RV Malfunctioning Furnace – What to Do?

by Royce (Kerrville, TX)

Question: My furnace won’t heat air. The blower works okay. Both AC and heater are on the same thermostat, like a house thermostat. Someone told me to be sure dirt daubers or the like could plug up the small hole delivering gas to the furnace. Or perhaps the converter is not working? Help appreciated. I am a first time owner of a travel trailer.

Answer: The suggestion about mud daubers is a good place to start. You can look to see if there is any visible blockage.

Have you verified if the unit is getting gas from the propane tank? Is your stove or refrigerator working off of propane? If they are, then you may have a blockage in the propane feed tube to the furnace or a bad igniter in the furnace.

Here is a link to a site that has some trouble shooting advice: http://www.rvforum.net/miscfiles/Furnace_Trouble-2.pdf. In particular, look at page 6 of 11 that describes your situation of the fan blowing, but no heat.

Please be aware that dealing with propane is inherently dangerous and should only be done if you know what you are doing. If you are not familiar or are uncomfortable with working on propane or live electric circuits it would be wise to leave it to a professional.

Please post a comment back here to let us know what your solution is, so others can benefit from your experience.

Other suggestions or input welcome.