New TT off-gassing period?

[MookieKat]

How long does it take for a new TT to stop off-gassing? I have problems with the fumes from new trailers. It makes me feel ill.

[MookieKat]

From what I have read and experienced, VOCs off-gas the most when new and the odors either disappear or dwindle, but some never stop off-gassing.

I have now pretty much decided that if I can't tolerate the odor when I am shopping, then I will not be able to buy it. If all else fails, we may have to get an old airstream, gut it out and redo it ourselves with materials that we can tolerate.

[coolbreeze01]

Doesn't every confined space off-gas to a certain extent? New homes/buildings, RV's, cars, you name it. Gassing happens, nothing is immune, and it doesn't just magically quit in a certain time-frame. Good luck.

[Terryallan]

MookieKat wrote:
That is amazing!! Jaycos are supposed to be green!!

Notice. I said "of that year" meaning 2004. however. They still have a pretty strong odor. But no longer make your eyes water.

[MookieKat]

That is amazing!! Jaycos are supposed to be green!!

[Terryallan]

MookieKat wrote:
Here is a possibility. I found this new Coachmen Apex 214RB about 40 minutes from our house. Price is $17,000. Why so low? The same floorplan in a FF is $22,000!

Is Coachmen an inferior product compared to the Fun Finder?

Uh no. Could it be the difference in dealers? I know here. We have a dealer that is thousands higher on the same unit you can get at another dealer.

And again for the smell. Our 2004 Fleetwood had no formadihide small. But the Jaycos, and Sunlines, of that year, were so bad you couldn't get your breath in them.

[WoodGlue]

westend wrote:

MookieKat wrote:
Very helpful website!! This is the TRA's listing of all the green certified TTs and their level of rating.

http://www.certifiedgreenrvs.com/greenRVs.html

From this site, we have narrowed down our choices to Evergreen and Coachmen - Freedom Express or Catalina. These have the highest rating in terms of indoor air quality. Whew!! What a relief to find this type of info!!

Hmmm, I looked through the TRA website and my impression is that they are selling that neat green stamp to some of the trailer mfg's. If you look through their criteria for certification and the few material suppliers that are listed, it becomes evident that material science is not their long suit. Two other things that sent a red flag up for me were the classification system, "gold, silver, emerald", etc. and their location, Elkhart, IN.

X2 westend

Looks like they are able to "buy" their certifications through a partisan website or program.

I wouldn't trust their certification standards.

Better to go to the States and counties where the Trailers are being manufactured and see for yourself the "stringency" needed to produce or manufacture their trailers.

California and Oregon are 2 that come to mind when you mention "green or go" states.

Here is the website:

"Certified Green RV"

WoodGlue

[westend]

MookieKat wrote:
Very helpful website!! This is the TRA's listing of all the green certified TTs and their level of rating.

http://www.certifiedgreenrvs.com/greenRVs.html

From this site, we have narrowed down our choices to Evergreen and Coachmen - Freedom Express or Catalina. These have the highest rating in terms of indoor air quality. Whew!! What a relief to find this type of info!!

Hmmm, I looked through the TRA website and my impression is that they are selling that neat green stamp to some of the trailer mfg's. If you look through their criteria for certification and the few material suppliers that are listed, it becomes evident that material science is not their long suit. Two other things that sent a red flag up for me were the classification system, "gold, silver, emerald", etc. and their location, Elkhart, IN.

[MookieKat]

Very helpful website!! This is the TRA's listing of all the green certified TTs and their level of rating.

http://www.certifiedgreenrvs.com/greenRVs.html

From this site, we have narrowed down our choices to Evergreen and Coachmen - Freedom Express or Catalina. These have the highest rating in terms of indoor air quality. Whew!! What a relief to find this type of info!!

[PenMan]

MookieKat wrote:

PenMan wrote:
Our Roo hybrid had a smell to it when we first got it. I opened some windows and ran the fan for a couple of days and the smell went away. Never came back even after being closed up for the winter. When we got our new 2013 Open Range this year it did not have any smell.

What make is the Open Range?

The make is Open Range. The model we have is the Journeyer in our signature.

[2112]

I don't know if KZ went 'green' but our 2013 Durango had no smell while our 2002 Sportsmen was unbearable for a few months.

[MookieKat]

Here is a possibility. I found this new Coachmen Apex 214RB about 40 minutes from our house. Price is $17,000. Why so low? The same floorplan in a FF is $22,000!

Is Coachmen an inferior product compared to the Fun Finder?

[MookieKat]

If it does not bother you, then you may be OK. If I had not felt ill around chemicals, then this would not be an issue...to find a "green" trailer. Some people are allergic to these chemicals and cannot tolerate them. Just like someone with strong food allergies...they get very ill, to the point of death.

So...I did not see it as sarcasm, but since you explained, it just shows that you perhaps you have not experienced any allergies, so you have no point of reference to have any empathy. I am really happy for you that you have not suffered in these ways!

[thomasmnile]

rockhillmanor wrote:
new smell and fragrant? Open a few windows and it will be just fine?

Look up formaldehyde. Toxic when off gassing and continues to be harmful in small confined areas like an RV 'especially' for children. 😞

I live in a stick n' brick with Owens Corning "pink" insulation, formaldehyde used in the manufacturing process. Not dead yet! Have granite and quartz countertops as well, OMG!! Radon gas, oh the humanity.

My point is I don't decide how stuff is made, have no control over what's in it. All in all, chemicals have been more of a boon to modern living than bane. Life is managing risk, no one has a promise of life eternal..........but that's just me. YMMV. Guess in the context of my post the mild sarcasm of "fragrant" escaped you. The OP is being given some good info, but as he will discover, an RV constructed of material with minimal alleged carcinogens and VOC's may cost him a price premium he doesn't want to pay. We just stumbled on the fact Jayco is building CARB/Calif. Prop 65 compliant RV's. They still emit a smell new that readily dissipates when the trailer is ventilated.

[MookieKat]

I just found out that Apex is by Coachmen, and this is on the Green list, so that must be why you did not smell anything.

Now, with my new list in hand, I will be a more informed shopper!

[westend]

duped