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Old 01-05-2016, 12:37 PM   #1
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Removing Odors: Fulltiming With Pets

We've been fulltiming for three months now, and the bus has a SMELL. I'm not sure how I can fix it because we're in Florida, so if I clean it the smell gets worse because the cleaner doesn't ever dry due to humidity.

If you don't know about our setup, we are two humans who travel with three cats, two dogs, a goat, and a rabbit. The goat and rabbit have a pen in the back room with the toilet and the litterbox. It's always gonna be stinky back there, and that's fine because that's not the smell I'm talking about. I can clean the pen and litterbox, and eventually we'll get around to a better toilet vent situation. Somehow tank deodorizer tablets only make the smell worse!

The rest of the bus still stinks even when all the laundry has been done, the animals have been washed, and the walls, floors, furniture and ceilings have been washed with Pine-sol. The floors are stick-on tile and laminate wood. The front of the bus (driver's area) that has not been modified in any way actually smells the worst, and it's nothing but the original rubber floors and no animals ever have access to that area.

Does anyone have any tips for deodorizing this place? I know lots of you have pets and cook inside, so what do you do? Would a steam-cleaner help, or would it just make a wet mess?

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My build thread:https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/build-thread-for-haulin-oats-and-goats-11237.html#post113500
A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
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Old 01-05-2016, 01:15 PM   #2
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Given that the front smells the worst, and it has the original rubber floors with plywood below..... my first guess is that you have moisture and mold in the plywood under that factory rubber floor. Maybe you can lift up a section, or perhaps just drill a hole into it and smell the sawdust that comes out? Choose a place where wetness is likely, such as near a joint in the rubber or near a hole that penetrate through the floor such as a seat mounting bolt. If this guess is correct, then the best deodorizer is removal of that wood. Anything else only attempts to mask the smell by over-powering it with something less disagreeable.
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Old 01-05-2016, 01:44 PM   #3
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My factory floor was pretty icky and smelly
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Old 01-05-2016, 02:23 PM   #4
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Now that 99% of the school bus stuff is out of mine its smelling good. Like an old abandoned VW. MMMMmmmmmm...
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Old 01-05-2016, 05:47 PM   #5
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Our bus is entirely metal. Everywhere. No wood whatsoever, originally! When we were working on it we peeled up bits of the rubber to see what was there and it was very clean and dry sheet metal.

I bought a ton of cleaning supplies to try, so we'll see if it helps. I think a lot of the problem is due to cooking odors getting stuck in the roof fiberglass. When we return to the shop in May I'll be doing some upgrades, including some sort of kitchen ventilation that is more than open windows.
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A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
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Old 01-05-2016, 06:14 PM   #6
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What I did was watch Ebay like a hawk. When some GOOD powered roof vents popped up for a bargain I bought three. I posted the link and a fellow forum member bought the last one the vendor had.
$50 apiece for two powered Fantastics, and $30 for one non powered static vent.
All NIB.
I figured I'd put one in the master bedroom, one in the kitchen/living area, and one in the restroom.
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Old 01-05-2016, 09:34 PM   #7
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I still have the fiberglass insulation, plus I have outdoor carpet glued to all of the bus steel. Up until this past year, I didn't have any type of powered exhaust. Can't say we ever had any lingering smells from cooking... I would think my carpet would hold smells better then fiberglass insulation behind the metal? Just guessing, but I bet you have a water issue somewhere. Probably a leak somewhere that is not drying out. I fought my leaky escape hatches for a long time before I got rid of them. I first noticed them leaking from trying to figure out why the floor along the walls was always wet. They didn't leak anywhere obvious up by the hatches. They would leak inside the ceiling then slowly find a way down a wall.




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I posted the link and a fellow forum member bought the last one the vendor had.
It worked great all summer too!! Great deal
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Old 01-05-2016, 10:31 PM   #8
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Did you pull out the old insulation in the ceiling? I don't remember from your build thread. We have two vent panels (I guess you'd call them that up front). The panels that are all tiny holes. I would imagine if there was any mold growing in the ceiling that we might smell it there first.
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Old 01-05-2016, 11:09 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hvbuzz View Post
I still have the fiberglass insulation, plus I have outdoor carpet glued to all of the bus steel. Up until this past year, I didn't have any type of powered exhaust. Can't say we ever had any lingering smells from cooking... I would think my carpet would hold smells better then fiberglass insulation behind the metal? Just guessing, but I bet you have a water issue somewhere. Probably a leak somewhere that is not drying out. I fought my leaky escape hatches for a long time before I got rid of them. I first noticed them leaking from trying to figure out why the floor along the walls was always wet. They didn't leak anywhere obvious up by the hatches. They would leak inside the ceiling then slowly find a way down a wall.






It worked great all summer too!! Great deal
Glad to hear!
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Old 01-05-2016, 11:16 PM   #10
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I was going to suggest removing the goat but you already eliminated as a potential source. Have you considered having the boyfriend move out? Just kidding.
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