Little STINKY :(

WandaLust · 05-06-2009, 11:29 PM

As you folks know, we discovered a leak in the blackwater tank when we went camping recently. The black water soaked into the floor under the fridge and commode and also the wall support. The bad tank was removed and we're waiting for a custom made one to fit the space. I have little faith we'll get it any time soon. Already we got an excuse from the place that took our $500. In any case the smell is awful. We sprayed the soaked area with bleach and formaldehyde and sprayed it with Lysol... the odor remains. Anyone else ever have a problem like this? Unless this odor someone goes away I can't see camping in our little Sunline. Ripping out the wall and flooring isn't an option. Ideas and thoughts anyone.... I'm so disappointed.

nasa42a · 05-07-2009, 10:07 AM

Wanda-Lust....

Back in the '90s Sharon and I rebuilt a 13' U-Haul travel trailer. The all-fiberglass unit was in bad shape.... Among other problems, the prior owner had left a full porta-potti in it over the winter, and of course it froze, cracked, and leaked onto and into the flooring. You could barely stand the smell inside (and I grew up on a farm)!

My ultimate solution was to visit a janitorial supply place and buy what was titled a "malodor counteractant" (fancy name for a heavy-duty deodorant). It had a minty smell somewhat like a commercial bathroom cleaner.

I ended up pouring the stuff full strength (it was designed to be diluted) on some old towels put on the affected floor area. Three months later I was able to rinse the area down and air out the trailer sufficiently to go ahead with the rebuild.

One caveat......for the 1st of the 3 months, you could smell that minty odor outside almost a half a block away. If you go for a "malodor counteractant", if possible see if they've developed something without such a heavy mint odor!

Frank

WandaLust · 05-07-2009, 08:16 PM

Thanks Frank. I'll see if I can find something like that. I remember an Animal Hospital I once worked for years ago had some kind of enzyme that broke down the worst feces and urine odor you can imagine. It was all but odorless. It was a brown gritty dry powder we mixed with warm water. I'll Google around and see what I come up with. The odor will no doubt dissipate in time but we want to go camping as soon as the new tank gets here..... we don't want to miss any of the camping season.