High Carbon Monoxide Readings in Raptor - Page 2

jbsmith · 03-05-2012, 02:45 PM

I'd recommend you try to work closely with Onan. It sounds like you've done everything possible to seal up potential entry points. However, it still doesn't explain why CO is accumulating in such high concentrations.

I'm not familiar with the Raptor or the installation of the genny, but I'd take a good hard look at the possibility the generator is dumping CO, possibly from a crack in the exhaust manifold into the generator compartment. Sometimes these cracks aren't visible or don't open until the exhaust gets hot.

The root cause of the CO is the generator...and how many thousands of trailers like yours don't have problems? I feel its more likely the source of your problem than the trailer fab or installation. That's where I would start. This all may be remedied by a simple warranty claim through Onan...who if you play your cards right may be very interested in helping you investigate more thoroughly.

There are hand held meters that you can use to quickly measure the concentration of CO. You might be able to find a shop..maybe a furnace repair business that could loan you one or help you. This could help you isolate the point of entry or determine if there are abnormally high levels of CO in the generator compartment...indicating an equipment problem.

Good luck and hope you get it resolved.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

BLJ · 03-05-2012, 02:54 PM

The hand held meter sounds like that should be our next move. What a geat idea. I really want to get to the problem and not mask it. Thanks for your idea and I'll locate one for our next camping trip. BLJ

BLJ · 03-05-2012, 04:15 PM

the handheld meter sounds like a great idea, but does anyone know where I could rent one or what company may use them. I see they go for sometimes hundreds of dollars. BLJ

jbsmith · 03-05-2012, 06:04 PM

Rentals are probably rare/expensive. Most professional rentals will cost you more per day than an inexpensive handheld meter costs.

I recommend you talk to a local HVAC shop. Any worth their salt should be fully equipped to check for CO leaks in home furnaces. They'll have necessary suction bulbs and probes to check around hot engine/exhaust. I'm guessing they'll charge you $50 to $75 for the service call...maybe less if you're willing to take your trailer to them.

A home inspector may be willing to help...but most use cheap handheld units for spot checks of CO around furnaces, gas water heaters, etc. You can do the same for less by just buying your own meter.

For ambient monitoring, assuming your genny checks out, you'll probably want to buy your own meter. Suck it up and just buy one through Amazon.com. Having a handheld meter might not be a bad idea for anyone with an onboard genny for frequent spot checks around seals, doors, windows, etc. Prices range from $100 up to $200 and beyond for professional units.

I guess if you want to be really cheap, you could put one of your plugin digital CO detectors on a extension cord and just poke around with that. However, I seriously doubt these units will have the response time to provide useful results and would be useless to check your genny.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

BLJ · 03-05-2012, 06:18 PM

Thanks you for your thoughts. I do know a house inspector. Hopefully he has one of them.
I just talk with a onan certified mechanic. On the 14th of this month he will check it out for $250.00. If it is a Onan problem, it could be under warranty.
If it is Keystone I will have to collect it from them. Hopefully, they will stand behind it and pay the costs. Hopefully they will return my calls. I'll keep you updated. We have put more miles on our truck and RV trying to get to the bottom of this problem then we have camping. Hopefully the end is near. BLJ

Oscar · 03-05-2012, 08:55 PM

I'd be shopping around for an attorney who will take this case and be confident enough that he or she can make Keystone pay for it.

Festus2 · 03-05-2012, 10:04 PM

Let us know on the 14th what the Onan certified mechanic finds out. We too hope "that the end is near".

BLJ · 03-06-2012, 07:45 AM

I will keep you posted on what Onan finds and says about it. Your right the next step may be a lawyer. This unit should be an enjoyment and were not confortable taking our grandson(one reason we purchase this unit was to use the back of the toyhauler as a playroom while he was so little). Never happened. It is unbelievable Keystone won't return our calls. We have left 2 messages and they just blew us off. BLJ

rebelfan · 04-01-2012, 06:58 PM

Wondering if you ever had a response from Keystone. After all the talk went & purchased a digital CO detector.

