# Formaldehyde, should I worry?



## JetSkiJack (Jul 15, 2013)

I have been researching RV's lately, it has come up several times that some trailers have formaldehyde , my question is will this eventually wear off from an RV or should I worry?

Thanks!:texasflag

Also does anybody have recommendations on RV parks close to Rosenberg preferably on the Brazos river for long term stay? Thanks again!


----------



## squidly (Sep 26, 2005)

I would not worry to much, get you some good vent covers so you can let it air out for a little bit and you should be good to go.


----------



## REELKAOS (May 21, 2010)

*Disection*

we kept DEAD frogs is this stuff...

sounds like you may be looking at FEMA trailers....

I would worry..............
:texasflag


----------



## Tuff (Nov 29, 2011)

you have nothing to worry about, if you have ever purchased a house you have signed paperwork that acknowledges that there is formaldehyde in the house

the people in California discovered that several building products (carpet, glue, caulk, paint, components of appliances, etc.) emit formaldehyde as byproducts of the manufacturing process - if you don't ventilate the house (or RV in your case) there will be an odor

have you ever experienced that "new car" smell (from a new car, not the air freshener)?

a little time and ventilation will fix the problem


----------



## Don Smith (Nov 24, 2007)

The gimmie dats that were given free trailers by FEMA to live in after the hurricanes saw an opportunity to get more freebies from the gubmint and complained mightily about the odor in their free trailers. However, they didn't go get a job and move out of the trailers. In my lifetime, I have owned many new RV's and the majority of them had that new rv odor. A little use and ventilation cured that. There may be a few folks that are allergic to the smell, but for the vast majority of us, it is not a problem. Buy it, air it out and enjoy it.


----------



## Mustad7731 (May 23, 2004)

*New RV Odors*

Back in the 70's lots of thing had problems with Formaldehyde...

They were building lots of stuff with Formaldehyde as a component
of the adhesives...If the finished product had an interior space where
the off gassing confined these gasses it would smell bad and cause
most people problems associated with exposures to Formaldehyde!!!

I worked for several years for Galveston County Health District as a
Environmental Health Specialist....I personally worked with maybe
30 or so of these problems...

If you or your family is not Hypersensitive to Formaldehyde then 
Ventilation is the solution!!!!

The law changed and the amount of Formaldehyde that is allowable
in adhesives used in construction has been lowered and with that
so has the problems associated with the off gassing...

If you have any questions not cover above...send me a PM....

Mustad7731
Jack


----------



## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

From what I remember back then, heat made it worse. If an RV had set closed up in the summer heat and did not bother you with fumes when you walked in, I _think_ you would be okay.
Maybe Mustad7731 could chime in on _my opinion_ for safety reasons.


----------



## Mustad7731 (May 23, 2004)

*Heat Impact on De Gassing*

As Whitebass... said, heat sped up the off gassing process...I don't recall the 
Exposure(s) were, but for camping types of exposure...Odors....(Not being able to
detect it with your nose) should be sufficent to keep you safe...If you had daily
long term exposures...ie...a child growing up in a trailer...It would be worth checking
it out in a more definitive way, if you wanted more assurance that everything was OK.

Mustad7731
Jack


----------



## JetSkiJack (Jul 15, 2013)

Thank you all for taking the time to reply :biggrin:, I'll be looking at a 5th wheel or bumper pull to live full time in for a while. I was looking at the fema trailer because they were so cheap and seemed like a mini apartment inside compared to a lot of the RV's I was looking at where they seem so generic with the flower sofa's and built in storage everywhere. I would like something I could rip apart and put wood floors in and make it how I want it where it will be more "homey".


----------

