Annie18 Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 We have been experiencing a bad smell occasionally and after having researched it...it seems it could be one of two things...the grey waste or a problem with a battery. Our particular problem seems to come and go! We have a 6 month old Sunlight which has done 2500 miles ( we are on the Algarve at the moment). A week ago we noticed it when we moved the van but it went away. Yesterday we moved it to take on water and drop the grey and it came back and it is still there now. We had put all sorts of tablets etc down the plugholes in case it is the grey water smelling during the last week and are very careful what we put down the plughole. In fact getting close to the water as it was draining..it smelt ok. However the smell did come back as we were draining. Interestingly at some point the engine was idling. So to cut a long story short... If it is one of the batteries( we have 2 leisure batteries) why have we smelt it only twice and the van is new. We have been mostly on hook up and only been off grid once this trip.. Also we are in Albufeira..if it is a battery problem, where can we get it sorted??? Any help would be really appreciated. ...We are new to this :-( and need all the help we can get.... (?) I have read this morning that if it is a problem with the battery then it could be a fire risk...so obviously we need to get it sorted pretty quickly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Hi Annie and welcome to the forum. Not familiar with your chosen M/H my guess is its foul water. Ensure any basin or shower outlets have their plugs firmly fixed in place when not in use, regardless if the tanks are empty or full. Dead mice are also another cause of smells particularly if parked over winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phalange Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Have a feel at the sides of both batteries, if one or both feel hot then they (it) are indeed knackered. Any caravan/motorhome dealer will change it for you. in the meantime i would unplug from the hook up to stop it from continuing to charge, other wise there is an explosion risk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 I doubt it is the waste water, in a new van. If it is filling and emptying OK. i always put Jeyes fluid in ours, (down the plug hole) quiet a strong smell, so when it gets into the grey tank, you will know ! I would certainly check your batteries, but again in a new van ? We once had a battery "explode" but did not know until looking at it, and found all the liquid in the bottom of the compartment, but that was some years ago. I hope you get it sorted out, so you can carry on enjoying both your van and holiday PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 If it is a battery gassing issue, the smell tends to be a sort of sulphurous/Chlorine smell. From your description of the short Alternator charging times and the long term mains charger times I wouldn't expect a battery to start gassing so quickly just on Alternator when the engine is running. I wonder if it is the exhaust? There have been a couple of posts on here recently of people noticing a bad smell just after starting up? See this thread : https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Smell-when-engine-warms-up/50490/ Maybe you notice the exhaust smell because you are outside the vehicle emptying the waste and standing around waiting for it to drain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 aandncaravan - 2018-11-01 9:47 AM If it is a battery gassing issue, the smell tends to be a sort of sulphurous/Chlorine sort of smell. From your description of the short Alternator charging times and the long term mains charger times I wouldn't expect a battery to start gassing so quickly just on Alternator when the engine is running. I wonder if it is the exhaust? There have been a couple of posts on here recently of people noticing a bad smell just after starting up? Good point Allan , still new engine less than 3000 miles it's easy to imagine all sorts of "problems" on your lovely new van PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 I also doubt it would be the waste water system after only 6 months, particularly if you are careful about what you put into the system and are emptying it regularly. No idea about battery smells but I would look into the exhaust idea as we sometimes smell a really strong sulphur smell when manoeuvring the van, particularly when revving to go up onto ramps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Have a look underneath and check that traps have been fitted to the drain lines. They were not fitted in my current MH(rectified) and fitted upside down in previous. They make all the difference so worth a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterjl Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Hi Whenever we have had bad smells it’s always been the waste water. That’s the simplest to check so try to sort that first and see if the smell stops. We always add thin household bleach to our waste tank. Just pour some down sink and add water. If you tried this then take van for a run to slosh it around that would fix a waste water problem. If smell still there then next step is testing the battery. Hope that helps Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Annie18 - 2018-11-01 9:06 AM We have been experiencing a bad smell occasionally and after having researched it...it seems it could be one of two things...the grey waste or a problem with a battery. Our particular problem seems to come and go! We have a 6 month old Sunlight which has done 2500 miles ( we are on the Algarve at the moment). A week ago we noticed it when we moved the van but it went away. Yesterday we moved it to take on water and drop the grey and it came back and it is still there now. We had put all sorts of tablets etc down the plugholes in case it is the grey water smelling during the last week and are very careful what we put down the plughole. In fact getting close to the water as it was draining..it smelt ok. However the smell did come back as we were draining. Interestingly at some point the engine was idling. So to cut a long story short... If it is one of the batteries( we have 2 leisure batteries) why have we smelt it only twice and the van is new. We have been mostly on hook up and only been off grid once this trip.. Also we are in Albufeira..if it is a battery problem, where can we get it sorted??? Any help would be really appreciated. ...We are new to this :-( and need all the help we can get.... (?) I have read this morning that if it is a problem with the battery then it could be a fire risk...so obviously we need to get it sorted pretty quickly... Next time you move it...... put the plugs in the sinks and shower tray ;-) ......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 pelmetman - 2018-11-01 4:43 PM Annie18 - 2018-11-01 9:06 AM We have been experiencing a bad smell occasionally and after having researched it...it seems it could be one of two things...the grey waste or a problem with a battery. Our particular problem seems to come and go! We have a 6 month old Sunlight which has done 2500 miles ( we are on the Algarve at the moment). A week ago we noticed it when we moved the van but it went away. Yesterday we moved it to take on water and drop the grey and it came back and it is still there now. We had put all sorts of tablets etc down the plugholes in case it is the grey water smelling during the last week and are very careful what we put down the plughole. In fact getting close to the water as it was draining..it smelt ok. However the smell did come back as we were draining. Interestingly at some point the engine was idling. So to cut a long story short... If it is one of the batteries( we have 2 leisure batteries) why have we smelt it only twice and the van is new. We have been mostly on hook up and only been off grid once this trip.. Also we are in Albufeira..if it is a battery problem, where can we get it sorted??? Any help would be really appreciated. ...We are new to this :-( and need all the help we can get.... (?) I have read this morning that if it is a problem with the battery then it could be a fire risk...so obviously we need to get it sorted pretty quickly... Next time you move it...... put the plugs in the sinks and shower tray ;-) ......... As this, if we are on road and drains start smelling we put the plugs in until we can time to clean tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 Don't ignore your hunch about the battery smelling, my niece has a new caravan left it plugged into the electrics on her drive , the smoke alarm had gone off a couple of times which they just opened the van door and checked it , all was alright but the noticed a smell! one night when in bed they heard a bang looked out the bedroom window nothing! next morning when the went out noticed plastic all over and thought someone had been trying to break into the van! when they went inside devastation 8-) The battery had exploded . My advice find a caravan dealer where you are take the van and ask them to check the batteries Better to be safe than sorry. I would be very surprised if you pipes or tank are smelling in a newish van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aultymer Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 A tiny gas leak will also give you a “sewage” type smell in the van. Easy to check by removing gas bottles from van - if smell persists, it’s not gas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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