rockhillmanor
On the Road
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I'm taking a break from saying the rosary for the forth time....I figure 6 more times should do me for the thank you.
At a 2 day venue without full hookups. At 10:00 a.m. I packed up the MH and the dogs and took off to follow my 200 ft of extension cord to the shore power.
When I got back and opened the door I was met with the rank smell of a bad gray tank. I've only smelled this once before and all it took was a bottle of Thedfords. Being in the middle of no where I found a Walgreens and bought 2 bottles of Lysol to hold me so we could breath to find a dump station. I had everyone at the venue offering me chemicals to kill the smell only it kept getting worse. About 6 people agreed it must be a clogged vent somewhere or a dead critter got into my tank thru the drain when it was stored.
I tried to drive the MH but couldn't the smell was so bad I got nauseated and so did the dogs. Found a CG and dumped, rinsed, hosed and still the smell, I finally dug in my garbage bag for the empty bottle of CampaChem to use the residue of that to try and kill the smell. Opened all the windows, exhaust fans and hepa air filter.
It seemed to have stopped but when the wind died down I stated smelling it again. Only now it started to really smell like a dead mouse.I can't find a service guy available so I figured if it got worse I'd just sleep in the toad till morning.
It is now 6:00 p.m. 8 hours after I noticed the smell.
I looked under the coach to see if the dead critter was under there and when I looked from one end to the other BINGO the smell was real strong there.......right next to the oven. oohhh no!
One camper had given me odor eliminating candles to try and help with the smell. I calmly walked over to those and blew them out and RAN out of the MH to shut the PROPANE OFF!
Further inspection revealed that somehow the knob of the oven got turned on!
I can smell propane and natural gas a mile away and when no one else can. But...APPARENTLY the smell they add to it for detection is DIFFERENT from state to state. I bought that tank in Kentucky and I guess they think the safest smell to add is of a dead mouse.
We gagged on what was to be propane not the gray tank and not a dead mouse for 8 hours because the smell was different than what propane smells like from my home state.
So campers beware.
Seems to me it should be a 'universal smell' that is added to propane.
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We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
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69RoadRunner
VA
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Did your propane detector fail, or do you not have one? In either case, I assume you'll be buying one ASAP?
I'm very glad you're OK. That's scary.
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Briteskys
Mesa, AZ
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Quote:But...APPARENTLY the smell they add to it for detection is DIFFERENT from state to state. The transportation, storage, containers, etc of propane is a Federal regulation by DOT.
The odorant added in all cases is ethyl mercaptan.
Glad everyone isOK.
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Texlawdawg718
Longview, Texas
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Wow, glad everyone is allright.
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kknowlton
Wisconsin Border Country, IL
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Glad you're ok!
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Home Skillet
Pearland Texas
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Wow.
Starting the motorhome could have ignited all that propane.
2005 Gulf Stream Conquest 31ft
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elbmiNrM
Atlanta
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rockhillmanor wrote:I'm taking a break from saying the rosary for the forth time....I figure 6 more times should do me for the thank you.
Makes me shudder to think what could have happened. Thank goodness you and your pups are okay.
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kaydeejay
SE Michigan, USA
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rockhillmanor wrote:One camper had given me odor eliminating candles to try and help with the smell. I calmly walked over to those and blew them out and RAN out of the MH to shut the PROPANE OFF! Now THAT part is downright scary!! Glad you didn't put 'em on the floor (Propane is heavier than air).
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rockhillmanor
On the Road
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Joined: 12/06/2003
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69RoadRunner wrote:Did your propane detector fail, or do you not have one? In either case, I assume you'll be buying one ASAP?
I'm very glad you're OK. That's scary.
Propane detector is in the bedroom at the rear of the coach. I'm assuming with all the exhaust fans on and windows opened it didn't have the chance to get low and make it back to the bedroom even though it was so strong up front.I wonder if the different smell had anything to do with it not going off?
I did find this info out which is my second heads up to you all.
"Some odorants, such as ethyl mercaptan, can oxidize under certain circumstances; oxidation diminishes the chance that a leak will be detected. Also, the odorant may be adsorbed by surfaces under certain conditions (for example, movement of the gas through soil diminishes the distinctive odor). Oxidation can occur if the ethyl mercaptan comes into contact with oxidizing compounds, such as rust (iron oxide).
Oxidation may result in the partial "fading" of the perceived gassy smell of odorized propane. "Fading" has been demonstrated to occur in tanks containing rust.Because oxygen and water can form rust, it is important that all propane containers be purged of air and moisture before use and that the internal tank surface be made passive to neutralize any existing rust."
"Fuel propane is scented with mercaptan odourants for leak detection. By itself, propane has very little smell. Different bottlers of fuel propane use different odourants and so do green gas bottlers hence the different smells.".
I know for me my tank is going to be inspected tomorrow morning!
AND I WILL be having another detector installed in the 'front' of the coach too.
I've waited so long to go full time, you know how ticked off I would have been if I woke up dead just into my first few big trips and before I got to see the Grand Canyon?
* This post was
edited 09/07/08 07:02pm by rockhillmanor *
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chris85am
Fleetwood, Pa
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Oh my god. I am glad this did have a happy ending. Have you tried calling where you got the propane from as to why the smell might have been different?
2004 Coachman Leprechaun 317KS
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