Unknown odor - what is it? where is it?

[purpleinnej]

We have an odor. It's kind of faint, but obvious when first walking into the camper. After inside for a while, we "adjust" to the smell and can't really smell it as strongly, but it's there.

The problem: we can't locate the source to properly eliminate/clean it. So what are we not thinking of? Here's what it's not (we think):
1. The fridge
2. The tank(s) - both emptied and not really that full when we first noticed the smell. Also, we've had the "full gray tank" smell before and this is different.
3. "Storage" odor. We were on day 3 of a 10 day trip when it was noticed.

We've opened every storage section to try to sniff it out to no avail. It kind of reminds me of a dead animal, but I don't know where to LOOK for one? We've tried to follow the smell to locate it, but it doesn't seem stronger in any place or another, but a more general "all over" smell.

[captnjack]

If it smells like a dead animal it probably is a dead animal. Or spoiled food, but I suspect you would have found that by now. I doubt mold/mildew/moisture would cause that exact type of smell. Same for sewer gas and bad water in tanks.

[DRbillZ]

Potatoes can smell foul also when they rot.

[Bonnie19]

If it is a mouse the smell shouldn't persist more than a month or two at best. They smell horrible for a while but eventually dry up and no longer smell. If it has been longer then that I pray it isn't mold. Check your roof/seals/windows and anywhere else for leaks and give it all fresh caulk/silicone sealant. You might think of removing some of the interior panels to take a look.

[DRbillZ]

Just bought a used camper. It smelled like rotten apples. The source? Glade plug-in sour apple!!! Never met a Glade plug-in I liked.

[Chuck_S]

Empty P-traps has been mentioned. It's the reason we close the stoppers on our sink drains when the trailer is out of service. A good dose of bleach in the grey tank will help too.

-- Chuck

[rbq]

Could also be smell from hot water heater. Drain & rinse out the hot water heater.

[Oasisbob]

We found a bag of hot dog buns had got behind the inside shelf under the sink maybe a year back. Green smelly. An easy fix. Hope yours is that simple. Let us know if you ever find it.

[dadmomh]

If you have water that's been in the FW tank for a while, you might want to drain it and then re-sanitize the system. We had an odor we just could not track down because we never kept more than just enough water to use while on the road....forgot we'd been on a 10 day trip and didn't empty it. So it sat in the hot sun all that time and was really funky. If that doesn't fix it, at least you'll have a clean water system. Good luck...those issues are a real pain.

[Lynnmor]

You got some good ideas above and I hope that you find it to be a simple fix.
The worst case could be that you have water leaking into the roof or walls causing rot or mold inside where it cannot be seen. Check all your caulking and any possible entry points. Considerable damage can occur before it becomes visible.

[Houston_Remodel]

A Jack Russell will help you locate any animals, dead or alive.

[K_Charles]

We found a dead mouse in the wall behind the tv in an old TT we had.

[galexander]

I had a similar problem several years ago and a friend said to pull out the furnace and check there. Sure enough, one dead decaying mouse. Assume it crawled into furnace area over the winter and died. Something to check if you already haven't.

[ScottG]

Has it been sitting long enough for the P traps to dry up?

[atreis]

Dead mouse trapped somewhere?
Seal on the toilet (the one at the floor)?
Water leak leading to mold/mildew hidden in a wall/ceiling/floor?