Toxins?

[diver110]

I am an RV newbie, was thinking of some other types, but now am leaning to a 5th wheel. My German girlfriend is, well, German. She is worried about toxins in RV's. Is this an issue? (She notes that all rver's who died from their rv's won't be responding.) Are their safer brands?

[2112]

I bought a 2002 KZ and it off-gassed formaldehyde for about a year. It burned our eye's and we had difficult breathing at times. It cleared up after about a year of venting.

I have since bought a 2011 Keystone and a 2013 KZ with no problems.
The Keystone did have a slight smell at first but soon cleared up. Maybe because of all the popcorn we popped in it 🙂
The new KZ FW does not off-gas that I can tell.

[Michael_in_MN]

diver110 wrote:
We looked at eome used ones and detected no smell. As others have said, I think this is a very individual matter. Listen to your body!

It's possible that the azdel and aluminum construction of Camplite's might work for you. The standard camper has aluminum floors, no carpet, no osb, no chip board or plywood. The Camplite's made up through early 2011 even had aluminum interior walls (no azdel), and with a customer order you still should be able to get one with no azdel.

Mine has azdel wall panels and had some 'new camper smell', but it dissipated over time. On any camper the appliances will all have a 'new appliance smell'. It also should dissipate over time.

Like your girlfriend, my wife and I don't like the idea of breathing synthetic chemicals from unknown sources that have not been tested for safety. The Camplite wasn't too bad that way, so we are happy with it.

As far as used campers, you'll likely not have the manufacturing by-products, but you will have whatever the previous owner left behind (cat & dog debris, cigarette smoke, etc).

[diver110]

Bumpyroad wrote:

diver110 wrote:
Well, yesterday my girl friend and I spent about an hour looking at different brands of new RV's. They all had a funny smell, and we both had headaches by the time we were done. I don't think of myself as especially sensitive to such things. Definitely buying used.

don't suppose you could identify some of those units that were "contaminated". I'd probably make a trip to see them and to tell if we are dealing with a couple of hypochondriacs.
bumpy

Mostly Northwood TT's. We are still struggling with the FW/TT debate. We also looked at a different brands, Evo and one I forget, Westwood? We looked at eome used ones and detected no smell. As others have said, I think this is a very individual matter. Listen to your body!

[Bumpyroad]

diver110 wrote:
Well, yesterday my girl friend and I spent about an hour looking at different brands of new RV's. They all had a funny smell, and we both had headaches by the time we were done. I don't think of myself as especially sensitive to such things. Definitely buying used.

don't suppose you could identify some of those units that were "contaminated". I'd probably make a trip to see them and to tell if we are dealing with a couple of hypochondriacs.
bumpy

[WoodGlue]

I'll say it again; Lance is the ONLY travel trailer/camper I've ever been in that is totally devoid of any scent or smell.

Those smells can be so obnoxious. At an RV show I went to last year, I heard one salesman telling a couple that they could pop some popcorn and that "should take care of any odors" I about died laughing!!

WoodGlue

[diver110]

Well, yesterday my girl friend and I spent about an hour looking at different brands of new RV's. They all had a funny smell, and we both had headaches by the time we were done. I don't think of myself as especially sensitive to such things. Definitely buying used.

[joebedford]

Time for a new girlfriend.

[Paul_Clancy]

diver110 wrote:

Paul Clancy wrote:
My 2014 5th wheel came with carb certification and the of gassing was MUCH less than our 2007 when new.

Which 5th Wheel did you buy?

Prime time Crusader 295rst

[NMace]

aruba5er wrote:
Our RV'S are built by the same people that supplied the mobile homes for Katrina and all those people that were sickened and want to sue the goverment. They got free housing and some slippery lawyer saw a way to get money. The same rv's that we willinly bought with our own money that we use daily/weekly/full time without getting sick.Imagine that. If it were that bad, every last one of us would be sick. The RV industry would have closed a long time ago.I do think that the paneling and carpet off gas as mentioned, but with time it goes away. My family and I feel comportable using our camper and we bought new and I don't see any sickness.

+1, it was a money making hoax that worked.

[wingcat]

Over time we have bought 5 new RV's and happy to say Im alive and well.

[WoodGlue]

Challeno, LOL @ that picture!

[thomasmnile]

OP: This "war" was recently fought on the TT forum HERE. There are manufacturers (Evergreen & Jayco come to mind) that build CARB compliant RV's. I would not doubt there are others, just have to search websites if this is a concern to you or your girlfriend. But, would have to agree with others if we were all getting killed off by the "vapors", this would be a forum full of ghosts. :B

[challeno]

HURRY UP !! I'm ready to go campin' ! :B

[Bumpyroad]

sue.t wrote:


So one needs to know what makes them sick and be aware. And others need to accept their word that something is a health risk, without making fun of them. For me, having viral meningitis more than a dozen times hasn't been a laughing matter ...

I fail to see the connection between catching a virus and being exposed to outgassing. and a dozen times, sounds like there is a much deeper story here.
bumpy