That Airstream Odor????

[Chasmorgan]

Just bought a 99 Safari and it has an odor that does not appear related to cleanliness. I looked at several that had the same unique odor. I have not identified the source. Any suggestions?

[Over59]

Mice's

[CanoeStream]

Another possibility - moisture. My Argosy had that smell until I fixed leaks and replace constantly damp, rotten floor. It became sweet as ever after that! Even on newer units it's surprising what unrecognized leaks may be present. It's not just the vintage Airstreamers (theVAP) who could coin the phrase, "They all leak." A dealer with a Sealtech machine could help point the way. I know Airstream of Arkansas has one. And Steve up in St. Louis. I certainly wouldn't trust an SOB dealer to work on my Airstream though!

Of course there could be plumbing issues too.

Dehumidifying? I don't store mine without putting a container of DampRid open inside.

To quote Nick Crowhurst, "The price of freedom is eternal maintenance."

[Isadora]

To me, the smell is like old tupperware--the smell of aging plastic. Our Argosy has that smell, and I think it is in the vinyl wallcoverings, and maybe in the plastic endcaps. After scrubbing it well with Clorox cleanup the smell was gone for a week or two but gradually came back. I am going to scrub again and seal it with Future floor wax and see if that helps. I may tear off the vinyl wall covering and refinish the wood, and hopefully effect a cure (If I stick my nose on it, I can tell that is where the smell is coming from).

[SteSpot]

In my experience, that old smell comes from a trailer that has leaks and the water has been absorbed into the wood floor.......I am talking about the sub floor....sorry to say. pj

[RBolton]

All you can do is make sure your trailer is clean and dry. CLEAN AND DRY. If it is clean and dry then any odors should be minimal but problably permanent. Beyond clean and dry, you are looking at major dismantling to replace wall and floor insulation that may be harbouring critter residue or mold and mildew. Roger

[AIR-Quarius]

....Old tupperware???

[AIR-Quarius]

I need ya'lls help getting a repair going I have a 1970 landyacht airstream that got its windown crystalized by a peppel from a weed eater...I live in the southeast corner of Okla. (Altus) and am looking for a dealer/seller of parts and know that one of you folks out there knows something...Please email me at ...jonybgood2006@yahoo.com...and am looking forward to hearing something from somebody. Also I know a real good spray cleaner you cab get from hardware stores for walls called BLECHE WHITE if you want to watch dirt tar and grim go running down the wall in seconds you will like this product even though it is meant for car tires...and thats my two cents worth ...lol and will still be wondering what the oder of 'old tupperware' must be like...lol! thankyou BIll

[Isadora]

Originally Posted by jonybgood

I need ya'lls help getting a repair going I have a 1970 landyacht airstream that got its windown crystalized by a peppel from a weed eater...I live in the southeast corner of Okla. (Altus) and am looking for a dealer/seller of parts and know that one of you folks out there knows something...Please email me at ...jonybgood2006@yahoo.com...and am looking forward to hearing something from somebody. Also I know a real good spray cleaner you cab get from hardware stores for walls called BLECHE WHITE if you want to watch dirt tar and grim go running down the wall in seconds you will like this product even though it is meant for car tires...and thats my two cents worth ...lol and will still be wondering what the oder of 'old tupperware' must be like...lol! thankyou BIll

It has a really kind of funky "old plastic" smell. Those of you who are old enough to have had Tupperware containers for more than 20 years before you finally threw them out will know what I mean. If you are just a young'un you won't get it, !

[StingrayL82]

Yeah, it IS like an old Tupperware smell....weird. The only places where mine had leaks were replaced with new wood subfloor. I had the interior gutted and the rest of the floor was intact. I actually find the smell comforting in a strange way.

[Crusty]

I get a weird smell in mine when the sun is beating down and it's hot outside (95º or better). It smells sort of like phenolic resin being heated to the smoldering point. I think it may be in the insulation or the wall coverings because it is the same concentration throughout the trailer.

[guy99]

The smell in our 1984 MH went away when we removed the old carpet and replaced the rotted floor.

[94Tri]

My 94 Had a funky smell that orginated from the old ceiling and wall coverings. I tore it out and replaced with aluminum front to back. No more "weird odor"

[Mikethefixit]

Isadora
I thought that was a terrific analogy "OLD TUPPER WARE" Right on

[Hell Cat]

but,,,,I love that smell!

[Friday]

I associate the 'old tupperware' smell with mice... as that is why we kept stuff on the farm IN tupperware to begin with.

[perryg114]

Stopping leaks is a first step. An ozone generator will help but it will contribute to the aging of any organics ( i.e. plastics, fabrics). The old Tupperware Smell is from plastics that have aged due to ozone and UV damage. Keeping the temperature and humidity under control will help a lot. Plastics outgass like mad when they are hot and paper/wood products tend to degrade (old attic smell). I have been keeping windows cracked and a fan in front of one window to get some air circulating. A fantastic fan vent would be a good idea to keep on. Aging of the interior of your trailer is temperature dependent. The hotter it is the faster it goes to hell.


All you need to do is look at a trailer that is kept covered compared to one that sits out in the sun.

Perry

[Friday]

There are also moisture absorbing products out there like Dr-Z-Air, or I plug in my $100 dehumidifier when storing it for extended periods...

[Cracker]

Winter isn't a problem here in Maine, with reference to preserving the interior, but come summer, the air-conditioner goes on in the Airstream and it stays at 78 degree for the duration. It's still cheaper than indoor storage!