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Old 09-04-2008, 06:21 AM   #1
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2009 Cherokee 39DB smells like crap

I am still under warranty, but I have had the guy come and fix my cherokee about 5 times now (5fth is this week) because of a problem with...well...something.

It smells like sewage (strong) when I put the overhead fan on and ONLY if I put the overhead fan on. Not all the time, mind you, but I have yet to find an actual pattern to it.
This is sewage, mind you. Not poo.
It only happens in the morning. It doesn't happen every morning.

WHenever the guy comes to fix it, it never smells (and he comes in the afternoon). He has never heard of it happening, and he has made a thorough check of the entire sewage/air flow system and can't find the culprit.

Anyone have this problem? I am under warranty for the next 10 months, but it is almost at the end of the season so I don't want to worry about this throughout winter.

I have 2 holding tanks. 2 Washrooms.
And it happens in the washroom with the shower.
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Old 09-04-2008, 07:12 AM   #2
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Let's see if we can help.

Where's the fan located?
Is the fan exhausting air out or drawing air into the RV?
Does your toilet hold water above the blade/ball?
Has the repair guy removed the toilet and inspected the seals?
Do you leave the dump valve open all the time?

A couple of generalizations.
If you have an exhaust fan on and flush the toilet, it will draw the odor from the holding tank into the RV. (I bet you already know that though.)
It sounds to me like either the toilet flange seal is leaking, the valve seal is leaking or the toilet shell seal is leaking. It could be a small crack in a line or the tank that seeps a little overnight and causes the smell in the morning. This would explain why you can't pinpoint what's causing it.
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Old 09-04-2008, 07:41 AM   #3
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Could it be that your p-trap in your shower or sink is not holding water? If there is not any water there, it will allow holding tank smells back into the trailer.
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Old 09-04-2008, 09:05 AM   #4
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Just a thought. I've noticed over the years what appears to be a tendency of the plastic used in the toilet bowl to retain odors, even when it appears superficially clean. Over a period of time, especially with the cover down, the strength of the odor can become most unpleasantly pronounced. May I suggest giving the bowl a couple of sprays with a kitchen disinfectant to see if it resolves your issue. Use your imagination to decide when you should do so.
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Old 09-04-2008, 10:37 AM   #5
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1) It is not a toilet as it is a 'potty'. Their is about an inch of water sitting there.
2) The fan draws air out of the RV
3) The repair guy checked out the seals and the pipes. Everything was fine.
4) The repair guy reinstalled the fan/ that resides in the ceiling just to make sure
5) It doesn't necessarily happen after someone uses the toilet. It happens when I use the shower and have yet to use the toilet that day. (it seems to work well if I want to dry alot of wet towels quickly)
6) It is one of those super fans that are being installed in the new RV's that supposedly have 4X more "power".
7) It is a 2009. I have only had it for 2 months.
8) If I leave the RV while it is running, 20 minutes later, it will still smell.
9) The dealer I purchased it from said that it may be a problem with the fact that I have 2 holding tanks. He may have to disconnect one of them. I am reluctant for that because the solution seems to be the equivalent to buying a car that I can only roll down 2 of the windows. The other 2 don't work and I find that out after I buy the thing.
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Old 09-04-2008, 11:19 AM   #6
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Every once in a while i`ll get the same smell the OP is getting. i believe it is the seal under the toilet. I haven`t gotten around to pulling the toilet. like I said it`s not all the time and it hasn`t had the smell for months now??????
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Old 09-04-2008, 11:26 AM   #7
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5) It happens when I use the shower and have yet to use the toilet that day.
I'm guessing that what you're smelling is the grey water tank. I suspect it's the lavatory vent not sealing. Look under your lavatory and see if you see a small device right up under the sink attached to the drain line. It's supposed to allow air in but not out.

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9) The dealer I purchased it from said that it may be a problem with the fact that I have 2 holding tanks. He may have to disconnect one of them. I am reluctant for that because the solution seems to be the equivalent to buying a car that I can only roll down 2 of the windows. The other 2 don't work and I find that out after I buy the thing.
I completely agree with you. Do not allow them to disconnect a tank. It was designed to work and it will work once they (or you actually) find and fix the real problem.
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Old 09-04-2008, 11:40 AM   #8
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This thread addresses the same issue...
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Old 09-04-2008, 11:43 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by Bama Rambler View Post

I'm guessing that what you're smelling is the grey water tank. I suspect it's the lavatory vent not sealing. Look under your lavatory and see if you see a small device right up under the sink attached to the drain line. It's supposed to allow air in but not out.



