Community Forums

mdbaggs · 07-07-2011, 04:25 PM

I have a 2010 Discovery, but this may not be a discovery only issue or even a fleetwood issue. How much stench is too much? My master bedroom almost always smells of sewage when we are using the black water holding tank. When it is empty it isn't a problem. It's not always overpowering, but is almost always 'too much' as my family and I can smell it. Is this possibly a bad seal or is it a bad design. My warranty will soon expire and I want to get every issue I can addressed.

RickO · 07-07-2011, 04:39 PM

IMHO ANY stench is too much stench and you have some sort of venting or seal problem. When you say "master" are referring to the master bath in a 1.5 bath unit?

One thing to watch for is fans installed in the bathrooms. If they're on when the toilet is flushed they'll do a great job of letting you know exactly what it smells like inside your black tank.

Rick

mdbaggs · 07-07-2011, 04:45 PM

Actually I'm referring to my master bedroom which I don't think is directly over the black tank, but I'll have to check this.
The bathroom doesn't have near the offensive odor as the bedroom! In the bathroom though, are you (RickO) referring to a ceiling fan that vents outside that causes foul smells when you flush?

The General · 07-07-2011, 04:54 PM

mdbaggs,

If your toilet bowl is not holding a little water in it or leaking water out in short order then you will get odors leaching into the bathroom but the bedroom???????? Check your tank roof vent and storage compartment where the black tank is for odors and let us know what you find.

Steve

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdbaggs

I have a 2010 Discovery, but this may not be a discovery only issue or even a fleetwood issue. How much stench is too much? My master bedroom almost always smells of sewage when we are using the black water holding tank. When it is empty it isn't a problem. It's not always overpowering, but is almost always 'too much' as my family and I can smell it. Is this possibly a bad seal or is it a bad design. My warranty will soon expire and I want to get every issue I can addressed.

TXiceman · 07-07-2011, 05:07 PM

Check the vent pipe where it runs up a wall and also the rubber seal at the toilet.

Ken

**NLOVNIT** · 07-07-2011, 06:48 PM

Do you have a washer/dryer in the bedroom in your coach? Grey tank odor can be as bad as black & if the washer/dryer P-trap goes dry, you'll smell it back there. That's what happens w/ours.

Lori-

Airtool · 07-07-2011, 07:15 PM

Going with Ken on the vent line.There have been Fleetwood units with damaged vent lines in the wall.
The other good one is the P Trap in the gray line of the washer / dryer.

The seals in the toilet should still be good in a 2010 unit unless some thing damaged the seal or someone forgot to install it,but then it would not hold water after flushing.

Dick.

Gary1965 · 07-07-2011, 07:52 PM

We have a 2010 Discovery and do not have the problem. To answer your question of how much is too much, you should never smell constant oder in your coach, anywhere.

RickO · 07-07-2011, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdbaggs

The bathroom doesn't have near the offensive odor as the bedroom! In the bathroom though, are you (RickO) referring to a ceiling fan that vents outside that causes foul smells when you flush?

Yep. We have a split bath with the toilet in it's own area closed off by a door. There is a FanTasTic Fan mounted through the roof which vents inside coach air to the outside. They are great but if I flush the toilet while the fan is on, the odors from the tank fill the negative pressure void and I know it immediately.

Considering that the odors are concentrated in the master bedroom I think Lori might be on to something with the washer P trap thought. Grey water odors can be every bit as bad as blak tank odors.

good luck...

Rick

mdbaggs · 07-08-2011, 01:09 AM

So far I'm partial to a problem with the vent ducting for black water tank idea. The P trap is a good idea too, but the problem goes away when I empty the tanks. If my understanding of basic plumbing is correct, the P trap problem would be constant regardless of the waste tanks being full or empty. I just dumped both tanks yesterday morning and the master bedroom smells fine now.
Additionally, a bad seal on the toilet would lead to a problem predominantly in the bathroom, not the bedroom. Right?

Now, how the heck am I supposed to get at the vent for the black water tank?

I just crawled around a bit. No stench from the immediate vicinity of the black/grey tanks. I can't see the back end of the black tank, but there is a approx. 3/4 inch clear line that comes off the tank and then bifurcates (why would they bifurcate a vent?) one goes to the middle of the coach (and then ???) the other goes up what looks to be the wall between the shower insert and the master bedroom. On the top of the bus there are two vents, the one between the bedroom and the shower doesn't have too much odor to it right now, but I thought I caught a faint sewage smell (I have a cold). The other, further toward the front by 6-8 feet and more to the middle 3-4 feet, has a strong stench a lot like our master when the black tank is full, but that line shouldn't be running adjacent the master bedroom at all based on where its coming through the roof.
Let me know what you all think, but it looks like a warranty issue without question. Only issue I now foresee is that the one year warranty expires in 3-4 weeks and I probably cant get the coach in for repair before that.
Thanks for all of the input.

RonK · 07-08-2011, 04:35 AM

Just call service and report any and all issues prior to the end of the warranty period. Then make an appointment, does not have to be prior to the warranty expiring.