I have been reading the post here for years and have found the advice very helpful. This is my first post. We ordered our 2015 Silverback 37BH new and have been chasing a strong chemical smell since new. The odor gets into anything we bring with us including any plastics such as cups. We have tried to no end to work with Cedar Creek to help resolve the odor but have not had any success. We keep it stored in a covered spot with the a/c on 80 to prevent any humidity build up here in Florida. We are quickly reaching the end of our patience and have started looking at the possibility of trading for a different brand. Has anyone experienced the same issue and if so were you able to find a resolution. Thanks for any help.
I doubt very much that the odor is from manufacturing, and wouldn't be covered at all under warranty especially since it's 4 years old.
Any odor that you are smelling is pretty much guaranteed to be something from you are using, the place your are storing it, or even the AC unit.
Go through everything you have stored and see if something is leaking. Leave the AC off for a week, open the windows and see if the odor is still present (AC can make some pretty awful smells if the condensate line is plugged). And finally, take it out of storage for a week and see if it gets better.
There's not many places for an smell to hide, but can be produced by any of those 3 things.
No I do not believe it is formaldehyde. FR did an environmental test and also ran an ionizing machine for a few days a few years back. It did not help. The report showed all environmental elements to be good with the exception of slightly higher formaldehyde levels. It’s is the worst in the basement and can also be smelled when walking up to the coach. Especially on hot days. I was hopeful that someone has had the same issue and found a resolution. I clean the a/c coils on both units several times a year. I have also replaced all roof top plumbing vents and verified that the vent pipes go all the way up. I have heard of some vent stacks being cut short at the factory. Also had the dealer drop the entire 40’ of underbelly to inspect. They even had me there underneath to see for myself that all is dry. They did this with the tanks flooded/full. We are just really frustrated but the floor plan is perfect for us with 2 kids. Also we have tried removing everything from the cabinets and basement. Just running out of things to check.
We own a 2015 Silverback 29RE. Bought it new from the dealer. It has always had a detectable odor. Sort of like a new car smell, but not quite. Also, a bit like mold or mildew, but not quite. I originally chalked it up to all the chemicals and glues in the materials that come with a new RV.
It has diminished somewhat over the years but it is still detectable after the unit has been closed up for awhile, especially in the basement. Luckily the odor is not noticeable in the living area during the day but faintly returns if we go away from the unit if only for a few hours.
The use of the furnace or either AC unit does not have any effect. Perhaps the ductwork is contaminated but the unit was built to order and the odor has always been present. Maybe the aluminum foil they use for ductwork was improperly stored at the factory. I don't know.
I have chosen to live with it since it is not an issue during active use. I assume it is caused by insufficient ventilation during storage and the outgassing and basic smell of the carpet, plastic, glues and manufactured materials that the coach is made of. But my old Jayco did not have this issue and it was stored in the same location and manner.
I would love to hear other opinions and information though.
Some folks are super sensitive to certain odors and whatever you smell might not be noticeable to others, especially if you believe the odor is leaching INTO other things like plastics/cups.
Does everyone who enters your R/V comment on the odor?
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My 2015 T12-RBST still has what I call "New RV Smell". Probably a combination of glues and plasticizers that continue to outgas over time. A few times a year I run an ozone generator inside it for a few cycles, and that cuts it down by about 90 percent.
My cycle is to air out the RV with the vent fan for a few hours, then close up and run the generator for 20 minutes with all cabinet doors open. I also have a portable fan running to help circulate the air. After about 4 hours, I repeat the cycle.
Last Summer I bought a Coachmen 192 RBS that was impossible to sleep in because of the level of air pollution. I ran about 10 cycles over a week-long period before the smell subsided to a tolerable level.
I use the generator at home in closets and in my cars about twice a year. Very happy with the results. Amazon has a number of well-rated units.
5picker's post reminded me of another part of the story.
The odor in my unit also is detectable in soft goods that are stored in the unit. I notice it in towels and other fabrics.
But I also noticed it recently in bread flour I retrieved from the unit just after a long trip.
Maybe it's the cabinets. Made of mostly glue and very low ventilation. the contents would be most affected but the odor would eventually reach the rest of the unit. The basement is another issue but there is glued wood down there too.
I guess I could leave everything open during storage and see what happens.
Keeping water in the sink p-traps and toilet bowl at all times and leaving the toilet lid closed and the drain stoppers in. Have rv antifreeze in the sink p-traps and toilet bowl if you live where it gets cold. Some rv's have a vent under the sink which odors from the grey water tank can come from. If there is a HepvO trap under the tub or shower they can get blocked open with hair and allow odors from the grey tank.
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Some folks are super sensitive to certain odors and whatever you smell might not be noticeable to others, especially if you believe the odor is leaching INTO other things like plastics/cups.
Does everyone who enters your R/V comment on the odor?
Not everyone comments but the service writer, service manager, and techs at two different dealerships have agreed that there is a odor. They have all said we smell it but are not sure what it is. They say it is different from the normal sewer smell complaints they get. It must be something used in the manufacturing process. I just wish I could find it so I could replace whatever it is. I appreciate your thoughts.
5picker's post reminded me of another part of the story.
