My wife and I have been full timing in our 5th wheel for 4 months now. Everything is going great except for this recurring rotten egg smell in the water. I have done searches and watch YouTube videos for answers. I have used bleach to sanitize. I have an Atwood water heater, so I flushed it out, but had no anode to deal with. I did not treat with vinegar in the water heater yet. Since my smell is in the hot and cold water would this help? Anyone with some other thoughts? Thanks Steve

Steve, I'm fighting the same issue. I've done the same things you have. This weekend I'm going to change the supple hose from the CG faucet to see if this helps.

Have you been moving from campground to campground and the smell problem follows you? or have you only been in one campground?

Do you have a drinking water filter installed on the water line/hose coming into the camper? Not a general "sediment" filter, but an "activated charcoal" drinking water filter.

Chief and Tvov,My TT has been at the same CG going on two years. Problem started about 3 months ago. CG manager has current water test certificate and no one else seems to have this issue. I do not have a filter yet.

You need to drain the water heater. May have to do this tow or three times and the smell will go away.

Water Smell | Good Sam Community

21 Replies

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Sep 22, 2013
Figured it had to do with something external of rig due to it smelling in hot & cold...........knew it wasn't caused by anode rod cause Atwoods don't use them.

Hose all wrapped up in insulation.......lying on ground for 2 yrs. in GA summer/winter no wonder it was nasty.
buc1980
Explorer
Sep 22, 2013
I got the same problem but I change the rod and flush the water heater.Everything is OK now.
Cuffs054
Explorer
Sep 20, 2013
Problem solved! I replaced the supply hose and all is well. BUT when I pulled the old hose out of the foam insulation tubes it was covered with nasty stuff and it stunk. I don't know if the stuff was migrating into the hose or what. I'm telling you it was gross!
hitchup
Explorer
Aug 30, 2013
We added an outside in-line water filter once. DH attached it to the slide-out. Same size as the one Suites build in, but we needed a 2nd because the water came from a well and looked dirty.
doxiemom11
Explorer II
Aug 30, 2013
It may just be the water in the area you are at. Does it smell at the water faucet if you collect some from there?
DianneOK
Explorer
Aug 30, 2013
:)
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Aug 29, 2013
:S

:B :B
DianneOK
Explorer
Aug 29, 2013
all right boys, that's enough.....
WTTCS
Explorer
Aug 29, 2013
Thats all fine and good old, but in my lifetime of living in rvs with atwood water heaters, and the egg smell got there, I always changed the anode rods. If I didn't , it still stayed, just not as strong.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Aug 29, 2013
WTTCS.........ATWOOD Brand water heaters do not need anode rods. The tanks are made of aluminum alloy.

YES....you can purchase anode rods for Atwood BUT they are not OEM, nor does Atwood recommend them.

Just because an aftermarket item is available doesn't mean it is needed, required or better.

Atwood drain hole 1/2".......no anode
Suburban drain hole 3/4".....anode

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Water Smell

21 Replies

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