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Heater hose routing?

cycletwo
Explorer
Explorer
Can anyone tell me the routing path for the heating system in a 32' 2011 Jayco Jayhawk FK on a Ford E-450. I get good air flow in the kitchen/living room from the lower outlets but no air movement from the back bedroom outlet. I may have a disconnected hose at some midpoint but I cannot find the hose to trace it through. It must be between the floorboards and not acessable to the owner.
Must the propane be "on" to allow the heater to activate even while attached to shore power? I thought it was an ac unit only but would not work without the propane valve open. We have obviously not done any winter camping nor needed this information until now.
Thanks.
6 REPLIES 6

cycletwo
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks Steve: I'm pretty sure I have only the propane heater with hose routing in the floor. I will do a more thorough search tomorrow and, hopefully, it will turn out as you stated. Feel foolish that I do not know more about my heating unit. Made a one month trip to Grand Canyon last year and I must have used the heater at some point although I can't remember. I guess I had my propane valve turned on the whole time to explain why I had heat.

maillemaker
Explorer
Explorer
tatest explained it great. If your RV uses flexible conduit to route its heat, then it should be trivial to open cabinets and see them. They will be about 3" in diameter and look like a big covered slinky or the hose that your dryer at home hooks up with. These hoses just slip over fittings at the furnace end and the vent end and generally don't have any clamp or anything holding them on, so it is possible one has been pulled loose.

The owners manual does state to turn on the propane to operate the "furnace". I assume furnace is the same as "heater".


Furnace generally implies burning something to make heat.

But I'm a little confused now as to which heater you are talking about. Most RVs have a propane furnace. It requires 12VDC to make the fan blower work and of course propane to make heat.

However, some RVs have electrical strip heaters in their roof AC unit. When running on 110VAC, you will be able to get heat from your AC unit.

I think you are talking about your RV's propane furnace duct work. Almost certainly the duct has pulled loose at either the vent end or the furnace end.

Now there is one more possibility. My RV generates cabin heat using engine heat when driving down the road. But that fan only blows out under the kitchen table and the fan motor is controlled from the dashboard up front. Under my kitchen table there are two vent outlets. One is from the engine heater core and the other is from the propane furnace. My propane furnace has ducts that go to under the kitchen table, into the bathroom, and into the rear bedroom.

Steve
1990 Winnebago Warrior. "She may not look like much but she's got it where it counts!"

bsinmich
Explorer
Explorer
If you want electric you will need a small electric one. We have one that we run on 750 watt and it really takes the chill off.
1999 Damon Challenger 310 Ford

cycletwo
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks for the info. I will try to locate hose based on your input. The owners manual does state to turn on the propane to operate the "furnace". I assume furnace is the same as "heater".

tatest
Explorer II
Explorer II
Heating at floor level will be from a propane furnace, which needs 12V power as well as LPG for operation.

If outlets are in floor, ducting is also in the floor, and should not become disconnected, though it might be blocked as result of manufacturing defect.

If outlets are low in the wall, ducting is tubular and runs inside cabinets and walls, not below floor. Usually each duct runs all the way to the furnace, and if they disconnect, it is often right at the outlet or at the furnace. Back of the furnace should be accessible from inside the cabinet or piece of furniture (bed frame, dinette seat) that hides it. At the outlet end, you should be able to remove the outlet, reach the duct through the opening, attach it to the outlet, and reinstall the outlet; that is often how they are installed initially.

Also look for manual cutoffs.
Tom Test
Itasca Spirit 29B

Tothill
Explorer
Explorer
Our furnace is propane. We can get electric heat from the heat pump/AC if we have electric hook-ups.

There is a manual lever to allow the heat from the propane furnace into the back bedroom. It is on the side of the bed near the vent.