Sewer smell

[Woody62]

Hi, I have a 2022 377fl Montanna high country. When I dump the black tank, I get a sewer smell up front on the opposite side around the front t door. No smell around the black tank or where the sewer connects to the ground. After I close the valve, the smell goes away. I was thinking maybe I have a leak in the sewer line, but if that was the case, I would smell it all the time? The trailer is skirted and I ve gone underneath and there is no smell.. like I said, no smell until I dump.. could this be a venting issue? Any thoughts. Ian

[DutchmenSport]

Your black tank is vented up to the roof. It is possible what you are smelling is coming from the roof vent, blowing down on the other side of the trailer where you smell it.

I have noticed at campgrounds, especially private campgrounds where sites are closer together and have full hook-ups, that the neighbor's sewer line, which is on the front of our trailer, the back of theirs, will sometimes smell, especially when they dump their tanks. Sometimes we also get odors clear across the campground, and we never know where it's originating from.

My guess is is, it's not your camper at all, but either the campground sewer you are smelling on that side of the trailer, or your neighbor when they flush.

[Woody62]

thanks for replying dutchmen sport. I ve notice the smell only when I dump so its not my neighbors. It just seems weird that its smelling on the other side of the tailer. Nothing around the tanks or the hose connection.. You would think if its a leak in the sewer line under ground, I would smell it all the time but I don t. It goes away quickly after dumping. Ian

[Montana Man]

I've seen where the sewer vent for my site vents when I dump. Are there any pipes nearby coming out of the ground? They can be 8 or 10 feet tall.

[Woody62]

No pipes near by. Just where I connect to the sewer. Like I said, no smell around the dump. Just on the other side of trailer. Goes away when I m finished

[DadsHemi]

I get that same smell when I dump. It’s coming from the roof vent,

[Woody62]

Thanks dadshemi, that's what I thought aswell. If there was a leak in the sewer line I would smell it all the time which 8m not

[bcrvman]

Originally Posted by DadsHemi

I get that same smell when I dump. It’s coming from the roof vent,

That is very strange. The act of dumping in a working system will cause air to flow down the vent. I can't think of any scenario where liquid leaving a tank and thus creating a partial vacuum will not have it equalized by the vent as it was designed to do. If a sniff test was conducted from the place the hose enters the ground back to the rig and it is negative then something weird is goig on, OR it's not coming from your rig.

AH, what if the plumbing and tanks/field under the ground are connected in a way that pushing liquid in one sewer pipe pushes gas up out of another sewer that happens to be near where you smell it. That sounds plausible.

[Dave and Beta]

Do you have an outdoor kitchen? My outdoor kitchen is plumbed into the black tank. Why, I don’t know, probably easier connection. But I get a little back up smell sometimes.

[Montana Man]

[QUOTE=bcrvman;1243972]That is very strange. The act of dumping in a working system will cause air to flow down the vent. I can't think of any scenario where liquid leaving a tank and thus creating a partial vacuum will not have it equalized by the vent as it was designed to do. If a sniff test was conducted from the place the hose enters the ground back to the rig and it is negative then something weird is goig on, OR it's not coming from your rig.

Good point. But if once drained and still connected, sewer gas could backflow up into the tank and out the trailer's vent.