76’ Minnie Winnie Propane Help Needed

[phillipsac]

I’m on the road with my brother in Northern California and I need help with my main burner / furnace in my 76’ Minnie Winnie.

I have full propane tanks and my stove is working fine, propane running through. However, my main central heating furnace / main burner won’t light.

I try to auto start and manual start the pilot light but I can’t light it and I’m not sure if the propane is coming out in there at all. Is there another valve that I’m not seeing that routes to the main heater?

Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

[MinntoMich]

It would help maybe to know what make/model your furnace is. If I remember correctly and this was I while ago to start my furnace I had to light the pilot in the same manner as a water heater.

1.) Gas On
2.) Turn Pilot/Gas On Knob to Pilot
3.) Depress Pilot/Gas On Knob for Minimum of 30 Seconds
4.) Use A Match (attaching it to a stick, straw, or long bbq grill lighter might help if its back there to far to reach with your hands) to Light Pilot
5) Continue to Hold Down Pilot/Gas Knob for an additional 30 seconds after pilot lights, then turn to on position. Pilot should then remain lit.

I'm thinking your hooked up to shore power right? I mean your furnace blower won't come on with only a 12 volt supply.

Not to hijack your topic but how did you resolve your carbuerator and leaking coolant problem?

When and if the pilot lights and the burner gets going what color is the flame? Don't know how long this sat before you tried to start it but you could have some stuff blocking a vent or pipe.

I "think" my furnace was a Hydroflame. There maybe a manual or troubleshooting guide online.

Be safe.

[DavidM]

The one RV furnace I am familiar with- an Attwood didn't have a pilot light. When the thermostat was turned on to heat and the temp was set higher than ambient, the blower would first come on, presumably to vent any accumulated gasses. Then after maybe ten seconds the burner would try to light. When and if it did you could hear the rumble of the burner.

If it did not light or the burner didn't trigger the flame sensor then it would shut off the blower. I never experienced this, but I understand it would go through two more lighting attempts before shutting down. Turning off the heat and back on would reset it and start the process all over.

So first make sure the thermostat is set to heat and the thermostat is set high enough to call for heat. Does your blower come on. If not it sounds like a possible problem with the thermostat.

If the blower comes on but the furnace doesn't try to light, it could be a problem with the ignition device.

If the burner comes on and shuts down after a few seconds then the temperature sensor may not be in the burner's path or the flame is too weak. Don't know if it is visible like an absorption fridge, but look and see and adjust if necessary.

Finally it could be a failure of the control circuits that manage this lighting process.

David