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Old 12-03-2007, 02:05 AM   #1
nandav
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Fenwick
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M.O.C. #7936
furnace, propane, slide awnings

We purchased our new 2008, 3400RL just 2 1/2 wks ago. We love it! However, we do have a couple of big issues. 1st, our furnace seems to run alot, such as, it runs for several minutes, then shuts off & may be off for anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes & then comes back on. We went through 2 tanks of propane in our 1st 10 days so we bought an electric heater & keep our furnace set at a lower temp., 55-60 degrees. This seems to help some, but the furnace still runs frequently. We are wondering if the propane regulator might be the problem. Also, the propane tanks make noise, when the furnace or the water heater is running.

Our 2nd issue is the awning over the large slide. It flaps in the wind a lot, it also holds rain water which we have to manually release. The dealership told us to put a ball or a balloon under the awning to bow it up, but can't that awning be tightened?

We are taking it back to the dealership in the middle of Dec. & leaving it with them until the 1st of the year so they can work on some of the issues. We also have several small things that need to be worked on, but the 2 I mentioned above are worrisome to us.

Is there anything you can tell us about these problems?
 
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Old 12-03-2007, 02:53 AM   #2
Mrs. CountryGuy
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There were several threads here at MOC recently on the awnings.

Yes, they flap in the wind, yes you get used to it. As for the water laying in there, some brush right off, or close the slides to dump it, others of us don't, and wait for wind and evaperation to clean em off. They have a spring tension roller thingy , it does the give and take action, water in there, it unrolls a bit, evaporate the water, it rolls back up. Some have reported good luck with the beach ball, others never found theirs when they blew out. There are other ways to fix, maybe reading some of the older messages will find those hints for ya.

Propane, depends on the temps, but 10 days if it is chilly enough does not sound out of the norm for useage. That is why so many of us have electric heaters, there have been several threads about this lately as well.

Welcome to the forum, congrats on your new unit. that 3400 sure is a popular model!!
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Old 12-03-2007, 03:59 AM   #3
stiles watson
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In another thread I mentioned that when you solve one problem, many times, you create others. The slide awnings solve the problem of debris on the slide top, but create a problem with flapping in the wind and/or catching water. Some people feel that the debris is easier to deal with in some other way and others feel that dealing with the flapping and water is better. Some wouldn't have slide toppers and others would be without them.

If I have been viewing the weather channel correctly, your area of the world is experiencing some fairly cold weather. If so, it would not be unthinkable to use 14.5 gallons of propane in 10 days depending on how high the thermostat is set. I hope Ozz will chime in here because he is an experienced HVAC man. He can speak to the rapid cycling issue.

Some folks who stay in the Northern climes and are going to be in the same spot for an extended stay, rent a large propane tank and hook that to the RV connection to decrease refill frequency.
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Old 12-03-2007, 04:23 AM   #4
simonsrf
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Nancy & Dave,

Your propane consumptions sounds about right for the way you are using your furnace.

As fulltimers, we are always looking for ways to stretch the dollar. We found that we don't need the propane heater on at night. We put an extra blanket on the bed at night. In the morning, we turn the heater on, takes about 10 minutes to get the temp tolerable. This worked even at 27 degrees for us, without any discomfort.

When parked at an RV Park, we never use the propane. We always use the electric heaters. We have an electric fireplace that puts out good heat, and a small cube-type heater that is used to supplement the fireplace. (We have never been charged for electrical usage).

Everyone has different needs for the way they use the resources of their RV. We just choose to be frugal.

Good luck finding your comfort zone. In no time, you'll find what works just right for you.
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Old 12-03-2007, 06:51 AM   #5
ole dude
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If you experience rapid cycling of the t'stat, you might check if one of the air vents is bathing the t'stat with treated air, if so, redirect that vent and see if that helps your problem. Another possible is if the hole in the wall behind the t'stat is getting a draft of air this also can cause short or rapid cycling.
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Old 12-03-2007, 08:27 AM   #6
SlickWillie
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We had the analog thermostat (junk) in the Mountaineer. Our furnace was very intermittent. I did the conversion to the Hunter. Very satisfied with the results.
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Old 12-03-2007, 08:49 AM   #7
ols1932
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Your propane usage is about right. We rarely (almost never) use the furnace during the daylight hours. We have a blue flame propane heater that we set in the living room to take the chill off an supplement it with one of those "cube" heaters from Camping World. We only run the furnace at night in freezing weather to try and keep some warm air in the belly of the rig.

Orv
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Old 12-03-2007, 11:54 AM   #8
TLightning
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When in a 'normal' CG (no extra charge for electric) we hardly ever run the furnace unless it is really cold, but use several electric heaters.
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Old 12-03-2007, 12:52 PM   #9
HughM
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We found the best propane saver other than a electric heater was a electric blanket.
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Old 12-03-2007, 02:59 PM   #10
richfaa
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1st, our furnace seems to run alot, such as, it runs for several minutes, then shuts off & may be off for anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes & then comes back on." THAT DOES NOT SOUND NORMAL.If it is really cold the furnace will run a lot but it should not shut down for 30 sec's then turn on again.
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Old 12-03-2007, 03:48 PM   #11
clutch
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5 to 6 days on a tank of propane is about right. The windows lose a lot of heat the vents are thin and lose heat and the walls are not made of 2x6's. These trailers are not designed to retain heat. The only solution is to go where the weather is warmer.
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Old 12-03-2007, 06:59 PM   #12
MAMalody
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You might want to check with a tech, however, I understand that you can adjust the thermostat to help eliminate some of the swings that cycle the furnace.
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Old 12-03-2007, 09:17 PM   #13
old turbo
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Dealer may not be able to tighten the awning .If you get it too tight it will put drag on the slide motor when you are putting the slide out which may cause the braker on the motor to kick out. The ball under the cover may help on the water issue but you have to have a ladder handy to put it under the awning and you have to remember to take it out before you put the slide in. If you have a lot of wind you may play chase the ball. Also the ball may not stop the flap. I remember reading something about a guy at a park who had a nylon strap over the top of the awning cover. It was long enough to clear the sides of the slide out down to about two feet from the ground so he could put a tight bunge on either side and then hooked the bunges into those ground screws like they use for dog chains. It created a drain for the water and stopped the flap.
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