Technical question

[3gr8kids]

Hi everyone! We are having some trouble with our heat in our camper, and DH asked that I post on here with hopes that maybe someone, in all your infinite RV wisdom, would have some thoughts and/or suggestions as to what the problem could be and how to fix it.

I'll start at the beginning. We have a 2008 Starcraft 21SB Hybrid TT, bought new last February. This past October, on our last trip out before winter, it was VERY chilly so we needed the heat. It worked great the first two nights, but on the third night, it stopped working. We thought we had run out of propane, so we just used our little electric heater to get us through our last night without freezing.

Well, now it's spring, and it's time to start getting ready for another camping season (wahh hoooo). My DH brought the propane tanks to be filled, but he was told that the tanks were still more than 1/2 full each. They topped them off, and we tried the heat again. It did the same thing.

What happens is, we turn the heat on by the t-stat, the blowers come on, run for about a minute (give or take), and then they shut off, but the furnace doesn't kick on. We've tried it multiple times, with different variables (shutting the t-stat off right away and trying it again, leaving the t-stat on for a little bit to see if the furnace lights). No such luck no matter what we tried.

Now, let me explain before I throw this out there, neither my DH or I are very technical, and if you start using really technical terms, you'll lose us fast, lol. So, with that being said, does anyone have any ideas, and could you explain them in second grade terminology so we'll have some idea as to what you're talking about? lol. Diagrams drawn in red crayon would also be appreciated, lol. Hey, stop laughing - we're just simple folk trying to fix a problem so we won't have to tow the camper up to the shop only for them to tell us something like "the pilot is out".

p.s. it's a Suburban furnace.

Thanks in advance for any/all help!!

 

[Tigger1966]

First off no pilot light electronic spark ignition
Now the reason it is running and then shutting off is that either it is not sensing flame or the sail switch isn't telling the controll board the blower is on. The blower will run several seconds to purge the combustion chamber then it should light.
First off try listening when you turn it on after a few seconds for a click and a ticking sound. You may need to be outside by the exaust.
Your problem could be anything from a dirt daubers nest restricting the exaust to a bad safety switch, defective ignition lead or a bad board hard to tell without being there and opening it up.

 

[dfchelbay]

We had a similar problem last year and this is what we did:

On the outside of the coach, we opened the door where the pilot light is contained. There are some wires in there that are connected. We pulled the connection apart there and blew on them and wiped them down until they were shiney clean. Turns out that while in storage they can get cob webs, dust and dirt, etc. in there. and that will block the connection that is needed for the pilot light.

 

[dblr]

Check in the back of the heater where your gas line is spiders like to spin webs there. Do you get a good flame at your stove? If not you might want to have your regulator checked.

 

[3gr8kids]

Thank you for the ideas and suggestions. Hopefully it will be something as simple as spider webs, and not something like a control board.

 

[stacktester]

Karla, go to RV.net or ask Larry. He is our resident Tim Taylor and starbright mint connoisseur.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

jeeeez........I hope Scott closes this thread before Larry gets ahold of it!!!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Larry has contacted Suburban and is going over the schematics right now. Once he has a handle on how the furnace was manufactured and a thorough grasp of the thermodynamics of heat distribution in a non ideal gas, he will be posting his answer, which of course, will be the final word and beyond question.

 

[3gr8kids]

Larry will be posting his answer, which of course, will be the final word and beyond question.

ILO



Thanks again everyone!

 

[Magicbus]

I was visiting the Fort about a month ago just to check things out. It was during the cold spell. I asked a family with a motorcoach if the Fort had a Prophane truck that came around so that they could refill and run their furnace. I got one of the best tips yet. They told me that picked up a couple of small electric heaters and that's what they use instead of the furnace. I'm saying, duh, of course, that's the way to go and that's what I plan to do. We have a real flame fire place so it's not that big of a deal for us, but most MHs don't, so I think electric heaters are a good idea. The other thing is if you're coming down now, do you think you'll need heat?

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Nope...but better make sure the AC is charged and working well!!