removing smoke odor from an RV

[cpw]

I put a deposit on an RV yesterday. It's a 24' class c that's perfect in every way except the previous owner smoked in it.
My offer is contingent on removal of the smoke odor to my satisfaction but I have my doubts as to whether this can really be accomplished.
I plan to remove the beds, wash the slip covers on cushions and steam clean the carpet but...
There is the matter of the upholstery on the seats in the cab, an armchair bolted to the floor and the window blinds (cellular).
Does anyone have confidence that this problem can be solved or should I just walk away. I have my doubts about the effectiveness of "ionizers" and fear that damp or hot weather will make the smell return even if it can be masked/eliminated in the short term.
Thoughts? Anyone ever succesfully removed cigarette smoke order from a car or RV?
CPW

 

[MD1032]

I don't think you'll ever get rid of that smell. The only way to severely attenuate it, I think, would be to completely replace all of the inside carpets and upholstery (sp?).

 

[Sovkiller]

Time for a detailing, and after.....Febreze!!!! This will get rid of the odor......Spray gently.....

 

[KYTGuy]

I, too, think you will never get rid of it all. That said, I know that if you wipe down ALL hard surfaces with a cleaner that cuts grease/tar (409 or equivalent), and follow with the cleaning you propose, it will probably get bearable.

This is why "non-smoker car", etc. is always of interest, and why it commands higher price. You DID offer less for the "smoked" rv, didn't you?

 

[Barry]

Ozone generators will do it. Professionals use it for smoke damaged interiors.

 

[Edwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barry Ozone generators will do it. Professionals use it for smoke damaged interiors.

Yup, does wonders on smoke.

Just don't be in the RV when using an Ozone Generator.

-Ed

 

[Tuberoller]

This is cool,another RVer at Head-fi

. What kinda rig you getting?




I've seen homes that were seriously smoke damaged returned to like new in a a matter of a few days. Yes, the smoke smell can be removed but this depends on the use of very specific equipment and chemicals that an RV dealer may not have access to. You gotta insist that that odor be completely removed or you'll never be happy with your RV.

I hope you got the killer deal on your rig. I had to negotiate back and forth for ten days before I got the deal I liked. I had a dealer who was almost willing to lose the deal rather than allow me to pay cash for my RV. I finally got him to do the original deal and allow me to pay cash but it was a struggle. The markup on RVs is huge and I ended up paying $27,000 less than list price for my Itasca Sundancer 30V Class C. Don't be afraid to shop around.

Anyway,RVs are so cool. I took mine out today to the Plymouth County Blueberry Festival in Plymouth,Indiana. I was nice to be able to get in out of the heat,use my own bathroom and take a nap in the middle of the day. Get a Sat internet connection if they offer it a good price. I could'nt live without that and I'm using it right now.

Good luck and welcome to the "RV Lifestyle" maybe I'll see you in an RV park or Walmart sometime.

 

[cpw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuberoller This is cool,another RVer at Head-fi . What kinda rig you getting? I've seen homes that were seriously smoke damaged returned to like new in a a matter of a few days. Yes, the smoke smell can be removed but this depends on the use of very specific equipment and chemicals that an RV dealer may not have access to. You gotta insist that that odor be completely removed or you'll never be happy with your RV.

I figured you'd know I thing or two about smoke damage. I almost PMed you. Unfortunately we went back to have another look today and decided to bail on the deal. We jumped in and almost gagged the odor was so bad. Yesterday it must have been ventilated for awhile before we got in it and, though it was noticeable, it was nothing like today. It had been closed up over night and it was pretty hot today. It was unbearable.
It was a '95 w/ very low miles and exactly the floorplan we were hoping for. It's very disappointing (especially for my wife) but we really had doubts about our ability to make it liveable. The dealer was going to use an ionizer of some sort but it would have been up to us to redo curtains, blinds, carpet, etc and it just seemed like more of a project than we were willing to take on. My wife is Swiss and is kind of a clean freak so even though the thing looked great, it just didn't feel right.
We're looking for a 24' class c w/ low miles and no smoke stink! Any Head-Fiers out there w/ a clean unit for sale?
CPW

 

[Louco]

I find this somewhere (sorry I can't give the credit, as I only copy part of it for my personal problem odour) you need to get everything out, we’ve begun the soaking process with OxiClean, by the way, the best cleaning solution EVER! It worked on just about anything i could fit into the small baby pool! I had been scouring the RV blogs and found two very helpful posts on soaking the Day/Night blinds in OxiClean and painting the inside of your RV.   Purchase PVC pipe with two end caps for soaking the day/night blinds as the longest ones we had were over 68″ and were too long to fit in our baby pool or the bathtub. Once we got the right size PVC pipe, this worked like a charm. I’d recommend at least 4″ pipe, 5″ if you can find it.