Plumbing Odor after 18 months storage

[kengba4]

My husband and I just took out 2007 Winnebago Adventurer out for the first time in @18 months.  Our previous use of the motorhome never involved using the water tank - we were always hooked up to site water.  When we used the water at the site this time, there was an extremely foul odor.  We checked the water supply and the odor was not coming from there.  Any information I've seen on plumbing odors always seem to mention additives or bleach in the holding tank.  I'm not sure that's the answer for us since we do not store water in the tank.  Am I just off base?  Should we fill the holding tank and add bleach or an additive and flush it through the lines? 

Thanks!

Jim and Kerry
2007 Winnebago Adventurer 38'
2008 Chevey Colorado

 

[Water Dog]

I would guess that in leaving it sitting for a year and a half, the seal in the toilet (as well as the water in the toilet) probably dried out and you are probably smelling odors from your black tank. The water normally trapped in the p-traps in the gray water fixtures probably evaporated as well, thus allowing the gray tank odors to come up the drains. if you haven't used your shower, at least run some water in it to replenish the trap water, same thing in all drains. If it were me, I would also sanitize the fresh water tank and system including the water heater with bleach.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You need to sanitize your water lines, since they are used whether or not there is any water in the fresh tank. In particular, the water heater probably has foul smelling water and needs to be drained and flushed as well as sanitized. If you didn't drain the hot tank when you put the RV in storage, you have 18 month old stagnant water which permeated the entire system.

 

[Frank Hurst]

Like Gary said:  Drain your hot water tank, refill your hot water tank and then drain again. Your whole water system will then need to be sanitize. This can best be done by adding about one tablespoon of Clorox per gallon of water that is paced into the fresh water tank. Example: If your place 20 gallons of water to your fresh water tank, add 10 ounces of Clorox. Care should be taken when you are handling Clorox. One should wear protective clothings (Gloves) and should handle Clorox only in well ventilated areas. Clorox can be caustic to metal. Be sure to flush any spills with fresh water. I have a long slim plastic funnel that I add the Clorox into the tank or I will pour the Clorox into my water hose, hook the hose to the water intake to the fresh water tank inlet and then fill the fresh water tank to around 20 gallons. Refill your hot water tank. Then run water through all of the water lines. Let the Clorox solution sit in the water system for at least 4 hours.  If you can, drive the MH around the block, so the solution will be flushed up on the sides of the fresh water tank. Drain the fresh water tank and the hot water tank. Repeat the whole process with fresh potable water.