Bathroom Smell

[Brickwallbob]

I have a 2004 Journey, 40', DP. This is only the 4th run out so I'm still learning the rig. Since Nov 2018 we have had a urine smell in the bathroom commode room that comes and goes like a ghost. The smell is so random it is hard to pin point why. My wife has cleaned the toilet, floor, wall and the brush container when it happens, then sprays everything with vinegar. We have an air cleaner and spay in the bathroom and use them a lot when it happens. I have went out and dumped the tank, filling the tank, and repeat process two more times. After the dump and flush I always add water in the tank. My wife will add two tablets of Aqua Kem Toss-ins for order control. Also add Zep citrus degreaser. We have checked the wind direction and that doesn't matter. We add extra water in the toilet, thinking that will help. Black water tank roof vent is open and clear. I believe the entire bathroom floor has been re-tiled. Heat and AC vents work, and we have a vent pillow in the ceiling vent to help control heat transfer. Leaving the door open doesn't help. We have not changed the toilet seal. Then other days and times we would have "no smell".

[be happy]

Just a stab in the dark. The roof vent, you said it was clear. I take it you took the cover off and let the garden hose run through it. You might try a different type cover. I had a unit that when the wind was just right I would get a smell. I replaced it with the Camco Cyclone Rotating Sewer Plumbing Vent. This seemed to help the problem.

[Neverenuff]

We tried "Toss-in" type tank treatments but didn't get very good results. We decided to switch to a liquid type of treatment and it did make a difference in our case. Maybe try switching brand and or type of treatment. Also, even though our odor control is pretty good, if it is hot outside and we have been out a few days without a chance to dump, we also get some odor now and then, especially right after the toilet is flushed. As if the opening of the ball valve in the toilet allows a small amount of odor to escape. We have learned to not hold the flush valve open any longer than necessary.

[Morich]

We may be dealing with just a different way to describe an odor but if it is the black water tank, I would rarely call that a "urine" smell as it seems much worse to me. So my second thought might have to be checked when you smell it? Is it urine or is it the total black water yuck smell?
One item that you mention does give me some reason to ask as there are times when we buy somebody's problem that was not fixed right.
Just a random "other idea" as you seem to have done pretty well on running down the normal but does it seem possible there was a major problem with the bathroom floor and they simply covered over it without doing a real job of removing the smell? Perhaps hauling a dog in the bath and then when they found the problem and wanted to sell, the floor was redone but poorly, locking the smell under the tile but it still sneaks out?
For rental cleanups, we found something we simply called "good bugs" which actually used the urine as a food source but I'm not sure of the value if it is actually under the floor tile.
Good luck as you seem to have a tough one!

[akeagle]

You might checking the grey water system too. Under certain conditions it can give off a smell that's hard to describe. While you're at it, check any under-the-cabinet vents. The little seals in them that can deteriorate and allow grey tank smells to "backflow".

[AZAspect]

Originally Posted by akeagle

You might checking the grey water system too. Under certain conditions it can give off a smell that's hard to describe. While you're at it, check any under-the-cabinet vents. The little seals in them that can deteriorate and allow grey tank smells to "backflow".

I agree! We had kind of a "urine" smell that we thought was coming from our bathroom but was actually coming from our shower drain. This was shortly after we purchased our Aspect 30J. We flushed the grey water system liberally and it solved the problem. That was 7 months ago and no smells since! Good luck!

Al

[Cheryl Bisson]

Have you removed the toilet seat to make sure the toilet rim is clean under the hinges? Have you removed the toilet to make sure the floor is clean under the toilet? I raised boys and our toilets were caulked between the bowl and the tank and the toilet base and the floor.

[Jim_HiTek]

Had the same issue with my '02 Journey and found that once I'd replaced the seal, the mystifying smell of urine went away. That was a couple years ago and as long as there is water in the bottom of the toilet, haven't been bothered by a smell since.

Check your toilet's repair guide for that seal.

