Furnace making us sick

[TAG51]

We bought a 3610RL in Oct 2015. We have been on 5 trips with 3 trips requiring the use of the furnace. The first time we used it, the air coming out of the registers was so noxious it set off the smoke alarm. Thinking back now, I don't know if it was the CO monitor or the smoke alarm. The subsequent uses have been better but still the air leaves us with, literally, a bad taste to the point we are afraid of using the furnace.
The RV center we bought the unit from said the furnace needs to be burned off.
Is this normal? What can I do to fix this? If I cannot use the furnace I will be selling the unit as the primary reason I bought this was to overwinter in the South.
Any input is appreciated.

[mootana]

Originally Posted by TAG51

We bought a 3610RL in Oct 2015. We have been on 5 trips with 3 trips requiring the use of the furnace. The first time we used it, the air coming out of the registers was so noxious it set off the smoke alarm. Thinking back now, I don't know if it was the CO monitor or the smoke alarm. The subsequent uses have been better but still the air leaves us with, literally, a bad taste to the point we are afraid of using the furnace.
The RV center we bought the unit from said the furnace needs to be burned off.
Is this normal? What can I do to fix this? If I cannot use the furnace I will be selling the unit as the primary reason I bought this was to overwinter in the South.
Any input is appreciated.

Dear Montana Owner
Please contact Keystone/Montana customer service at 866-425-4369. They are available 8-4 central time, Monday thru Friday. Hopefully they can help.

[waynemoore]

2X that. I have owned 3 RVs 2 were new and never had that.

[Mr Pachu]

Originally Posted by TAG51

We bought a 3610RL in Oct 2015. We have been on 5 trips with 3 trips requiring the use of the furnace. The first time we used it, the air coming out of the registers was so noxious it set off the smoke alarm. Thinking back now, I don't know if it was the CO monitor or the smoke alarm. The subsequent uses have been better but still the air leaves us with, literally, a bad taste to the point we are afraid of using the furnace.
The RV center we bought the unit from said the furnace needs to be burned off.
Is this normal? What can I do to fix this? If I cannot use the furnace I will be selling the unit as the primary reason I bought this was to overwinter in the South.
Any input is appreciated.

We had the same problem in our 2015 3790RD. We took the trailer to our dealer for some other minor warranty work and told the dealer about this. They ran the furnace with the door and some windows open to air out the trailer as they basically burned the furnace off. The Montana was the only trailer that we have had this problem with. The Montana is our fourth new trailer.

[richfaa]

It is sort of normal and has happened in our other Rv's. The parts are coated with construction material like oil, etc.It is best to run the furnace with the windows and door open to burn the smell out.

[kdeiss]

Years ago we spent the night in a Campground in WestVa when furnace started their was an noise when the fan started I pulled the cover off their was a mouse I did not bake him but could have. Maybe just maybe it could be something like that.
I agree with Rich their is an odor at start up even annually so best to open the windows

[mjammersc]

Our dealer did a "burn off" run of the furnace as part of their prep of our 3160 and other than some minor smell the first use of the year, we haven't had any issue like yours.

[rohrmann]

We had the smoke alarm go off the first time we ran our furnace, and like had been said, just open up the rig and let the heater run for a while. It really is oil coating the burner plenum, which is where the inside air travels through the heater, that is burning off. It smells nasty, but it will go away quickly after running the heater.

[Rondo]

If you live in the northern part of the US and you are in a stick and brick, when the weather turns cold and you need your furnace it will kick on and there will always be some smell from the heating coils if electric or the burner if gas that will come off of the unit. This applies to rv's also. The more you use it the less the smell is evident. We always have that smell when we first crack up the furnace each season and the main reason is because there is always dust that settles down on the burners of the Monte furnace and when it kicks on that dust "burns off" for any other lack of words. Since your unit is a NEW unit you WILL get this smell until the burners burn off their coating from the manufacturer. Your dealer should have known this and "pre-burned" the furnace before you got it or they should have cranked the furnace on during your PDI and you would have noticed this happening then. It's just a normal situation that all of us have gone through.

[Mudchief]

Our unit did that until the furnace got burned in. Then it quit. Now in the fall when you first turn on the furnace you smell the furnace for just a bit then no longer. Like Rondo states above when we first turn on our furnace in out house in the fall you will notice a little smell then it goes away.

[roothoss1282]

Just like others have said it is pretty normal. Some may take longer to burn off oil and stickers or whatever else is in there. I would get it as hot as you can get it and might take a few times. Turning the furnace on for just a little bit probably will take a number of times to get things burned off.

[Bad Moon]

Our High Country had (has) lots of sawdust in a lot of nooks and cranies, including in the area between the return air vents (under the stairs) and the return air side of the furnace. This may account for some of the problem.

[FreeRoamn]

For what it is worth and you may already know this but same thing happens each winter when people turn on their forced air furnaces for the first time in their homes which is usually by thermostat setting kicking on early in the morning. People wake up and see smoke and smell "something burning" and call 911. The smell and light haze is throughout the house and at first seems hard to track down the source. Turns out pet hair, dust bunnies, etc have collected in the furnace burner during the off season and now it gets burned up. No harm no foul normally, just like most RV furnaces with left over sawdust, etc on them from the manufacturing process.

With that said, I would keep a close eye on it and let it run for a bit and see if it clears up. With the windows open of course.

[jjfleck]

one thing to check is to make sure the blower is running. if there is a problem with blower like its not coming on at all, turning to slow or shutting off to early the heat exchanger will overheat and you will get that smell. One time in my old unit the blower motor froze up from sitting and not being used, I spun it by hand and it took off. Never got stuck again.