I completely agree with you. Do not allow them to disconnect a tank. It was designed to work and it will work once they (or you actually) find and fix the real problem.
agreed
in my other fiver we would get NASTY poop smells
it always came back to the gray tank of the galley tank.
the "p" traps would somehow loose their water seal, gray and galley tanks SMELL ten times worse than the black tank, doont know why??
anyway
bama hit it. the small air cap vent thingy under th esink is designed to let air IN not out and sometimes it gets stuck from debris if your tanks get TO full
and will cause the p trap to empty from simply physics and vacumm

also like everyne said , check the p traps seals and hopefully it will work
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Old 09-04-2008, 06:36 PM   #10
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You may be correct, but we don't "hold" anything. The RV doesn't move. We have a lot where we put it. It drains directly into the sewer thingy.
I guess it stays in the grey water tank for a bit, but it should just drain right out, shouldn't it?
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Old 09-04-2008, 07:55 PM   #11
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You are not supposed to leave valves open when attached to sewer. It will cause problems with your holding tanks and odours Let tanks fill up and then drain separately and close off valves each time. Leaving black water tank valve open will not allow solids to drain away. Need the swoshing action to carry it away when dumping.
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Old 09-04-2008, 11:41 PM   #12
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are you sure of the brand of stink?

I have a 2009 Cherokee 39bs which I just took delivery of in July. We had a horrible rotten egg smell after the trailer sat for a week. We found out the hot water was the culprit. I removed the anode rod from the tank and the oder was gone! I am sure you know the difference in smells but I just thought I would put it out there. Supposedly I can get an anode rod made out of a different material to eliminate the smell but right now I am going rod less and the stench is gone. Good luck
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Old 09-05-2008, 06:52 AM   #13
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I have a 2009 Cherokee 39bs which I just took delivery of in July. We had a horrible rotten egg smell after the trailer sat for a week. We found out the hot water was the culprit. I removed the anode rod from the tank and the oder was gone! I am sure you know the difference in smells but I just thought I would put it out there. Supposedly I can get an anode rod made out of a different material to eliminate the smell but right now I am going rod less and the stench is gone. Good luck
It is sewer. I wish it was rotting eggs.
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Old 09-05-2008, 06:52 AM   #14
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You are not supposed to leave valves open when attached to sewer. It will cause problems with your holding tanks and odours Let tanks fill up and then drain separately and close off valves each time. Leaving black water tank valve open will not allow solids to drain away. Need the swoshing action to carry it away when dumping.
Do you think the people who set up my trailer know that?
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Old 09-05-2008, 09:40 AM   #15
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There is no issue leaving your grey tank open while connected to sewer since there should be no solids going into there anyway, but the black tank belongs closed until it's time to empty.

I am hooked up to permanent sewer and my grey tank is ALWAYS open.
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Old 09-05-2008, 10:24 AM   #16
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Allowing some water to collect in your bathroom gray tank will aid in rinsing out the sewer hose after you dump the black. Also, I dump a little chemical and laundry soap in my galley holding tank because you'd be surprised how sour that can get. Also avoid letting food scraps go down the kitchen drain, use a strainer and throw them in the trash.

We empty the trash once sometimes twice a day to avoid ants as well as another stinky thing in the trailer.

And this forum is a wonderful place to learn all the stuff (literally volumes) your dealer didn't know/have time/think/care to tell you.
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Old 09-08-2008, 12:43 PM   #17
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What I have heard is that by leaving value open allows the sewerage smell that comes from the ground connection to vent back through the tanks and trailer. If you p-traps or this under stink vent is not function correctly, that would be cause. And especially if you are taking a shower allowing the small run of water to drain.

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Old 09-09-2008, 12:58 PM   #18
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I leave the black water tank closed at all times because there is no "p" trap between the tank and toilet, as far as the grey water tank, that stays closed as well because you need this to help flush the hose out after the black is dumped. The only line I leave open is the galley (kitchen) the sinks have traps in them and I make sure that there is water in them at all times. I never had a problem from oders Back Venting into the camper. The other thing one can do is create a trap out of your discharge hose while it is on the ground before the tank openning.
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Old 09-15-2008, 11:14 AM   #19
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Oh my god.
This weekend, the repairman who has been working on the "smell" for a month now
-emptied out all the tanks (turns out the 'hard stuff' is kept in a tank so it has to be released every once in a while something that I was told I didn't have to do , the grey water is always open)
-Flushed the system out
-Put in a 'scented' product so it wouldn't smell
Then told me that there is NO way it was going to smell in the mornings now.

Guess what; it did. But alot less. Now I can actually say it is the toilet that smells. Probably a problem with the seal (which the repairman says is fixed).

The last time I am going down to the trailer is next week, I hope they can get it fixed by then.
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