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09-05-2012, 04:06 PM
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#1
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 5
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dangerous smell
bought this 81 brave in july, it had been sitting for 3 years. Went camping, used the gen set once or twice - the CO alarm went off afterwards. Then some smells of gasoline, natural gas and strange odors from the stove too.
What to be done?
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09-05-2012, 04:21 PM
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#2
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: The Bluegrass State
Posts: 83
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Find the leaks fast. Kind of sounds like you have an exhaust leak, and probably a rich running generator.
__________________
Good Luck, Be Safe and Above All, Don't Forget To Have Fun
Pete
2006 Fleetwood Discovery 35H, being pushed by a 2009 Honda CRV
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09-05-2012, 04:27 PM
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#3
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 962
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You can't smell CO ... you are lucky that the alarm was still good and went off ... otherwise you may not have woke up ...
CO most likely was coming from your genset ... check the exhaust system on your engine and genset carefully ... there is probably a hole someplace ... you also need to make sure that the wind is not blowing the exhaust from the genset back into your coach when parked ... if you run the genset while parked you may need an exhaust extension to direct the exhaust above your coach
You probably do not have natural gas on board ... it was most likely LP gas that you smelled ... check for leaks with some very soapy water ... check carefully around the regulator next to your LP tank ... it might also be the case that your stove, hot water heater, and refrigerator have pilot lights ... make sure the thermocouples are shutting off the flow of gas when the pilot lights are not lit.
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09-05-2012, 06:04 PM
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#4
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 227
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Maybe you can't smell CO, but I have never been around an internal combustion engine where I couldn't smell it's exhaust, even propane engine exhaust.
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09-05-2012, 06:45 PM
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#5
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 851
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Though it is true you can not smell CO there are other "Exhaust products" and some of them do have an "Aroma"
Recommend a Gen-Turi (TM) generator exhaust extension for the generator, this will take the exhaust fumes up up and away so they won't enter your coach.
As for the Propane or Gasoline smells.
That I'd track, as the other people said. DANGEROUS, Lay some corrorgated paper or something under the area of the generator that will show if it's dripped on and which is disposable. If you have a gasoline leak, it may show it.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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09-05-2012, 06:59 PM
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#6
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Winnebago Owner
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Phx, Arid~zona
Posts: 227
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I get tired of people saying you can't smell CO when an engine is running. I've tried to smell an exhaust to see if I could not smell it, but I could not not smell it for the smell of it. Got that?
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09-05-2012, 09:01 PM
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#7
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 32
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Hey Greg,
It sounds like you have a real problem. My novice advice would be to be sure you have the current CO & smoke detectors installed with good batteries. My wife is Chemistry Professor by trade and would let us leave the storage unit without them.
I'm glad she's smarter than me. You may want to check the "RV Systems & Tech" forum.
Best of luck and let us know what you find.
__________________
Chris & Marily / Where Ever HaRV Takes Us
'07 Winnebago Vectra 40TD / '09 Tahoe Tailgating
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09-06-2012, 11:48 AM
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#8
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 5
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thx for replies but here is the setup that I have:
the exhaust extension (gen turi it is) was on, the gen set had been off for a few hours but the wind was blowing a bit. It could have been that some fumes were pushed back down.
There is a gasoline smell as well in the corner where the gen set is, maybe its feeding line is cracked, maybe the smell comes from the main tank.
I got a full tank of LP gas, and smells builds up just above it if I leave it on for the fridge for example. And the stove stinks of bad combustion if used as well. But the pilots work, I didn't dare try anything else. My lines may require cleaning or replacement, some say to check that main valve - how do you do that?
For the story the first thing I did in the rig was to replace all alarm batteries. When we came back to the rv that night the CO was going off so I went in solo and opened all windows and shattered one against the other!
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09-06-2012, 12:42 PM
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#9
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 30
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Did you check your house batteries to see if they are over charging? On my rig my CO would go off if I had a battery charger on the batterys and left the steps open where the battery compartment is.
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09-06-2012, 02:42 PM
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#10
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: NH
Posts: 29
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When buying a older unit that has been sitting for a long time have it checked by someone who knows what their doing prior to any trips. It just makes sense.
__________________
Bruce & Nancy
FMCA F280542
2004 Bounder 35E
US Navy Vet.
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09-06-2012, 04:17 PM
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#11
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Winnebago Master
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 851
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gregmaz
the exhaust extension (gen turi it is) was on, the gen set had been off for a few hours but the wind was blowing a bit. It could have been that some fumes were pushed back down.
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Is it possible,, Under those conditions, NO, it's not, there would not have been any exhaust fumes hanging around from YOUR generator. "Hours" later.
There may have been stinky residue in the exhaust pipe though or in the Gen-Turi's large tube I can often smell something hours after removal if I stick my nose in the pipe, but it's residue, not "exhaust fumes"
It's the part of the exhaust you can smell.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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