A Smelly Situation
12-27-2017
Author: in Henley's Happy Trails
While driving our motorhome on a windy day, we were surprised to smell something quite awful in the rig. At first, it was subtle. Then it hit us like a ton of bricks. We quickly pulled over and opened the windows. I thought the sewer tank had exploded or something. A quick check of the RV, inside and out, lead to no clues. The smell quickly dissipated once the windows were opened and we had stopped moving. Not being able to find the source, we decided to push on. We didn’t get too far, and the smell returned.
The Source
I finally determined that the smell was coming from the sink and shower drains. Grey water can get to smelling after several days of dry camping. Normally, drains have a curved piece of pipe known as a trap which uses water as a blockade in the pipes to prevent smells from traveling up the drains. Traps are in the pipes of “sticks and bricks” homes, as well.
My first thought was that the water in the trap had splashed out while we were driving. This did not completely explain the issue because it only smelled when we drove.
The only way the smell would permeate the rig so quickly was if air was being forced into the tank. RV black and grey tanks have a vent in the roof that is intended to release these gases out. This stops pressure from building up in the tanks and prevents the gases from seeping into the rig.
Upon inspecting the vent pipes on the roof, I noticed the black tank had a vented top that resembled a weathervane. It swiveled, and the opening was situated in the opposite direction of the wind. The grey tank was a stationary vent with a top that prevented rain from getting inside.
As we drove down the road, the wind was hitting the latter described vent in just the right way to force air down into the grey tank. This air had nowhere to go but up through the sink drains. This was the source of the problem.
My first thought was that the water in the trap had splashed out while we were driving. This did not completely explain the issue because it only smelled when we drove.
The only way the smell would permeate the rig so quickly was if air was being forced into the tank. RV black and grey tanks have a vent in the roof that is intended to release these gases out. This stops pressure from building up in the tanks and prevents the gases from seeping into the rig.
Upon inspecting the vent pipes on the roof, I noticed the black tank had a vented top that resembled a weathervane. It swiveled, and the opening was situated in the opposite direction of the wind. The grey tank was a stationary vent with a top that prevented rain from getting inside.
As we drove down the road, the wind was hitting the latter described vent in just the right way to force air down into the grey tank. This air had nowhere to go but up through the sink drains. This was the source of the problem.
The Solution
Many times, on the road, one has to “Macgyver” a fix until they can properly attend to it. In this case, duct tape came to the rescue. I duct taped about three-quarters of the vent; this allowed air to escape but prevented it from being blown in. This solved the problem until we could get to an RV supply store and pick up a different style of vent.
We chose to install the same style as our black tank. The process to install it took some time but it wasn’t difficult to do. Instructions were included in the package. The only supplies required were a screwdriver and lap sealant. I was actually able to switch the vents while staying at a RV park the same day we picked up the parts. Since changing our grey tank vent, we haven’t experienced smelly issues while driving.
We chose to install the same style as our black tank. The process to install it took some time but it wasn’t difficult to do. Instructions were included in the package. The only supplies required were a screwdriver and lap sealant. I was actually able to switch the vents while staying at a RV park the same day we picked up the parts. Since changing our grey tank vent, we haven’t experienced smelly issues while driving.
Related Tags:Henley's Happy Trails
Comment
No comments found! Be the first one to write a comment!
Author: Levi and Natalie Henley
