Need advice on reducing bathroom stink.

[mgoodin08]

Hi all we are new to RV-ing in our 2005 Itasca Sunrise. We've noticed that after only 3 days of pretty much urine only going into the toilet that as soon as we get moving it stinks quite bad- mainly that acrid urine stink! Even if it's just two of us. We have been using the Lavender scented RV porta-pack deodorizers but they don't seem to work too well- are there better products?

The tank sure seems to drain properly- drains until dry and then I use the flushing hook up and give it a good dose of fresh water which then seeens to drain all the way out as well. And as soon as the tank is flushed no more odor- it's gone immediately.

Any advice on how to reduce the stink when we get moving? Thank you- we're grateful for this forum!

 

[TheLooks]

Check your ball seal and the flange to floor seal, then check the roof vent. Also the gray tanks can smell worse then the black so check any vacuum breakers in the system and traps need to stay full of water. Also the vent for the gray tank.

 

[RKins]

Do you have a washer hookup? If so, make sure there is water in the drain p-trap. Otherwise it let out the fumes from the grey tank, which can smell worse than the black.

 

[MiniVistaCruiserJack]

This is a great question especially for newbies like me. Plumbing in an rv is really much like plumbing in a house, water seals, ball traps and such. I’m wondering how hard it is to access these fixtures as I imagine they would hidden underneath. Perhaps YouTube might cover some of these issues.

 

[RCCola115]

You have to keep the toilet lid closed or it will always smell in the bathroom. Also pour a half a gallon of water with a half a cup of vinegar down your toilet every day to flush all of the urine down into the waste tank.

 

[RCCola115]

Hi all we are new to RV-ing in our 2005 Itasca Sunrise. We've noticed that after only 3 days of pretty much urine only going into the toilet that as soon as we get moving it stinks quite bad- mainly that acrid urine stink! Even if it's just two of us. We have been using the Lavender scented RV porta-pack deodorizers but they don't seem to work too well- are there better products?

The tank sure seems to drain properly- drains until dry and then I use the flushing hook up and give it a good dose of fresh water which then seeens to drain all the way out as well. And as soon as the tank is flushed no more odor- it's gone immediately.

Any advice on how to reduce the stink when we get moving? Thank you- we're grateful for this forum!

Also buy a small bag of scented nonclumping kitty litter and then pour a cup of it down your toilet with a gallon of water and a cup of white vinegar. It will neutralize the pee smell.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I was going to say use a nose plug!!!

 

[Rich W.]

I was going to say use a nose plug!!!

Can always count on you Kevin for a divergent view.…

X2 on keeping P traps full, especially in the the shower. If you don’t use it much, and/or in hot weather, it will dry out quickly allowing all manner of nastiness to vent odors into the coach. Try filling the shower P trap slowly with a quart or two of water and add a little bleach for good measure. Also doesnt hurt to add some of your black tank treatment to your grey tank periodically. I like just dumping some bleach down the bathroom sink if it starts getting stinky.

 

[Neal]

Agree on p-traps. I run water in all sinks, etc. at times of no use to ensure the p-traps have water which block the odor from rising through dry plumbing.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Can always count on you Kevin for a divergent view.…

X2 on keeping P traps full, especially in the the shower. If you don’t use it much, and/or in hot weather, it will dry out quickly allowing all manner of nastiness to vent odors into the coach. Try filling the shower P trap slowly with a quart or two of water and add a little bleach for good measure. Also doesnt hurt to add some of your black tank treatment to your grey tank periodically. I like just dumping some bleach down the bathroom sink if it starts getting stinky.

Ah come on Rich! Don't you like my dry humor! (Pun intended). I know to many people who gained a reaction to bleach from over exposure to recommend it. That seems to be the number one solution though!

 

[Rich W.]

Ah come on Rich! Don't you like my dry humor! (Pun intended). I know to many people who gained a reaction to bleach from over exposure to recommend it. That seems to be the number one solution though!

Hadn’t thought of that but yes, if you have any ammonia based cleaning solutions in your grey tank, bleach could be a real problem. Also if you put in too much, you’d just be trading one odor for another. Thanks for pointing that out.

My solution (pun noted) is to take lots of showers and do lots of laundry to keep cleanish soapy water in the tank. Helps with a more sanitary tank dumping proceedure too.

And yes, I do - that was a compliment.

 

[LMHS]

I do have to wonder if the OP is "conserving" water by simply not using enough in their black tank. I only use a cheapie liquid automatic dishwasher detergent in the black tank of the truck camper. The bus has a residential flush toilet so I don't need any chems down it unless I am cleaning the bowl. I also put the same detergent down alternating P-traps once a month (the 1st is the day I chose) and let sit at least overnight. Keeps the p-traps clean. The current jug of liquid detergent for the bus is Cascade OXY. I didn't like it so I am using it in the p-traps. What is being used in the truck camper is Great Value in a lemon scent. It helps to keep the black tank sensors cleaner. It takes 1-2 months to fill the black tank on the truck camper. Yet it doesn't smell. That orange Camco TST tank additive that you can buy at Walmart also works okay. I used to use it during the summer in a little Porti-pottie that I had in a popup camper. The best air freshener I have used is called Pure Citrus. I like the orange scent. Reminds me of an orange creamsicle. A little spritz goes a long way.

 

[TheLooks]

I have a 10 day trip coming up, I guess I will be inducted into the stinky hall of fame as I have not had any bad smell when camping locally for 4 or 5 days. I intend the first leg of my journey to be a tank cleansing exercise as I will be sloshing a quart of cheap dollar store soap and borax around for 500 miles. Will put a bunch in the gray tank as well. My sensors don't work on the black tank which annoys me so I will suds it up. Will it stink? Who knows, check in here for a report later.

 

[Rich W.]

I have a 10 day trip coming up, I guess I will be inducted into the stinky hall of fame as I have not had any bad smell when camping locally for 4 or 5 days. I intend the first leg of my journey to be a tank cleansing exercise as I will be sloshing a quart of cheap dollar store soap and borax around for 500 miles. Will put a bunch in the gray tank as well. My sensors don't work on the black tank which annoys me so I will suds it up. Will it stink? Who knows, check in here for a report later.

Suds will carry/float residue and deposit it on your tank walls where it will dry and further foul/obscure your sensors. Using a non-sudsing detergent such as dishwasher detergent will give you the cleaning results without this problem. Its also a fairly strong cleaning agent. I can also see borax doing some good. I tried both laundry and dish soap initially and ended up with a big sudsy mess so never again. It also made dumping tanks a bit of a challenge. Not fun. I’m a proponent of clean tanks (and working sensors) so I use dishwasher det. I also use a little bleach now and then but as discussed above this does deserve some caution.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I too was thinking Borax!!! Here's the deal!
Before I moved on to a boat, Before I started cruising! I did things much the way many of you do. But holding tank goo was being pumped out all around me in my environment!!! I learned that poisoning is poisoning, what goes around comes around, in the water that is more true than on land! But I can't forget my lessons, so I am what I've learned!

Not that I would ever expose my dirty laundry, I make exception here!!! Having just been reintroduced to Borax, for it's poison freestatus I have some on hand!!!

Using Borax only as my laundry detergent only makes sense, due to the fact I would drag some clothing on a line while underway. Long story short, I will introduce you to the subject!

Group! This is the subject,
Subject! This is the group!


They say a picture is worth a thousand words!!!

No poison, no suds! Clean and odor free. Forget adding anything else!!!