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  1. #1
    Setting Up Camp
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    Bedroom AC Causes Foul Smell In Entire Rig

    Quote Originally Posted by sausagepatty View Post
    hello all,

    my wife and i full time in a 2017 312bhts tt, purchased new. we just recently moved into a new spot, and now notice that, when running the AC, the interior of the trailer smells faintly of the black tank - aka the trailer smells like crap. the smell fades when we stop the AC. i have no idea why it would do this, and it has never done it before and we've been using the trailer and the AC regularly for about 3 months.

    any ideas as to the cause, and possibly, a fix?

    thanks all

    sausagepatty
    I know this is an old thread, but wanted to ask if you found a fix. I have a 2020 310 GK and have the same issue with our bedroom ac only. I am thinking that depending which way the wind is blowing, the unit is somehow sucking air from the tank exhaust / vent and into the a/c system. The oder ranges from none-to-mild-to severe and I can only guess that it's dependent on the way the wind is blowing.
    DOUG & DIANE
    2020 Solitude 310GK - First (and current) RV
    2019 Chevy 3500 DRW Duramax / B&W Companion
    Retired & Living The Dream - One State At A Time

  2. #2
    Setting Up Camp
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    Bedroom AC Causes Foul Smell In Entire Rig

    Hello Everyone.
    I have a 2020 310 GK with dual Coleman’s Mach AC’s. Our issue started a few months ago (maybe because we haven't had the need to run our ac's till then) and I have determined it is with our bedroom ac only. I am thinking that depending which way the wind is blowing, the unit is somehow sucking air from the tank exhaust / vent and into the a/c system. Being that the 310 has the “track” ducting system, it impacts the entire rig. The oder ranges from none-to-mild-to severe and I can only guess that it's dependent on the way the wind is blowing across the tank vent on the roof. Anyone know what’s going on and more importantly, what can be done to mitigate this foul problem. Thank you for your time.
    ALOHA!
    DOUG & DIANE
    2020 Solitude 310GK - First (and current) RV
    2019 Chevy 3500 DRW Duramax / B&W Companion
    Retired & Living The Dream - One State At A Time

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawaiian Punch View Post
    I know this is an old thread, but wanted to ask if you found a fix. I have a 2020 310 GK and have the same issue with our bedroom ac only. I am thinking that depending which way the wind is blowing, the unit is somehow sucking air from the tank exhaust / vent and into the a/c system. The oder ranges from none-to-mild-to severe and I can only guess that it's dependent on the way the wind is blowing.
    There is no outside air drawn inside by the air conditioner unless something is significantly wrong.
    John & Kathy
    2014 F250 Lariat FX4 6.2L SBCC
    2014 Reflection 303RLS
    SW Indiana

  4. #4
    Site Sponsor
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawaiian Punch View Post
    Hello Everyone.
    I have a 2020 310 GK with dual Coleman’s Mach AC’s. Our issue started a few months ago (maybe because we haven't had the need to run our ac's till then) and I have determined it is with our bedroom ac only. I am thinking that depending which way the wind is blowing, the unit is somehow sucking air from the tank exhaust / vent and into the a/c system. Being that the 310 has the “track” ducting system, it impacts the entire rig. The oder ranges from none-to-mild-to severe and I can only guess that it's dependent on the way the wind is blowing across the tank vent on the roof. Anyone know what’s going on and more importantly, what can be done to mitigate this foul problem. Thank you for your time.
    ALOHA!

    Helo, I see you are fairly new here so a big welcome. In answer to your specific question, have you checked the four AC hold down bolts? They should be between 20~40 in-lb. DO not over tighten. You can access them from inside the trailer by removing the grill then the deflector. While there, check the AC gasket between the roof and the external AC unit. There should be no gaps. If the bolts are overtightened or you can see gaps you may have to replace the gasket (not that hard of a job - but takes some work). Be carefull, there are live 120v AC lines up inside the AC if you are on shore power (or inverter or generator). If these are both good, check for signs of standing water (and blocked drain ports). Any water (from condensation) should drain out of the unit and onto the roof (and over the side). Hawaii is pretty humid and I expect you will get a lot of condensation.

    There should be NO direct connection from outside air to inside. The outside air is pulled through the condenser coils then exited outside the trailer. That air never enters the trailer. The inside air is sucked into the AC through the grill and passed over the evaporator coils and blown out into the trailer (either through the dump vents on the grill or through the race trace ducting).

    Just a few thoughts.

    Good luck and let us know what you find.

    Chris

    PS One other house keeping item. The forum rules prohibit posting the same item in multiple posts (cross posting). You have done the correct thing and started a new post here. The other post you replied to is 4 years old and may not be active any longer.
    Last edited by CoChris; 08-04-2022 at 08:24 PM.
    Chris & Karen
    Fort Collins, CO
    2017 F-350 SRW 6.7 Lariat Value CC LB 4x4
    2018 Solitude 310GK - Sold 7/2023

  5. #5
    Site Team Second Chance's Avatar
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    Duplicate posts merged.

