My 36.5 foot Class A sits next to the garage in Florida heat all day. When I walk in, it literally takes your breath away. There is also a smell to the RV. It is hard to describe, it's just almost like a mild chemical smell. It's not horrible, but it is also not a pleasant or welcoming scent and I cant seem to get rid of it. I was told that ventilation is the best way to prevent odors, so I figure properly venting the unit will help with both issues. I am hoping for some tips here.Currently I have only 2 vents in the entire coach. One is the standard vent in the bathroom with a fan, and the other is centralized in the living area.Neither of these have a vent cover to prevent rain from entering. I will be putting vent covers on both of these.Feel free to tell me if this is a bad idea or overkill, but what I would like to do is replace the fan in the bathroom with a higher quality, reversible direction fan that will pump air into the unit. Then I would like to install a fan in the other vent that is in the living area that blows air out. This would provide a constant airflow through the unit.My Only concern is dirt and pollen. If I have a fan "pulling" air into the unit, it will certainly pull dirt and pollen in and it will get everywhere (Florida Pine trees are horrible). Another suggestion was to just put the fan in the Roof Vent in the main area (blowing air up and out of the unit) and then just cracking some windows. This would pull air in from the windows, and out through the fan...Similar to old attic Fan setups in houses for cooling. Again, this solution would introduce dirt and pollen.Also, I would plan on leaving the fan(s) on at all times during storage.The RV is always plugged into power during storage so that is not an issue.So, does anyone know of a filtration system that would work, or is this just a horrible idea?

You only need one fan, We have the same setup as you want and the one fan works great. Yes you do get dust in, but you could set up a filter to help. We have this, http://www.fantasticvent.com/ and it comes with a shut off if raining. We also have the full cover over it so if wanted it will stay running. We spend a couple months a year in Jacksonville.

You might also consider rigging some sort of shade cover, elevated a foot or so over the top.There are lots of options here:Shade Cloth StoreThat plus the vent cover & fan combo should really cool it down.

Put a small pleated furnace filter taped to an open window to trap the dust & pollen.

A fan cannot blow air out unless there is an equal amount of air coming in. If you only have one (or more) out-blowing fan, then the inward air flow will come through miscellaneous cracks and leaks throughout the RV.If you have one or more windows open, most of the inward airflow will come through the windows. This gives you more control. Make sure the open windows are at the opposite end of the RV from the outblowing fan.You could try rigging up a furnace/AC -type filter over an open window or two. The filter would have to have enough airflow that it is still easier for air to come in through the filter than to come in through the miscellaneous cracks. This would be more likely to work if you do two windows, rather than one. More airflow.You could also save on electricity by having a LOT of open windows with filters, ideally some windows that are high up and on the sunny side of the rig (for warm air to go out) and some that are low down and on the shady side (for cooler air to come in).

Along with adding vent covers to both vents I think the easiest fan mod for the living area vent would be a Hengs Vortex II conversion kit. The mod does not require removing your existing vent, and the fan is multi-speed and reversible. I did this mod on our previous '96 Coachmen Catalina Class A, and it worked very well for our ventilation requirements. I was able to fish the wires for the 12VDC power by tunneling through the foam insulation with a straightened coat hanger to the near by AC duct, and then to a light fixture.

Ventilation for heat and smell | Good Sam Community

rockhillmanor
Explorer II
Jun 15, 2015
I just bought a home here in Florida and my MH has been parked now for over a year. I have NO smells inside. The only thing I do is I have 2 covered roof vents that are left open all the time to allow the heat to escape.

If you have a bad smell in your coach, you need to look at WHY first.

It should NOT smell. If just sitting parked were the cause for smells then each and every RV in the dealership lots in Florida would all smell.

Venting, adding fans etc. is not really solving the problem it's just moving the smell. Just saying find the source of the smell.

One suggestion:

All the p-traps in an RV sitting, "not being used" in hot weather, have to be 'constantly' filled because the water evaporates allowing black and gray tank smell into the inside of the RV.

