Smell from holding tank

ken suzanne · 07-15-2010, 06:52 PM

Me again
We seem to have a foul smell in our TT it is parked at home we emptied the holding tanks before coming home not sure if we missed a step Ken thinks that because there are no pee traps the ordor may be comming up from the sinks. I closed them all up but can still smell the holding tank now we have not put anything in there for odor control not sure what to use we do not like chemicals of any kind. Need advice on this.
Suzanne

hammerdown · 07-16-2010, 05:43 AM

You do have p-traps. The smell is probably coming from the toilet. Did you dump the black tank first then flush it out if you have a flush-out system. Then dump the gray tank this will rinse out the hose. If you don't have a flush-out system I recommend installing one. I installed ours in about 45 mins. Here's a link. http://www.amazon.com/Camco-40123-Qu...3&sr=1-2-fkmr1

JPBeck · 07-16-2010, 08:05 PM

does it smell like rotten eggs?

Denise · 07-16-2010, 08:45 PM

As weird as this seems..... Don pulled the plug on the shower/tub and left it out. When we headed out on our last trip, it smelled like sewer. We were surprised as we hadn't had this smell before (we don't use chemicals). We put the plug back into the bath tub and the smell dissipated. Maybe this will help?

ken suzanne · 07-17-2010, 03:50 PM

Thanks for all your advise
I am in deep doodoo now. We added water to the black water tank and baking soda we made sure the toilet was sealed with water.
No Change
Both fridge and freezer doors were left open but seemed to be a sour smell from the fridge I just assumed it was toilet smell but to my schock and horror I found 2 bacon wrapped chicken patties in the door tray of the freezer. YUK all cleaned up and smells all gone will be very careful next time to check that tray. I am sure we will have more fun stories like this one to tell our grandchildren once we start to pull this thing accross Canada. Helps that hubby has a great sense of humour.

Suzanne

McMonk · 07-17-2010, 05:52 PM

LOL...been there done that (but worse).

Had a pop-up with a little fridge in it. We came home one weekend and thought we'd cleared everything out of the trailer. After sitting in the hot driveway for 3 weeks, I opened her up again to get ready for another weekend away. Opened the fridge and was nearly knocked on my back from the smell. We'd inadvertently left some sandwich meat in there. The fridge was full of maggots and the gasses from the meat decomposing had turned the white plastic lining yellow. As much as we tried, I don't think we ever got the smell out, although it could have been just our imagination!

bereta1 · 08-21-2011, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPBeck

does it smell like rotten eggs?

What causes the rotten egg smell? Thanks

yddad45 · 08-21-2011, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McMonk

LOL...been there done that (but worse).

Had a pop-up with a little fridge in it. We came home one weekend and thought we'd cleared everything out of the trailer. After sitting in the hot driveway for 3 weeks, I opened her up again to get ready for another weekend away. Opened the fridge and was nearly knocked on my back from the smell. We'd inadvertently left some sandwich meat in there. The fridge was full of maggots and the gasses from the meat decomposing had turned the white plastic lining yellow. As much as we tried, I don't think we ever got the smell out, although it could have been just our imagination!

What a horrible experience. Keep us posted on getting the smell out. Try vingear and water. Hope this helps.

clutch · 08-21-2011, 11:03 PM

Things like that have happened to most of us. On our 93 Prowler we left the frige on and the batteries ran down before the week was up. Everything but the pop and beer was bad by Friday afternoon.

The trailer we had before that had a pilot light on the frige and it was not affected by the battery. The lesson we learned was that DSI was handy but not totally reliable.

Murphie · 08-22-2011, 03:58 AM

Like some of you I too had meat left in the trailer and the power went out and was greeted with the maggots in our previous trailer. This is how you fix it.

Clean out the fridge freezer the best you can.

Crumple up newspapers to fill the interior space

Grind up fresh coffee , lots of it. And liberally sprinkle it over the newspapers
And interior of your fridge freezer.

Close the the fridge freezer doors.

After several days you will have a great smelling fridge and the newsprint will have absorbed all the rotten smells. The coffee smell will disappear after a while and you will have a good campfire story to tell.

Seann45 · 08-22-2011, 05:21 AM

I always pull the shelving units out and use them to carry the stuff into the house... then put those parts in the dishwasher...

Murphie · 08-23-2011, 02:49 AM

Seann, I've always taken the bins out of the bottom of fridge but never thought of taking the shelves out too. We run the stuff through the dishwasher as well and always have the odd dish or two that needs returning to the trailer.
My wife and I noticed a number of trailers with outside kitchens on our last outing. She said she wouldn't like this because you would need a second set of pots and duplicate food items. It kinda made me wonder how people handle this? We both thought if you were camping with friends or family who tent camp, a outside kitchen for them would be great so they don't disturb you in your trailer.

AR Banjo · 08-25-2011, 11:49 AM

Ours was ground up deer meat left in the freezer--left in the freezer, with the power off, for a couple of months! We used crumpled up newspaper, baking soda, and charcoal briquettes to get rid of the smell (although I can close my eyes and still smell it, and we don't even have that camper any more!).

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