Toilet smells!!

[Terricite]

Hi All!! Complete novice to this site and to trailer ownership so please excuse my 'Greeness'!! I have just bought an Airstream lookalike.... The Canadian version called Travelux, I'm sure some of you may be familiar with this trailer and hope you can help even though it isn't an Airstream. The main issue is there's a very bad toilet type smell inside the trailer... The smell seems only marginally worse in the bathroom itself, I've checked all around the toilet, sink traps shower etc and I can't seem to smell anything there. The toilet seems to hold water, and it was actually a static unit so apparently it doesn't have any grey or black water tanks?? I've flushed through with fresh and sanitizer etc but can't get rid of the smell. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated as mentioned before I'm a complete trailer newbie! Thanks very much Paul.

[Terricite]

Forgot to mention, the Travelux is a 32ft 1978, rear bath, twin bedded unit very similar to the Sovereign I think? Thanks again P.

[mandolindave]

Obviously it would be what was in the toilet, but it might not be that at all.

If you think it is a "waste" smell, I would check your vent line if it has one.
Maybe there is a nest in the vent (but you said it had no tanks ? )

Next thing to try is washing the interior. It could be mold and or mildew. I mean clean everything, inside the closets and drawers. Cushions, carpet, and curtains too!!! Then air it out

[tkasten]

My vote would be for a plugged toilet vent pipe.

[InsideOut]

If it truly doesn't have tanks, the problem maybe:

A) carpet around the toilet area? Maybe "someone missed" over time and got the carpet, wood, ??? wet...
B) mouse or other creature "remnants" that have gotten into the insulation of the floor/walls or the upholstery/foam...

Either way, it's not a pleasant task to "clean things up". The only real way to eliminate these two possibilities is to remove/replace the carpet &/or flooring and possibly the subfloor & insulation and the old foam cushions. Sounds like a "dirty job" challenge.

Oh, and welcome to the forums! We'd love to see pictures of your "new-to-you" trailer - even if it isn't an Airstream!

Shari

[Aage]

If what you are saying is that the toilet in your trailer is a "porta-potty", then look around and see if the original black tank (I'm sure it would have had one) was properly emptied and removed, or at least sealed off.

Sealing it off would also mean doing something to seal the vent, as well.

Failing that, as already pointed out, look elsewhere. Walls, floors, any enclosed space is a potential place for small animals to mess up, or die in, unfortunately.

And welcome to airforums.com! Howsabout some photos of your elderly Canadian!?

[Chuck]

rotting subfloor can smell...

also, hydrogen sulfide from an off-gassing battery.

[Terricite]

Hi All, thanx very much for all your replies and advice. First thing this morning I actually took out all the carpet, removed the toilet etc. Turns out there are tanks, a grey and a black! The guy I bought it from said there were none! So... it turns out the wax/sealing ring had shrunk and degraded. The toilet had no screws to hold the sealing plate down properly either. The vent stack also was partially blocked! I did also unfortunately find several small leaks which seem to be coming from the main seals on the body.. one problem solved and another found! I guess that's all part of owning a vintage trailer! She will look great when I'm done.... I hope! I'll try and post some photos in the next day or so.

[Aage]

Ya! Congrats on your first solved problem! And that was a stinky one, at that, a good one to put behind you. (pun definitely intended)

Suggest you use a foam closet gasket (the actual name for the sealing ring) this time, I feel that they make more sense for something that moves around a lot like a trailer, and shouldn't be as prone to decay as wax.

What do you mean by the "main seals on the body", by the way?

ps: IIRC, there is a way to enter your trailer in your profile, so people don't alwasy have to ask you what it is you have...

[InsideOut]

CONGRATS on figuring out your problem! Nice to know you DO have tanks...sure makes life easier ~

Originally Posted by Aage

ps: IIRC, there is a way to enter your trailer in your profile, so people don't alwasy have to ask you what it is you have...

That only works for Airstream models though...not "vintage kin" like a Travelux ~

Shari

[Aage]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

CONGRATS on figuring out your problem! Nice to know you DO have tanks...sure makes life easier ~

That only works for Airstream models though...not "vintage kin" like a Travelux ~

Shari

Yes, I forgot that. But you can at least put in "Vintage Kin".

[Terricite]

Hi all, apologies for my slow response to you're replies! We were away for a few days in Alaska... We'll the story continues... having just got back we could still smell the 'toilet smells'' so I cut a hole in the underside and sure enough it was full of gunk from the leaking toilet, mouse droppings etc etc.. So that one will be cured once I replace the Aluminum floor! I did go for the foam gasket rather than the wax ring, so thanks very much for that. As far as leaks on the body seal go, I mean I seem to have leaks along the joints of the aluminum skin. Nothing too serious but they need sorting out sooner rather than later. Any advice would be very welcome! I'll try and get some photos posted tomorrow, would be great to see what you all think! Thanks again for all the advice, regards Paul.