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Old 07-15-2011, 10:20 AM   #1
bucky49
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Smell

We had a smell in our coach since new. At first we thought it was the leather couch and chairs we cleaned them and cleaned carpet. The smell would leave when we moved any large distance, but then came back. The factory changed the check valve on kitchen sewer vent. We left for winter and didn't have smell through travels south. After returning north and sitting parked for 1 1/2 months the smell is back. I don't smell it in bath and bed. I don't smell it under island. It is strongest at entry and in door side slide. Any ideas?
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Old 07-15-2011, 01:12 PM   #2
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Hate to say it, but, maybe it's something at you home and not in the RV. The inside of a RV is very small compared to your house or the outdoors. Cold check around the outside where you park. What does it smell like?
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Old 07-15-2011, 02:35 PM   #3
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I'm curious as to what it smells like, too. While parked, do you use it or is it sitting empty? If it's been empty, you may have a stagnate smell that eventually goes aways with use.

Do you have Pets? Have you checked basement? Have you checked in the underbelly? The black tank sits right there at the door side.
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Old 07-15-2011, 06:12 PM   #4
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smell

We are Fulltiming. We have changed long term parking 3 times in these two periods we've been north. Smell seems to be coming for warm air vents in living room, but not inbath or bedroom. No smell in basement or outside. Smell is worst when walk in or sit in doorside slide. Wondering if something spilled in heat duct during assembly could act this way.
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Old 07-16-2011, 10:25 AM   #5
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It would be helpful to let us know what the smell is like so we can come up with ideas. Is it a sewer smell, sour milk smell, decomposition smell, mold / mildew odor, formaldehyde or what?
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Old 07-16-2011, 10:50 AM   #6
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If you smell occurs after sitting for long time, it has to be the water evaporating out of the p-traps in the drains. I have to add water to all my sinks, plus the washer drains during the off season months. That would be the only thing it could be if you don't have the smell issue when using it.
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Old 07-16-2011, 08:48 PM   #7
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We are sort of living in coach, only eat and sleep in daughters house. We are using all of trailers facilities all the time otherwise.(sink, frig, shower, stool,TV,air,). As I said the smell started out smelling like dirty leather, some one suggested grey water, another suggested propane. After S i L smelled in ducts and can't smell around furnace. I'm inclined to think something spilled or put in ducts. I've opened registers and sweeped out as much as I can repeatedly to no avail. I really just wanted to know if anyone else had this problem and what they did.
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Old 07-17-2011, 10:01 AM   #8
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Bucky, things do drop and spill down into the floor heating vents. Don't know what would spill during assembly, though.

I periodically vacuum them out with a Oreck hose vacuum. I've even had to take a wet cloth to wash it out the dried on spills.

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Old 07-17-2011, 10:45 AM   #9
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Smell

We had an obnoxious smell also...upon investigating, we discovered standing water of about a 2-3 inch depth on top of a tank ( not sure which one but it was the top tank nearest the door). Upon further investigation and unbeknownst to us, the toilet sprayer was leaking (don't know for how long) and the water was collecting on the top of the tank. We assume that some of the water disappeared as we moved down the road, but when sitting, it would collect again. In order to get rid of the water, we carefully took the step (into the bedroom) apart and used a drill pump...two pails full! Fixed the leak and no more smell. The only way to see it was through the porthole in the pantry, but we could not get at it or find the source of our trouble from there. This was in a 36TK3 so don't know how your tanks are configured compared to the TK3. Just a thought! Good luck with the search and fix.
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Old 07-17-2011, 11:42 AM   #10
FritzandCheryl
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Smell

We had a similar smell just about a month ago. Upon alot of investigation, we found that the vent in the washer was leaking the smell. It was very strong when entering the coach and really did not smell bad in the washer area but sure enough it was. A new vent was put on at our DRV dealer in Bellevue, NE.

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Old 07-18-2011, 12:58 PM   #11
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I just remembered something from several years ago. We also had a water leak we did not know about. It was from the black tank flush line. The line was routed up behind the shower and in back of the pantry. They had installed a vacuum blocker or back flow preventer there to keep the line from pulling sewage out after flushing the tank. I found that the back flow preventer had never had the line connectors tightened. They were regular threaded fittings but only engaged about a thread or two. Once I tightened up the connection the leaking stopped.

