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First trip furnace problems etc.

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stef View Drop Down
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    Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 8:48pm
Hi!
 
Hope everyone had a wonderful camping weekend!
 
I wonder if anyone else has experienced the problems we had on our first R-Pod trip this weekend!
 
We picked up the RV on Friday, having paid a mandatory $399 fee for having everything checked out by the dealership before we took posession.  The guy went through everything very quickly, flipping switches here and there to show where everything was, and immediately flipping them off again.
 
We filled our water just over 1/3 to travel with, and set off.
 
Once there, we discovered the following issues:
 
1.  The furnace would not ignite.  The battery was fine;  the propane was fine; the thermostat was fine - it brought the furnace fan on, but the furnance couldn't ignite.  We spent two very cold nights!
 
2. Water pressure to the tap was pitiful - a tiny stream of water about 1/8 inch wide!
 
3. The water tank read empty when we got there, and all tanks continued to read empty.
 
Oh - and my yellow shower storage thingy had a rip in the bottom.
 
Needless to say, we drove it back to the dealer on Sunday (today)CryCry and checked it in to be fixed.  We said we wanted it all fixed for next weekend;  they gave us the "well, service is very busy - there's lot's of stuff in there right now".  Let me tell you - they'll get an earful tomorrow if they don't fix this up straight away.
 
Anyone else with similar experiences?
 
Stef
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gmandual View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gmandual Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 9:11pm
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PodPatrol Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 2010 at 12:50am
I had the furnace problem too our first night. For some reason or another I had thrown a portable heater in the truck before we picked our 177 up. We went back to the dealer and they had it working. We took it home to Illinois and again had the furnace problem. We had a local dealer look at it and yes, they had it operating too. (by this time even I thought we looked stupid!) It eventually started working for us too after some patience and running it through a few cycles.
 
Our Gray Tank stopped giving us a reading all of a sudden. It was when the water was coming back up the shower drain that we realized we "did" have a problem. At the '10 ERU I spoke to a FR engineer and he dropped by to check it. First he did a check from under the carriage using a wire. I guess he was checking the sensors. Then he remove the monitor panel and checked some wiring. (Ive posted this somewhere else, but dont remember where). It turned out that there is a large "Ball" of wires inside the wall behind the Monitor. This is where the wires of the monitor connect to the wires coming from the tank sensors. I had to cut the hole alittle larger to get this "Ball" to the outside of the wall so I could check the connections, which were "wire nuts" and electrical tape. Sure as heck the Gray Tank sensor wire had seperated from the Monitor Gray indicator wire. Ta-Da !!!
I cleaned up this "Ball" before re-inserting it back inside the was. Remounted Monitor frame and lights and all was good to go. You'll need a wire reference to know what gets connected to what.
So if you attempt this, please make note of what wires are where.
If under warranty I would suggest taking it back to the dealer to have this checked.
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stef View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stef Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 2010 at 8:46pm
Thanks everyone.  Yes - it's at the dealer's now, and we told them not to even think about giving it back until all was fixed.  We mentioned the $399 mandatory inspection fee and told them that we were disappointed.  They were very nice, and we hope to have it back by Friday (fingers crossed).  These things shouldn't happen in a brand new unit.  And let me tell you, camping in the mountains is very COLD at night.  My furnace should be working so I won't be getting a portable heater - unless the dealership is paying for it!
 
Stef
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gmandual View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gmandual Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 2010 at 9:08pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bob & Linda Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 2010 at 10:54pm
I am with Gman on this one.
I am a light sleeper and get nudged out of sleep by the furnace fan cycling.  Our small electric keeps the pod warm with minimal noise.
 
bob
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rpoders2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Jul 2010 at 11:13pm
Bob & Linda & Gman...right you are...it was either an oil heater or ear plugs for me.
Ellen, Dick (2 legs)
Mo Chara (the camping cat) Dudley (the world's best camping dog)
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stef View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote stef Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2010 at 1:03pm
Hi - the heater looks neat.  Does it have to plug in, though?  We camp with no power  - just battery and propane.
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gmandual View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gmandual Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2010 at 1:08pm
 
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