    Rob
    U.S. Army Retired
    2012 F350 DRW CC LB Lariat PS 6.7
    2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes,
    Sailun LRG tires, solar, DP windows, W/D
    (Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
    Full time since 08/2015

  6. #6
    Seasoned Camper fmartinmn's Avatar
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    @Hawaiian Punch, We have a 3350 RL Solitude S Class. I have been chasing an odor in our rig for two camping seasons. It is only present when we have been on the road for a few days and are using our exhaust fans. I believe the odor is being sucked in from our basement and is related to our holding tanks. I have dropped the coroplast, watched for water leaks, checked all the PVC fittings to no avail. I suspect I have an air leak in a vent pipe that is not obvious or my roof tank vents are not working as they should. I will be replacing the tank roof vents next week as my next step in trouble shooting. I will replace the vent caps with 360 Siphon vents. FWIW, Frank.
    Frank & Jolynn Martin
    Litchfield, MN
    Mabel & Bailey, Golden Retriever Fur Kids
    2019 RAM 3500 CTD, CC, LB, B&W Turnover Ball, AirLift 5000 Bags
    2019 Solitude 3350RL S-Class, 4440# CCC, Reese 20K GooseBox, 8K EOH Disc brakes, RV Airflow, SoftStartRV, 2-206AH SOK batteries, Victron Multiplus II, Victron 30A DC2DC,790W of Solar, Flex Armor Roof, Blu Tech Water Filtration, BlazeCut Fire Suppression

  7. #7
    Setting Up Camp
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    Quote Originally Posted by fmartinmn View Post
    @Hawaiian Punch, We have a 3350 RL Solitude S Class. I have been chasing an odor in our rig for two camping seasons. It is only present when we have been on the road for a few days and are using our exhaust fans. I believe the odor is being sucked in from our basement and is related to our holding tanks. I have dropped the coroplast, watched for water leaks, checked all the PVC fittings to no avail. I suspect I have an air leak in a vent pipe that is not obvious or my roof tank vents are not working as they should. I will be replacing the tank roof vents next week as my next step in trouble shooting. I will replace the vent caps with 360 Siphon vents. FWIW, Frank.
    Thanks for sharing. I have read about the 360 Siphon Vents, but I'm not sure if that will address my issue. I would be interested to see how it turns out for you after you install them. If it mitigates/eliminate your issue, then that may be the route for me too. Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Much Appreciated!
    DOUG & DIANE
    2020 Solitude 310GK - First (and current) RV
    2019 Chevy 3500 DRW Duramax / B&W Companion
    Retired & Living The Dream - One State At A Time

  8. #8
    Setting Up Camp
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    Quote Originally Posted by CoChris View Post
    Helo, I see you are fairly new here so a big welcome. In answer to your specific question, have you checked the four AC hold down bolts? They should be between 20~40 in-lb. DO not over tighten. You can access them from inside the trailer by removing the grill then the deflector. While there, check the AC gasket between the roof and the external AC unit. There should be no gaps. If the bolts are overtightened or you can see gaps you may have to replace the gasket (not that hard of a job - but takes some work). Be carefull, there are live 120v AC lines up inside the AC if you are on shore power (or inverter or generator). If these are both good, check for signs of standing water (and blocked drain ports). Any water (from condensation) should drain out of the unit and onto the roof (and over the side). Hawaii is pretty humid and I expect you will get a lot of condensation.

    There should be NO direct connection from outside air to inside. The outside air is pulled through the condenser coils then exited outside the trailer. That air never enters the trailer. The inside air is sucked into the AC through the grill and passed over the evaporator coils and blown out into the trailer (either through the dump vents on the grill or through the race trace ducting).

    Just a few thoughts.

    Good luck and let us know what you find.

    Chris

    PS One other house keeping item. The forum rules prohibit posting the same item in multiple posts (cross posting). You have done the correct thing and started a new post here. The other post you replied to is 4 years old and may not be active any longer.
    Thank you for the very informative and educational post. As you may have noticed, I am not very knowledgeable about how these ac's work, but I didn't think outside air was passed into the rig, but I couldn't figure anything else as it only happens when the bedroom a/c is on. I will go through your list of possibilities and see if I find anything.

    A few housekeeping notes:
    1) Thank you for the top cover on my unintentional violation of community rules. Ron reached out to me too and I have addressed / apologized to him as well.
    2) While my wife and I are from Hawaii, we have been on a 3-4 year / 49 State road-trip as a retirement gift to ourselves. RV's are illegal in Hawaii so we will be selling our truck and rig in 2023 after we complete the Continental 49 and return home for grandma and grandpa duty.

    Thanks again for taking the time to respond. The knowledge you shared is truly appreciated.
    DOUG & DIANE
    2020 Solitude 310GK - First (and current) RV
    2019 Chevy 3500 DRW Duramax / B&W Companion
    Retired & Living The Dream - One State At A Time

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