Offgassing - Page 2 - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Me | General Topics > General Escape
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 04-26-2018, 09:22 AM   #21
Senior Member
 
Oldtimer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: DFW, Texas
Trailer: 2018 21 Sept 7 2018
Posts: 1,073
When I built mobile homes ages ago when folrmalghide was used in the paneling back then we would put 5 gallon buckets of plain charcoal in the trailers to absorbe the odors. It worked great, one might try that.
Oldtimer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 09:30 AM   #22
Senior Member
 
Mike Lewis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Santa Rosa County, Florida
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 Tow: 2024 Toyota Tundra
Posts: 3,097
Open all the interior cabinet doors when you are airing out your 21, especially the door to the space under the bed. The under-bed storage space seems to retain chemical smells for a long time. At least I think that's what I'm smelling.
__________________
Mike Lewis
She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie-- propane
Photos and travelogues here: mikelewisimages.com
Mike Lewis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 09:49 AM   #23
Senior Member
 
escape artist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,035
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Lewis View Post
Open all the interior cabinet doors when you are airing out your 21, especially the door to the space under the bed. The under-bed storage space seems to retain chemical smells for a long time. At least I think that's what I'm smelling.
Hi: Mike Lewis... People would pay a small fortune for "That new car smell"!!! In those cases when I was in the biz I bought small atomizers of it and used it liberally. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
escape artist is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 09:58 AM   #24
Senior Member
 
h2owmn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Placerville, California
Trailer: 2018 Escape 17A double dinette
Posts: 1,518
I'm so sorry you're experience this difficulty! I hope some of the suggestions can help so your wife can enjoy camping. The charcoal sounds promising.
__________________
--Time and trouble will tame an advanced young woman, but an advanced older woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force. --Dorothy Sayers
h2owmn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 10:01 AM   #25
Senior Member
 
rubicon327's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
Quote:
Originally Posted by escape artist View Post
Hi: Mike Lewis... People would pay a small fortune for "That new car smell"!!! In those cases when I was in the biz I bought small atomizers of it and used it liberally. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
These always crack me up when I see them in the auto parts store
Attached Thumbnails
new car.JPG  
rubicon327 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 11:20 AM   #26
Senior Member
 
Greg A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
Very sorry to hear of your struggles, I have known several people that are hypersensitive to the off gassing issues and it’s serious. Our 19 had fairly heavy off gassing issues and it took about 9 months to no longer have the odors after it had been closed up for awhile. I think the AZ heat may have played a bit of a role in it being so prevalent.
We use an ozone generator to recondition our rentals if there has been a smoker and they work incredibly. My buddy had some bad odors in a used trailer he bought and put an ozone generator in and closed the trailer for about a week. Never had any more odor issues.
Hope you find a resolution soon.
Greg A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 11:46 AM   #27
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Trailer: 2018 21'
Posts: 152
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg A View Post
We use an ozone generator to recondition our rentals if there has been a smoker and they work incredibly. My buddy had some bad odors in a used trailer he bought and put an ozone generator in and closed the trailer for about a week. Never had any more odor issues.
Hope you find a resolution soon.
I'll second the ozone generator as highly effective at odors, but I don't have experience with if it helps sensitive allergies. It is one of the standard commercial techniques after a fire for example. Theoretically, to me at least, it should be much more effective than just running air through or masking the smell.

We run the fan most of the time we are in the trailer to keep air moving through and find it effective at keeping any out gassing in control.

