Trailer Furnace "Q"

[eddylives 99]

I have an 84 Citation travel trailer with a furnace issue.

The furnace will fire up and run properly when running off of the house power , ie. batterys alone.

But when hooked up to shore power ie plugged into the house or a generator the furnace will run the blower but will not fire to produce heat.

Would any of our members have an idea of what the problem might be??

I have inquired at a few of the dealers around town but they all want to see the trailer.......$$$$$$.......so I prefer not to do that if possible lol.

Thanks for any ideas.

[Some Old Guy 968]

Is this a propane/electric furnace or is it just propane?

Roger

[eddylives 99]

He he.....

I guess I should have said "propane furnace" only lol.

[Bear 77]

Have you checked any fuses for the unit? Sounds like the unit runs off 12 or 24 volt and maybe a fuse is gone or your 115v to 12 or 24 volt transformer is not making power to ignite the burner.

Bear

[Some Old Guy 968]

YEs. As Bear said it could just be a fuse issue.

Roger

[eddylives 99]

I checked every fuse in the trailer and they all tested good so......?

I have not been able to find a wireing schematic yet so I am just guessing that this furnace is 12V only but I could be wrong??

Thanks

[Some Old Guy 968]

Usually it is a 12 volt.

If I remember right look at the back of your furnace from outside. I had a switch (dial) on mine that read Propane/12v/110

Do you have that?

Roger

[uncle 19]

Usually it is a 12 volt.

If I remember right look at the back of your furnace from outside. I had a switch (dial) on mine that read Propane/12v/110

Do you have that?

Roger

I think that dial is on a fridge Roger. For a quick fix put a battery charger on your batteries and run it on 12 volt.

[eddylives 99]

The only access to the furnace is inside the trailer and there is not much to look at there when you pull the front panel off of the furnace , its pretty basic without circuit boards and such like the newer ones.

And yup , we rode out the week long hunting trip by doing the battery charger trick to stay warm , thank god I figured out that trick or it would have been a cool week.

So it is a basic furnace with just a sail switch as far as I know.

[Kayaker 38]

What make is the furnace

[Some Old Guy 968]

Ahhh yes Uncle, That's what it was.

I'll go back to my room now.......... Ha Ha

Roger

[naden 136]

My friend installed a vent free propane heater in his camper, MUCH better than a furnace. It is controlled by a thermostat but runs only on propane no power required. Keeps the trailer very toasty and you dont have to listen to the fan kicking on and off all night. No more running the generator all night or freezing after the furnace kills your battery. Those old trailer furnaces can be hard to find parts for.

This is a link to something similar http://www.nbmc.com/vanguardbf/

I think his was less than 200 bucks.

[arvey 154]

if you don't have your furnace fixed or the problem figured out. here's a sugestion. i take it that the furnace is a forced air like in my camper. disconect the battery and plug into house power then try your lights if they don't come on then it's like bear said your convertor gone. that's why it will work on battery and not on shore power.on battery the power doesn't need to be knocked down to 12 volt but on shore power it does so all your 12 volt stuff will work. so when plugged in and the 12 volt lights don't come on then you know what's wrong.

just a thought good luck

arvey