Rotten egg smell in camper

[amburjoe]

Hey everyone! I have a Prowler 29BHS. Once in a while we get this rotten egg smell in our camper. It seems to radiate from the bathroom area but its so heavy and throughout its hard to pinpoint. I have checked the cold and hot water and the fresh water tank. They all smell fine so I don't think its water related. I have also checked the battery up front and it seems fine. The stove, burners and furnace don't seem to be leaking propane (at least the propane monitor does not go off). It almost smells like its coming from my grey water tank. The reason I think this is because I get the same smell when I'm dumping the tank at the dump station. I can not find any vents on top to see if its plugged and there is no sign of any water leaks.

 

[danemayer]

Hi amburjoe,

The gray tanks can get pretty stinky, so that's for sure a possibility.

The plumbing design for sinks and showers includes a p-trap that holds water, creating a barrier so that vapors from the tank don't enter the living space. When water goes down the drain, there's suction that tends to suck the water out of the p-trap. To relieve the suction, there's a vent. The vents either go up through the roof, or may terminate under the sink with a one-way valve that relieves pressure by drawing air from the interior.

If the rooftop vent is blocked, you may not be maintaining water in the p-trap. If you have the one-way valve under the sink, it may be malfunctioning, allowing vapors into the interior.

 

[kakampers]

If it smells like rotten eggs or sulfur I'd check to make sure your battery is not boiling....

 

[kakampers]

sorry...just saw you checked the battery...

 

[marvmarcy]

We notice that smell when gray tanks get full. When the water gurgles down the drain, the tanks are so full that the roof vent doesn't work properly. Then the smell can come up though the trap or the siphon break located under the sink. A little gas goes a long ways, especially to sensitive noses. We've been rving for 35 years in 10 different rigs, so we've experienced "that smell". If you don't use a trap it can evaporate enough to let gasses up - especially if the washing machine hasn't been used in a long time or you've been using a bath house instead of the shower to conserve water when dry camping.

 

[priorguy]

I had the same problem in my North Trail. After reading several post I determined it was the roof vent smell coming back into the trailer through the open roof vent. They are side by side on my roof, and both above the bathroom. All I do now is close the roof vent when not in use and the smell is gone. I was leaving the roof vent open all the time after I installed a Maxx-air cover.

 

[Birchwood]

We used to have that smell in our Landmark and it happened several times when we first started living in it.It was always the stove propane burner valve was not seated properly allowing propane gas to enter our rig.Always check the stove burner knobs that they are turned to OFF.

 

[FiremanBill]

2nd on checking the gas... A chemical is added to natural gas and propane called mercaptan to make that god awful smell as the gas is odorless.

 

[priorguy]

The OP already stated that the LP gas detector wasn't activating. If it's anything like my TT was, nothing close to Mercaptan.

 

[Birchwood]

The OP already stated that the LP gas detector wasn't activating. If it's anything like my TT was, nothing close to Mercaptan.

That's because they probably opened the windows.Sure its propane as we have experienced this many times!

 

[lwmcguir]

Do you happen to be on a water supply with a lot of sulfur content?

 

[FiremanBill]

The OP already stated that the LP gas detector wasn't activating. If it's anything like my TT was, nothing close to Mercaptan.

Yeah I read that, but I have been a Fire Fighter for 32 years. Ask me how many times I have responded to fires and other emergencies where a detector malfunctioned and did not go off like it was supposed too.

 

[TravelTiger]

We are chasing a similar smell, but discovered a vent pipe broken behind a drawer. Hoping that plus an investigation of the vent pipe at the roof can resolve it. It only happens when the shower is running. I used my handheld lp gas detector around the area when the smell was very strong to make sure that was not what it was.

 

[amburjoe]

Thanks to all who responded. I can't find the roof vent but I did find a pipe vent undwr the kitchdn and.bathroom sink. I screwed one off and there is a valve inside the cap. Not sure how to tell if its bad. It does move. Well I think I will take it to the dealership and see what they can find. Ill update when I get it back. Thanks again!

 

[jmgratz]

We get that smell if the grey tanks are getting full. Drain your tanks and that may solve the problem

 

[RAHanock]

The smell can also come from the water in the hot water heater that has set without being drained for a few weeks or longer. Once we started to drain the hot water heater between trips the smell has gone away. When you drain the not water heater tank, note any white debris that looks like milk curd that comes out also. This is what forms when the water is allow to stay in the tank for a while.

 

[porthole]

Thanks to all who responded. I can't find the roof vent but I did find a pipe vent undwr the kitchdn and.bathroom sink. I screwed one off and there is a valve inside the cap. Not sure how to tell if its bad. It does move. Well I think I will take it to the dealership and see what they can find. Ill update when I get it back. Thanks again!

Besides water evaporating from the p-trap, just traveling down the road can empty it.

The valve you found, less then $5 from the big box stores.

I would just change it out every year.
Or, if like on our trailer, we still had odors coming from the bathroom sink valve, so when I bought new valves I also bought 1.5" PVC plugs.
New valve in the bath did not help.
New plug in the bath and no more odors.