RV’s like to be used, but the reality is that many of us are not full-timers. No one likes a stinky living space. In confined spaces odors are magnified.  Further compounding the problem is the fact that non-full-timer trailers are usually stored for months at a time – closed up and not used.  Both of which are recipes for smelly challenges.  So what’s the recipe for fresh smelling success? Here are several tips from our first year experiences.

Tip: Great campsite alert! #56 in Watchman Campground, Zion Nat’l Park provides a spectacular view and privacy! Wow!

Ventilation!  Keep air flowing in and out.  We have MaxxAir covers on our Fantastic Fans  bath and above the bed, allowing us to keep the fans openings open when the trailer is stored.  We don’t keep the fans running because we disconnect and remove the batteries and our trailer is stored inside in a barn with no electricity.  There is the issue of the chicken coop in the winter inside the barn which gave us a bit of pause letting any air inside.  But we’ve tried it both ways and some ventilation is better than keeping out the chicken odors.  Such challenges!

Fantastic Fans – we leave the fans on almost all the time when we’re using our Lance 1685, but when it’s stored, we still leave the lid cracked open for air.

Clean = No Odors Allowed!  Before storing the trailer or just after using it for a week, we clean everything – turn the refrigerator and freezer off, wipe out with bleach water, put an open box of baking soda in each and leave the doors ajar.   Clean out the living spaces, wipe out cabinets & drawers & mop the floor.  Keeping everything clean insures less chance of odors.  I’m NOT a clean freak & HATE cleaning.  But I also hate odors, so se la vie.

Before you store the trailer, make sure every hose, pipe, tanks and even the water heater are rinsed with fresh water and anti-freeze put in to eliminate stinky bacteria from growing in those musty dark enclosed spaces.

Pay special attention to cleaning the bathroom and kitchen – and make sure the surfaces are dry.  More on preparing to store the trailer in next week’s post.

Just LOOK at all that floor space and light! Amazing for a camper only 20′ long bumper to hitch.

Now for controlling odors when you’re enjoying the trailer…

Cooking Odors. I prefer to think of it as cooking aromas, most of which are tantilizing.  However I don’t want to smell them the next day!  Turn on the stove exhaust ventilation when cooking … and don’t forget to open the vent outside if you have one!  We camped with friends who dutifully turned on the stove fan, but couldn’t figure out why the boiling shrimp smell kept stinking up the trailer. Ummm… the outside vent was closed so the fan couldn’t pump the cooking odors outside.  Oops!

Use the stove exhaust fan every time you cook, but make sure the vent is open outside!

Grey Water.  We were surprised to find out, the hard way, the gray water tank can STINK almost as bad as the black water tank. You can help by treating the tank each time you empty it, the Camco treatment works for us. In addition, we try to flush our grey water tank with fresh water when we empty it, just like we do our black water tank.

Grey Water Lines.  The hoses and traps under the sink can be a surprise odor holder.  If your sink stinks and you KNOW you’re keeping the grey water tank clean and using a treatment, it could be the trap or hose under the sink. We pour the grey water treatment down the sink drain but, don’t forget the shower drain and the bathroom sink drain as well!

You didn’t really think I was going to show photos of our toilet, did you?  How about … Campsite in Snow Canyon, UT…. the scenery in our campsite was great … and this state park had hot showers, gotta love that!

Periodically, we also pour some Tide or Dawn down the drain, followed by hot hot water.  The detergent loosens any “stuff” that’s collected in the hoses (think like cholesterol clogging your arteries) and the hot water helps it wash down into the grey water tank.  I’ve never had a problem with the suds in the tank, I think it helps keep the tank clean.  David doesn’t always agree, he doesn’t like suds.  NOTE:  if you get a clog in your sink, the same idea works.  Just put the Tide or Dawn in the drain with a bit of water.  The detergent will sink because it’s heavier than water.  Then let it sit and soak down into the clog for overnight, or at least a half hour.  Follow by hot hot water and sometimes the clog magically clears itself!

Black Water Tank.  There are several causes of the smell from the black water tank.  The biggest is lack of oxygen – if there’s enough oxygen, the black water tank will not have any odor – without treatment.

The black water tank vent on top of the trailer is designed to vent fumes out and, I assume, to let air in.  But apparently a breeze can force extra air down and out your toilet – essentially venting the odors into the trailer. We have a standard tank vent, but we’ve had several friends use a siphon type device on their vent on the trailer roof.  The theory is that breeze blowing over your trailer creates a vortex, spinning air out the vent and never back inside — and adding ventilation — i.e. oxygen — to the tank.  We may try one of these devices ourselves, but haven’t needed it in our first year, 10,000 miles of RVing.

More pretty pictures .. The view from our back porch, Ocracoke Island, NC – that’s the ocean beyond the dune.

As soon as we empty and rinse the tank, I add 100% biodegradable (no formaldehyde) OdorLos which is what we’ve used aboard our sailboat for years.  In addition to eliminating holding tank odor, it’s supposed to break down waste and tissue, lubricate valves, and prevent clogging. It’s also safe for any septic tank system. I especially like the tip & measure bottle version, making it easy.

Black Water Tank Clogs.   Luckily we haven’t had to experience this yet, and hope we never do.  But our sailboat is a different story.  When you’re somewhere with full hookups, this won’t be as much of an issue, but when living without hookups, be aware that in order for the contents of the black water tank not to “dry out”, it must contain enough liquid.  This is a catch 22 because we don’t want to needlessly fill our tanks with fluid causing more frequent pumpouts, but if we don’t add enough fluid, the contents will dry out creating a horrid clog.  We used to shut off the water to the toilet if we were just doing #1, but we’ve decided until we get more experience, to leave the water on.  Flushing doesn’t put that much more water into the black water tank and if it can eliminate another issue, more the better.

Chaco National Historical Park campground, Site #27… no full hookups in most national parks!

We always empty our black water tank and flush with fresh water.  We’re lucky because our Lance 1685 came with a nifty black water tank fresh water spray system.  All we have to do is connect the hose to the fitting, turn on the water and the system sprays up and down every wall in our tank.  So far after 10,000 miles and 4 months living in our Lance trailer, we haven’t had any black tank odor issues.

Also, we never put any type of toilet tissue into the tank.  This is a cruising sailboat trick which we’ve opted to keep when we started RVing. We keep a small lidded waste can beside the toilet lined with a plastic grocery sack and remove it regularly.  All toilet tissue goes into the can, none down the toilet.  This lets us use any type of TP we choose, we don’t have to use “septic safe”.  Plus TP doesn’t use up additional space in our black water tank.  Or dry out and stick on our tank sensors.  🙂  All good.

So here’s to fresh smelling breezes … and RVs!  Anyone have more tips to keep our trailers smelling fresh?

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