Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-02-2015, 11:21 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 17
2012 831RLSS - Odor from floor heat vent

Just this evening we began getting a bad smell from our rear floor heat vent. We're not using the heat at this time of summer. This TT has a sealed underbelly. Is it possible for a mouse or other small critter to get into the floor heat duct system? The smell is like a mouse/critter may have gotten in there and passed on to mouse heaven. Anyone ever experience anything similar? Thanks in advance.
__________________
2012 FR Flagstaff 21-FBRS TT
1997 GMC K2500 Suburban Vortec 7.4L Gas, 3.73's
EQ 4-point 600 / 6,000 WD hitch
MartyW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 02:07 AM   #2
Just a member
 
kandl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Great White North
Posts: 921
Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyW View Post
Is it possible for a mouse or other small critter to get into the floor heat duct system?
You betcha! Mr Mouse can get in through a hole about the size of a dime (or less) and your ducting may have one or more of these entry points. Unfortunately, the best way to verify that is to pull the underbelly enclosure and inspect the ducting. That too may be the only way to extricate the deceased rodent if in fact that's what is causing the obnoxious smell.
__________________
K&L + the Wild Bunch
TT: 2011 Rockwood 8293RKSS
TV: 2019 Dodge 3500 SRW Crew HO CTD

kandl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 09:23 AM   #3
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 17
Thanks Kandl, that's about the only thing we could figure. For now since its cooling season using the a/c we put duck tape over the floor vents until we can investigate further. We've had this happen at our houses too...
__________________
2012 FR Flagstaff 21-FBRS TT
1997 GMC K2500 Suburban Vortec 7.4L Gas, 3.73's
EQ 4-point 600 / 6,000 WD hitch
MartyW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 09:50 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Witch Doctor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Clarksville Va.
Posts: 10,422
Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyW View Post
Thanks Kandl, that's about the only thing we could figure. For now since its cooling season using the a/c we put duck tape over the floor vents until we can investigate further. We've had this happen at our houses too...
True story, Once a guy was drunk and missed his head and it went down the floor vent, had to replace that duct. With yours I'm surprised your not smelling it at every vent? Not just the one. But as stated they will eat a whole in the duct work and get in. My old house I had a skunk get in mine had to replace all the duct work under the house. Good luck on finding it....
__________________
Coachmen M/H
Concord
2018 / 300 DSC

Witch Doctor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 10:15 AM   #5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 17
Our unit has chairs in the rear where we had been sitting and we all of a sudden smelled this odor. At first we thought it was our dog but we pretty quickly eliminated that. Then we moved everything in the back area as that is where the oder was. We found nothing but then we smelled the rear vent and that is where the oder is. I smelled the center vent and maybe some odor but not near as much as the rear vent. I'm sure the odor will find its way to all the system but with the duck tape on the vents there is no smell in the TT for now. If we're lucky maybe the smell will ease by heating season as the critters do stop smelling after awhile. We're in the south so probably won't need the heat for at least a month from now....
__________________
2012 FR Flagstaff 21-FBRS TT
1997 GMC K2500 Suburban Vortec 7.4L Gas, 3.73's
EQ 4-point 600 / 6,000 WD hitch
MartyW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 10:34 AM   #6
Site Team
 
wmtire's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northeast Louisiana
Posts: 33,739
Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyW View Post
Just this evening we began getting a bad smell from our rear floor heat vent. We're not using the heat at this time of summer. This TT has a sealed underbelly. Is it possible for a mouse or other small critter to get into the floor heat duct system? The smell is like a mouse/critter may have gotten in there and passed on to mouse heaven. Anyone ever experience anything similar? Thanks in advance.
I have the exact same trailer, and just had to do some work on the rear steps. I had removed them, and went ahead and lowered some of the underbelly as I wanted to look at the same duct your mentioned. Mine has always squeaked real bad (not from a mouse though) when you walk near it. It's the metal part of the vent rubbing on the frame.

Anyhow, there is very thin flex duct hooked to the vent register. I may have a pic of it on my phone still and will upload it. It's possible for a rodent to chew into this.

Edit: Wait a sec, I have it in a thread here:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...eak-79674.html
__________________
2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS

A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
wmtire is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 10:55 AM   #7
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 17
Many Thanks wmtire, great pic and I hope you got your damage fixed up ok.
__________________
2012 FR Flagstaff 21-FBRS TT
1997 GMC K2500 Suburban Vortec 7.4L Gas, 3.73's
EQ 4-point 600 / 6,000 WD hitch
MartyW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 11:56 AM   #8
Retired Techie
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Lowell Mi
Posts: 165
Try running a vacuum hose down the register. Get and old one from a goodwill or something so you can cut the non flexible part off. Worked for me when hamsters got in my heat vents buried in cement.
moligney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 02:27 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Stormrider151's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: South East
Posts: 996
Quote:
Originally Posted by moligney View Post
Try running a vacuum hose down the register. Get and old one from a goodwill or something so you can cut the non flexible part off. Worked for me when hamsters got in my heat vents buried in cement.
X2 . Couldn't hurt to try. Might save you some work.
Stormrider151 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 02:54 PM   #10
Pickin', Campin', Mason
 
5picker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: South Western PA
Posts: 19,074
You mentioned the smell was worse by the register near the chairs. Often time if you remove the register and use a small hand held mirror and a flashlight you are able to look back through the ducting pretty far.

Maybe if it is in fact a dead mouse, you might be able to see it to verify.
Then as mentioned, a flex hose on a vacuum might get it or I have a long set of 'Chinese grabber fingers' on a flexible shaft that's about 36" long. Might carefully shove something like that back through and grab.
__________________
2022 Cedar Creek 345IK 5th Wheel•Solar & Inverter•2017 Ford F-Series SCREW 4x4•Factory Puck•B&W Companion•TST Tire Monitor w/Repeater•Sinemate 3500w Gen.
F&AM Lodge 358 Somerset, PA - JAFFA Shrine - Altoona, PA

Days Camped '19=118 '20=116 '21=123 '22=134 '23=118 '24=86
5picker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2015, 03:50 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
heavynlori's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,460
2012 831RLSS - Odor from floor heat vent

We had a mouse die under our waterbed many years ago....no way to get to it because it had a pedestal with six drawers.....had to live with it until it quit - found a skeleton many years later when we finally removed waterbed - phew !!!

Also used to get them in kitchen during winter (lived in country with woods behind) / one caught in trap and drug trap under base of kitchen cabinet - lived with smell again but learned to tie string to trap to pull it back !!!

Hope you get a quick solution - those little buggers reek 🐭
heavynlori is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-04-2015, 04:21 PM   #12
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 17
Many Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I'll try to find a flex vacuum this weekend. Meanwhile all smells ok with the duck tape over the vents...
__________________
2012 FR Flagstaff 21-FBRS TT
1997 GMC K2500 Suburban Vortec 7.4L Gas, 3.73's
EQ 4-point 600 / 6,000 WD hitch
MartyW is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
2012, vent

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:18 AM.