New Montana HC and the Master Smells..."Funky"

[omextreme]

First real camping trip in our new 2015 Montana Bunk House 5er and we have an odd smell in the master area. We noticed it when we got ready for bed the 1st night, smell stayed the same strength for the next 4 nights.

if the door from the master is left open it is hard to detect but if you leave the door closed for any amount of time there is an "off" smell to the room.

My wife says it is sort of an old GYM smell, I think it smells like swamp water

The smell is not horrible just noticeable.

All new linens / pillows. No dirty clothes in the room, The smell does not seem stronger in 1 corner or the other, Not stronger under bed or in closet just seems like a whole room issue.

Washer drain is tightly capped and I cannot think of any other reasons for the issue.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks
Adam

[gearhead]

Maybe look under the bathroom sink.
Open the storage bay and look for water damage. Remove the petition and check around the water pump.

[omextreme]

Thanks, I have looked under the sink, crawled around the entire upstairs with nose to floor and sniffed every corner I could fit my big head into. Nada.. .Smells like new carpet and vinyl. I have yet to remove the cover in the basement to look at the guts of this unit but the weird thing is there is no smell in the basement area.

[hankaye]

omextreme, Howdy;

The "Old Gym" reference leads me to think of mildew or mold. Don't know the
lay-outof your 5er. Perhaps there is some water intrusion from the roof into
the cap area??? Just a wild guess.

hankaye

[JRTJH]

You might try swapping the gray water cheater vents. There should be two, one under the vanity and one under the galley sink. If it's the cheater vent, the smell will follow the "bad vent". Also, remove the heating vent grates and vacuum the "heat duct run". I believe it's a "rectangular aluminum run about 2"x20"x36" (HxWxL). There is a "flex duct" attached to the rear end of that run and possibly some "old rag" or "rodent" or ??? could have gotten in it while it was sitting on the lot.

You might want to lift the mattress and make sure it's not damp on the bottom and that the slide under the bed is dry as well. It only takes a little moisture to set up a "hint of smell" so any slide leak or even an "overzealous cleaning lady" doing the PDI cleanup might have caused a little too much dampness around the slide.

Good Luck.

[Alpine]

Just a thought here...it may be the OSB board they use for the base that the mattress sits on! OSB board has a very "different" smell to it!

[Campy]

What is capping off your washer drain? Mine just had a red plastic cap stuck in there and it did not seal well at all, smells could be getting past it. Went to Lowes and got a proper pipe plug that has a big wing nut to tighten it.

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

Sure hope he comes back and tells us what he found and fixed it...

hankaye

[omextreme]

Howdy All;

Sure hope he comes back and tells us what he found and fixed it...

hankaye

Not going to leave yall hanging.....

No resolution yet here is what I have tried.

---Drain for washer has red slip cover, the scent is NOT stronger in the master closet even after having the doors closed. I taped the cap on with some HVAC foil tape to be sure.

Since scent is not stronger in closet can i eliminate an issue with the washer connections and the cap itself?

--- Climbed under the bed box, carpet smells like carpet, The framework smells like wood,

---- Checked under the dresser drawers, no moisture or smell

--- Bathroom is not connected to master, door to restroom is in hall outside master, no smell from bathroom.

--- Ran video scope down furnace vent in floor, nothing seems out of ordinary sawdust and carpet fuzz.

All that i can think of that is left is the space between the interior ceiling and the roof. Tomorrow I will pull the ac grates off and have a sniff......


Thanks
Adam

[rjsurfer]

Anytime I've smelled anything off or "gym like" its been caused by mildew usually because of water intrusion somewhere in the camper. Things like new carpets, holding tank smells etc. All have their own unique smell to them. After 10 years of camping I know them all and so does my wife:-)

I'm glad your going to take a peek at the AC unit, a prime location for mildew especially if the units drains are clogged.

You can take off some of the ceiling light and vent fixtures for a limited view of the roof area and and check for dampness there.

Best of luck...

Ron W.

[jdmuth]

The OSB glue could be releasing an odor.

I know my P-Traps have dried out after storing for awhile, and I have gotten odors from the holding tanks. Mostly it is from the shower drain if we are on a short trip, and don't use the shower.

