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helpimfreezing's avatar
Nov 18, 2014

I'M FREEZING PLEASE HELP

I've been having problems with my furnace for a while but lately it hasn't been working at all.
This RV is my home until I finish college and it's freezing outside (quite literally). Any help/suggestions would be welcome.

My furnace is an Atwood Excalibur 8500 IV
My RV is a 2006 Cavalier. There is no outside access door and no way to access the inner workings of the furnace without removing it completely.
I didn't want to remove the furnace so I bought an access door + frame and my Step Dad has offered to install it next week (by cutting into the side of the rv. yikes!) then attempt to repair the furnace. He's a retired electrician who can repair just about anything, so I'm trusting he won't mess things up too badly.

Anyways, I need suggestions and insight into what may be causing my problem.

Last winter is when things started. The blower would run for 15-20 minutes without igniting. After turning the thermostat on and off several times, it would finally ignite - then it would stay on until I turned the thermostat to the off position.
It continued doing this until about 2 months ago when it stopped producing heat all together. Turn the thermostat on, the blower runs for approximately 30 seconds, no ignition.
Propane is full. Stove and hot water heater work fine. I'm on shore power, so it's not a battery issue.
I replaced the thermostat because that was the only thing I really knew how to do. No change. The blower runs for 30 seconds but doesn't ignite.
Last night I turned the heat on and nothing happened.
I forgot to turn the thermostat off before going out in search of a space heater, came back about 4 hours later and the furnace was finally working.
It worked perfectly for about 5 hours (I didn't even have to turn the thermostat on and off a million times to get it to work when the temp. fell).
This morning (when it was 4 degrees, as luck would have it) it reverted back to what it was doing before (blower runs, no ignition).

50 Replies

  • 2112's avatar
    2112
    Explorer II
    Google Atwood Excalibur 8500 IV Repair
    Tons of info on your unit.

    EDIT: I see what you are saying about not having the access cover. They didn't make it easy on you, did they?
  • Make sure you have a good 12 volt battery, and do not count on just because you have 110 ac power that the furnace will be able to run properly. The converter will give you 12 volts but by the time you have lights and other things using some of the 12 volts it provides it might not be amble for the furnace. The furnace is one of the highest power users of the 12 volt system. You need a good fully charged battery. Then it could be dirty or out of adjustment igniter.
  • Did you check your battery, water levels good..... Pretty sure your battery plays a big role in igniting the heater even when hooked to shore power.
  • helpimfreezing wrote:


    I can't afford to call a repair man. I wish I could, but it just isn't an option. It's 16 degrees outside and I'm desperate for a solution.


    Well your call, but just be aware this is one of those things where the options are VERY LIMITED and doing the wrong thing could make a $100 problem a $700+ one. If calling a repair man isn't an option then fixing the furnace might not be an option either so spending the extra money now on some electric supplemental heat might be your only viable option. Unless you're very lucky, I doubt you're going to get enough advice here to fix whatever might be wrong.

    Larry
  • I have a ceramic heater but it doesn't make a dent in the cold on mornings like this. I tried running two but it trips the breaker.
  • Do you use the electric heaters? Maybe not enought for complete warmth but they would help.
  • I can access the furnace. I just can't get to anything important.
    It's in a Fema provided RV (mass produced, not well thought out construction-wise)and the furnace would have to be removed entirely in order to troubleshoot.

    I should have mentioned my dad does have some experience repairing RVs but I do have some concerns with adding the access door. I also know that it isn't entirely safe to remove the furnace unless you really know what you're doing - and I obviously do not.

    I can't afford to call a repair man. I wish I could, but it just isn't an option. It's 16 degrees outside and I'm desperate for a solution.
  • Most RVs have furnace access. Sometimes you just need to remove cupboard floors etc. to gain that access.
  • helpimfreezing wrote:
    I've been having problems with my furnace for a while but lately it hasn't been working at all.
    This RV is my home until I finish college and it's freezing outside (quite literally). Any help/suggestions would be welcome.

    My furnace is an Atwood Excalibur 8500 IV
    My RV is a 2006 Cavalier. There is no outside access door and no way to access the inner workings of the furnace without removing it completely.
    I didn't want to remove the furnace so I bought an access door + frame and my Step Dad has offered to install it next week (by cutting into the side of the rv. yikes!) then attempt to repair the furnace. He's a retired electrician who can repair just about anything, so I'm trusting he won't mess things up too badly.

    Anyways, I need suggestions and insight into what may be causing my problem.

    Last winter is when things started. The blower would run for 15-20 minutes without igniting. After turning the thermostat on and off several times, it would finally ignite - then it would stay on until I turned the thermostat to the off position.
    It continued doing this until about 2 months ago when it stopped producing heat all together. Turn the thermostat on, the blower runs for approximately 30 seconds, no ignition.
    Propane is full. Stove and hot water heater work fine. I'm on shore power, so it's not a battery issue.
    I replaced the thermostat because that was the only thing I really knew how to do. No change. The blower runs for 30 seconds but doesn't ignite.
    Last night I turned the heat on and nothing happened.
    I forgot to turn the thermostat off before going out in search of a space heater, came back about 4 hours later and the furnace was finally working.
    It worked perfectly for about 5 hours (I didn't even have to turn the thermostat on and off a million times to get it to work when the temp. fell).
    This morning (when it was 4 degrees, as luck would have it) it reverted back to what it was doing before (blower runs, no ignition).


    First I would suggest NOT modifying the outside by installing some sort of access door. RV furnaces are basically sealed units and designed to have a complete seal at the outside side of the RV. Also, while I'm not positive I think there is very limited repairs that can be done with out removing the unit and taking it out is generally what needs to be done to trouble shoot and repair one. Also, repairs might not be a DIY project and you have to be very careful so you don't create a health or safety hazard in the process of messing around with the furnace. As such I think you should call a professional, maybe a mobile RV tech to diagnose and repair it if cost effective. I think you need the services of a professional to do this. Furnaces are fairly expensive so a repair attempt would probably make sense, but it should be done by a professional and not either by you or your DAD. I might be a $100 problem or a $700+ total replacement problem.

    Larry
  • When it started working last night there were really strong winds. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but my mom seems to think it does.
    Just thought I would mention it!

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