[Newman]

Five days ago I had this problem in high summer temps but couldn’t isolate the smell totally.i was in the middle of a ten day trip. I bought a gallon of the thicker no splash Clorox bleach and pored it down the two sinks, shower and toilet. No smells since. I’ll be carrying a gallon of bleach with me from now on in my 2008 View.

I’m curious though which is better for dissolving waste, liquid or packets? Anybody feel like they have discovered a particular great product?

[Jim_HiTek]

Originally Posted by Newman

Five days ago I had this problem in high summer temps but couldn’t isolate the smell totally.i was in the middle of a ten day trip. I bought a gallon of the thicker no splash Clorox bleach and pored it down the two sinks, shower and toilet. No smells since. I’ll be carrying a gallon of bleach with me from now on in my 2008 View.

I’m curious though which is better for dissolving waste, liquid or packets? Anybody feel like they have discovered a particular great product?

Not really recommended. In fact, pouring that much bleach into the parks system all at once is strongly frowned upon. Can get you kicked out of some parks. It can stifle the work of the bacteria that's already there working on decomposing the sewage already stored in the lines for a city sewer system, or completely stop the activity in a septic tank for days. Can cause the park to have to pump out their septic tank if they have one. If the park has city sewer instead of septic, and is close to the cities treatment plant, the chemists at the plant might not be very happy about that much bleach all at once either. Though you'd likely not ever hear about it.

It can also damage rubber products like seals in your drain valves or toilet.

Although some bleach is good on occasion, the maximum used at any one time should be limited to 7.8 oz / 60 gallons holding tank size.

So less then a cup per 60 gallons. The formula is 0.13 * Tank Size = oz of bleach.

There are many products to help reduce smells, but remember that you're driving around with a 'holding tank' not a septic system. Which means treatment is different and gentler and you might need to tolerate some slight smell on occasion. So maybe look for enzyme treatments because they work pretty well, slowly, but well...

[guyser]

I had similar issue with Dometic 310 toilet. They were replacing them for free because a cavity on the rear of bowl would slowly fill with waste water every time the toilet was used. We searched for stink many times and finally found it by accident when I removed toilet and it spilled all over when tilted backwards.
Good luck - nobody like stink.

[jllarson3]

We have a 2004 Chieftain with a similar odor at times.

Also check the wooden trim along the floor. As Cheryl Bisson says, us "boys" can spread around a bit, and the trim can collect "residue".

My Project List includes replacing all the bathroom trim.

John Bop Larson

[Bbrowne]

Had similar issue within the last couple of days, we have a Dometic 300 Toilet in our 2100 BH Minnie. This is a response from Domeetic received 2 days ago.

Hello Ben,
I believe the leak you are experiencing may be inside of the bowl. The bowl of your toilet is made of two separate plastic pieces that are attached together. I believe the quad ring that sits between these two bowl halves may be pinched.
If you go to your toilet, and look where the white vacuum breaker sends water to the back top part of your toilet, there is a hole where you can look between the bowl halves. You may find that the odor is stronger near this cavity.
Unfortunately the bowl of the Model 300 is not a serviceable part, so in order to resolve this odor issue, a complete toilet replacement will be necessary. Please confirm your physical shipping address, and phone number, and I will put in an order for your replacement.
Thank you,
Bailey Smith

[My-Journey]

I have a 2003 Journey DL. There was never an odor problem until one trip about 6 months ago when we picked up what was clearly a urine odor. Following my nose, it became clear that the odor was coming from the bottom side of the toilet and/or the floor. I thought it was probably the "doughnut" seal between the toilet base and the drain pipe.
There is a plastic cover over the base of the porcelain toilet so I removed it to further investigate. When I removed that cover, the odor was really (really) strong. I don't know if previous users had missed the inside of the bowl and it ran down the side and under the cover or just what. There were no telltale stains, but after using several Clorox wipes to clean both the inside of the cover and the porcelain toilet base, the odor was gone and hasn't returned.

Hope your problem is as easily solved.

[Trooper]

I have found that unless all windows and vents are closed there is a smell from the bathroom. I think an open window or vent creates a vacuum and brings a smell past the sealing water in the toilet. I have had five motorhome and it was the same in each one.