Sewer odor inside of rig

Could it be possible that the installer used some type of sealant during the installation and what you're smelling is the sealant off-gassing? Silicone sealant has a distinctive odor, something akin to vinegar.

Your post starts out 'we had a new toilet installed'. That suggests to me that everything was fine before.

That leaves two possibilities:
a) There is something wrong with the new toilet; or
b) The toilet was installed without the floor flange gasket or with the old one and it isn't up to the task.



Stu

I agree that is the smell is only when flushing it could be your roof tank vent may be clogged &/or your tank needs to be thoroughly cleaned.

If you have a tank flushing system use it every time you dump until you get result. If you don't have this flushing system add some plain old blue Dawn (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup) fill the tank to almost completely full then take it for a drive or let it set unused for several hours. Then dump the tank and run water through the tank using water from a hose down the toilet or holding the flush lever until the water seems to run clearer. You may need to do this several times if there is a build-up.

As mentioned, always leave your black tank valve shut until it is quite full then dump and flush as needed. And fill the bowl with quite a bit of water to be sure there is more water in the tank than solids.

It can be very frustrating to ride down the road in an "outhouse". There are additives to help with the smell but some of those smell worse than what it's trying to cover up. Good luck!

Lots of good ideas so far. I had another thought, some of the toilets have an open area below the valve that catch debris.

IMO this type of toilet is gross and a bad design. I don't know the exact one, but I know it is a Thetford and is the least expensive one they sell and usually a hand flush. I have seen them go for about $100.

Once we figured out the design of this toilet, two friends of mine brought home brand new RV's and changed out the toilet the first day at home.

If you open the toilet valve and look in there with a flashlight you should see a straight pipe to the holding tank. If not and you see an open area, that may be your problem because there is no way to clean this catch area.

Just a thought.....

lizbroughton wrote:
This odor is only when flushing it smells more like garlic. I am wondering if it is something to do with the seals. We won't be back in FL (repair man) till Nov. I guess we have to just grin and bear it.

IF you are only smell the odor WHEN you flush then the toilet seals are doing their job.......sealing out odors from tank

Now it sounds more like your black tank has an odor problem.
Solids dried out and have maybe piled up.
Need to really clean out the black tank.......1/4 full and dump several bags of ice cubes down toilet then go for a ride (travel day is good time). Then dump and flush tank.
May even need to get a 'digester' *fast acting enzyme to break up solids.

Any stuff stuck to bottom of tank will stink...the more stuff the more stink

Good luck, BTW we met several years ago at an RV.NET Rally at Puddingstone :-)

As soon as I saw your name I knew I met you back in CA. WE are now fulltimers and living between NJ and FL. Take care and thanks for the info.

lizbroughton wrote:
This odor is only when flushing it smells more like garlic. I am wondering if it is something to do with the seals. We won't be back in FL (repair man) till Nov. I guess we have to just grin and bear it.

IMHO, JMHO I would call a mobile repair guy where you are at now and have it looked at. Sewer gas is just as dangerous as any other gas. You can become sick from it or worse in an enclosed area like a MH.

You should have someone look at it. Sure sounds like it was the installation if you didn't have that problem before.

x2 on that batteries smell like sulfur when they are boiling over.

I spent a whole week smelling sulfur and kept writing it off to the well water nearby.....that is until my fridge and AC stopped working correctly and found out my converter was overcharging the battery and boiling it to almost explosion time! :B

Do you have a fan on when you are flushing? Our Fantastic Fan will overpower the black tank roof vent and draw smells into the bathroom. Turn it off when actually flushing, it might help.

We also added Venturi roof vent caps that help.

lizbroughton wrote:
I guess we have to just grin and bear it.

Hi Liz, In the mean time I have found this product to be very effective at reducing odors. It has a nice orange sent too.

It comes in a liquid and a powder and is also available on Amazon Best price when on sale is CW but shipping is super high.

For a problem as bad as you describe I would double or triple the dose, it will not hurt anything.

Good luck, BTW we met several years ago at an RV.NET Rally at Puddingstone :-)

Take care, Gary

This odor is only when flushing it smells more like garlic. I am wondering if it is something to do with the seals. We won't be back in FL (repair man) till Nov. I guess we have to just grin and bear it.