Fresh Water Tank gone bad

[Kickin It!]

We've owned 3 travel trailers. Our Raptor fresh water tank developed a terrible odor (like a dead animal). It sat for 2 months before our next trip.
We've never had that happen before. We drained it and added bleach and water. Is there a way to prevent this? It's never happened before. Should we do this regularly and how often?

Thanks!

[SteveC7010]

We've owned 3 travel trailers. Our Raptor fresh water tank developed a terrible odor (like a dead animal). It sat for 2 months before our next trip.
We've never had that happen before. We drained it and added bleach and water. Is there a way to prevent this? It's never happened before. Should we do this regularly and how often?

Thanks!

I owned my last trailer for 11 years and several others previous to that. In all that time, I never had the problem that you have described. I can only speculate that there is something in the tank that should not be there which is causing the problem. The only bleach treatment I gave the tank was once at the beginning of each camping season to freshen up not only the tank, but all of the fresh water system.

It would be wise to eyeball the tank. Perhaps your dealer or someone else that you know may have a plumbers camera that could be snaked into the tank.

I know that some CG's may have "less than perfect" water so if you fill your FW tank in one of them, be sure to drain it. (Many campers open their FW drain while traveling home. I prefer to always have at least 1/3 in the tank while traveling.) After draining, fill with good water, and add just enough bleach. Too much would be a detectable odor and taste. Start with no more than a 1/4 cup per tankful.

[allentx1]

I have had what you described only mine was more of a sulfur smell. Strangely enough, the ONLY time it ever smelled was when using the master bathroom cold faucet. None of the others ever smelled, the hot on same faucet did not smell. We ran bleach water through tank and used the water pump to pump into each faucet and let sit overnight. I haven't smelled since. Maybe it was a build up of mold or fungus when it sat empty but damp.

[allentx1]

an update to the bad smell (sulphur)... It came back and happens each time we open the master faucet on cold. I have now put in about 3.5 cups of bleach, filled it all the way (too much, came pouring out of the basement) and ran through most of the cold water lines. I bypassed the HW heater. I will let it sit overnight again. :(

[SAD]

As Allen mentions, very common with a sulphur smell. Comes mostly from un-chlorinated well water. Especially in warm conditions. HWH are prime candidates to contribute to the smell.

You can get rid of it by sanitizing/bleaching the entire system - including the HWH (off of course).

And minimiz recurrence by totally draining the system abd HWH between trips.

[CUFFS054]

I'm having the sulphur smell problem in my 2010 Springdale 291RKSS. The smell is only on the cold side. We keep it connected to the CG water system which should by-pass the potable tank (I think). The camper is used every weekend. Could it be the supply hose?

[Essness]

I'm having the sulphur smell problem in my 2010 Springdale 291RKSS. The smell is only on the cold side. We keep it connected to the CG water system which should by-pass the potable tank (I think). The camper is used every weekend. Could it be the supply hose?

Not the supply hose, it's the supply. My water at home, (I'm on a well) will smell the same way if I turn off the water softener or the whole house filter.

Fill a juice glass with water and set it buy the sink. Leave it for 24 hours and I bet it turns orange. This means you have a high quantity of dissolved minerals in the water source, primarily iron.
You can solve it with a trip to the local rv or home store and tell them you need a filter for your water.

[CUFFS054]

Thanks Scott, I'll give that a try.

[cabinfever]

We had that problem from the water left in the lines after being at a CG with well water. I have decided after coming from a CG I will connect at home and flush the lines with city chlorinated water. Also, if I ever need to add water to the FW tank from a well, I will just drain and add city water after returning home.

[Sailor08]

When we turned the fresh water on for the first time after bringing our Passport home from dealers, noted a bad odor. Removed the water tank by taking out screws that hold it. Inside coated with fungus. Put tank on grass and rinsed it out with lots of clear water. Filled it with water & used long narrow brush to loosen much of mold, flushed again. Filled it again with 1/3 water, bleach & detergent. Left it sit and turned it every few hours to get solution to all surfaces.Then rinsed & reinstalled. Lots of work but now clean.