The odor in my unit also is detectable in soft goods that are stored in the unit. I notice it in towels and other fabrics.
But I also noticed it recently in bread flour I retrieved from the unit just after a long trip.
Maybe it's the cabinets. Made of mostly glue and very low ventilation. the contents would be most affected but the odor would eventually reach the rest of the unit. The basement is another issue but there is glued wood down there too.
I guess I could leave everything open during storage and see what happens.
It does sound like we are experiencing the same odor. I am also thinking it is something used in the manufacturing process. We did go look at the exact model that was a brand new 2016 and it had no odor at all. This was back in 2016. I may never know what it is. I appreciate your thoughts and at least I know it is not just ours.
Dead mouse in the back of a cabinet or underneath the unit?
I learned 60 years ago to never use rat/mouse poison. They die in the most inconvenient places at the most inconvenient times and you tear out a lot of wall and ceiling trying to find the stinking body.
Keeping water in the sink p-traps and toilet bowl at all times and leaving the toilet lid closed and the drain stoppers in. Have rv antifreeze in the sink p-traps and toilet bowl if you live where it gets cold. Some rv's have a vent under the sink which odors from the grey water tank can come from. If there is a HepvO trap under the tub or shower they can get blocked open with hair and allow odors from the grey tank.
We live in Florida so we have never had to winterize it. I do keep water in the traps and have also removed the HepvO trap under the shower and cleaned/checked it. I appreciate your suggestions.
Does the smell smell like an ikea store or the wood pruducts from ikea. We have a 2017 just bought it and the strong odour of that melamine glue they use fir the finish they put on. Its that showroom smell when you look in a new trailer on the lot. Hoping the smell goes away as we use the trailer
I have a 2007 cedar creek bunk house.
Smell permeates everything, plastic, clothes, food, my kids. We have tried everything, ozone, ammonia, bleach bomb, multiple RV dealers and traveling independent repair guys, vinegar, coffee, baking soda, heat it out, vent it out for weeks, had a fire clean up company inspect and fog it. Look up Facebook page for Crossroads rv chemical smell, they are having the same problem.
If anyone has a solution I will pay good money for it.
What I have found is there is no solution.
Cedar creek told us just use it more, we full time 6 months a year
Sorry to hear you are having what seems to be the exact same issue we are having with ours. I think we are just going to move forward with trading on a new fifth wheel made by a different manufacturer. This has been a long running frustration for us and we are very done with it. It is just frustrating because nice units are very pricey. Thanks for the feedback.
We own a 2015 Silverback 29RE. Bought it new from the dealer. It has always had a detectable odor. Sort of like a new car smell, but not quite. Also, a bit like mold or mildew, but not quite. I originally chalked it up to all the chemicals and glues in the materials that come with a new RV.
...I assume it is caused by insufficient ventilation during storage and the outgassing and basic smell of the carpet, plastic, glues and manufactured materials that the coach is made of. But my old Jayco did not have this issue and it was stored in the same location and manner.
I would love to hear other opinions and information though.
We, too, own a 2015 Silverback 29RE. As you say, it's like a new car smell, but not a good one. It's a chemical smell that's been there since we bought it new and it just never went away.
Any packaged food, games, binoculars in the cupboards, clothes we hang in the closet, basically anything in the coach will pick up the odor. Unused food and clothes we bring back from a trip will stink up the closet or cupboard in the house. I don't notice it being any worse in the basement.
And, just like plymaniac, our old Jayco, while it did have a "new car smell" for a while, it was nothing compared to the stink of the 29RE.
We did not pursue the issue with FR to the extent Shawn S did, but we're considering the same path of moving to a different brand.
However, this post has inspired me to try again with a couple new deodorizing products, maybe something that's not specifically for this issue. I'll let you know if anything works.
However, this post has inspired me to try again with a couple new deodorizing products, maybe something that's not specifically for this issue. I'll let you know if anything works.
Just wondering if you've tried an ozone generator, sometimes called an ionizer.
You DO NOT want to use it when you are occupying the trailer; you run it when the trailer is closed and you are not in it. Turn it off and air the trailer out before loading and traveling.
What it does is run air through an electrical arc. That causes the stable O2 oxygen molecules to form O3, called ozone, which is much more active. The chemical formula is 3 O2 <-> 2 O3 . Oxygen, more active in the O3 form, kills mold and reacts with other compound to oxidize them and eliminate the odor.
I was able to get an ozone generator from Woot for $40, but they can probably be rented, too.
Some unscrupulous dealers sell these as air purifiers. Don't believe it. Ozone is irritating to the respiratory system, not helpful.
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Just wondering if you've tried an ozone generator, sometimes called an ionizer.
...
I was able to get an ozone generator from Woot for $40, but they can probably be rented, too.
No, I have not tried an ozone generator. Reading about them, it looks like it may do the trick. They're selling for $80 and more on Amazon, and renting locally for $50/day. Looks like you got a pretty good deal on Woot! I'll see if someone I know has one I can borrow before investing in one.
In the meantime, I emptied all the cupboards and sprayed them down with Nature's Miracle, a deodorizer for pet stains. Slight improvement, but probably temporary.
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