about a month ago I cleaned the black and grey holding tanks, and emptied what remained in the fresh water tank. Then put the trailer in storage, the "FUNK" arrived when I was getting ready for another trip. They suggested that I flush the system with bleach , by putting bleach in the water system and adding some water. All after by passing the hot water heater. Using the pump run the bleach through the system. Well I used about 1 1/2 gallons of bleach, it should be clean now. Hope is solves the problem, can't really tell now all I can smell is bleach. If this works next time break camp . I will drain the low point drains and open the faucets. I will check it later to see if the smell has gone. If that's not it I will yell for more advice..

Chuck "still trying to get outta Va "

[Flagstaffer06]

I had a similar problem a few years back on my grandparents camper. I would have used bleach personally just like yourself but they had purchased Fresh Water Deodorizer and sanitizer. I can't remember the exact name but, that's basically what it was. I ended up dumping it into an empty hose and then when I hooked up the fresh water at the campground it pushed the cleaner right in.

If you don't want to use your pump to do it, that's just another option.

It should certainly be cleaned up with that much bleach, probably need to run more than a few gallons through the system to clear it up!

Enjoy the trip!

[Charles Firth]

Well I left the bleach and water mixture in the fresh water tank for 24 hours. This morning turned the on the faucet and while the water was running some black particles came out, so the fresh water tank along with the plumbing is clean. I also had 2 air cleaners along with 2 fans running to circulate the air. The original funky odor is still present, although not as strong but none the less still present. I placed some air fresheners beads from lowes in the TT, according to the directions they will help clean the air. I talked to the rv dealer and they have no one that does major cleaning jobs for odors. They said that they usually just spray air freshener and eventually it takes care of the odor. I have scrubbed the floor and walls with a vinegar and water mixture, my next effort will be cleaning the couch and dinette with some cleaner. Any other suggestions out there, I find it hard to believe that I can't get rid of the odor . The TT just can't be used till the odor is gone, this may just take a while.

Chuck "still in Va "

[Damule]

Think a good airing out will complete the process.

[OldCoot]

You should also make sure when you store the unit to keep the drain P traps full. Instead of using water that evaporates, use Pinesol instead as it doesn't evaporate nearly as fast or if nothing else, use vegetable oil.

[rattleNsmoke]

I agree with Coot. When you fear freezing temps, just use some pink stuff with the Pinesol.

[Timex]

Chuck, I'm trying to do detective work here.

You stated that you keep the holding tanks clean. And that you know what mildew smells like.

Could you have 1 of those toilets that gets "debris" lodged in a crevice?

Was this odor (in any way) present when you bought the TT?

Could it be in the fabrics of the carpet, chairs, cushions?

Could it be moisture in the ductwork from when the AC has run?

We live in a humid climate here in south MS so, especially in winter, I used to hang a Damp Rid bag in my previous TT when I had to park it in the driveway. It absorbed moisture and kept the musty odor from building up.

Just trying to help.

[nuisance]

boil vanilla extract in water on the stove. Let cool oders should be less, repeat as needed pour water down sinks and toilet to help freshen those also.

[B and B]

I had/Have mildew under the fridge. The wall had a gap where the wheel well is, silconed it up and no more water leaking. Have cleaned and cleaned the midew is going away, slowly.

[Charles Firth]

No the TT had the new smell when I purchased it. The smell appeared well after my last camping trip. I have a black tank flush that during camp break down I flushed the holding tank really well, letting the flush run for probably 15 minutes, I think its fairly clean. However I did not drain the water lines or the hot water tank, my intention was to go camping again in a few weeks. Well that turned into about 2 months . I store the TT at my sons house with all 3 roof vents fully open ( I have those vent covers that allow that ). The smell surfaced during storage. The RV dealer felt fairly certain that the water in the lines along with the water left in the hot water tank caused the smell. I did not take the TT to the dealer, he is acting on my observations. He suggested cleaning the water system, which was just completed. The dealer went on to say that they had several other campers, which the problem was stale water. They further stated it could take several weeks to get it out. I did not check the TT today, but I intend to tomorrow, and probably do some more cleaning with some pine-sol or something similar. I am sure one can "cover" the scent, but I wish to eliminate the source. I am new to camping, and thought I had everything covered, thanks in part to this site. Hope this is over soon so I can get one more trip in, you just can't sleep in there with those smells.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
Chuck "still in Va "