I hope you find resolution soon.
ericw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 11:56 AM   #28
Senior Member
 
float5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
I guess that I would run as many fans around as I could with everything open. That is a bad problem to have. The ozone generator sounds good.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
float5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 11:57 AM   #29
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Kamloops, British Columbia
Trailer: 2024 Bigfoot 21RB
Posts: 254
Info on ozone generators and links to indoor air quality info - worth a read:https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quali...d-air-cleaners
gharper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 12:22 PM   #30
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: In my Escape...full time. Currently in Maine, Maine
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19
Posts: 204
I'm also wondering about the outgassing on my new 19 due in a month or so. Planning to run the fan continuously with a window or two open at all times for at least a couple of months. I have used Zeolite in new cars and that seemed to help some. It's available in large bags at Tractor Supply and probably other places catering to agriculture. Regarding ozone generators, I know they will kill off odors but not sure they would do anything to curtail continuing outgassing of materials in the trailer.
CarlNH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 12:39 PM   #31
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Felton, California
Trailer: 2018 21' ; 2014 19' (Sold)
Posts: 1,301
I like Oldtimers suggestion about the charcoal and will use some when we pick up our new trailer.
__________________

Jan

We do not remember days, we remember moments.
- Cesare Pavese
CADreamin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 02:08 PM   #32
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie View Post
Does anyone know what chemicals are in the components of the trailer? Does anyone know how to speed the outgassing? Any suggestions appreciated!
The only way to get a list of all the chemicals used would be to get them from the material manufacturers. It'd be quite a list I should think. Generally, the offgassing is coming from chemicals in the paneling, the lacquer on the cabinet doors, the adhesives, the vinyl, the foam in the cushions, and the fiberglass resin in the shell. The good news is that these do dissipate. The bad news is that for those with chemical sensitivities, it can be a long wait until the offgassing reaches levels that allow them to use the trailer with no reaction. Another thing to consider, as I'm sure you're already aware, is that the nose is not a reliable indicator of the presence of chemicals that could cause a reaction. Many of the gasses given off by the materials used in the trailer are odorless.

In any case, I'm sorry that you are having these difficulties. My best advice would be to try and park the trailer in the hottest place you can find, and perhaps run the furnace as well, and to ventilate it by opening windows, doors and cabinets. Heat causes the gasses to be extracted from the materials more rapidly.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 03:07 PM   #33
Senior Member
 
Ruthe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Highland Park, New Jersey
Trailer: Escape 19 February 2014
Posts: 975
We ran the maxi fan constantly the first summer (we camped for two months after picking it up). It took a solid year for the smell to go away, but it never left completely. When the trailer has been closed up for awhile, the smell will come back. When we put down our deposit I knew I'd have to deal with outgassing, but I'm not as sensitive to it as your wife. I hope some of these suggestions work for you. I'm sure you are both so disappointed.
Ruthe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 03:18 PM   #34
Senior Member
 
Bobbito's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Surrey, British Columbia
Trailer: 2015 Escape 21
Posts: 699
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie View Post
My wife, Rachel, cannot be in our Escape 21! It was completed January 30, 2018. I picked it up March 21, 2018, parked it and ran MaxxFan and a 20" fan all day with windows open and closed at night. I ran the furnace three times for a couple of hours with the windows closed. Then repeated the airing.



Today was to be our shake down run. The temperature here in Bend, OR reached 82F today, April 25, and she could not even be in the trailer! She started to react right away. She does have chemical allergies, or multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS, for those in the know).



Does anyone know what chemicals are in the components of the trailer? Does anyone know how to speed the outgassing? Any suggestions appreciated!



I've contacted Escape and am awaiting a callback. Rachel has contacted her allergist and she said another 6 weeks - which means we would miss all of the great spring RVing!


Hi Charlie,


I too have MCS and cannot take a plane or attend events where seating is fixed. It was a result of a chemical exposure incident in the lab where I worked. My sensitivity is more to the artificial scents in perfumes, body care products and laundry products, however when we got our Escape both my wife and I were sometimes overwhelmed by the off gassing. We had to keep our windows open more then and the Maxi-Fan on high. After a year we no longer noticed the smell. It may be that you are more affected by the Escapes off gassing than we were. We just recently had a crisis on purchasing an expensive foam mattress from Sleep Country. Two months of running two fans, opening the windows and keeping the room warm did the trick for us. The scents are gone from it. You may have to alter your travel plans to allow for your Escape’s off gassing to be over. Good luck with this.

