Community Forums

richf · 08-19-2005, 08:09 AM

A recent national motor home magazine addressed problems with LP devices (refridge, furnace and water heater) not igniting at high altitude (6,000 feet or more). I've had problems with my refrigerator and furnace in Colorado. The manufacturers and the magazine editor's solution to the problem was to camp where you have 120v or don't use your LP systems.

The suggested solutions eliminate many of the National Forest Service and National Park campgrounds in the West. If anyone's had high altitude LP problems and found a solution I'd appreciate your help.

richf · 08-19-2005, 08:09 AM

A recent national motor home magazine addressed problems with LP devices (refridge, furnace and water heater) not igniting at high altitude (6,000 feet or more). I've had problems with my refrigerator and furnace in Colorado. The manufacturers and the magazine editor's solution to the problem was to camp where you have 120v or don't use your LP systems.

The suggested solutions eliminate many of the National Forest Service and National Park campgrounds in the West. If anyone's had high altitude LP problems and found a solution I'd appreciate your help.

Stan Birch · 08-19-2005, 09:11 PM

We've never experienced the slightest problem with LP appliances at altitudes up to 10,000 feet. Such problems probably result from a less than ideal regulator design, since it doesn't effect everyone.

In the days of adjustable regulators, it was common practice to give the regulator a half turn (I forget the direction) to solve such annomalies in high country; and then return it to normal position when returning to lower elevations.

Cruzer · 08-20-2005, 10:06 AM

We've camped at 11,000' and haven't had any problems with LP furnaces or water heaters. I've heard that you can adjust pressure to compensate for high altitudes but I haven't had the need too.

Kirk · 08-20-2005, 12:26 PM

Richf,
The problem at high altitudes is that the thin air mix doesn't supply enough oxygen for proper combustion. If you have an air shutter for the furnace, like a water heater has you might be able to adjust it. I would guess that the adjustment mentioned may have been to lower the supply pressure. But most RVs work fine at high altitudes, even though they are not really designed to do so. You may be able to improve things by cleaning everything well. If there is some way to give it more air that should help. Since two appliances seem to have had the problem, I am wondering if it was at one location or several different onse? Like the other two posts, I have used several different RVs over the years at altitudes well above 6000' many different times with no problems. We spent July through Sept. last year in Idaho located at 6500'. We never had any problems at all.

drandski · 08-21-2016, 03:23 PM

I read with interest the comments on these problems as I have had some of them. I have a Nash 19B trailer with a Norcold N621L fridge and am now camped at 10100' elev. nr Rabbit Ears Pass in NW Colo. I am boondocking and have no access to 120V.

I first tried to get more air to the flame by opening up the shroud that covers it. That helped some but not enough. I then turned the temperature setting up to 9, coldest, and it stayed lit. Now I turn the fridge on at 9 when it gets up to 39 degrees inside in the morning, ( I have a remote sensor for an indoor/outdoor thermometer in the fridge). It takes all day for it to get down to 34-35, at which point I turn it off for the night, and it is up to 36- 37 by morning. Problem solved. Have been doing this now for 3 weeks.

Drandski ( Dick Randolph)

Tony Lee · 08-21-2016, 03:48 PM

We have camped at 13,000 feet and driven to over 16,000 with our BigFoot camper.

Fridge sometimes took a few tries at starting over 12,000 feet and was noisier, and water heater needed the mixture adjusting to reduce combustion noise. Furnace operated normally. Propane-powered Onan won't start above 9000 feet unless I defeat the governor control for a few seconds until it starts and warms up a bit.