Smells like bad fridge but no other symptoms

[Snowman9000]

Subject is a 6 week old Class C. We have been camping continuously in it for the past month or so. We drove it to town for groceries. It was parked in a flat Wal-Mart lot, close enough to level for sure. On the way home we kept wondering what in the area smelled like rotten eggs. That's as close as I can describe it, like SO2.

Back at the CG, we realized the smell was inside the rig, not out in the environment. I plugged into shore power. We can't notice the smell now. Although, out of concern, I shut the fridge off a few minutes ago. But it did seem to be going away.

Before turning it off, I took the exterior panel off the fridge compartment. No smell, no yellow, no nothing. Inside the fridge, everything is likewise looking fine. Temps were quite cold in both compartments. Other than smell, have I looked for all the possible clues for a fridge going bad?

It doesn't smell quite like batteries gassing. But not all that different either. It's possible. Like the poster of a month ago with a similar situation, it's thunderstorming right now, but in AZ instead of FL, lol. So I can't check the batteries. It does not smell like grey or waste water, or pet urine. Anyway, focusing on the fridge for now, what else can I do to check it or watch it? We'd like to keep using it, obviously, if it is not the problem.

[wa8yxm]

Bad Fridge is Ammonia, Rotting Eggs is Sulfur Dioxide, Batteries, Sewage system (Black/gray tank) or bacteria in water heater with high sulfur water.

NOTE: I did not put those in the proper order, I think I listed 1,3,2.. but I could be wrong.

Unless. of course, you have rotting eggs in the fridge.

[Snowman9000]

We sanitized it before filling. And we've used the WH every day for weeks. It was turned off during the smell episode though. But I do think it is somehow water related as suggested by several of you. Maybe a vent check valve, or P-trap. Today we drove quite a bit, and no smell. I am closing the book on it.

[westend]

Probably hydrogen sulfide gas and if I had to pick a culprit, it would be the water in the water heater. Did you sanitize the potable water system before filling?

[Snowman9000]

RVnRobin wrote:
Humm... Your rig is only 6 weeks old?
I would guess instead of some appliance issue, you are smelling the outgassing Formaldehyde or some other manufacturing chemical from the new construction. Smells sorta like SO2 but not really. Sometimes what some people call the "new car" smell is just construction chemicals. Cloth, foam, paneling, laminate, etc will all outgas for a short time. When you get a chance, just open all the windows and vents and let the breeze blow thru. It will go away after a couple days.

Yeah, we had some smells at first. But we have been camping in it for 5 weeks. It came right off the assembly line to our dealer, and we left for this trip the next day. Had to escape winter before we couldn't get away. 🙂 So anyway, that's not it. This smell came suddenly, yesterday. We shall see what today's travels bring.

[John_Joey]

For us most of our "strange" smells always seem to be plumbing related. Here is a list of a few I've had:

• P-trap has crud in it;
• Above the P-trap a film of yuck;
• Air check valve under sinks not closing;
• Hair/soap in shower trap;
• Hot water tank full of crud and smells when running hot water, and;
• Toilet not holding water.

[RVnRobin]

Humm... Your rig is only 6 weeks old?
I would guess instead of some appliance issue, you are smelling the outgassing Formaldehyde or some other manufacturing chemical from the new construction. Smells sorta like SO2 but not really. Sometimes what some people call the "new car" smell is just construction chemicals. Cloth, foam, paneling, laminate, etc will all outgas for a short time. When you get a chance, just open all the windows and vents and let the breeze blow thru. It will go away after a couple days.

[ScottG]

When a fridge fails and smells, it a powerful ammonia odor; not rotten eggs.

[Snowman9000]

I got a chance to look at the house and chassis batteries, after the fact of course. They look fine, but I didn't open the caps. Yeah, the smell did go away when parked, and hooked up to shore power. After sitting with the fridge off for an hour, I turned it back on and still no smell.

The stove burners were off at the time, my DW went back to check while we were driving and smelling it. The HW tank was off too. Well, we have to drive tomorrow to a new CG, so I'll be observant. We didn't imagine the smell.

[BFL13]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi BFL13,

Charging a battery that has failed will produce more hydrogen sulfide gas, not less.

That would suggest, since the smell went away after plugging into shore power, it is not the battery? Back to the hot water tank? Sink P-traps?

Not supposed to drive with any ventilation caps or windows open in case of the sink/bathtub P-traps getting sucked out and allowing tank smells up into the rig. Once parked, P-traps fill and smell goes away?

[pianotuna]

Hi BFL13,

Charging a battery that has failed will produce more hydrogen sulfide gas, not less.

[BFL13]

Google "RV rotten egg smell"--it's all about the hot water tank. If it is battery, you just plugged into shore power, and the smell went-- no load on battery now, so that might be another thing.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Sounds more like a propane leak. Could a burner have been bumped on by accident?

[kalynzoo]

Check your batteries. A bad battery cell might be boiling. Also check the vent pipes for the grey and black tanks. If you think it could be a tank smell those vortex caps (looks sort of like a weather vane) definitely help lift the odors from the tanks. And look in the outside base of the frig for any "yellow signs" which would indicate a coolant lose in the frig.
Good luck