Damp smell (1 Viewer)

gazzeroo

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Sep 14, 2014
63
5
Norwich
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I`m a newbie
Could anyone come up with an explanation of this!!!
We just bought our compass drifter 1995 flavour motorhome, Went to York last week for 3 days, not a hint of damp smell anywhere,despite one night of very heavy rain, very relieved. Came home to Norwich Wednesday and van stood til yesterday. When we got in the van saturday morning there was a slight smell of damp coming from the rear end (door and kitchen end). We proceeded on a 50 mile journey the smell seemed to get worse and when we arrived it was quite strong. The smell could not be pinpointed but in the general kitchen, rear door area. We cooked dinner, cleared up, settled down for the evening and the smell gradually disappeared. We have returned home now, again with no smell. I have shut the van up and will go and check in a few hours but all seems normal again. Has anyone had this experience and knows the reason?
cheers! Gazzaeroo
 

DP+JAY

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Mar 17, 2010
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since 2007, 25 years tuggin before that.
Sounds like it might have been from the kitchen sink drain?
If you get it again try putting the plug in the sink.
Ours does it sometimes if we drive with a window open as it sucks he air throught the waste tank breather,
hence we drive with the plugs in, in warm weather.
 

Jackyboy61

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Jun 6, 2014
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Check your grey water tank and give it a good clean with some calgon tabs dissolved in some water and pour it down the sink and shower outlets and go for a drive around ,also check if you have a trap on the waist pipe entering the grey tank ,if not fit one they cost less than a 10er.

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gazzeroo

gazzeroo

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Sep 14, 2014
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Thanks for that, but am I right in thinking that there is a valve on the grey water tank to prevent this?
 

vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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as said use the plugs . or get flat bits of rubber that can lay over the plug/shower drains . also fill the waste tank and let it go full blast none stopping that should help it drain any bits of food etc out .
have a read here,https://sites.google.com/site/cbruni/
its more for rv,s but its interesting and does work.
 

dabhand

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Feb 19, 2014
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there was a slight smell of damp coming from the rear end
It is never pleasant to have a slight smell of damp coming from your rear end!:LOL:

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DP+JAY

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Mar 17, 2010
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Thanks for that, but am I right in thinking that there is a valve on the grey water tank to prevent this?
No, there should be a breather on the waste tank, if air can't get out the water can't get in,& vice-versa, so your sinks would not drain as there would be an air lock.
 
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gazzeroo

gazzeroo

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Sep 14, 2014
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Thanks to everyone, I will take all the suggestions on board
 
Feb 24, 2013
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not long enough
and a dose of the good old Bio washing liquid down through all the plug holes on the sinks and shower will freshen up the plug area and might help freshen the grey tank (y)

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Tootles

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Was a newbie, now a Middie.
and a dose of the good old Bio washing liquid down through all the plug holes on the sink will freshen up the plug area and might help freshen the grey tank (y)
Worked for me!! Thought at first a farmer with his s**t spreader had moved in!. :)
 

Tootles

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It always amazed me just how bad grey tank and its contents can smell

after its only a bit of washing up water :sneaky:
Its the mico-organisms farting, David......Seriously! They live in there, knoshing away at the waste food, skin, whatever, and break wind. This is what you can smell. Add bio, you kill the smell because your killing them!. They do a really good job, but their trouser habits are their death knell......

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Tootles

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Eeerrrmmmm!


Whats a "grey water tank"?


:reel::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
Well, you know that tap you open after a show, the one you leave open when you drive away?? That's coupled to.............
 
Jun 30, 2010
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Aaaahhh! That thingee!:rolleyes:

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TheBig1

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Nov 27, 2011
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many many years! since I was a kid
I suspect that this is more likely the waste tank/pipes stinking, but with an older van, owning a damp meter is essential. check regularly in all the usual weak points as catching it early makes a huge difference to the cost to repair

not massively accurate, but ok for diy, you can buy them under £10
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vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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keeping the waste tank open all the time is one of the problems . you find odd bits of food stay in the tank. better to let it get full then empty the tank . the flow acrioss the bottom of tank sucks out the food bits . must have full flow continuous .

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Oct 20, 2010
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If you have just emptied your grey tank, the water in the waste traps can get sucked out, this happens with our kitchen sink, we just run a tap for a few seconds to refill the trap after dumping the tank. (y)
 

g8ysn

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Jun 5, 2012
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i have fitted u bends on bathroom and kitchen sinks cant get to shower very easily,
 

vwalan

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i have bottle traps in mine but if you drive up mountain passes etc they empty out .
nature of the m,home i think . just cover the plug holes etc it works . u bends , bottle traps unless very deep just arent designed for moving around .

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