Are all RVs going to smell musty?

[Scrapper]

As someone mentioned before there are a lot of trailers being sold which were used as temporary housing in disaster areas as well as water damaged from flooding. I talked to RV dealer Wednesday which was asking what I knew of the used car dealer near me who had around 20 trailers last summer. The RV dealer told me the used car dealer bought the TT's from an motor vehicle auction house on the other side of the county. I don't think he sold any but once winter started to set in all of the trailers disappeared. We'll see if they come back this year.

[Mr. Dan]

Strangely enough, my 2015 trailer bought in June 2014 smells like toy balsa wood airplanes!

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

Strangely enough, my 2015 trailer bought in June 2014 smells like toy balsa wood airplanes!

I don't remember the smell of balsa wood but I do recollect the smell of the glue

[jeff64]

Originally Posted by dm6

I went to an RV show today and after going through some of the types we might actually be interested in, we had fun and looked at some of the huge 40 foot 5th wheels and coaches. I was shocked that just about every one of the used ones we went in smelt awful. I am not talking about 20 year old ones, I am talking about 2019 and 2020 5th wheels that were $90-$100k. Most had a very strong mildew smell, some of the seats were all scratched up, things were falling apart, etc. After going in a few those, I was so disgusted to see some one year old rigs in that shape, that I didn't even want an RV anymore! Is this common, or is this likely just rich people not taking care of them and trading them in every year or two for a brand new one? When I get one, I plan to at least cover it but likely put it under a canopy, but are you still going to get a musty smell after it is a year old?

This is why you put maxxair covers on the vents and leave them open a couple inches all the time except when you run the a/c.

[NJKris]

I'm a bit of a weather nut, have my own pro grade weather station at home. I understand dew point! I use this calculator to keep my trailer dew point in a range that does not promote mildew or mold using a remote temp/humidity sensor.
Dew Point Calculator

[FrankG]

Originally Posted by jeff64

This is why you put maxxair covers on the vents and leave them open a couple inches all the time except when you run the a/c.

Yes, Yes, Yes, Best advice ever.

[FrankG]

If you enter a unit that smells musty or moldy, something is wrong and it may not be fixable.

See that 17 Laredo in the signature, we lived in it for over 400 days and nights with 2 dogs. No odors, No damage, No leaks. It just sold off a dealers lot for $1,000.00 less than the base price we paid for it new. This inflation spiral we are in is brutal.

FYI, it had about $3,500 of options and we paid a sellers commission and sold within 7 days.

[Kampg]

Run away from musty smelling rigs new or used!!
I've owned a popup, an ultra lite, a 27.6 travel trailer & 31' motorhome none were or are musty smelling...I bought first 3 new, my motorhome used 2019, from day one I hang a fresh original scent closet style damp rid in shower. I get up at night when camping during rain with flashlight and check inside every cabinet, wall seems, ceiling especially around any apparatuses on ceiling, around windows. I get the roof inspected and seals checked and caulk when needed. I sold my ultralight within 30 seconds, the buyers stepped in and said, there are no odors, looked at each other complimented me on how new everything looked and bought it for the price I was asking & not a penny less. It's called pride in ownership and unfortunately for buyers of used vehicles it's not as common as it used to be, and doubly unfortunate, during sellers market there are going to be more undesirable new with issue rigs on the market. By all means, let your nose keep you out of the deals that "just don't smell right ".

[Kampg]

Oh, I'm sorry to not give credit to the fella that suggested this-but get yourself a moisture reader. I picked one up on line for less than 60 dollars. I use it at work, at home & tada... you got it..my camping rig!

[iflyos]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

Strangely enough, my 2015 trailer bought in June 2014 smells like toy balsa wood airplanes!

That's weird...mine does too, and I also have a hint of Cool Power in mine.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by dm6

I went to an RV show today and after going through some of the types we might actually be interested in, we had fun and looked at some of the huge 40 foot 5th wheels and coaches. I was shocked that just about every one of the used ones we went in smelt awful. I am not talking about 20 year old ones, I am talking about 2019 and 2020 5th wheels that were $90-$100k. Most had a very strong mildew smell

Not unusual for RVs (or cars) that have been closed in storage for a while. But our trailers have been barely touched since before COVID and they have no odor. The reason: we have a 15-20 pint dehumidifier in each trailer that runs when needed. They each sit in the shower, with the tank removed and drain through the gray tank. The gray valve is open, and they drain onto the ground or into the sewage tote. They are operational year-round although the internal thermostats prevent operation below 50-60 degrees F.

