Either smell in coach

mowermech wrote:

Robt65 wrote:

suggested I get a hotel for the next couple of nights and then call the plant on Monday and see exactly what they did and the connection to any smell. Sounds like the best idea yet. Thanks for the responses

If the house batteries are in the center of the coach, they should be on a slide-out tray so they can be serviced, as in water check and refill, and terminal cleaning.
If glues were used in the repair work, the odor should be acetone or methyl ethyl ketone or some other solvent, probably not ether.

Hopefully the OP will post back as to what occurred and if it's been resolved.

As a note, FT uses AGM or Gel batteries for the house batteries, so no regular maintenance other than checking/tightening/cleaning connections.

Not sure if the OP meant a slide BLADDER replacement as opposed to a slide. If the latter, the bladder is held in place with a VHB-type adhesive. The old bladder and all its adhesive has to be removed, the surface cleaned, an adhesion promoter used, then the adhesive itself. That could be the source of a lingering odor. The bladder is adhered to the sides of the opening of the sidewall (the slides get pushed into the coach in these later-year models), so it is possible that he/she could smell any leftover solvent, adhesion promotor, etc.

If it was a complete slide replacement, dang - what the heck happened?

Robt65 wrote:
I really appreciate all the feedback. Fridge sits in a 42 foot Foretravel MH it is a standard house fridge - no gas - called poison control they responded - smelled the same as I - so at least I know I am not loopy (smiling)!

Coach batteries are easy to reach - House batteries are dead center under the coach. Only way to them is to crawl under. Good engineering huh!!!!!

suggested I get a hotel for the next couple of nights and then call the plant on Monday and see exactly what they did and the connection to any smell. Sounds like the best idea yet. Thanks for the responses

If it is a residential fridge, it has some type of freon in it, just like the air conditioning does.
If the house batteries are in the center of the coach, they should be on a slide-out tray so they can be serviced, as in water check and refill, and terminal cleaning.
If glues were used in the repair work, the odor should be acetone or methyl ethyl ketone or some other solvent, probably not ether. Of course, I have no way of knowing, but I suspect that solvent is what you are smelling.
As mentioned, starting fluid is ether. If you have ever used that, you know what ether smells like.

wolfe10 wrote:
Guys, it is ETHER, not EITHER!

Thank you Brett. It has been driving me nuts also!

If you think its battery smell, call your local FD and ask them to check it with a 4 gas meter. They can check for Hydrogen sulfide gas which is what the batteries give off and can be hazardous to you.

Guys, it is ETHER, not EITHER!

the doctor used either on me, when at age 9, i had my appendix removed

smells nothing like battery acid

Robt65 wrote:
Does sulfuric battery acid smell like either? (sp.) I am a little concerned after shop visit.

Assuming you mean ether or diethyl ether. The simple answer no. Ether has a pleasant floral smell with a bit of a lacquer thinner after taste. At least it will for a few minutes, . . . . because if the concentration is high enough, for long enough, it will overcome you like an anesthetic and you will pass out. Until the use of modern anesthetics, ether was commonly used to knock you out before surgery kind of like the dentist uses nitrous oxide today. Unlike nitrous, ether makes you sick and you will often throw up when you wake up. Others have described the smell of H2SO4. (battery acid)

Chum lee

First thing I'd do is disconnect the batteries. Prevents a fire and will help see if the smell goes away. Check under the coach for any leakage. A sweet smell could be your coolant/antifreeze. You're not using your coach as a meth lab right? Just had to ask. :B....hope you get an answer from the people who worked on your coach. Don't forget to ask them if they used chemicals on the slide fix.....Dennis

Antifreeze from genset? Air conditioner leak?

I don't know this is strictly speculation, but, if they removed a slide is there a chance they had to re glue something like carpet, paneling, or weather strip? Some glue especially contact cement have a strong odor!