1970s Great Divide - Ta-Ton-Ka Sal-Va-Gion
Can I do this here? It's not a Travel Trailer. Of course, I suppose any of these vintage bumper-pull campers don't REALLY fit the definition of TT. Isn't a TT something that travels, not camps? Many o...
Forum Discussion
Today: Inspection, cleaning and testing of the Peerless Gravity Furnace. Original to Ta-Ton-Ka? Maybe, maybe not.
Legal Disclaimer: Probably, Maybe, and I think.
I didn't even know they were CALLED gravity furnaces until just the other day. I always thought of them as a "canister" or "convective" furnace.
I was at a local RV Parts and Service Joint the other day - owners known to the kids, and elderly, and finally retiring - selling the place. And the new owners and business won't be RV related, so they're clearing out stock. DSIL said, "they're going in a couple of days, better go take a look". But see my problem is limited storage. And I often don't know what I need or want, until I do.
Large percentage price reductions, and yet stock was less than I thought, and pretty much the same stuff as you find in the aisles of Camping World. But we chatted - boy did we chat. He likes to talk. Seriously, I'm not a big talker. Now writing! Don't get me started!
So as the convo unfolded, topics came and went and new unsolicited topics came up and the next thing I know he was asking about "it" being a "gravity furnace?". I said, "I guess".
Now the last time he educated me, was when we had problems with our Dometic Fridge in the 2003 Starcraft Lonestar pop-up TC. He taught me how to make a homemade Manometer, for measuring propane regulator function and system pressure in the whole RV.
Prior to that he taught me how to wire up my brand new Dodge truck to sent a charge down the way to the House Battery. Tapping a terminal in the fuse box, installing the 30 amp breaker nearby, and then running the larger gauge wire to the rear.
Prior to that, same thing on an older vehicle, but using a "solenoid active when key on style" system.
He knows good stuff, but you have to pack a lunch.
Without much storage space, I simply came home with these...
Cool old school right? Don't even MAKE them in this quality anymore right? Oh you can get the cheapo knock-offs - weaker, thinner, smaller. But I was wrong!
Note there at the bottom it's a revision in '03. So I think these are about 10-15 years on the shelf.
I looked on Amazon for "RV level eagle". Got this.
Hopkins Eagle Levels
Same company, even the same part number. Higher Price. I'll be darned.
But I only got one set, and I need a set for every unit! What was I thinking! They sent me out the door for no charge! That's why only one - didn't want to appear grabby, and I suspected they'd do that, because of the kids and their group. But they'll probably donate the remaining stock to the second hand store. I'll have to keep my eyes open.
So - Gravity Furnace.
After vac, wash and dry...
The main problem with this unit not firing right up was the age and rust on the pilot light assembly. So it came out. And that was tough. Water had gotten into the canister, likely through the vent, and surface rust was damaging certain parts. Out came the assembly for exam.
Initially, the flame dispenser wasn't aimed directly at the heat generator tube bulb, so I straightened it and tried again.
Here's the other side. And it all got sort of cleaned up.
But the pilot flame was weak and wouldn't even reach the bulb, and it was the end of the day, so I let it sit overnight.
Next morning I got into better cleaning. I used carburetor cleaner, hot water and air to dry and blow out the orifice and other stuff.
Note the tiny hole. Don't go probing. No needles! Carb cleaner and a toothbrush helped, but it's mostly carb cleaner and air pressure.
Reinsert the disperser.
Now see the removable bottom cover of the canister?
But it's kind of rusted shut. And the wingnut and stud is pretty bad. The other side broke right off. To do this right, I need to remove that other one, take it apart, and make a fix. For now, I just wanted to test.
The studs are spot-welded onto the canister. It'll need some thought.
But further inspection, and blowout, convinced me it was safe to test.
Back in went the assembly.
The pilot flame gas flow runs through the aluminum tube. Note where the tube comes out of the gas control valve? There's a fitting with a screw set down inside? That's the pilot flame adjustment screw. So you can get a stronger or weaker flame. There's a sweet spot, like adjusting a carburetor mixture - as far in as possible, backed out just before the nice healthy flame starts to lessen. I set it.
This time the pilot flame was awesome.
And the burner was pretty clean all around.
Burner, pilot, and heat generator bulb.
Here's the burner check prior to lighting.
And this can all be worked better if you get that bottom cover off the cylinder. But for now the furnace was operational, and at least in my view - safe.
When you rescue one of these things, don't forget to take the vent. They are specific to the furnace. Balanced for intake and exhaust in proper air volume flow. Without the right size vent you can create a system that won't light; it'll just blow out your match. Wind conditions can do that too and sometimes you need a person's body by the vent to help control the wind. Once lit and operating you should close the match hatch. Don't touch it by hand when it's hot! Be smart. Think.
Fresh air goes into the combustion cylinder through the doughnut shaped part of the vent.
Which is the innermost space (toward the exterior camper wall) of the vent.
And into the heater housing through the doughnut shaped space.
Then into the cylinder through the bottom tube.
Burns and comes out the top tube in the form of exhaust.
And out the center tube.
Into the vent center tube.
And out the outermost space of the vent.
Creating a need for the reminder that this object is hot!
Here's the thermostat bulb; with a long tube. This gives you some choice on where to mount it, so as to get a gas valve on/off effect based on the valve's heat selector knob (bottom of the valve).
Then I straightened housing and door edges to get things to fit well. I cut out a bit-o-metal to allow the door magnets to engage better, as some factory spot welds were off ever so slightly. Getting the magnets to work as designed allowed me to remove the hook latch a PO had added to the unit, which was unsightly at best.
