Forum Discussion

Whangler's avatar
Whangler
Explorer II
May 20, 2017

New Carpet Odor

Howdy folks,
last June, we bought a used like new 2014 arctic fox 25r trailer. Then, we got a new silverado 2500 to pull it with. I love this rig. We used it once, then I got dreadfully ill with lyme disease and have been out of commission since. Now I'm starting to get better and can actually envision getting back out in the rig before too much longer.

The new smell inside of the trailer is pretty overpowering for me right now. It never bothered me before. Being a 2014 model, you'd think it would have done outgassed by now. I guess this illness made me oversensitive or something. I've opened the vents to let it air out some, but wondered if any of you all have successfully rid your rig of that new carpet formaldehyde smell..... Short of ripping out the carpet that is. Or is it more than the carpet?

My other rigs have definitely had their own unique smell, but not as strong as this one.

Thanks.
  • Whangler's avatar
    Whangler
    Explorer II
    May 21, 2017
    IDman wrote:
    We have an AF and did not have bad smells from glue or carpet. Since yours is 4 yr. old, do you have any idea what prior owners did inside...dogs, cats, other animals, other "activity"?

    No clue. Bought from a dealer. Trailer shows no evidence of ever bring used before we got it. Like new in every way. I'm gonna try cooking it inside. I'll use a portable electric oil filled radiator heater and heat up then air out a few times. May also try baking soda on the carpet to see if that helps.
  • IDman's avatar
    IDman
    Explorer
    May 21, 2017
    We have an AF and did not have bad smells from glue or carpet. Since yours is 4 yr. old, do you have any idea what prior owners did inside...dogs, cats, other animals, other "activity"?
  • am1958's avatar
    am1958
    Explorer
    May 21, 2017
    DutchmenSport wrote:
    Take it camping. Build a good smokey campfire near the camper. Open the windows of the camper. Let the campfire smoke blow into the camper, the thicker the better. After a while, the campfire smoke will penetrate everything in the camper, and you won't smell the the formaldehyde any more. You will smell campfire smoke in everything for a while. But when the campfire smoke smell finally dissipates, the formaldehyde smell will be gone too (or most of it). This worked wonderful for our first and second camper. Our current camper never had that formaldehyde smell. We were fortunate on it.


    Do this after disabling the smoke detector... It's very annoying if you don't... ;)
  • ralph_day's avatar
    ralph_day
    Explorer
    May 21, 2017
    When we got our trailer new we thought we'd never be able to use it. We cooked it. Left in the sun, ran the furnace to the high 80's with vents open. A couple of hours, a couple of times...then just left windows open and vent fans on. Got rid of most of the smell, especially the plastic duct smell.
  • DutchmenSport's avatar
    DutchmenSport
    Explorer
    May 20, 2017
    Take it camping. Build a good smokey campfire near the camper. Open the windows of the camper. Let the campfire smoke blow into the camper, the thicker the better. After a while, the campfire smoke will penetrate everything in the camper, and you won't smell the the formaldehyde any more. You will smell campfire smoke in everything for a while. But when the campfire smoke smell finally dissipates, the formaldehyde smell will be gone too (or most of it). This worked wonderful for our first and second camper. Our current camper never had that formaldehyde smell. We were fortunate on it.
  • midnightsadie's avatar
    midnightsadie
    Explorer II
    May 20, 2017
    open the rear windows open the door put a big fan in door way. let run it,ll suck things out.
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    May 20, 2017
    It's not the smell that bothers me...it's the chemicals that are making those smells. Hopefully they dry out and become inert.
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    May 20, 2017
    Open every window, door, vent, etc. run a couple of electric fans and turn on all the ceiling vent fans and leave it that way for a couple of days....

    If it has been closed up tight while in storage for a long time, you will have the odors your are describing.
  • MFL's avatar
    MFL
    Nomad II
    May 20, 2017
    Airing out is about the best you can do. The smells come from carpet, furniture, building materials, sealants/glues. It takes a while to air, and if closed up while storing, can come back, until aired again.

    Jerry

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