Trailer Ducting Install This Weekend

[mattymac]

OK so it was your same unit that was bench tested, The stat wires I dont think is the problem (or stat itself) they either work and pass the required volts or they dont (at least these small simple RV two wire setups) but its simple enough to give it a shot.

Remember that there are two things to look at for determining wire gague thickness, volts and amps! 16 should be enough but I wouldnt have it any smaller! 14 should be plenty!

Either hook up your battery to a charger for a few hours, then with it still hooked up check the voltage drop to the power coming into the unit then when it tries to fire up see what the drop is or try a battery you know is good!

Orientation shouldnt affect ignition control, I dont know if these have a rollout switch on them or not but that should only affect the gas valve if it was having issues since that comes into affect after the flame is lit.

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Thanks alot matty!!

I'll see what happens with a battery that I know is good...

 

[IDspud]

Is it running yet?

 

[Mikboo]

oops

OH, and if anyone needs some installation instructions for one of these furnaces (or wiring diagram or anything like that) don't hesitate to contact me as I went online and printed a bunch of them off to make sure I did things right...too bad I didn't follow the "recommended" installation procedures basically at all

Ryan,
I have the same furnace and tried to mount it against the wall like you did. Unfortunately, it won't work that way. I found out the hard way also. It needs to be horizontal and it does needs both of the vents outside. One is and intake & one is the exhaust.

Have fun moving everything.

Sorry man!

added later: Sorry.. Mine is a Suburban furnace not the Atwood. My bad!! Apparantly the Atwood can be mounted vertically, but the Suburban can not be.

 

[IDspud]

My Atwood runs mounted that direction, but my vent is out the floor, ran for three straight days last year in Island Park Parking lot. The wind always keeps things moving enough it's impossible to trip your sensor, let alone co2 the trailer.

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Mikaboo...

Dare I ask why yours did not run?

Mine is FINALLY RUNNING after biting the bullet and getting a new thermostat for it. The one that came with the unit must have been junk because my new one from the great Home Depot fires that baby like nothing!!

Mik~ Would your furnace run for awhile and then shut off or what was the issue with it???? I would be interested in knowing because mine seems to run FINE right now mounted vertically....

Thanks!!

 

[Trashy]

good to see its running!

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Update

Finally got around to taking some pictures of the finished product

I think it turned out nicely...now only if I knew that everything works properly

 

[Trashy]

Looks good!
I see what you were saying now about the exhaust...
Any way you can build a shroud that encloses that area of the furnace so it pulls air for combustion from outside?

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Yammy...

Not sure yet...if for some reason I need to I might need to fab up a shroud that sort of "funnels" to where I can attach another flexible exhaust tube to which then I could plumb to the outside...which would allow it to suck fresh air...but I REALLY don't think I will need to...seems like this thing sucks air from all over the furnace top...but the option is there if needed

Thanks again for all your help!!

 

[Trashy]

it WILL suck air from the top... but it is inside air and will rapidly use up available oxygen. No big deal as long as you aren't planning on sleeping in there...

 

[Bull]

you aren't going to rapidly use up the inside oxygen by not burning outside air. these trailers are large, and are not near airtight. no different than using a vented garage heater. you are venting the "bad" combustion air outside and heat exchanging the inside are. the two do NOT mix. by having the "normal" large cutout that allows a lot of outside air in, you are running your heater twice as much. if you are concerned about using up the available oxygen, you can always open the hatch vent on top of the trailer. i have run my garage heater for years, it is not an issue. having a CO detector as well as a propane detector is a must, and smart.

 

[Trashy]

you aren't going to rapidly use up the inside oxygen by not burning outside air. these trailers are large, and are not near airtight. no different than using a vented garage heater. you are venting the "bad" combustion air outside and heat exchanging the inside are. the two do NOT mix. by having the "normal" large cutout that allows a lot of outside air in, you are running your heater twice as much. if you are concerned about using up the available oxygen, you can always open the hatch vent on top of the trailer. i have run my garage heater for years, it is not an issue. having a CO detector as well as a propane detector is a must, and smart.

You should fix some of the holes in your trailer!
Mine is pretty much air tight... running a small camping stove in it for only a few mins will set off the CO detector...
HOWEVER.... what you a proposing is dangerous in its own way as you are consuming all available oxygen and will never set off the CO detector but you may also never wake up! Think about for a minute!

