321RSTS Furnace

[Bigdog]

Our furnace doesn’t seem to be working as well as expected. When running, the exhaust is blistering hot but not really warm inside.

All 5 floor vents are blowing strong, but the air is barely warm and just feels drafty. I fired it up yesterday with a starting temp of 40 and the thermostat set at 70.

Two hours later, it was still running but the temp inside was only up to 60. Is this expected behavior? We recently had an Eagle travel trailer and it heated up much more quickly.

[Big1]

They have a blower fan or switch that is inside of the furance that you can check sometimes they go out, I had to buy one and install it myself and all I can tell you if you are a old man or can't get in and out of place to good you want to get someone young.

I might have some pics on when I went down in the basement and took the furance out or just do a search and this was on my 2019 321rsts but I traded it in.

[Big1]

Okay here are some pics I hope that it's helpful, that black box you see in the first few pics is the furnace so you would need to start outside and take out 4 screws and then you go inside and remove the panels and behind the panel you will see it and the blower switch that sometime go back or get clod up.


In the forth pics you will see a switch with one black wire and a blue wire I don't remember if the other wire is blue or that switch have four screws or three I can't remember but that is what you will need to look at. I hope this help if you have anymore questions let me know. Of you will have to remove those four ducts from the furance.

[Stan&Sharon]

We have 2022 321RSTS. Looking at your photos, it appears none of the Shiney hosea are attached to the heater. When I got my 321 only one wasn't attached. It was easy to stick it to the box, but hard to wiggle my body close enough to do it. Wished I had a small child because of all the wires and hoses in the way.

I can send you a photo of what it should look like in a few hours - if desired.

[TxLoser]

I’d just pay someone to do it. I’ve found to be very expensive and time consuming to birth and raise a small child to help with this stuff.

[Bigdog]

The blower seems to be fine as you can feel the lukewarm air throughout trailer. All vents appear to be connected properly and are blowing strong. The only really hot air is outside through the exhaust.

[Marcm157]

Originally Posted by TxLoser

I’d just pay someone to do it. I’ve found to be very expensive and time consuming to birth and raise a small child to help with this stuff.

I just spit coffee all over my desk reading this!!! I paid for 4 of those little suckers over my lifetime and the funny thing is when they spawn little ones of their own they cost almost as much!!!

Originally Posted by Bigdog

The blower seems to be fine as you can feel the lukewarm air throughout trailer. All vents appear to be connected properly and are blowing strong. The only really hot air is outside through the exhaust.

I have the exact same issue in my 2022 - 33RBTS - I haven't had time to dig into yet but I will in the spring...

[RedHorse1]

When the furnace is running is the basement excessively warm? That would suggest problems with the ducting or something blocking airflow over the heat exchanger but I note you say the ducts are blowing strong. Have you verified the burner isn’t short cycling? That should be easy to verify.

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by RedHorse1

When the furnace is running is the basement excessively warm? That would suggest problems with the ducting or something blocking airflow over the heat exchanger but I note you say the ducts are blowing strong. Have you verified the burner isn’t short cycling? That should be easy to verify.

I sat in it for 2 hours on Friday night and never noticed the burner go off. It was blistering hot out the exhaust vent each time I checked to see if it was still working.

The inside temp rose 20 degrees during those 2 hours but never made it to the desired temp.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Bigdog

snip......We recently had an Eagle travel trailer and it heated up much more quickly.

The ceiling height in a FW can make a difference when comparing it to a TT.

If your FW model has a 'interior' cold air return vent located in the steps (?), confirm that it isn't blocked.

Bob

[RoadrunnerII]

Ours is same model
I put more insulation in the front bubble. In behind the closet. Original insulation didn't go to the bottom.
I also insulated from basement to rear bumper above the coroplast
Added reflectix and 4 inches of fiberglass.
I changed up the cold air return so it's not pulling from basement and below.
Boxed off the back of steps and added 4 inch duct to cold air intake on furnace.
With fireplace running and furnace we can go from 32*F to 68*F in a little over two hours. Both continue to run and we open cabinets to warm those spaces. That's with reflectix in all the windows and double pane glass.
Your insulation between the outside and inside under the kitchen slide is two rubber sweeps!! A breeze really hurts you trying to heat it.
These trailers are made 4 seasons but I think the winter season is meant as south Florida.

YMMV
RoadrunnerII

[Bigdog]

Originally Posted by RedHorse1

When the furnace is running is the basement excessively warm? That would suggest problems with the ducting or something blocking airflow over the heat exchanger but I note you say the ducts are blowing strong. Have you verified the burner isn’t short cycling? That should be easy to verify.

On further review, please define “short cycling”. I sat outside the rig today and did notice that the ignition would click about every 5 minutes or so.

The furnace never stopped running, but the exhaust did start to cool down a bit before it would refire.

You may be on to something.

[Bigdog]

Update - the short cycling only occurs when running on battery power. The furnace runs uninterrupted when plugged in. It still just doesn’t get very warm inside.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by Stan&Sharon

We have 2022 321RSTS. Looking at your photos, it appears none of the Shiney hosea are attached to the heater. When I got my 321 only one wasn't attached. It was easy to stick it to the box, but hard to wiggle my body close enough to do it. Wished I had a small child because of all the wires and hoses in the way.

I can send you a photo of what it should look like in a few hours - if desired.

Oh, I had to work my old body in there and I took all of the holes off and trying to put them back was a job, lol, I had muscle that I thought that I didn't have, so yeah I turn the furance around to took them all off.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by TxLoser

I’d just pay someone to do it. I’ve found to be very expensive and time consuming to birth and raise a small child to help with this stuff.

Man, lol, I wanted so badly to just pay someone but my wife and I at that time went on a cross country trip to N.C. to see my mother, and after 6 days from driving from PNW (Washington State) to N.C we had already setup at the Seymour Johnson AFB and we had been there for about two weeks then.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by Stan&Sharon

We have 2022 321RSTS. Looking at your photos, it appears none of the Shiney hosea are attached to the heater. When I got my 321 only one wasn't attached. It was easy to stick it to the box, but hard to wiggle my body close enough to do it. Wished I had a small child because of all the wires and hoses in the way.

I can send you a photo of what it should look like in a few hours - if desired.

Yes, please do I think that other might get knowledge of this.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by Bigdog

Update - the short cycling only occurs when running on battery power. The furnace runs uninterrupted when plugged in. It still just doesn’t get very warm inside.

Ask google I still want to say in the sail switch, I could be wrong on this but it's not too many other things that I can think of anyway, let us know what you find.

[kirkelli]

we had a similar problem about two years ago. Turned out to be a throw rug my wife placed up and over the stairs blocking the heater return vents on the staircase... FWIW we no longer use the coach heater much anymore and use a Heater Buddy with the small refillable bottles... That little heater will heat you out of the trailer pretty fast. Even in below freezing weather.

[camjam]

We had the same issue with our previous Cougar while on vacation. We just visited the local Wally World and picked up two inexpensive electric heaters and been using them ever since.

[Parrott]

Originally Posted by Bigdog

Update - the short cycling only occurs when running on battery power. The furnace runs uninterrupted when plugged in. It still just doesn’t get very warm inside.

Have your batteries tested.