We have been on the road for 4 weeks now. The last 2 times we have traveled, we smell a sewer smell inside the 5th wheel when 1st entering it. This time, the smell is persisting. I clean the black water tank out very well each time before beginning the next leg of our trip. Rinsing out the black tank for 10 minutes with fresh water. Then I dump the gray water tanks. I also added a little water to the black tank and added some cleaner to the tank. Still got the smell again. Seems to be concentrated in the middle of the coach. Opening up the island doors in the kitchen gives you a nasty smell. Is this normal? THe 5th wheel is not even 2 months old. Do I have another problem I have to contact warranty about?
Sewer smell in camper after packing up and moving
- Thread starter rikreed
- Start date
danemayer
Well-known member
Hi rlkreed,
If the smell is strongest inside the kitchen island, you may have a failing Studor Air Admittance Valve. The valve is supposed to allow air from the kitchen to be sucked into the drain to vent the drain line. If it fails, air from the holding tank can make its way into the coach. And the galley gray tank can really stink.
To test, put a plastic baggie around the valve, held by a rubber band or tape. If the odor dissipates, you've found the problem.
Replacement valves can be purchased at most big box hardware stores and may be offered at 2 price points. Many people opt for the more expensive, better valve.
You could also call Heartland Customer Service at 877-262-8032 / 574-262-8030. Have your VIN # ready. They might just send a replacement valve to you for self-install.
And of course, installing an inexpensive valve yourself beats taking the rig in to the dealer for service.
If the smell is strongest inside the kitchen island, you may have a failing Studor Air Admittance Valve. The valve is supposed to allow air from the kitchen to be sucked into the drain to vent the drain line. If it fails, air from the holding tank can make its way into the coach. And the galley gray tank can really stink.
To test, put a plastic baggie around the valve, held by a rubber band or tape. If the odor dissipates, you've found the problem.
Replacement valves can be purchased at most big box hardware stores and may be offered at 2 price points. Many people opt for the more expensive, better valve.
You could also call Heartland Customer Service at 877-262-8032 / 574-262-8030. Have your VIN # ready. They might just send a replacement valve to you for self-install.
And of course, installing an inexpensive valve yourself beats taking the rig in to the dealer for service.
Attachments
My rig would release foul odors through the air admittance valves whenever the air condition or the fantastic roof vents were operating. Replacing both the kitchen and bath valves did not help. I finally replaced the valves with plugs and have not had any foul odors since and that has been 4 years ago. Furthermore, there has not been any adverse effects on the sinks or tanks draining.
porthole
Retired
If you have a sewer stench coming up through holes around the pipe, you have another problem.
danemayer
Well-known member
X2. The foam is hiding the problem.
The odor dissipated after a few hours. So we closed all the windows the next morning and left for the expecting the odor to return. Nothing. It's been almost 5 days now and the odor has not returned. We leave this site again in 3 weeks so I have to wonder if it is a travel related problem....which I don't get either since the last 2 times we got the odor, it was after we emptied out the black tank and 2 gray tanks.
I guess I'll see if it happens again after traveling to our next destination.
I guess I'll see if it happens again after traveling to our next destination.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
I have been watching the thread on this topic, I have had that problem once. I get the feeling in my case that ANY grey water or black water left in the tanks for more than a couple of days while traveling in extreme heat may be some of the problem, I drained and rinsed my tanks thoroughly and the problem has not returned. The vent devices under the sinks sounds logical and if I have the problem again I will look into replacing them. In my case I strongly suspect the gray water tanks.
When I was getting the odor through the studor valves was when I would have the gray tank valves open (which when set up with sewer I always have the valves open). The smell evidently was the sewer gases coming back through the gray tanks. Water in the traps prevents the smell from coming through the sink drains (as with all sewer systems); but, if the studor valves aren't sealed tightly the smell will escape there which is evident by stronger smells under the sink area. In my case, I believe the A/C or the fantastic fan must have created a slight pressure difference in the cabin which allowed the valves to open slightly. As stated earlier, no sign of smells since the studor valves were removed.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
If you have vent fans running when you empty the tanks, they can draw sewer smell into the coach.
Also if you moved, it's possible the water in the p-traps of the sinks may have sloshed out and you don't have a seal against vapors from the grey tanks. If you have W/D hookups, there's a p-trap in that drain pipe. It needs water in it, too.
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Also if you moved, it's possible the water in the p-traps of the sinks may have sloshed out and you don't have a seal against vapors from the grey tanks. If you have W/D hookups, there's a p-trap in that drain pipe. It needs water in it, too.
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porthole
Retired
I don't leave the grey valves open. But if I were to do that, I would put a dip in the sewer hose at the connection, making a P trap there.
Leaving the grey valves open and connected to a park dump could easily force vapors back through your system, more so then just static vapors.
When your neighbor next to you opens up a 40 gallon black tank through a 3" dump valve, the fluid only goes in because somewhere vapors are venting. And if you are the closest, you will probably get the majority of those vapors coming up through your hoses and 1.5" vent pipe at the roof.
And as mentioned above, P-traps need to have water in them to work. When we stop I try and make it a point to run the water at the sinks and shower to re-fill the traps.
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