And note the oval hole in the housing back wall? PO enlarged. Jagged. I filed and smoothed it to prevent torn flesh and/or damaged fuel supply lines.
See the hole in the door where the hook-latch had been?
And now finished...
It went up on a high shelf to await install in Fairweather June.
Legal Disclaimer: Probably, Maybe, and I think.
I didn't even know they were CALLED gravity furnaces until just the other day. I always thought of them as a "canister" or "convective" furnace.
I was at a local RV Parts and Service Joint the other day - owners known to the kids, and elderly, and finally retiring - selling the place. And the new owners and business won't be RV related, so they're clearing out stock. DSIL said, "they're going in a couple of days, better go take a look". But see my problem is limited storage. And I often don't know what I need or want, until I do.
Large percentage price reductions, and yet stock was less than I thought, and pretty much the same stuff as you find in the aisles of Camping World. But we chatted - boy did we chat. He likes to talk. Seriously, I'm not a big talker. Now writing! Don't get me started!
So as the convo unfolded, topics came and went and new unsolicited topics came up and the next thing I know he was asking about "it" being a "gravity furnace?". I said, "I guess".
Now the last time he educated me, was when we had problems with our Dometic Fridge in the 2003 Starcraft Lonestar pop-up TC. He taught me how to make a homemade Manometer, for measuring propane regulator function and system pressure in the whole RV.
Prior to that he taught me how to wire up my brand new Dodge truck to sent a charge down the way to the House Battery. Tapping a terminal in the fuse box, installing the 30 amp breaker nearby, and then running the larger gauge wire to the rear.
Prior to that, same thing on an older vehicle, but using a "solenoid active when key on style" system.
He knows good stuff, but you have to pack a lunch.
Without much storage space, I simply came home with these...
Cool old school right? Don't even MAKE them in this quality anymore right? Oh you can get the cheapo knock-offs - weaker, thinner, smaller. But I was wrong!
Note there at the bottom it's a revision in '03. So I think these are about 10-15 years on the shelf.
I looked on Amazon for "RV level eagle". Got this.
Hopkins Eagle Levels
Same company, even the same part number. Higher Price. I'll be darned.
But I only got one set, and I need a set for every unit! What was I thinking! They sent me out the door for no charge! That's why only one - didn't want to appear grabby, and I suspected they'd do that, because of the kids and their group. But they'll probably donate the remaining stock to the second hand store. I'll have to keep my eyes open.
So - Gravity Furnace.
After vac, wash and dry...
The main problem with this unit not firing right up was the age and rust on the pilot light assembly. So it came out. And that was tough. Water had gotten into the canister, likely through the vent, and surface rust was damaging certain parts. Out came the assembly for exam.
Initially, the flame dispenser wasn't aimed directly at the heat generator tube bulb, so I straightened it and tried again.
Here's the other side. And it all got sort of cleaned up.
But the pilot flame was weak and wouldn't even reach the bulb, and it was the end of the day, so I let it sit overnight.
Next morning I got into better cleaning. I used carburetor cleaner, hot water and air to dry and blow out the orifice and other stuff.
Note the tiny hole. Don't go probing. No needles! Carb cleaner and a toothbrush helped, but it's mostly carb cleaner and air pressure.
Reinsert the disperser.
Now see the removable bottom cover of the canister?
But it's kind of rusted shut. And the wingnut and stud is pretty bad. The other side broke right off. To do this right, I need to remove that other one, take it apart, and make a fix. For now, I just wanted to test.
The studs are spot-welded onto the canister. It'll need some thought.
But further inspection, and blowout, convinced me it was safe to test.
Back in went the assembly.
The pilot flame gas flow runs through the aluminum tube. Note where the tube comes out of the gas control valve? There's a fitting with a screw set down inside? That's the pilot flame adjustment screw. So you can get a stronger or weaker flame. There's a sweet spot, like adjusting a carburetor mixture - as far in as possible, backed out just before the nice healthy flame starts to lessen. I set it.
This time the pilot flame was awesome.
And the burner was pretty clean all around.
Burner, pilot, and heat generator bulb.
Here's the burner check prior to lighting.
And this can all be worked better if you get that bottom cover off the cylinder. But for now the furnace was operational, and at least in my view - safe.
When you rescue one of these things, don't forget to take the vent. They are specific to the furnace. Balanced for intake and exhaust in proper air volume flow. Without the right size vent you can create a system that won't light; it'll just blow out your match. Wind conditions can do that too and sometimes you need a person's body by the vent to help control the wind. Once lit and operating you should close the match hatch. Don't touch it by hand when it's hot! Be smart. Think.
Fresh air goes into the combustion cylinder through the doughnut shaped part of the vent.
Which is the innermost space (toward the exterior camper wall) of the vent.
And into the heater housing through the doughnut shaped space.
Then into the cylinder through the bottom tube.
Burns and comes out the top tube in the form of exhaust.
And out the center tube.
Into the vent center tube.
And out the outermost space of the vent.
Creating a need for the reminder that this object is hot!
Here's the thermostat bulb; with a long tube. This gives you some choice on where to mount it, so as to get a gas valve on/off effect based on the valve's heat selector knob (bottom of the valve).
Then I straightened housing and door edges to get things to fit well. I cut out a bit-o-metal to allow the door magnets to engage better, as some factory spot welds were off ever so slightly. Getting the magnets to work as designed allowed me to remove the hook latch a PO had added to the unit, which was unsightly at best.
And note the oval hole in the housing back wall? PO enlarged. Jagged. I filed and smoothed it to prevent torn flesh and/or damaged fuel supply lines.
See the hole in the door where the hook-latch had been?
And now finished...
It went up on a high shelf to await install in Fairweather June.
