Community Forums

moonmullen · 05-11-2012, 04:50 PM

Hi Everyone I have a 2010 Fleetwood Icon I purchased used(12,000 miles from Calif.). Before purchasing smelled all drains vents ect. no odor after driving all day an odor appeared ,not septic ,cleaned(both gray and black) with enzyme cleaner no smell from toilet or drains ,Have had someone look for rodent bodies (none) no sign of mold or mildew that I can see ,no sign of water damage, have sprayed disinfectant in heater vents(this is where the strongest odor eminates) but shows up the next day after being closed up, ducts,have been checked (what we could) ANY thoughts or suggestions THANKS

RanCarr · 05-11-2012, 04:58 PM

What kind of smell is it? Chemical? Organic like dead mice? A dead mouse in the walls wont be seen and can't be found, but sure will stink. Could the past owners have had pets that soiled the carpeting or furniture? Does the furniture or mattress have an odor?

Our first TT was an old 1982 Sunline we dearly loved, but it had a faint foul cheesy odor we could never get rid of or even pinpoint where exactly where it came from. It seemed to come from under the sink-stove area. Nothing got rid of the sour odor. Sprays. Airing out. Nothing worked. It still had it when we sold it a year later.

moonmullen · 05-11-2012, 05:50 PM

Not dead animal smell more chemical from under sink or heater

mrrving · 05-13-2012, 05:38 PM

Check the coach batteries. If they are in need of water you may get a rotten eggs/chemical smell.

Davinger · 05-14-2012, 06:42 AM

Carpets can catch and hold odor for a very long time. As to Rodent bodies I have found them behind refrigerators. One of the best ways I have found to deodorize a coach is to give it the treatment...

Step 1: Get several bottles of Fabreze. Hook into at least 15amp and put a couple of plug in oil air fresheners. (Keep the windows closed and the door too if you can.)

Step 2: Take all of the sheets, towels, dishes and drawers out of the coach.

Step 3: Thoroughly vacuum the RV from top to bottom in that order. Make sure you clean in behind the empty drawer slots. (You may find a dead rodent in there.)

Step 4: Using a light cleaner clean the drawers inside and out you can also do this with the cupboards.

Step 5: With the mattresses exposed liberally spray the coach from back to front and top to bottom with Fabreze.

While you are doing this have all of the dishes in your home dishwasher and all of the other items in the washing machine. Let the coach dry and air out for 24 hours. Note keep the windows closed for 2 hours after applying the Fabreze then if you like open the windows to aid in the airing process if you have an attic fan turn it on and let it sit for 24 hours. Close the coach cut the power and let it sit overnight.

You will have eliminated most odors from the coach by doing this. If the odor is still there you should have an easier time finding it.

You can also visit your local mega mart and get a bottle of grey water tank deodorizer along with your black water tank chemicals for a great deal less than getting it from an RV dealership. Put 2 gallons of water down the toilet and add the chemicals as recommended by the manufacturer for your tank size.

With the grey water deodorizer you will also want to put about 2 gallons of water in that tank but do not just put the water down the sink. Put a little water down every sink and some down the tub or shower. This will fill the P traps and prevent odors from creeping back into the coach.

I hope this helps you should also vacuum the outside storage bins underneath if you have them. We leave at least one of the oil based plug in air fresheners located as near to the center of the coach as possible.

You said that the odor seems to be coming from the ducts which doesn't always mean that the source of the odor is in them. They are the things that move the air so you may at times think that the source is in them. You may want to run your coach heater at full blast for an hour or so but make sure you have your windows and doors open when you do. This may set off your smoke alarms as the element clears itself. After the coach has ventilated you may want to start your cleaning project.

Gadget Man · 05-14-2012, 09:16 PM

Are you sure it's not coming from the sink or shower drain? If the P-traps dry up, you can get a strong sewage odor. Adding water to the drain will block the odor. It's very common in warm weather.

Craig

larrydp · 05-17-2012, 09:02 AM

and make sure that your sink/toilet drains have stoppers in them as an additional help. the used RV we bought had considerable damage to the wiring caused by rodents....thank goodness none died in the unit......!!!

njs42 · 05-17-2012, 09:45 AM

P-traps for washers dryers go dry after setting for long periods. If there is no water int he trap odor will escape. Sometimes if you run a fan, like a fantastic the change in pressure will draw odors from the roof inside.

moonmullen · 06-09-2012, 10:28 AM

The smell is definitly comming from under cabinets (sink, stove furnace) its has a hint of propane at the fist wiff then dissapears on driving and traveling but once stored for a day or two it reappears also smells like wood mill??? nothing has helped (bleach,fabreze,scrubbing) any other ideas .NOT comming from tanks or sinks

SarahW · 06-09-2012, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrrving

Check the coach batteries. If they are in need of water you may get a rotten eggs/chemical smell.

^^ This. Check the batteries.

Davinger · 06-10-2012, 06:09 AM

The good news is that you have illuminated the most common causes of odor. The bad news is that you have to start looking at the uncommon causes. You mentioned that there is a hint of propane in the smell and it could be coming from the furnace. The smell goes away after driving and slowly reappears.

You could have a small LP leak. I don't know if your coach is equipped with a LP sensor. The easy and cheap way to check this is to turn your LP tank off at the source give a sniff at the tank when you do. Then see that the lines are empty. You can do this by turning on your fridge in LP mode and then turning on but not lighting your burner on your stove and finally when there is no more gas coming from those turn on your furnace for a minute or so.

Make sure the coach is ventilated for the whole procedure. Preferably with a fan exhausting the coach. Once you have cleared the air close up the coach and see if the smell returns. If it doesn't you will need to take it to an RV dealership and have them find the leak in your system and repair it. I do not recommend work on the LP system as a DIY job unless you have been trained there is way too much risk involved.

Please let us know if the smell comes back.

Hope this helps