Bob K

BTW you can PM me if you want to share tips on other aspects of living with MCS.
Bobbito is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2018, 04:23 PM   #35
Senior Member
 
h2owmn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Placerville, California
Trailer: 2018 Escape 17A double dinette
Posts: 1,518
If you have room somewhere (garage?) you might think about setting the cushions on sawhorses and running a fan in there with the door open. The cushions are only part of the problem, I'm sure, but that might speed up the dissipation from the other materials in the trailer.
__________________
--Time and trouble will tame an advanced young woman, but an advanced older woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force. --Dorothy Sayers
h2owmn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2018, 12:42 AM   #36
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19
Posts: 33
Thumbs up Thanks for all the Responses - This is Our Plan

Wow! I'm impressed with all the responses.

Yes, Rachel's MCS is quite severe. She did get Social Security disability for a while. For a number of years she could not go into most stores (many big box stores have "signature smells", i.e. poisonous chemicals) I'm getting quite involved in "fragrance free" efforts at our church and the chemical sensitivities epidemic is scary - 30% of the US population is affected, up from 6% in 2002.

We are keeping our 21 at a friends place (since our HOA does not allow us to park an RV for more than a day) where we have electricity. We are running an electric heater to get the temperature up to about 90F. it is sitting where the sun will help heat it during the day. We are also running an Austin Air air purifier that has a HEPA filter and a charcoal filter. The heat should speed the outgassing and the air purifier should capture some of the chemicals. We will open the trailer every three days and air it out completely, wipe it down with vinegar and water, then close it and repeat the cycle as necessary.

BTW, Rachel's allergist said six weeks for it to be safe.

We are researching ozone generators and ionizers. Ozone is also dangerous to ones health and the smell does linger. Ionizers have claims of great success, but much of that is by the manufacturers.

I'll keep you all posted.
Charlie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2018, 07:32 AM   #37
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Westcliffe, Colorado
Trailer: 2010 EggCamper (#083); 2017 Escape 21 (#053); 2016 F-150 5.0L FX4
Posts: 1,765
You've already received a lot of great suggestions, but just to share our experience - when we received our 2017 21', we parked it out in direct sunlight in an area where there is usually a light breeze, opened all the windows and entry door during the day, opened all the cabinet doors and drawers including under the bed, and spread the dinette cushions out on the table and counter tops. Luckily we had a lot of warm sunny weather with nice breezes, and it took about two weeks to get all the construction component chemical odors to clear out. I thought most of that "new trailer smell" was coming from the foam cushions/mattress, the wood paneling and the various adhesives that were still curing, but as others have mentioned, there were probably numerous other sources. We now store our 21' under a car port beside our house with the ceiling fan vent opened and the range hood vent propped open to allow passive cross ventilation, and it's fine. We'll also open the windows and entry door occasionally on cool, breezy day just to get some fresh air turnover inside. Best of luck....
Attached Thumbnails
DSC09319.jpg  
War Eagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-27-2018, 01:15 PM   #38
Senior Member
 
Greg A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
Quote:
Originally Posted by gharper View Post
Info on ozone generators and links to indoor air quality info - worth a read:https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quali...d-air-cleaners
Good info, and you never want to occupy anything while running the ozone generators. We use them like bug bombs and run them in closed rentals between renters for about 4-7 days, and then come in and air the units out for a week or two before anyone occupies. They work incredibly on removing any odors and never had any reported issues.
Greg A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2022, 11:21 AM   #39
Senior Member
 
Small but Sweet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Trailer: 2022 21C, our second Escape
Posts: 322
I’m reviving this old thread to add… I'm currently airing out our new Escape and have added some houseplants while we're at home. The ones I had handy that are good at processing pollution and VOCs are a jade plant and a spider plant, and there are others that are even stronger air cleaners. Bromeliad is supposed to be the best one. I'll report back if I can tell that it makes a difference.
Small but Sweet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-08-2022, 11:40 AM   #40
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Lafayette, Louisiana
Trailer: 2017 Escape 19' and 2004 Tundra
Posts: 166
I would be cautious using ozone, it is known to degrade plastic.
RBRV is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:04 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.