Odor problem

One of the reason we no longer use full hook ups is the smell of sewer gas from everyone's sewer connection. They are supposed to be a tight seal, most are not.

A few trips out and we realized "electric only" sights were just fine. That is why they put fresh water tanks and the gray and back tanks in the TTs.

Some times the wind will decide to share our toilet vent pipe smell with us, but it is very, very rare.

Water sloshing in the black tank keeps every thing in suspension and the fuller the tank the greater the flushing force when you do dump.

We do not have an odor from our toilet but we do use a packet of one of the many toilet elixirs plus a cup or so of soap.

I have tried to use ice in the toilet to clean the black tank gauge probes with limited success. The few times it did work it was only for a short period of time. Like most RV issues you figure it out or live with it.

Good luck

oyarsa wrote:
I took the trailer to the dump and emptied it. Flushed it through the black water flush valve. Is it normal for it to leak? Seems like half the water comes back out the hose connection. Maybe too much pressure?

If you are talking about the black tank flush connection, it is just a hose connection for a garden hose, and it shouldn't leak. No, the pressure isn't too high, that is an open ended system. Did you use the hose at the dump station that has no threads?

Do you have a crank open roof vent near the black tank roof vent?
If your roof vent is open it could draw strong black tank odors indoors if the wind is just right.
I found this out on our latest trip.

I took the trailer to the dump and emptied it. Flushed it through the black water flush valve. Is it normal for it to leak? Seems like half the water comes back out the hose connection. Maybe too much pressure?

In any case, the smell from the tank persists. I think it has diminished, though, so I left more water, soap, and a drop-in in it. Maybe the drive tomorrow will loosen things up and I can flush it more at the campground.

Sewer connects at the rv site have caused all kinds of problems. Maybe I just don’t like parking that close to my neighbors toilet but I also see others leave the valve open. Don’t. Also rinse
rinse rinse. Add the chemicals and be sure the vents are clear and open. Check the seal on the toilet. It can get caked up with gross stuff and not hold water.

352 wrote:
This method is guaranteed. Roll up your sleeves reach your hand down the hole. If you feel anything solid squeeze it between your fingers until it gets mushey. Follow up with a good hand cleaning ( fingernails too) then pour 5 gallons of water down the hole. Then dump the tank. Problem solved. I have a free video if interested. Good luck

your the only person that's CRAZY....er than I am.

please post the video.. your arms are tiny

Another thought, because I know it happens in our trailer. If you have exhaust fans on, and not enough windows open to provide make up air for what you are exhausting, you will have created a slight negative pressure in the trailer. When you open the toilet ball to flush, air can enter in through the black tank stack and be brought down through the tank and up through the flush ball into the bathroom. We have to shut down the exhaust to flush or we get a dose of sewer gas.

Ralph Cramden wrote:

oyarsa wrote:


The trailer is at home. I can connect to city water to use the black tank flush system, but I can't dump here or leave the black water valve open as the directions state.

Why not? Just run the slinky out into the yard, then fill the tank full of fresh water a few times using the tank flush and drain it into the grass. What small amount of residue that is in there will be diluted so much its not going to hurt a thing, and it won't cause an ecological calamity as I am sure some on these boards will claim. Your grass in that area will most likely turn a lovelier shade of green than the grass around it, and you'll have to mow it more often.

Ralph, can we call it **** grass ? :)

This method is guaranteed. Roll up your sleeves reach your hand down the hole. If you feel anything solid squeeze it between your fingers until it gets mushey. Follow up with a good hand cleaning ( fingernails too) then pour 5 gallons of water down the hole. Then dump the tank. Problem solved. I have a free video if interested. Good luck

Keeping those odors out of your tank is really easy, but you need to be consistent. When you leave your departure location, make sure the tank is empty. Then add a few gallons of water a bit of Dawn Dish washing Liquid and drive to your next destination. At your next destination, drain it. Then use the toilet as normal. When you leave there, make sure you dump again, and repeat. If you always add a bit of dish washing liquid and a bit of water before hitting the road, the tank will never smell.

If you dump immediately at your next destination point, add a bit of bleach. But don't let the bleach water sit as it will not be good for your slide valve. So, dump it. But this will also keep the odors away.

Basically, your tank just needs a really, really good rinse out. If you camp at a full hook-up site, fill your tank to the max with fresh water and dump it. Repeat 2 or 3 times. This will wash things out.

There again, if you rinse often with a little bit of soap, you will never have odors.