NHBoomers Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 Greetings, For some background we bought a 2017 Elite 2 twin almost 2 years ago and off and on we have a bad smell thats strongest from under the dinette seat nearest the bathroom. It does NOT smell like sewer,mildew,rotten eggs,propane or electrical, its not a smell we can identify. It does not smell in the bathroom or in the toilet,(new last Dec) not the fridge area it comes mainly from inside the dinette storage area, its never wet, no obvious leaks and we have tried a few different methods for thoroughly cleaning the black and gray tanks, no smells from the drains and if we open the windows it goes away but comes back when closed up. I have read some reply's from another Oliver blog but our smell is mainly at floor level not the ceiling. Any ideas are appreciated. TIA NHBoomers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph and Dud B Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 If you're sure it's not sewer or propane, another suspect could be the gray tank vent. Gray tanks can smell as bad as black, believe it or not. Your vent stack could be disconnected somewhere. Maybe someone else can describe the routing of the vent pipe. 4 Stephanie and Dudley from CT. 2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior. Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4. Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed Where we've been RVing since 1999: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 11 Author Share Posted June 11 Ok, we are pretty sure so we can start at the top and see how far we can get- thanks for the tip, it’s driving us crazy. NHBoomers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator+ ScubaRx Posted June 11 Moderator+ Share Posted June 11 (edited) The bathroom sink, black tank and grey tank all share the same vent pipe, part of which is actually used as the drain pipe for the sink and shower drain. Your odor could be due to grey tank fumes coming up thru the shower or sink drains if the back flow preventer slide valve is open. Also check the tightness of the steel bands on the fernco connectors in that area. Edited June 11 by ScubaRx 9 Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Maggie, Lucy and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge) 2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraniteStaters Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 If the shower/bathroom Valterra valve seal has been compromised or worn out, then there might be leak there too. The collar that ScubaRx is referring too is there to facilitate the replacement of the valve or seals in this 1 1/2 inch drain. If you do want to replace the Valterra seals, you will need to eventually slide the collar of the union on the 1 1/2 inch PVC drain pipe to allow the pipe connecting that side of the valve to be backed off enough to do the seal replacement on both sides of the valve. Be careful not to lose the screws and nuts on the valve as you disassemble. The cable can be temporarily removed by using an Allen wrench on the SS piston that moves the valve to open/close. If the valve requires much force to close it, you may have a seal that is being pushed by the blade itself which compromises its integrity., 7 David Caswell and Paula Saltmarsh Hull 509 "The Swallow" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted June 11 Moderators Share Posted June 11 Also, check to make sure the drain pipe from the bathroom sink and shower is firmly seated into the top of the gray tank. Ours was not glued, just wedged in and it popped out once after a bumpy ride. Mike 4 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Townesw Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 Battery gas? Have you looked for leaks in the battery compartment? Bill and Martha 2018 LEII Hull 313 2019 Chevrolet 2500HD Duramax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 11 Author Share Posted June 11 Good Morning, 13 minutes ago, Townesw said: Battery gas? Have you looked for leaks in the battery compartment? We have only lithium batteries, but we will be investigating the plumbing from top to bottom-thanks NHBoomers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geronimo John Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 Dead mouse? 1 TV: 2019 F-150 SuperCrew Lariat, 3.5L EcoBoost, Max Tow, FX-4, Rear Locker OLLIE: 2018 OE2 Hull 342, Twin Bed. OLLIE DIY’s: Timken Bearings, BB LiFePO4's, Victron 712 Smart, 350 Amp Master Switch, Houghton 3400, Victron Orion DC - DC, 3000-Watt Renogy Inverter, P.D. 60-amp Converter, Frig Dual Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Drawer Straps. TV DIY’s: 2 5/16" Anderson System, Nitto recon’s, Firestone Rear Air Bags, Bilstein 5100’s, Mud Flaps & Weather Tech all, installed Ham Radio (WH6JPR). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 11 Author Share Posted June 11 I dont think it would last this long 73s N1JEC and KN1H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators topgun2 Posted June 11 Moderators Share Posted June 11 1 2 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 11 Author Share Posted June 11 It does not smell like a dead mouse… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 12 Author Share Posted June 12 (edited) Greetings, In case anyone is wondering this is what we have found so far, we thoroughly cleaned both tanks with some Dawn dish liquid filling and letting each sit for a day then rinsing out good, we started at the top of the vent pipe outside and traced all the way down,nothing is loose or wet, there is good airflow all the way up the vent pipe, the drains don't smell all is good there there is nothing organic but what we think is the cause is lack of air circulation under the dinette benches and with the help of some Ozuim the smell is about 90% gone and rite now we have the bathroom for blowing out, bathroom door shut dinette benches open,windows open and the smell is all ending up in the bathroom so not knowing what is cause or effect for sure we are going to put in some vents and a fan or 2 in the dinette benches, it only smells on the driver's side even in the storage compartment in the back. It wont hurt to have more air circulating, the downside to not full timing I guess or maybe its not that and its wishful thinking. We do appreciate all of your comments we checked everything you all mentioned (no dead mouse) so thanks!!! NHBoomers Edited June 12 by NHBoomers 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators topgun2 Posted June 12 Moderators Share Posted June 12 1 hour ago, NHBoomers said: We do appreciate all of your comments we checked everything you all mentioned (no dead mouse) so thanks!!! 