How Can We Get Rid Of The Potty Smell In Our RV?
by Alpha
(Abilene, TX)
How to Get Rid of the Potty Smell in an RV
We just purchased a 2004 Trail Vision camper. It is in excellent condition. BUT, we can smell the toilet. OF course, it had some black water in it when we had got it and had been sitting since last fall. We have dumped it, partially filled it with water and chemical a couple of times and it still smells.
What advice can you offer to help eliminate the smell?
Alpha
ANSWER Hi Alpha let's see if we can help freshen up the air around your RV. Even though you have dumped your Black Water Holding Tank and filled it up with water does not mean that tank is totally clean. There can still be an accumulation of waste in the tank that has not been broken down sufficiently enough. That waste can still remain in the tank even though you have dumped it.
I am not sure what kind of chemicals you are using to prevent odors and digest waste in your trailer's Black Water Holding tank, but I have a few recommendations for you on some products that work well for us in our motorhome. You should also understand that the Grey Water Holding Tank can also emit odors if not properly treated. So let's start off with tank treatments.
To break down the waste in the tank and to also keep the tank odor-free we use
Eco Smart Holding Tank Deodorant And Cleaner. This product does a good job of breaking up all of the crud inside the tank and does a great job of getting rid of the odors. We like it because it is very Eco-Friendly and can also be used in the grey water tank.
Since you are not sure how
the holding tanks on your trailer have been treated prior to you buying it, you may find that the chemicals alone may not initially do the job of breaking up the waste that accumulated in the black water holding tank prior to you getting the trailer. The tank may have to be thoroughly flushed to get all the crud out. A lot of RVs come equipped with a built-in tank flush system. Check your owner's manual to see if your trailer is equipped with one. If so, flush the holding tank thoroughly and then retreat the tank with chemicals.
If your RV is not equipped with a holding tank flush system; then I would recommend you install an aftermarket holding tank flushing system. Depending on how your holding tank is configured one of these products should work for you. The
Camco RV Dual Flush Pro Holding Tank Rinser with Gate Valve
,
Camco RV Dual Flush RV Holding Tank Rinser
or the
Tornado Tank Rinser.
Once you have treated and flushed your holding tank; follow the simple steps below to keep the smells and crud accumulation away.
Save 50% off of Campsites With Passport America1. Flush often while sitting on the toilet. Water is a black water holding tanks friend.
2. Always flush twice after using the RV Toilet, the more water the better.
3. After dumping the tanks, add about 1 gallon of water and the proper amount of chemicals to the black water holding tank through the toilet before actually using the toilet.
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Happy RVing
RVing Al
that is commonly used for window air conditioners and windows at the local hardware store. I place the foam tape in the square like position around the round floor seal then place the toilet back onto the retaining bolts. The one dollar or so of foam tape completely stopped the odors we had been experiencing. As noted by this website I also flush the tank until the transparent elbow, I install on the black water drain is running nearly clear than I add the tank treatment chemicals with about one gallon of water. My fifth RV came with tank flushing which is great. One other thing - I have found the tank vent on the roof clogged with wasp nests. With a good floor seal, open roof vent, good flushing at the dump station and tank chemical added before going to storage the tank odor should be history. Hope this helps.
and could be the first place to check if the seal has not been replaced for 2-3 years.