Smell

[Franksteer]

Haven’t taken ownership of my vista 36 yet but took a tour or inspection of the unit yesterday. First thing I noticed was and unusual smell not a pleasant smell . The person that was showing me the vehicle says the tanks need to be clean he says that they will do that , is that normal or is there a maintenance issue that I Should be doing myself? thanks

[blueridge-fl]

Was there water sitting in the toilet? The toilet is designed to have a small amount of water sitting in the bottom to provide an odor seal. If there is an issue with the flush valve, it won't hold water and the odor of the black tank will escape. A dirty black tank will make this worse but if you think about it you will have a dirty black tank the second day out on a trip. Another possibility is that the odor is coming from the grey tank. Go smell the kitchen sink drain and see if you get a stronger smell there. If so, it means that the grey tank has probably had a lot of solids like plate scrapings put into it. Flushing the tank should help with that odor source as long as the amount of solids was not extreme.

[Franksteer]

Thanks it is still at the dealership but when we looked at the rv the totlet had no water in it. I didn’t put my head in the sink yet but I’ll let my wife do that !
Do I need to replace anything or do you think evaporation Could have taking the water out? Thanks

[BobC]

The sinks have traps just like at home. After sitting for an extended period of time, the water in the bottom of the "U" evaporates and will let odor escape from the gray water tank. The solution is to simply run some water in the sink to re-create the water seal. Note, this can occur at home as well if a sink, tub or shower isn't used for a while. In that case, however, you'll get a definite sewer odor.

As blueridge-fl indicated, a gray water tank that's had food scrapings dumped into it can smell. Otherwise, with all the dishwashing and shower soap that goes into them, they usually don't smell too bad if at all. We use a stainless steel screen drain insert to avoid getting solids into the gray tank:

https://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Sta.../dp/B0017HRZZ8

You should also try not to dump liquid food waste into the gray tank, better to use the toilet so it dumps into the black water tank since you'll be cleaning it out more often.

[Franksteer]

Just ordered one from amazon.

[blueridge-fl]

Yes, the water in the toilet can absolutely evaporate. I would recommend taking some bottled water to the RV and pouring a little into the toilet with the valve shut. Then tend to other business for a while and return to look at the toilet after 30 minutes. If there is an appreciable loss of water, ask the seller to have the valve leak addressed. If no appreciable loss then nothing to do.

[Franksteer]

I will try that before I take ownership.

[n0ukf]

Originally Posted by BobC

The sinks have traps just like at home. After sitting for an extended period of time, the water in the bottom of the "U" evaporates and will let odor escape from the gray water tank.

Don't forget the shower/tub trap. Last summer my Adventurer started smelling until we added water to that one.

[Old Crows]

I suggest you also very carefully check your future purchase for black mold. While the simple answer may involve the septic system, hidden mold may also create unusual odors in a buttoned up vehicle.

That check should also include the water tank and lines.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by n0ukf

Don't forget the shower/tub trap. Last summer my Adventurer started smelling until we added water to that one.

Good catch, I'm surprised I forgot to mention that. I have that problem at home with a shower we never use.