1 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 12 Author Share Posted June 12 59 minutes ago, topgun2 said: you've got a thing for mice don't you 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvus Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 (edited) Have you pulled the bottom left kitchen drawers out to inspect for a faucet leak that can wet wood in that area? Sounds like you've done due diligence with the plumbing so I thought it might be worth a look. It took over six months to find out this was the source of an odor in our camper which was detected in various areas over time. All close to the floor. The odor seemed to move around but I didn't detect it around the drawers until I removed them. It was a peculiar odor that eventually took on an ammonia component. Ammonia odors are classic symptoms of a refrigerant leak, but even while checking out the refrigerator I could not tell the source was the wet drawers. Edited June 13 by Corvus 2 Jerry & Kathy 2019 LEII Standard #539 + 2019 Tundra Limited 4X4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 17 Author Share Posted June 17 We have not looked behind the drawer but it’s worth a try, thanks for the tip NHBoomers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators topgun2 Posted June 23 Moderators Share Posted June 23 On 6/17/2024 at 4:16 PM, NHBoomers said: We have not looked behind the drawer but it’s worth a try, thanks for the tip Any luck? 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 What we know for sure is completely dry and has been and even under the fridge we can see from outside thru the grill it’s dry, no smells or mold etc there but it’s still in the trailer, we had another fiberglass trailer many years ago that had an odor and it turned out to be the cushions so we will do more investigating there, not sure what else it could possibly be! Thanks for your suggestions NHBoomers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHBoomers Posted June 28 Author Share Posted June 28 and its not the cushions, the odd smell is faint and its NOT the holding tanks, drains,musty, rodents or other critters,the plumbing, vents, sulfur or any odor we can identify so there you go we will stick with a faint odd but not off putting smell and call it a day...we have no other places to check. NHBoomers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd1923 Posted June 28 Share Posted June 28 My wife says ours has a faint smell, same smell when we bought it from past owners after considerable cleaning. They had a runner and floor mats which I had cleaned and then decided not to use again. I believe the flooring might has a slight smell. Don't smell it when camping but will so after it's been closed up for a while. We are going to do a serious floor cleaning after I get done with upgrades this summer. Maybe a past owner had a litter box under the dinette or that's where the dog slept. We want to really clean the floor but not sure what to use. Wonder if anybody has replaced their flooring in an Oliver? Chris & John in Prescott, AZ | 2016 EII #113 | '01 Ram 2500 Cummins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators topgun2 Posted June 28 Moderators Share Posted June 28 (edited) 1 hour ago, jd1923 said: We want to really clean the floor but not sure what to use. Wonder if anybody has replaced their flooring in an Oliver? You can use anything that one might use on any vinyl flooring. I've used - Simple Green, Ajax, 409, Mr. Clean, Fantastic, Awesome Orange, Spic & Span, etc.. Yes, I do know that at least one person replaced the flooring but I don't remember exactly who that was. If I were going to do it, I'd ask Oliver Service for suggestions regarding what to use for removing the old glue. Good luck. Bill Edited June 28 by topgun2 1 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd1923 Posted June 28 Share Posted June 28 51 minutes ago, topgun2 said: the old glue Thanks Bill. Sometimes when a vinyl floor gets wet or left overly dirty over time, it’s the old glue that can get smelly! Chris & John in Prescott, AZ | 2016 EII #113 | '01 Ram 2500 Cummins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SeaDawg Posted June 28 Moderators Share Posted June 28 (edited) Odo- ban. Our dollar tree has a little tiny bottle. A little goes a long way. Edited June 29 by SeaDawg 1 2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4 2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12 Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes.... 400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries . Life is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Townesw Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 (edited) There has been at least one owner (edit: more than a few owners) who forgot and left their black tank flush running. The water filled the black tank and then flowed over and filled the grey tank through the venting under the bathroom sink. The water then came back up through the shower drain, filled the shower pan, then flooded the cabin. If this has happened to a trailer I don’t see how you would ever completely eliminate the smell. I would ask the previous owner if this happened to your trailer. Read this thread https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3447-left-black-tank-clean-out-hose-on/ Edited June 30 by Townesw 5 Bill and Martha 2018 LEII Hull 313 2019 Chevrolet 2500HD Duramax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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