[Timex]

Isn't Newport News on the coast? Is it humid there? You say you leave the vents fully open, I know the rain won't directly come in with the vent covers on but that won't stop the humidity.

If the smell is not coming from the holding tanks or the toilet or the water lines, could it be dampness from the open vents somehow getting on the fabrics inside?

Put your nose to the carpet and the cushions.

[Luckyme502]

Newport News is on the coast and it is terribly humid!

[asquared]

I'm telling you try the zeolite, it will absorb not cover the odor. We used it to completely eliminate mildew smells. Also you mention you are fairly certain the black tank is clean, do you keep water in there all the time? How much? If not you could be getting the dreaded stone mountain build up. My old tt would get icky odors all the time but changing from drop in chemical packets to The geo method fixed it. I was thinking about this issue today as my kitchen sink at home developed an odd odor. I flushed the line really well, scrubbed the sink and then but some bleach down the kitchen drain and let it sit for a little while. Flushed it out, and it was good to go. You could try this in the drain lines if you haven't already. Also be careful with that much bleach. You really only need about a cup of bleach in the fresh water tank to sanitize the line.

[walk_the_walk]

...with all due respect to the other posters, it sounds like you have an odor problem with a cause, one that should be ferreted out, not masked.

If it's mold or mildew, it will smell earthy, dank, dirt-like, if it is black mold; and yeasty like parmesan cheese, if it is white mold. If that is the case then there it is possibly a water leak somewhere (check: shower sunlight, shower undertub plumbing, sink plumbing, roof, slide-out, A/C system?). You will need to search relentlessly until you find it.

If it is some other funky smell, then I would suspect that you have "bio-slime" growing in your P-traps (. If you have a keen sense of smell, put your nose at the throat of each sink and take a good whiff.

As you know, there are typically 3 P-traps in a Travel trailer (bath sink drain, shower drain and kitchen sink drain). There are enzymatic formulas you can buy at Lowes in a large 32 oz. container to treat P-traps and kill that bio-slime.

However, in a pinch, you can just mix up some rubbing alcohol and 3% store-bought hydrogen peroxide, with a small amount of dish detergent and pour it in there. About a 10 oz. per trap should do. Do not use this in conjunction with bleach, but separately, as this would create an adverse chemical combination. Let this mixture sit in the P-trap for a few minutes then follow with a hot (not quite boiling) water flush to remove the bio-slime. Some grayish-black slime will end up in the grey water tank, so you wont see it, but the smell should be gone.

We also use the Starbrite RV deodorizers with Sodium Chlorite. This product, when exposed to humidity, releases chlorine gas vapor to kill off any mildew or mold spores that are so common in RVs. Starbrite used to sell these in a sachet that lasted for months with several ounces of the powder in it - I bought a case of them once a few years ago - but, the current version is 1/20 that in volume and they do not last as long. Why they scaled down their product and made it less useful and long lasting I do not know, but do not expect the current version to last for more than 2-3 weeks. Plus, to cover a large travel trailer or 5th wheel, you would need to get at least 4 pouches, not the 2 pack in this Amazon listing. BUT THEY DO WORK. And, quickly. So, you can install them today, and your trailer will smell clean and sanitized tomorrow with a hint of chlorine scent. Beats smelling poop.

Amazon.com: Star brite NosGUARD SG Mold/Mildew Odor Control System (2 Pack): Sports & Outdoors