Amazingly the water in the p-traps evaporates quicker than you'd think. Especially in Florida during the summer months.
Pass42
Explorer
Jun 15, 2015
We just installed a Vortex fan replacement in our bathroom vent... easy job & amazing difference in performance over the original fan... and quieter!!!
As far as vents, I just added MaxxAir 00-455000 Louvered Window Vents to four slider windows... so now, I can leave them open about 4-5" and not have any rain issues..and a huge increase in air flow thru the bus.. MaxxAir has discontinued these units, however, Camping World has about 115 in stock systemwide.. Their price, if you are a Good Sam member, is $47.00
Hank_MI
Explorer
Jun 14, 2015
Our previous motorhome had vent covers over 2 of the vents, I'll have to add them to the current motorhome. I left the vents partially open all the time. Granted this is not Fl but it does get hot and humid here in the summer. Never developed an odor when closed up for extended periods. Got pretty hot inside but never an odor.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Jun 14, 2015
Vent covers and leaving the vents open will help a lot.

Since you're storing it on your property next to the garage, window awnings would help. Plus, you could then leave the windows open while you're at the house.

Use the insulated foil to cover the inside of your windshield. However, the heat first hits the outside so a good window covering on the outside windshield would help greatly.

If you have a pine pollen problem I wouldn't leave the fans running and pulling in dirt and pollen.

Perhaps the smell you have is the beginning of a mold problem. Check your ceiling and walls for any water damage issues. Keep your mattress pulled away from the wall a foot of so so air can reach that wall. Keep your cabinet doors open to let air circulate. You also might consider running a dehumidifier since you're there to keep a watch on it or let it drain into a sink and keep your gray valve open.

Since you're in Florida you have more moisture issues than those of us our in the Western states.

Good luck.
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Jun 14, 2015
See if you have a rental store near you that will rent an ozone generator. These are used to remove odors from buildings after floods, fires, dead bodies, etc.
Besides removing the odors it will kill any existing mold and mildew.
Once you have things back to neutral, and you make sure that you have no dead critters in the basement compartments or in the bottoms of any of the cabinets, then you can worry about ventilation. Pull out all drawers to make sure that no food dropped behind them.
I live on a lake and less than a mile from the Gulf and all I do to ventilate my coach when it is in storage is to open the top power vent covers. I have the vent covers that will allow the vents to be open even during rain. I do not run any fans and allow the normal convection currents of hot air rising to circulate the air.
I've been doing this for many many years and have not had any mold or mildew or odor problems.
I think you will find the odor to be from some food left in a cabinet or a dead critter in a hidden area.
LVJ58
Explorer
Jun 14, 2015
For venting our coach I open a window in the cockpit about a quarter of the way and one in our bed room the same then set ceiling vent fan to exhaust air out seems to work fairly well.
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Jun 14, 2015
Along with adding vent covers to both vents I think the easiest fan mod for the living area vent would be a Hengs Vortex II conversion kit. The mod does not require removing your existing vent, and the fan is multi-speed and reversible. I did this mod on our previous '96 Coachmen Catalina Class A, and it worked very well for our ventilation requirements. I was able to fish the wires for the 12VDC power by tunneling through the foam insulation with a straightened coat hanger to the near by AC duct, and then to a light fixture.
Naio
Explorer II
Jun 14, 2015
A fan cannot blow air out unless there is an equal amount of air coming in.

If you only have one (or more) out-blowing fan, then the inward air flow will come through miscellaneous cracks and leaks throughout the RV.

If you have one or more windows open, most of the inward airflow will come through the windows. This gives you more control. Make sure the open windows are at the opposite end of the RV from the outblowing fan.

You could try rigging up a furnace/AC -type filter over an open window or two. The filter would have to have enough airflow that it is still easier for air to come in through the filter than to come in through the miscellaneous cracks. This would be more likely to work if you do two windows, rather than one. More airflow.

You could also save on electricity by having a LOT of open windows with filters, ideally some windows that are high up and on the sunny side of the rig (for warm air to go out) and some that are low down and on the shady side (for cooler air to come in).
pkunk
Explorer
Jun 14, 2015
Put a small pleated furnace filter taped to an open window to trap the dust & pollen.
coolmom42
Explorer II
Jun 14, 2015
You might also consider rigging some sort of shade cover, elevated a foot or so over the top.

There are lots of options here:

Shade Cloth Store

That plus the vent cover & fan combo should really cool it down.

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