Originally Posted by dm6

some of the seats were all scratched up, things were falling apart, etc. After going in a few those, I was so disgusted to see some one year old rigs in that shape, that I didn't even want an RV anymore! Is this common, or is this likely just rich people not taking care of them and trading them in every year or two for a brand new one? When I get one, I plan to at least cover it but likely put it under a canopy, but are you still going to get a musty smell after it is a year old?

The high-end RVs and motorhomes produced between about 2015-2019 all were made with defective "pleather" seat covers. They have all peeled. Many of the original owners got replacement covers or other adjustments. You can either buy a newer one or use the bad upholstery as a negotiating point for a better price. Then search these forums for various alternatives in getting new seats or getting new covers.

[Bob2019]

Picked mine up from storage today that was placed there last October. No smell at all. One RV we went through a few years ago on a dealers lot smelled like fish were cleaned in it. Now that was a bad smelling RV. Couldn't believe a dealer would even try to sell something like that.

[rlocicero]

Originally Posted by dm6

I went to an RV show today and after going through some of the types we might actually be interested in, we had fun and looked at some of the huge 40 foot 5th wheels and coaches. I was shocked that just about every one of the used ones we went in smelt awful. I am not talking about 20 year old ones, I am talking about 2019 and 2020 5th wheels that were $90-$100k. Most had a very strong mildew smell, some of the seats were all scratched up, things were falling apart, etc. After going in a few those, I was so disgusted to see some one year old rigs in that shape, that I didn't even want an RV anymore! Is this common, or is this likely just rich people not taking care of them and trading them in every year or two for a brand new one? When I get one, I plan to at least cover it but likely put it under a canopy, but are you still going to get a musty smell after it is a year old?

Are you stereotyping rich people? It's probably some not rich people buying something they cannot to afford or maintain.

[rlocicero]

Our 11 year old Flagstaff smell as fresh as new. We have Max air vents and hardly ever close the crank ups. We shampoo the carpets at least three times a year .We frequently open up all the windows when we are home to air it out.

[NMWildcat]

This thread about smells reminds me of when we first started going to Good Sam and other rally's. Crowds typically older and many full timers and snowbirds. Let's just say hygiene for some is handled very differently from what we were used to, especially at rally's that had no hookups. The smell of crowds in open air bleachers was overwhelming. Unwashed clothes and bodies. You can only imagine what their RVs smelled like!
Those experiences led us to commit to certain standards after we retired. Mainly not wearing clothes multiple days and bathing daily, even when boondocking

[tintodd]

Originally Posted by dm6

I went to an RV show today and after going through some of the types we might actually be interested in, we had fun and looked at some of the huge 40 foot 5th wheels and coaches. I was shocked that just about every one of the used ones we went in smelt awful. I am not talking about 20 year old ones, I am talking about 2019 and 2020 5th wheels that were $90-$100k. Most had a very strong mildew smell, some of the seats were all scratched up, things were falling apart, etc. After going in a few those, I was so disgusted to see some one year old rigs in that shape, that I didn't even want an RV anymore! Is this common, or is this likely just rich people not taking care of them and trading them in every year or two for a brand new one? When I get one, I plan to at least cover it but likely put it under a canopy, but are you still going to get a musty smell after it is a year old?

We always run dehumidifiers and damp rid campers are known for having a lot of moisture in them especially if you spend a certain amount of time in them .you want to be careful of moisture I believe once you have it behind your walls you can never get rid of it word of caution.

[Honest Abe]

I keep my Max-Air-covered air vents open all of the time. And, when I lock-up the rig at the end of a trip, I spray Ozium throughout the coach to sanitize it. Haven't had any smells in my rig since buying it in 2015.

[mwdilday]

Having a musty smell is not normal. Run away from those.

[majorflee1]

When we were looking for a TT we had the same experience with used models we were looking at.We finally stumbled on a nice clean unit and bought it.It has been a good unit so far still no musty smell.Flagstaff 25FKS.

[vickyr]

We ran into the same problem when we were shopping for ours. We did buy used 9 years ago. People often do not take care of the campers/motorhomes. I guess they have the attitude they are camping. Carpets were dirty and upholstery was stained. Could smell animals and or cigarettes. We got so lucky with our unit. We are a little OCD our motorhome is now 12 years old and we are asked if it is new.