 

[Bull]

no way the trailer is airtight. no matter. as i said, you have the option of opening your roof vent in any event. it is not what i am proposing. it is exactly the way a garage furnace works. have used it for years. you are NOT using all the available oxygen in the garage OR trailer. the amount of interior air you use for combustion compared to the amount in the trailer/garage is small and it is replenished from the "non" airtightness in the trailer/garage. as i said, it is simple to open the roof vent if you have a concern. NOW, running a camp stove in an enclosed trailer IS a bad idea. you are putting combusted air directly into the trailer, hence the CO detector warning. a properly vented RV furnace PUTS NO combusted air into the trailer. if your trailer is that airtight, then if you sleep a couple guys in it running NOTHING, you will never wake up either. my heater runs for a bit til it is heated, then only comes on about 3 times in an hour for a few minutes after that to keep the place at the set temp on a normal winter day. it is much easier to control "fresh" airflow into the trailer using the vent, than a big hole bored into the side of the trailer.

 

[vmaxfrank]

Shouldn't the detector be mounted near the floor? My campers have always had the LP detector near the floor and I'm pretty sure propane vapor is heavier than air. I think CO is about the same as air, so not as big a deal, but check on the LP issue.

 

[skibreeze]

Shouldn't the detector be mounted near the floor? My campers have always had the LP detector near the floor and I'm pretty sure propane vapor is heavier than air. I think CO is about the same as air, so not as big a deal, but check on the LP issue.

Propane is heavier than air, thus the mounting the LP detector low. I don't know about CO2.

 

[Trashy]

no way the trailer is airtight. no matter. as i said, you have the option of opening your roof vent in any event. it is not what i am proposing. it is exactly the way a garage furnace works. have used it for years. you are NOT using all the available oxygen in the garage OR trailer. the amount of interior air you use for combustion compared to the amount in the trailer/garage is small and it is replenished from the "non" airtightness in the trailer/garage. as i said, it is simple to open the roof vent if you have a concern. NOW, running a camp stove in an enclosed trailer IS a bad idea. you are putting combusted air directly into the trailer, hence the CO detector warning. a properly vented RV furnace PUTS NO combusted air into the trailer. if your trailer is that airtight, then if you sleep a couple guys in it running NOTHING, you will never wake up either. my heater runs for a bit til it is heated, then only comes on about 3 times in an hour for a few minutes after that to keep the place at the set temp on a normal winter day. it is much easier to control "fresh" airflow into the trailer using the vent, than a big hole bored into the side of the trailer.

Let's address things in reverse order...
1)you do not need "a big hole bored into the side of the trailer" as the furnace is a power vented unit with a two part fan, one side of which is designed to draw outside air into the furnace for combustion, which it then expels back outside as exhaust. This is the way ALL rv furnaces are designed to operate. You are not pulling any cold air inside as it is a closed system.
2)It is not so easy controlling the vent if you are sleeping. Or passed out.
3)I agree that enough people in a small enclosure will consume all available oxygen.
4)If running a stove in an enclosed trailer is such a BAD IDEA then there is an entire RV industry that would like to have a few words with you as last time I checked every RV out there has a stove in it. With a warning label reminding you to "provide a source of fresh air" Like many things, it requires some common sense!
5)A garage furnace DOES NOT work the same way as an RV furnace. While some newer (garage)models have finally added power venting, with the exception of radiant tube heaters they still burn the air in the garage. I agree with you on this. But DO YOU SLEEP IN YOUR GARAGE?
Bottom line is this: how would you feel if the advice you gave in this thread lead to the death of someone who read it? The furnace is designed the way it is for a reason: YOUR SAFETY! And should be installed as such.

 

[Bull]

ok yammy, i'm not on here to argue with you. if you install the heater using the "outside access" door many use, you can clearly see people standing outside the trailer. that is a more than small hole to me. if the heater is not running, cold air flows into the trailer through this hole. when it is zero out, this is a lot of cold airflow. my comment about the vent is, that if you are afraid you are going to "suck up all the air" then you can crack the vent as desired. the "bad idea" comment was in response to the fact that you said your CO detector goes off when you use the stove....as you are directly adding combusted air to the limited supply of good air you are concerned about in your trailer. my garage heater works EXACTLY the same as my rv furnace. no, i do not sleep in the garage, but i do often spend long hours in there. if there is no "oxygen" in the trailer/garage, it is pretty hard for there to be any combustion either.

 

[Trashy]

I am not here to argue either. I know which access door you are referring to...
But are you even aware that there are 2 wall vents available for the 8500 series Atwood furnaces?
I attached a photo of mine, it is completely sealed and the air for combustion goes in the waffle holes and out the exhaust.
I'm not trying to be a knob about all this, I just want everyone out there to be safe!

 

[golfsnownut]

trackvs2wheels, your posts are real interesting and very informative giving me a good head spinning on my next project for soon to be purchased enclosed trailer. My question is how long is your trailer from end to v nose total. I am more interesting in 3 long track sled trailer in staggering load just like yours. I was told 25' would be sufficient while other telling me to go for 27' or better yet 29' even though it is kinda long but better than be sorry if happen to carry four sleds but I haven't carry four sleds for years as my friend already has four sled trailer so if four sled trailer is called for, he uses his trailer...