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gspman · 12-01-2020, 08:42 PM

My dw and i were camping on our wedding anniversary. As it turned out it was abnormally cold that weekend in Northern Wis.

So we turned on the furnace set the temp via on command. The 1st day normal operation like one would expect from a furnace & worked well, 2nd day weirdness happened, 3rd weirdness continued.

The furnace stopped working periodically, the fuse panel underneath the fridge was buzzing and a red light was lit, next to the fuse position for the furnace.
The fuse not blown. Wait 15-20 minutes restart the furnace via the ucommand interface, it runs for 15,20,30 minutes, then the same sequence starts over.

Called a local dealership to inquire about a mobile tech, he says there are none and they are swamped in the shop.

The guy on the phone did offer some help. He asked some things and said that most likely the furnace was overheating and shutting itself off. He asked that i check the exhaust outlet for obstructions, I informed him that i had a insect screen coverin the intake/exhaust port. He requested that i remove it and re-try the furnace. I did remove the screen and that appeared to help with the duration that the furnace would run but it would still shut itself off.
I could see no other "junk" in the either the exhaust or intake with a flashlight.

So with this info what do i do now to correct the problem. There is no access to the furnace from the outside of the camper, only from under the refrigerator. Can i take out the grill and put a fan on the chassis ? of coarse why should i have to do that..

PS
both propane tanks were filled day before and ther was no air in the system. Both Stove/oven and fridge running with no issues.

anyone experience anything like this before?

Sorry for the long winded post, kinda scratching my head here.

Sincerely
Scott

RVnAggie · 12-01-2020, 10:54 PM

I had a similar problem with the furnace in my 2016 Alpine. It would come on and run for several minutes then trip before reaching desired temp as set on the thermostat, but mine would not restart afterward.

My issue was the reset breaker/switch on the furnace would trip...apparently a weak switch that would trip due to heat when it shouldn’t. After several reset attempts followed by additional trips, I ultimately had to pull the the furnace out to replace the switch. No external access, so I had to go through the basement removing the rear “basement wall” panel and become quite a contortionist to reach it.

Once, I had it out, I ordered the reset switch along with the high limit switch (just in case) and replaced both for less than $15. Very easy to do other than the challenge of getting to and removing the furnace. No problems since....

Pretty sure my problem was the weak reset switch since it was ultimately tripped each time. however, if your furnace will restart after cooling down, your issue may be a faulty high limit switch.

The high limit switch works like a thermostat; it shuts off the furnace for safety reasons if too much heat is building up in the unit and can’t escape due to blocked ducts or restrictions as mentioned in your post. Sounds like maybe the switch is shutting the furnace off when it shouldn’t, then after cooling down, it closes and allows a restart. A weak reset switch will cause the same shutdown but requires a manual reset like any other circuit breaker.

Hope this is helpful. Best wishes for safe travels (and a warm trailer.)

gspman · 12-03-2020, 05:57 PM

RVnAggie

Well that makes about as much sense as anything, much thx.

RVnAggie · 12-04-2020, 08:20 PM

Hope you solve it soon. Would like hear what the issue was once you resolve it, if you don’t mind posting.

gspman · 12-05-2020, 06:56 AM

Its now winterized and parked for the remainder of the winter, i was toying with the idea in throwing 1 of the batteries back in it do some testing since its pretty much always cold now this time of year. If it does appear to be a hi limit switch or anything else requiring pulling the furnace out. i wioll take it to a dealer, getting too old for that kinda grief...lol

Thx All
SB

clifford j · 12-05-2020, 02:57 PM

My thought would be to ensure that all louver/vents are in the open position. Restricted output flow will trigger the HI temp switch to trip.

CLIFFORD