Smelly Coach!

[George Weiss Jr.]

I have a '98 Alpine and found that I MUST travel with my dash heat/air fan on position 3 to avoid sucking smell into the coach. The front aerodynamics create suction inside the coach on 1 or 2. On 3 or 4 I don't get any interior smell while moving and it isn't there when I park. It used to be powerful in the washer/closet compartment.

[Richard and Cris]

I just found my odor problem. The washer and dryer was removed by Conleys RV in Florida. They didn't cap off the drain pipe and it went dry. I guess if the washers are dumped into the drain as they are in a house the odors could happen anyway.

[Pollo man]

Still having a problem! We have a 2000, 38" dinette slide.

Performed Danny's solution plus a shut- off valve. Filled the washer/dryer trap with mineral oil and capped it off, and flushed everything (roof vents, drains, thru the indoor vents). All the passages for pipes and wires were sealed with canned foam insulation. Filled the tanks with water to check for leaks. Flushed the water heater. Pulled the toilet and replaced the large black water rubber seal.

Now, I'm thinking it could be the grey tank vent which exits UNDER the frig' roof cover and possibly pulling the stink back into the coach. Also trying to figure out why the pipe is reduced from 1 1/2"to 1 1/4"coming out of the grey tank? Wouldn't bigger be mo better?
We were thinking of cutting a hole through the frig' cover and then putting a vent on top of it.

Any other 38 footers having the problem?

Polloman

[Frank Aspeslagh]

Danny,
I'm new to the chat room and the SMELLY Alpine cought my eye. I also had a smell in my 2001 38ft by the shower area. each time I would walk back to the bedroom I would get the SMELL! I traced it down to the drain in the shower/tub, there is no trap on the tub drain. They installed a stopper in the tub so you could fill the tub---I guess that is to be closed when shower is not in use. I keep it closed and the SMELL has gone!
thanks,Frank

[Pollo man]

Frank,
Thanks for your idea. Checked for a trap but cannot see one on ours either. That does make sense, so will give it a try; although we still have a concern that the strongest smell seems to come from the closet/cabinet area around the washer. We have capped off the drain tube behind the washer, and are now installing an RV 360 vent on top of the refrigerator vent.
Gary

Polloman

[JVRAlpine]

Well folks - I'll get in on this subject again. I recently replaced both roof vent caps with venturi type caps. This apparently works fine -- BUT. When parked and the wind blows up from the rear it puts a pressure in the tanks. The black tank apparently does not give us any problems. The grey tank belches up through the washer dryer drain, so I must again rely on my previously reported soution. I have just recently seen the RV360 vent caps and this looks like a much better approach.

Jim Reynolds
ACA Member 2000076

[Dave Fernandez]

I saw a new type of roof vent at the Pomona RV Show they are called RV 360. They turn with the wind and work when you are parked or moving. I have now seen an advertisement for them in the FMCA magazine. When I talked to the person selling the RV 360 they indicated that if you were to replace both roof vent caps with venturi type caps, they work fine – BUT, when you are parked and the wind blows up from the rear it puts a pressure in the tank and the smell in the Coach. With the RV 360 they will work even when a little wind is blowing from any direction, parked or driving and keep the smell out. I do not have a smell problem so I did not buy them or try them. If someone does let me know how they work! Their web sit is http://www.rv360.com/ Good luck

[Pollo man]

Installed only the one 360 on the grey so far and hopping this is the cure. Alpine Jim has them on both and working great. Think I will try another.
Dave, We took the coach to Arcadia RV Sat for the body work. Nice people to deal with.
Gary

Polloman

[Wayne R]

I took a different route not knowing about the check valve on the gray water tank. I installed a Little Stinker on the vent to the gray water vent in the washer/dryer compartment providing positive ventilation of the Gray water system eliminating any smell(gas) getting by the check valve. Danny's solution definitely is the most cost effective fix.

[Trehcub]

I just started getting an oder when driving. I have traced the problem to the gray water tank. I have not check the calibration of my tank level sensor, the oder did not occur untill I dry camped for a week and fille my gray tank to the half full level indicted by the sender.

When the taqnk is empty or only just 1/4 full there is no oder.

I am thinking that the level indicater is out of calibration or the vent extends into the tank to far and the water level covers the end of the pipe causing the odor to come into the coach.

[jkshaffe]

We had a smelly coach and thought it had to do with the waste water tank etc. But traced it finally to a leak in the stove. It had the smell of icky sink waste. My husband fixed it, by replacing the connector that was bad, and now we have a wonderful smelling coach. Good thing it did smell bad or we never would have known it was a propane leak.

[dgerstel]

After finding misc. smell problems we developed a new one. It was the rotten egg smell that only occurred when plugged in to shore power. I found that I had a bad battery that while charging was producing gas that was allowed into the coach through openings in the coach floor.

Dale

[Ted III]

I have found most of the odors are created by the gray tank. By keeping all of the P traps filled with water, especially the washer/dryer the coach becomes odorless. I have also put a screen in the black flush valve inlet as Danny suggests.
Ted & Carol
2005 Alpine 34'

[pdiddley]

The 360 vents seem to work well but still can't drive with the driver side window open after dumping. Hey Danny how about bring 2-3 dozen kits to Quartizite and we can overhaul these things.