I have a 97 fleetwood jamboree. This is the first time I have had the camper out in cold weather and used the LP gas heater. For a day or two the heater worked perfect. I moved the camper to a new spot and enroute filled up with new LP. After getting to the new spot and truning on the heater got a very bad smell coming from the exahust and it eventually got inside the camper. The heater worked fine but the smell was awful. Could wind blowing in the exaust cause this? Could the compbustion chamber be cracked? Does anyone know what could be wrong?
Heater problem
- Thread starter ugalover
- Start date
C Nash
Senior Member
Heater problem
The first thing to do is invest in a co detector. Was it a exhaust smell or propane? Wind should not blow the fumes back through the exhaust but, it could be blowing it back through a seal or coming in the door, window when opening. Stove also may have an exhaust vent that the wind could blow it back through. Yes, the chamber could be cracked. Have it checked before using. Exhaust fumes are very deadly :dead:
The first thing to do is invest in a co detector. Was it a exhaust smell or propane? Wind should not blow the fumes back through the exhaust but, it could be blowing it back through a seal or coming in the door, window when opening. Stove also may have an exhaust vent that the wind could blow it back through. Yes, the chamber could be cracked. Have it checked before using. Exhaust fumes are very deadly :dead:
Heater problem
Not knowing where you are located, I do know that various bugs, spiders, and insects in general crawl into the exhaust network and provide a horrible smell for quite awhile until they are completely burned out. You will smell this inside the RV. I carry a supply of 1/4" drink straws to assist in blowing out the exhaust and other areas with a small air compressor.
Not knowing where you are located, I do know that various bugs, spiders, and insects in general crawl into the exhaust network and provide a horrible smell for quite awhile until they are completely burned out. You will smell this inside the RV. I carry a supply of 1/4" drink straws to assist in blowing out the exhaust and other areas with a small air compressor.
Heater problem
Thanks to all that offered advise.
Took yesterday afternoon off and fixed my rv heater. After spending an enormous amount of time with two rv service centers and the heater manufacture no one could come up with a possible cause. After lots of frustration I decided to take apart the heater in little pieces. What I found was a shock.
A dirt dopper had built a nest on the edge of the combustion fan. Fan spun normal put placement of nest was such as it blocked some of the combustion airflow. No way to see the nest until the entire thing was apart. The low airflow caused the burner to burn rich which caused lots of soot. The soot clogged part of the burner making the problem worse. The soot built up inside the combustion chamber clogging even more air flow.
While I had the entire heater apart I did replace the burner and put everything back together. Heater works fine now and ready for camping over there upcoming holidays. :laugh:
Thanks to all that offered advise.
Took yesterday afternoon off and fixed my rv heater. After spending an enormous amount of time with two rv service centers and the heater manufacture no one could come up with a possible cause. After lots of frustration I decided to take apart the heater in little pieces. What I found was a shock.
A dirt dopper had built a nest on the edge of the combustion fan. Fan spun normal put placement of nest was such as it blocked some of the combustion airflow. No way to see the nest until the entire thing was apart. The low airflow caused the burner to burn rich which caused lots of soot. The soot clogged part of the burner making the problem worse. The soot built up inside the combustion chamber clogging even more air flow.
While I had the entire heater apart I did replace the burner and put everything back together. Heater works fine now and ready for camping over there upcoming holidays. :laugh: