formaldehyde smell

[Chowan]

I had someone post a question about formaldehyde smell in their rv. I did not the the answer but it got me to wondering. How many of you have problem with formaldehyde smell. What components have formaldehyde. And why after a long period of time it does nt gas out. Which
motorhome manufacturers use a high formaldehyde content.

[rgatijnet1]

Formaldehyde is used in so many products that it is next to impossible to avoid it entirely. It is used in carpets, adhesives, plastics, draperies, plywood, particle board, some paints and other finishes, as well as some personal care products, and foods.
If you think back you may remember the big problem FEMA had with the temporary trailers that were supplied for hurricane Katrina victims.
At that time they recommended increased ventilation until the levels were reduced.
In any case, you may not always smell formaldehyde but they do make detectors that can tell you the level of formaldehyde in the air as well as test strips to tell you the amount of formaldehyde in your food. Formaldehyde is used in many food products to extend the shelf life.

[dougrainer]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Just google formaldehyde to see the dangers short term and long term. And double that risk for children.

Seems to be found more so in TT's.
I wanted a TT for my first RV and every one I walked into on the lot made my eyes burn. Salesman said oh that's ok the smell will go away. Well the formaldehyde itself is still there after the smell subsides.:R
I did not buy a TT.

If you open the door to an RV and can smell formaldehyde do not buy it. If you care about your and your families health. There is enough scientific studies proving it IS harmful and can cause permanent damage. Just saying.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mmg/mmg.asp?id=216&tid=39

This has been in the news for 35 years. Especially after Hurricane Katrina. Nobody has ever been harmed by the outgassing of RV's. Yes, you do get the smell, but that is because they are NEW and have been closed up and subjected to high inside temps. They DO dissipate that odor after a few months of use and allowing the RV to air out. Doug

[RayChez]

In 2003 we were looking at motorhomes at Beaksley's in Unidilla, Ga and they sold Beavers and Wanderlodge coaches. Well, we went into a Beaver Marquis 42' beautiful coach, but as soon as we walked in the burning sensation on our eyes was simply terrible. I blamed it on the high gloss varnish or varathane on the cabinets, but it was the formaldehyde that they use to preserve the wood used on these coaches.

[Chowan]

zach477 wrote:
After I bougt mine, it had to sit in storage for a month in the middle of summer. I didn't have vent covers installed yet, so I left the vents shut. Baking in the sun without ventilation really brought out the RV smell, but now that I'm living in it fulltime it's completely gone.

The cat litter box on the other hand.....

This might work with the cat box...

An alternative plan is to convert the formaldehyde gas into a harmless compound through a chemical reaction with ammonia gas. We haven't heard of this one before, but it may be worth a try. The theory works this way: formaldehyde and ammonia are similar in their chemical makeup. When these two gasses are combined, the resulting product is water and a harmless compound called an imine.

In practice, place open containers (bowls or pans) of household ammonia into a closed RV and leave them unattended for three days. One web site claims this will effectively neutralize the formaldehyde gas. They recommend the use of lemon scented ammonia--probably for reasons pleasing to the nose. Whether it would work to try the "cooking" process at the same time isn't clear.

[2gypsies1]

Our new Newmar motorhome didn't have any bad smells.

[zach477]

After I bougt mine, it had to sit in storage for a month in the middle of summer. I didn't have vent covers installed yet, so I left the vents shut. Baking in the sun without ventilation really brought out the RV smell, but now that I'm living in it fulltime it's completely gone.

The cat litter box on the other hand.....

[rockhillmanor]

Just google formaldehyde to see the dangers short term and long term. And double that risk for children.

Seems to be found more so in TT's.
I wanted a TT for my first RV and every one I walked into on the lot made my eyes burn. Salesman said oh that's ok the smell will go away. Well the formaldehyde itself is still there after the smell subsides.:R
I did not buy a TT.

If you open the door to an RV and can smell formaldehyde do not buy it. If you care about your and your families health. There is enough scientific studies proving it IS harmful and can cause permanent damage. Just saying.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mmg/mmg.asp?id=216&tid=39

[J-Rooster]

I own a 04 Winnebago top of the line gas coach and I can't remember ever smelling formaldehyde.

[MitchF150]

I bought my brand new trailer in July 2002 and it was bad... The mattress the most once I took the plastic wrap off of it...

I left all the windows and vents wide open during the day and even pulled the mattress out and let it sit in the sun, then left the windows cracked open at night for a couple of WEEKS.. I wasn't able to go out on it's first trip for about a month after I got it home due to work, but I'm glad I had that time to air it out first! I think it was the cabinets and the mattress that had it in my case.

Good luck!

Mitch

[MountainAir05]

Here is a link for hopefully a current list. A lot of things has it. Most thing this day have it list on the label.

http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/search?tbl=TblChemicals&queryx=50-00-0

[Mr_Mark1]

I remember when we took delivery of our new 2008 Monaco Dynasty, my eyes did burn for a few weeks (not every time). I don't recall a smell other than the 'new' smell.

Our current new coach, my eyes haven't burned. I love the new coach smell.

MM.

[Ranger_Smith]

Usually the cheaper units have the higher formaldehyde content in them. Some units I have been in have actually made my eyes burn.