How to remove bad smell from trailer?

I have never done this but I have been told by straight forward guys that it works. How you handle the fire problem is up to you. After hauling a smelly load they would light a fusee(s) and close the trailer doors. The smell would be gone when the doors were reopened.

 

Long time ago I've heard about driver who done that exact thing. Smell was gone. So was the trailer

 

All these complicated answers, and no one mentioned the obvious? C'mon, drivers! I'm disappointed in y'all.

If'n ya got a stink in the trailer ya gotta remove, drag that dead dispatcher ya been hauling around out and chuck'em inta tha dumpster!

 

Guessing the OP was a van with a wood floor that absorbed some stinky product that a washout with anything won't touch. The chemicals in Febreeze did the job by soaking into the wood and acting on the source of the stink. An industrial version like danny suggested would have worked faster. At least OP got the problem solved LOL

Like the OP's van trailer, only harder to get at. It depends on the source of the problem. In a reefer that's in good condition, a regular, frequent washout will work on just about anything. The construction of a reefer is of non-absorbent materials and just won't capture products like a wood floor in a van.

A perpetual stink can come from the leftover crust of crap that forms due to infrequent cleaning. A regular washout won't remove it. An acid wash can get that out, with the risk of damage to the aluminum floor. Or a power tool with a wire brush. That's a lot of elbow grease.

More than likely, it's not that easy. Even not so old reefers have defects or damage in the floors, scuff plates, doors/deals, and the walls. Stinky product gets into places a washout won't touch. Look closely at the rear of the floor and you'll probably find holes worn in where dock plates connect and forklifts beat the crap out of them. Then, after an acid wash or wire brush job, you'll find pinholes in the aluminum floor. Could just be weak spots, could also be from too many acid washes. Stinky liquids get into those holes and soak into the wood sub floor where you can't get to it. If you get to it before it gets really bad, you can get the floor repaired and interior will no longer have an odor, and outside, the wood will eventually dry/air out and stop stinking.

Similar situation with any cracks in the scuff plates or scratches/holes in the walls and doors. Also look at the drain tray up in the nose. Enough nascar forklifts slamming into the nose will make a crack in the floor. If you own a reefer and aren't closely inspecting the interior for this stuff at least once week and getting repairs done promptly, good luck to you.

If it's been let go too long, the wood subfloor and insulation (walls and floor) can rot from the moisture. On the floor that lets the aluminum on top flex too much under a load and develop even more cracks and holes. If you've seen a reefer with a wavy floor or walls, that's probably what's happening. The fix for the floor is a partial or full floor replacement. Walls get wavy because the insulation doesn't offer any support for the thin liner material and load locks and product beat it in. If your reefer is in that kind of shape, the repairs will probably exceed the cost of just junking it and getting another, better trailer.

Now see? Here's where a reefer gets it done. Turn that baby down to -10ºF and you can haul bodies around for months. Just use the real thick commercial trash bags for packaging, and mind the fuel level. Just one careless dock hand sees an arm fall out or something, next thing you know you got more bodies to haul around.

 

Ammonia bath..that's what I do to my reefer. But you better have a mask on. Soak it good leave closed for awhile then leave open for awhile. Ammonia Smell dissipates fast.

 

I just did a load of water bottle bales from a recycling place. No idea how those people work there. My trailer was stinkin bad and had flies in it. I am letting it air out by simply leaving the doors open for a few days. Will go back and see if I need a billion gallons of febreeze but hoping not.

 

The megacarrier I used to pull for had a contract with some waste disposal joint out of Connecticut running trash bales to a landfill somewhere in East Jesus, Ohio. I used to HATE that run because the trailer would smell exactly like that landfill for 1-2 weeks afterward, especially with a wood floor. One time an old hand suggested that I spray it down with white vinegar, let it soak, then run to a washout. Worked like a charm.