[bobbecky]

All of these rigs when very new are out-gassing formaldehyde from the carpet, wood products, paneling, upholstery, mattress, etc. It is a very nasty smell, and even the very minimal owner's manual makes reference to a new rig having odors from this out-gassing. This is copied from the Keystone Owners Manual:

Formaldehyde & Recreational Vehicles
Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring substance. Formaldehyde may be released from smoking, cooking, use of
soaps and detergents such as carpet shampoos, cosmetics, and many other household products. It is also a byproduct
of combustion and certain other natural processes. Thus it may be present in concentrations both indoors
and outdoors. Formaldehyde is also an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of some of the components
used in the construction of recreational vehicles and is also contained in some holding tank chemicals. Some people
are very sensitive to formaldehyde while others may not have any reaction to the same levels of formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is a colorless, pungent-smelling gas that can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and
throat, nausea, and difficulty breathing.
As recommended by the CDC and the EPA, improving the air quality can be accomplished by actions such as
opening windows, opening roof vents, operating fans and vents, running the air conditioner, or some combination
thereof. In particular, to the extent that formaldehyde is contained in some of the components used to construct
your RV or holding tank chemicals, you should properly ventilate your RV to maintain good indoor air quality in
the RV. Recreational vehicles are much smaller than homes and therefore the exchange of air inside a recreational
vehicle is significantly less than a home. Therefore, ventilation should occur frequently before, during and after use,
and at times when the temperatures and humidity are elevated. Decreasing the flow of air by sealing the recreational
vehicle may increase the presence and/or concentration of indoor air pollutants, such as mold, household chemicals
and formaldehyde.

[omextreme]

All of these rigs when very new are out-gassing formaldehyde from the carpet, wood products, paneling, upholstery, mattress, etc. It is a very nasty smell, and even the very minimal owner's manual makes reference to a new rig having odors from this out-gassing.


Thanks for the info, This unit appears to have sat on the lot at least 4-5 months before we bought it based on the build order. Is it still gassing off after this long?

[Campy]

Thanks for the info, This unit appears to have sat on the lot at least 4-5 months before we bought it based on the build order. Is it still gassing off after this long?

Our new 2011 Coachman 5th wheel still had "new" smell when we traded it in last year.

[goldtr8]

My 2016 2450RL has a smell in the bedroom that is coming from the particle board under the bed. I have the windows and roof vents open to let it out gas. It's nice to have indoor storage in my pole barn to let it do its thing.

Sure is a strange smell kinda sourish.

[Pull Toy]

Not to take away from your problem... but do you take your shoes off at the door? If so ... are you wearing clean socks? LOL (sorry but all of the Gym smell... got me going!)

If it's a brand new rig, you have factory smells to "LOSE". There are smells everywhere, from carpet glue, siding glue, rug underlayment, paneling formaldehyde and on, and on, and on! IMHO, conditions permitting, flood the rig with tons of fresh air. Turn on the Roof Fans, open the windows, and air it out. Fabreze, and Carpet Fresh canl also be your best friend until things settle down.

The factory smells will go away... it just takes time. If not, make it a warranty issue. Get your complaint documented ASAP! And get a copy of the claim.


Good Luck!

[PerryB]

Just a thought here...it may be the OSB board they use for the base that the mattress sits on! OSB board has a very "different" smell to it!

When we bought our trailer in 2010 it had a fairly pungent chemical smell in the master bed area, and it was definitely the OSB in the bed frame. It took at least a year to fully dissipate. It also had something of a cigarette butt smell when closed up, which was the rubber roof material. Also slow to go away. Nothing smelled musty or moldy though.

[omextreme]

After another weekend of camping the smell has seemed to dissipate. I will check again after 1 more week of storage but my gut says smell will be gone soon.

Thanks for all the ideas!

[mazboy123]

you can rent an ozone machine and try running it for 24 hours. good luck

[omextreme]

you can rent an ozone machine and try running it for 24 hours. good luck

Sadly after having a house fire i own an commercial ozone machine, I have heard that ozone can damage some plastics so I was hesitant to use it in the camper.

If smell persists I may try.