Forum Discussion

marc71's avatar
marc71
Explorer
Oct 19, 2019

No heat

Camping this weekend and it’s a bit chilly... went to turn the heat on and nothing! The fan kicks on for a minute or two and then shuts off. All the other gas fixtures are working properly. I crack the line open at the heater and there’s gas going to it. We just purchased the camper before Labor Day, it’s a 2014 Jayco Jayflight 32 BHDS. I’m not sure of the heater manufacture but the exhaust on the outside is a single round vent.

Any suggestions?
  • Stink bugs. Probably dead now. Flippin' things get in everywhere, and one crawling into the burner tube of your furnace, water heater, grill, or other propane appliance will screw up the burn and result in just this problem. On the one hand, pulling the burner assembly out and blowing the bug(s) out is a cheap fix. On the other hand, it's a pain in the neck for sure. So before you fuss about the other issues above, look for stink bugs in the burner.
  • The fan comes on first, if it's moving enough air then you should hear the igniter clicking. Is it trying to light?
  • At our age (81) we would call the nearest available mobile RV tech. About a year ago we had to replace the gas valve in our furnace.
  • garyemunson wrote:
    There is a "sail switch" that looks for airflow through the unit. If it is stuck (or bad), it will not allow the gas to turn on.


    Or if something is blocking the air flow, the Sail Switch is doing it's job.

    Dusty
  • There is a "sail switch" that looks for airflow through the unit. If it is stuck (or bad), it will not allow the gas to turn on.
  • Typically RV furnaces don't like to not be used for a long time. Too many things can happen.
    1. The green ground wire that is screwed to the furnace metal gets loose or corroded. Loosen and tighten it.
    2. Mud daubers build nests inside the furnace. This either clogs the blower air path, or worse builds up on the sail switch. Maybe blow some compressed air through the outlet to clear it out and hope that helps.
    3. There is a control circuit board with a connector on it. Sometimes the connections on that board get corroded. Pull the connector off and on several times and see if that solves the problem.
    4. Probably not the case, but also possible the gas valve is stuck.
    5. The heat sensor rod may not be clean and is not sending an igniter signal to the gas valve.

    I'm sure others will have additional ideas.

About Technical Issues

Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,203 PostsLatest Activity: Feb 21, 2025