Please help....URINE SMELL.....Gross!!!

[Ray,IN]

I have used Odo-Ban to eliminate persistant odors. It used to be used by crime scene cleanup crews some years ago, don't know about today.
Since you said the odor is not always present, I suspect a pipe is not sealed to the black tank somewhere.

[Brockx]

I have read that some Manufacturers drain the bathroom sinks to the Black systems. Regardless where they drain try keeping the drains closed when traveling. The drains can siphon out when traveling, i don't think you have mentioned when you get the smell, travelling or stationary or both.

[rapid rick]

Originally Posted by BatShipCrazy

I raised a now 23 year old man (and the hubs) so I definitely understand cleaning up poor aims. This is not that at all. This is a urine odor coming from some type of bad connection through the vacuflush system.

Not only do I keep both bathrooms clean, but the back bathroom is mine and I promise I have no problem with my aim. LOL Also, the hubs is a retired army ranger and is rigid when it comes to cleanliness in his bathroom.

This problem is definitely related to the system/pipes/fittings. I feel like the people that fixed the vacuum problem in Alabama probably didn't complete it properly but now that we are in California and too far to take it back, we are trying to figure this out on our own.

Melanie

In the 80's and 90's the marine industry had issues with the vacuflush flex hoses, they permeated septic smell thru the hoses, filling the cabin with urine and poop smell.
You have the newer (white hoses)=should be no issue.

If the system holds vacuum, than there should be no leak.

I would fill both toilets to the rim, add 1 cup of bleach to each, let sit overnite, then drain,with a cup into a bucket, DON'T FLUSH WITH WATER LEVEL AT RIM LEVEL, WHEN LEVEL IS DOWN TO NORMAL LEVEL, THEN FLUSH.

AS already stated, clean walls and base petestal.

I use blue power in tanks,especially when coach sits, since 2012.

I have rebuilt my entire vacuflush system, shortly after buying the unit new, due to lousy attention to detail at the factory, no smell, ever since nov 2012. yours should not smell either.

The 2 toilets are the only things that drain to black tank on your coach.

Edit
Is your vacuflush light green while this odor occurs or is the system off (red light)?

[ctpres]

We do not have vac flush system but did have mild urine smell when water level very low in bowl. Also had very slow leak. Shut off water and drained bowl dry. Then added full strength CLR and let it set 1/2 day. Did that two times and smell gone as well as leak stopped. Turned out urine was collecting on a small amount of hard water deposits on bowl seal. CLR pretty much harmless and cheap. I would not think that specific urine smell could come from black tank system.

[BatShipCrazy]

Thanks everyone for the great input. I will pass on to hubs and hopefully we can get fixed

[rapid rick]

Originally Posted by ctpres

We do not have vac flush system but did have mild urine smell when water level very low in bowl. Also had very slow leak. Shut off water and drained bowl dry. Then added full strength CLR and let it set 1/2 day. Did that two times and smell gone as well as leak stopped. Turned out urine was collecting on a small amount of hard water deposits on bowl seal. CLR pretty much harmless and cheap. I would not think that specific urine smell could come from black tank system.

This is also a very good idea!!!!
To take ctpres idea to apply to vacuflush, try shutting off vacuflush and water, flush both toilets, open flush valve and fill with water and CLR mixture. Fill till piping and bowl are full on both toilets,let sit for ? then flush later and rinse. Let everyone know the results.

[PanJH]

Do you have a black tank flush system where you hook up a hose to flush out the black tank ? If so, there may be an air admittance device located inside the coach. These are typically cheap plastic fittings that have a propensity to fail and let black tank odors into the coach. Usually they are located in the vanity cabinet. Open the vanity door and see if it stinks in there.

[bldrbob]

When I got my MH it had a black tank odor. I chased it for a while before I found it. I removed the panel covering the tank and when I checked the top of the tank there was a puddle .The shaft that the flushing ball was attached to had worn allowing waste water to leak out the side of the toilet and collected on top of the tank.The leak was behind the outer shell and did not show.

[noopdoggy]

Here is how I solved that same problem. https://www.amazon.com/Camco-40595-W.../dp/B003P64XU4 Good Luck these REALLY DO WORK.. no more smells..:}

[Dutch Star Don]

If you were serious about selling the coach, save yourself some money and change the two toilets to macerator toilets. My sister got a new coach with the VacuFlush system and I was surprised how noisy it was. It sounded like a little carpenter hammering away in the bays.

Many coaches use Dometic macerator toilets. They solve the same issue with less noise. They're used when a toilet can't be placed atop a black tank.

[RRR]

Originally Posted by BatShipCrazy

Thanks everyone for the great input. I will pass on to hubs and hopefully we can get fixed

Was there any outcome to this. Clothespins on the nose?

[Dutch Star Don]

Years ago, when I bought my Diplomat with a SaniCon macerator, I would often get a urine smell in the bathroom and even stronger in the wet bay. I soon learned that the urine smell was permeating through the 3" SaniCon hose. I changed the hose to a section of Rhino hose and solved the issue.

I did a generic search for VacuFlush odors and came up with a few people, mainly on boats, that have had odors. They found that the urine odor was permeating the VacuFlush hoses. They recommended that you not try and sniff the odor out with your nose, as it can become desensitized, but to wipe the hoses with paper towels and smell the towels instead.

[BatShipCrazy]

Unfornately, we still have the smell but only sometimes which is weird. We don't have easy access to hoses for this system so we were just waiting until we could get to a dealer or we might go directly to Fleetwood Service center. I've noticed a strong smell sometimes under my sink, so as someone had mentioned previously, it may be a vent pipe under there. Also, we noticed strong smell this week at new RV park, and no smell last week at different park...so we are going to also check if leveling might be part of the problem.

Thank you for checking in!
Melanie

[CountryFit]

Originally Posted by PanJH

Do you have a black tank flush system where you hook up a hose to flush out the black tank ? If so, there may be an air admittance device located inside the coach. These are typically cheap plastic fittings that have a propensity to fail and let black tank odors into the coach. Usually they are located in the vanity cabinet. Open the vanity door and see if it stinks in there.

this ^^