# 2 Problems, Furnace Related?



## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

This weekend while camping we realized we had no heat. If we turned the thermostat on, it only blew cold air. After doing a little reading we're finding it may have something to do with the lock-out switch? I've seen similar posts but not sure if this is really what's going on with it. Is it something we can fix ourselves or do we need to take to a dealer? We also had some serious shocks when opening the door to go into the camper. Not your static electricity shock, an electrical shock (as my son described it, when you hit your funny bone type pain) which makes us wonder if something is not grounded? It kept happening to the kids and by end of the weekend they were in tears and scared to death to open the door. Not sure what's going on. We have another trip in two weeks so we really need to figure this thing out!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Are you on shore power or battery?

Any changes done since the last time you went out?

Are the kids getting shocked in on area of the trailer or multiple locations?

I would check the trailers ground connection ASAP.


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Are you on shore power or battery?
> 
> Any changes done since the last time you went out?
> 
> ...


We were on Shore power, no changes since the last time we used it which was about 3 weeks ago. The furnace worked fine there. They were only shocked in the one area?!


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

You may have had a problem with the pulg at the campground. I can check it out at Charlie Brown if you still have the problem. Were the kids barefoot at the time.

John


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

johnp2000 said:


> You may have had a problem with the pulg at the campground. I can check it out at Charlie Brown if you still have the problem. Were the kids barefoot at the time.
> 
> John


Yep....try it at home for sure.

If you're still at the campground, try taking your power cord to the next site.


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

johnp2000 said:


> You may have had a problem with the pulg at the campground. I can check it out at Charlie Brown if you still have the problem. Were the kids barefoot at the time.
> 
> John


Nope not barefoot, it was cold and wet at our site so I don't know if that played a role in it? I suppose there's lots of factors, it didn't happen every time and never happened to me or my husband. We thought the kids were getting static electricity shocks until our friend got one too, she said it was definitely electrical. I would think if it were a huge problem we would have felt them in other places. We actually have an appointment to have some work done at the dealer's on Tuesday, I'm gonna have them check over the furnace and the electrical, we just didn't want them charge us an arm and a leg for a minor problem (if it is one?!). I figured if someone else had the problem and we had some idea of cost going in...

Looking forward to seeing you at the rally! Can't believe it's two weeks away!!!


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

johnp2000 said:


> You may have had a problem with the pulg at the campground. I can check it out at Charlie Brown if you still have the problem. Were the kids barefoot at the time.
> 
> John


This is the answer.Shore power was wire incorrectly at the campground you were at.


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## MO7Bs (Apr 11, 2009)

CamperAndy said:


> You may have had a problem with the pulg at the campground. I can check it out at Charlie Brown if you still have the problem. Were the kids barefoot at the time.
> 
> John


This is the answer.Shore power was wire incorrectly at the campground you were at.
[/quote]

Sounds like neutral and hot were switched...if I remember it correctly.


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

Bricker417 said:


> You may have had a problem with the pulg at the campground. I can check it out at Charlie Brown if you still have the problem. Were the kids barefoot at the time.
> 
> John


This is the answer.Shore power was wire incorrectly at the campground you were at.
[/quote]

Sounds like neutral and hot were switched...if I remember it correctly.
[/quote]

That would make me a VERY happy person to know that it's not our camper that has the problem!


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

Bricker417 said:


> You may have had a problem with the pulg at the campground. I can check it out at Charlie Brown if you still have the problem. Were the kids barefoot at the time.
> 
> John


This is the answer.Shore power was wire incorrectly at the campground you were at.
[/quote]

Sounds like neutral and hot were switched...if I remember it correctly.
[/quote]

Do you think this could have tripped our furnace? What would have prevented this?


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

The furnace is a pure DC operation and shore power has no direct impact on its operation. Running cold continuously is typically due to low voltage and the reason you were asked earlier if you were on Shore power was that this normally eliminates low voltage as the converter provides plenty of DC power for the furnace to operate.

You will need to do some testing for us.

Do you have a full tank of propane?
Do you here the gas valve open?
Do you hear the igniter spark.
Does it heat for a while then stop and just blow cold?


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

CamperAndy said:


> The furnace is a pure DC operation and shore power has no direct impact on its operation. Running cold continuously is typically due to low voltage and the reason you were asked earlier if you were on Shore power was that this normally eliminates low voltage as the converter provides plenty of DC power for the furnace to operate.
> 
> You will need to do some testing for us.
> 
> ...


A tank and a half full, no heat, all cold air. We'll have to check on gas valve and the igniter spark, it's going into the dealership tomorrow for other things so we'll have them take a look at it too. I'm just hoping it's not the camper and was something at the campground. It worked perfectly three weeks ago while we were camping. Nothing was done in between then and now. Thanks for all your responses, this is helping us sort through what could be wrong!


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

Finally able to check over everything, it's working! Ran the furnace off of the battery and got heat. Not sure what happened this weekend, just glad it's not our furnace. Thanks for all the help!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

anne72 said:


> Finally able to check over everything, it's working! Ran the furnace off of the battery and got heat. Not sure what happened this weekend, just glad it's not our furnace. Thanks for all the help!


Good news.

Does the furnace work when you're plugged in at your house or only on battery power? Sorry...I couldn't determine that from your post.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

The batteries may not have been charging correctly as the converter may have had issues with the Hot and Neutral switched. This could have led to low voltage on the batteries and then the issues with the furnace.

Thee batteries charged on the way home or once connected to shore power at home and now, no issues with the furnace..


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

CamperAndy said:


> The batteries may not have been charging correctly as the converter may have had issues with the Hot and Neutral switched. This could have led to low voltage on the batteries and then the issues with the furnace.
> 
> Thee batteries charged on the way home or once connected to shore power at home and now, no issues with the furnace..


Aha, I bet this is it! We were on battery when we tried it at home so I'm guessing that's what the problem was. What a learning experience, you'd think with my husband's parents being on the road 9 months out of the year we'd know a little more than we do! Thanks again for all your help!


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

anne72 said:


> The batteries may not have been charging correctly as the converter may have had issues with the Hot and Neutral switched. This could have led to low voltage on the batteries and then the issues with the furnace.
> 
> Thee batteries charged on the way home or once connected to shore power at home and now, no issues with the furnace..


Aha, I bet this is it! We were on battery when we tried it at home so I'm guessing that's what the problem was. What a learning experience, you'd think with my husband's parents being on the road 9 months out of the year we'd know a little more than we do! Thanks again for all your help!
[/quote]

Get a polarity tester and never have that problem again.


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## anne72 (Apr 27, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> The batteries may not have been charging correctly as the converter may have had issues with the Hot and Neutral switched. This could have led to low voltage on the batteries and then the issues with the furnace.
> 
> Thee batteries charged on the way home or once connected to shore power at home and now, no issues with the furnace..


Aha, I bet this is it! We were on battery when we tried it at home so I'm guessing that's what the problem was. What a learning experience, you'd think with my husband's parents being on the road 9 months out of the year we'd know a little more than we do! Thanks again for all your help!
[/quote]

Get a polarity tester and never have that problem again.









[/quote]

Already done! It's a staple in the camper now!!


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Just make sure you use an adapter and check the 30 amp plug before you plug in the trailer. If you don't have one let me know I should have at least one extra around here I'll bring it next week.

John


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