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Can smell mold but can't find it

rbdaves
Explorer
Explorer
We have a 1996 Grand Teton San Diego II 38-foot fifth wheel. There is a musty odor that is very elusive that we can smell occasionally at the front door and in the kitchen area. There are no signs of water damage anywhere. We've taken out all the kitchen drawers and looked under the counter and its dry. We've inspected the backs of the cupboards and they are dry. We've run the A/C and heater and did not smell anything.
We had the roof re-sealed a couple years ago. Any ideas?
Ron
20 REPLIES 20

the_bear_II
Explorer
Explorer
We had a small leak under the sink that filled up a pan with a dish towel in it. The towel became moldy and caused the smell. When we opened the cabinet couldn't see any evidence of water or mold. It wasn't until we pulled out the pans that we discovered the pan/wet towel.

Had to replace the faucet to fix the leak.

rbdaves
Explorer
Explorer
We don't use the water pump because our rig is permanently parked in an RV park. However...good point. I'll check this.
Ron

John_Joey
Explorer
Explorer
Did they hide the water pump under one of the kitchen drawers? They do leak sometimes.
There’s no fool, like an old fool.

OhhWell
Explorer
Explorer
Well, if you smell it, then you have it. Look for sagging material under the 5er. Push on all of the wood you can underneath to feel for softness. If it ever did leak up top, eventually the water found its way to the bottom and stayed there. The kitchen area usually has holes to allow plumbing into the underbelly.

It's possible you have enough moisture to have mold but it hasn't been long enough to really feel the soft wood. Keep looking, hopefully you will find the problem area.
1998 bounder 36s V10 F53

rbdaves
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for the input. We don't have a bench but a table and chairs across from the kitchen. There isn't any evidence of dampness there.
Ron

Cuffs054
Explorer
Explorer
I found mine under the bench of the dinette. I had some stuff stored in the cabinet and pulled it out to find the rug wet.