Community Forums

BB501 · 10-08-2007, 03:21 PM

I addressed this problem of bad odor in my RV that I cannot solve. Please bear with me. I have been advised by many and one kind person advised that I should look for why is the smell entering the RV. Four major reasons: Traps not working, gas vents are blocked, vacuum break not working, toilet seal allowing gas to seep thru.
I checked and double checked all of these possibilities to no avail. I also flushed, rinsed several times. I tried rock salt in the blackwater tank, pluse dawn. The gray water tank ditto but no rock salt, instead baking soda. The odor is strong when first entering and disapates with 10 minutes. I'm open to any and all suggestions. This is driving me nuts. Thanks for listening.
Steve

BB501 · 10-08-2007, 03:21 PM

I addressed this problem of bad odor in my RV that I cannot solve. Please bear with me. I have been advised by many and one kind person advised that I should look for why is the smell entering the RV. Four major reasons: Traps not working, gas vents are blocked, vacuum break not working, toilet seal allowing gas to seep thru.
I checked and double checked all of these possibilities to no avail. I also flushed, rinsed several times. I tried rock salt in the blackwater tank, pluse dawn. The gray water tank ditto but no rock salt, instead baking soda. The odor is strong when first entering and disapates with 10 minutes. I'm open to any and all suggestions. This is driving me nuts. Thanks for listening.
Steve

skigramp · 10-08-2007, 03:30 PM

do you have a washer/dryer?

RV Wizard · 10-08-2007, 11:27 PM

How are your batteries holding up? If you have a bad cell and the charger is overcharging the rest of them, then you may be smelling sulphuric acid! One other possibility if it is your holding tanks, could be a pipe connection that is loose on the top of the tank.

paz · 10-09-2007, 02:14 AM

Are you sure the smell is from the holding tanks? Many RVs have a lot of places where an animal can get in to an unseen area, become trapped, and die. You don't say what kind of RV you have, but this is especially true of motorhomes because animals can get into the engine, the generator, or even up between the frame rails as well as into a sewer or storage compartment. Just another thought.

Ray,IN · 10-09-2007, 11:04 AM

Like Mike, I tend to think battery fumes is the odor. Wearing eye protection, open the battery cell covers(it possible) and look at the liquid level. Is it up to the bottom of the split-ring and covering the plates? Is one or more cells bubbling? The bubbling is releasing sulfuric acid gas/ water vapor. Some say it smells like rotten eggs, I think it has a more acidic odor, then again, I worked with strong chemicals for a time.
Check the voltage of each battery (unhooked). If you have a hydrometer check the specific gravity of each cell, a good battery should be within a couple points of each other. If you obtain one or two low readings compared to the rest, you have a faulty battery.
If your batteries are sealed you must visit Interstate, Sears, or other battery store for a load test.