That could be your issue too since the leak would be right next to the pocket door between the kitchen and bedroom area. That area is open directly to the basement so any air flow from it vents the basement into the living area. Any leaking water gets into the insulation, fiberglass roll just laid in the basement, so it is a perfect place for mold and mildew.
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Old 12-12-2011, 07:50 AM   #12
bucky49
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smell

Found the smell, propane leak at furnace connection. thought they checked that last Jan.
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Old 12-13-2011, 07:25 AM   #13
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"propane leak at furnace connection"....

I certainly hope you take the same amount of time to properly ream/chastise DRV management for allowing such a life threatening error to occur. With your unit number, DRV should be able to identify when the unit was built, and who was responsible for such a stupid oversight.

Please, don't let this go undocumented.

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Old 12-14-2011, 07:05 AM   #14
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Gemstone, I let Tom Peck and Fly know my feelings. The thing thaty got me was that the production guy who came to fix leak started to button it back up without checking for a leak, I stopped that and Fly also jumped in. I think DRV needs better quality incentives than just get er done. Ryan told me they are still having about 25 issues per unit. What I worry about is the issues I haven't found yet, now that I'm out of warranty. The crappy sealing of joints really bugs me.
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Old 12-16-2011, 05:32 PM   #15
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I had FLY go over all seams on our unit when I had it in 2 weeks ago. We did have water damage from the joint below the window.
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Old 12-16-2011, 06:17 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bucky49
Gemstone, I let Tom Peck and Fly know my feelings. The thing thaty got me was that the production guy who came to fix leak started to button it back up without checking for a leak, I stopped that and Fly also jumped in. I think DRV needs better quality incentives than just get er done. Ryan told me they are still having about 25 issues per unit. What I worry about is the issues I haven't found yet, now that I'm out of warranty. The crappy sealing of joints really bugs me.
And, that is exactly why I traded OUT of my 2010 unit last September. We really liked the liviability, but, the on-going poor workmanship issues that cropped up, every trip, was too much for me.
Must agree, Ryan, and Fly seem to take the job seriously, but, when the warranty is out.....you're out!
Pucker up...and enjoy...
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Old 12-16-2011, 06:38 PM   #17
bucky49
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check around your back trunks. mine weren't even screwed in all sides and silicone let go, nothing holding that lightweight metal side to trunk flange.
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Old 12-16-2011, 06:59 PM   #18
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so Free at Last, what have you gone with now, and what cost to get Free
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Old 12-16-2011, 08:16 PM   #19
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2008 Orphan, GS Tourmaster, Mercedes power...5000 trouble free miles, something I did not experience before. I believe I had a unit that was made on a holiday weekend, nothing but trouble. 8 Factory visits in two years, 4 extra for rough suspension, it was never fixed, 4 refrigerator replacements, it was finally marginal, at best, all windows replaced, ALL, most all woodwork, trim replaced, rough ride would move contents around, no matter how carefully you put out the slides, you are going to loose some trim, drawer pulls, latches, something was going to give. Bath vent fan, the residential style, now discontinued, vented into the roof cavity, right, the roof cavity, imagine the engineering genius of that. The cieling fan in the living area, totally useless, sitting so close to the cieling, it could not circulate air. Staples, many, driven throught the pex supply lines feeding the bathroom, why?, I haven't a clue, but, there they were, staples through the pex, water leaking, slowly at first, then pouring out in the basement, slight mess.....many other things, to many to mention, really not even worth going through the list. I don't mean this to be an indictment on DRV, but, this particular unit did not even come close to delivering the quality I thought I paid for.Did I mention the crack that was developing in the siding at the curbside lower corner of front cap? I really liked the livability, but, like previous poster, i was VERY concerned about what I could not see, like the superstructure, all that likley damage from the rough ride.
I just did not want to take a chance on structure damage.
Anyway, i am sure most units are of top quality, this one just wasn't.Period.
Sure don't want to start a spitting match, this one just wasn't up to snuff...
traded it, and, now, that is why I am ...

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Old 12-17-2011, 07:44 AM   #20
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Free at Last....what a shame you had to pay such a premium to get something you paid for in good faith.....comfort, quality, and the ability of DRV to satisfactorily repair what they built. One would think; the last thing a manufacturer would want is an inferior product (lemon) wandering around the country, providing a steady stream of negative feedback. Any idea what happened to your old rig ? I assume it was traded in and eventually re-sold, not purchased by DRV in order to be rebuilt....I'd be interested to find out how the new owners are fairing.

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