37FB Mid Bath Smell

[mguay]

Are there any other 37FB owners out there that are having issues with smell in their 1/2 bath?
I found that the toilet bowl was manufactured off a bit and the pedestal didn't fit correctly allowing the water to drain from the bowl. Changed the toilet and smell still there.
Next thought was that the vent stack wasn't glued properly to the tank. Removed panel behind toilet and checked the vent. Glued properly to tank and actually makes it all the way to the roof.
I have always used the GEO method in other campers without a problem. Front bath has no odor at all. I tried using bleach and it worked for a few days. trying not to use bottled/packet chemicals as we are fulltiming and could be costly. The only thing I notice that is different is that there is only 6" between the toilet and the tank.

[CC38EL]

I haven't experienced any smell from the mid bath, even when the water in the bowl evaporates.

I do have a smell from the kitchen drains, but as we use those when camping, it goes away.

About the water draining out....it's interesting that if we use the toilet normally, the water drains out in short notice. But if we add water to bring the level up to an inch, it stays for weeks. Weird.

Did this just start? Perhaps something crawled up near the tank area and died?

[howie70]

Are you certain its coming from the toilet? Could it be from under the sink?
Check out this thread:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...rea-90768.html

[mguay]

Originally Posted by howie70

Are you certain its coming from the toilet? Could it be from under the sink?
Check out this thread:
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...rea-90768.html

My bath doesn't have the vent valve you are thinking of...it is only under the kitchen sink. Good idea though!

[kwoodrg]

We have a 2014 37BH model and the rear half bath causes our whole trailer to stink out if you even think about flushing the toilet. We basically don't even use the toilet back there because it's so bad. The smell starts under the belly and makes its way up through the area under then steps and wafts through the vents and stays for hours. Absolutely horrible. Tank has been flushed until nothing but clear water comes out--no difference. We simply cannot use that toilet. It took forever to figure out what was going on because the smell seemed to come from the kitchen when it was happening. Finally discovered that the vent on the roof was not even put through the TPO skin and thought that would solve it. Nope. We cut the TPO, installed a vent properly (provided by Dynamax) and it basically made no difference. Flush that toilet and stink will come under the belly and up from under the steps.

[Kevinc2011]

Did they hook that toilet up to the tank, or is it just dumping out on top of the tank and sitting there? The vent was not hooked up! I would run water into that toilet and have someone outside to make sure that water does not start coming out from the edges of the underside cover! I feel blessed that all of my issues have been minor ones, but the vent cap that I finally found in the bedroom slide closet, that was loose and letting in black tank odor was Interesting..... Hold the phone, look for a removeable piece of wall covering around the bathroom. If you find an inspection cover, take it off and see if there is a vacuum vent behind it, sort of a screw in cap with air holes in it.. Mine was behind an inspection cover in the closet in the piping for the washer drain line, and was barely started in the pipe, allowing the odors to escape, happy hunting.

[kwoodrg]

no it's definitely going into the tank. I have removed the toilet to verify the connection to the tank. I have checked all air admittance valves and replaced the air vacuum valves for the tank flushes. I have also taken down the cover on the bottom of the RV and verified that all of the lines running to and from the tank are secure. the ONLY things I ever found wrong was the vent that didn't actually go through the roof to a vent cap and one of the air vacuum valves was in backwards preventing the tank flush from working. I am 99% sure the tank has a hole or crack in it somewhere that is not visible while mounted.

[Kevinc2011]

I found a vent unit behind an access panel in the closet beside the master bed. Talk about a mad hunt for the source of the smell while on vacation. The vent cap was only started on, but not tightned down.. Screwed it in and smell stopped! Good luck!

[mguay]

I think my problem is what kwoodrg found to begin with. The only time I get a real bad smell is when the fantastic fan is on in the other bath. Both baths have the same duct work for the ac and I think it's leaking through there. I haven't gotten on the roof to see if the vent hole is cut through. I did make sure the vent was glued to the tank via the basement.

[kwoodrg]

Kevinc2011, the vent cap your are talking about is called an air admittance valve they can be a common cause of bad smells when not functioning properly. I did check all of ours and verify that they were tight and not the cause of smell leakage. I am actually doing some testing now after having blasted the tank with high pressure water and seeing strange chunks of VERY hardened matter come out of the drain line. Since that flush we have had no smells at all. We discovered that our unit was actually a demo/show unit (which we were not told) and as such I began to wonder if someone used the toilet back there and left it bake into a dry tank. Since the high pressure flush we have had no smells at all and it has now been several days. Time will tell if there is a link. My kids are now using that bathroom and it used to be that even flushing the toilet with nothing in it but water would cause unbearable smell. Now normal flushing results in no smell. I will report back if smells return.


2014 Dynamax Trilogy 37BH
2015 Ram 3500 DRW