Festus2 · 04-01-2012, 07:44 PM

BLJ seems to have disappeared as we have not heard anything further from him about the results of the visit from the Onan tech or from Keystone. It appears as though he joined the forum to let us know about the problems he was having with carbon monoxide and then vanished.

SAD · 04-02-2012, 02:51 AM

This thread got me to thinking. I wonder how the exhaust exits on his Raptor?

I have seen toyhaulers where the exhaust exited forward of the generator compartment - i.e. pointing towards where the truck would be. I thought this was bizarre. Exhaust would be placed directly below the bedroom.

On my previous camper (2008 Weekend Warrior Toyhauler), the generator exhaust exited to the driver's side (street side) of the camper.

We used the generator for hours and hours on end without issue. As a matter of fact, in 2007 when we had the big ice storm, the generator ran for 4-5 days straight (about 120 hours without interruption). All we had was the (probably cheap and ineffective) CO2 detector that WW installed at the factory. Never got any alerts from it and never had any of the typical, flu-like symptoms.

If it were me with the Raptor and the problem, I would want it fixed and be able to use my RV without any special contraptions or band aides.

I guess it's a careful balance between what it may cost to pursue with an attorney VS getting some professional help on my own.

BLJ · 04-05-2012, 01:08 PM

Your Wrong Festus 2, I have not dissappeared, I am not like Keystone. We, personally think we found the problem. If this is the case, it was missed and never checked by Keystone and can't believe they over looked this. We are waiting to go camping with it the next 2 week-ends to be sure it is fixed. Keystone told us, months ago, if we took it to Onan, it was our bill @ $125. per hour and 4 hour round trip. We decided to really dig into it and look for the problem ourselves. Keystone installed the generator, if we fixed the problem , it happened at the plant where the generator was installed. We have a 2 year warranty. Why was it our bill? I'll be in touch and I am glad to hear that people are purchasing the digital read CO detector. This could be a life saver. I will let all of you know exactly what the fix is, if we actually solved the problem. Be in touch. BLJ

04-05-2012, 07:22 PM

BLJ, not sure if you are a Good Sam Club member, but they do have a consumer resolution hotline that you might reach out to for help with Keystone. You won't be able to access if you're not a member though -- http://www.goodsamclub.com/memberben...x?f=0&catid=21

BLJ · 04-09-2012, 01:30 PM

Thanks for the info, not a member, but may join.

BLJ · 04-09-2012, 01:41 PM

Thanks SAD for your input. We have not been able to use our TV and watch a DVD without feeling sick for the first year of ownership. We had one time with a reading over 50 this past week-end which we really think it was our fault for having the bathrm vent open. We had family with us and didn't know they opened it. Think we are going camping again this week-end so I'll keep everyone informed how this week-end goes. Wish us Luck, BLJ

BLJ · 04-16-2012, 06:35 AM

It snowed this past week-end and didn't have a chance to check it out to see if it is fixed. It will be May till we get to camp. I will keep everyone posted because this is a serious problem. Hope everyone has purchased a digital read CO detector with peaks level read on it. Be safe BLJ

BLJ · 05-10-2012, 07:21 AM

Hi Everyone, I know it's been a long time, but we just, this past week-end went camping again. For the first time in over a year I enjoyed our Raptor. I felt better and my daughter really notice the difference too. We were no longer being poisoned. Hopefully, only trying it once, since we fixed it ourselves, it is totally fixed now. We, through JB SMITH, took his advice and found a friend of a friend who had a handheld CO meter. Amazing what we discovered. Where the exhaust pipe goes into the gen, there is groves in this pipe to I guess expand for a tight seal(my husband could explain better) hopefully you can follow me. The pipe from the factory was never put together the way it should of been. When we stuck the meter up in that area, underneath the Raptor, the meter shot up to over 1500. Now we have it at 60. (This is outside the unit, underneath) We took it apart and put it back together. Put sealing stuff around it and a clamp. I can't believe this was never checked by Keystone or Tarply. There was carbon on the outside of the pipe, telling us there was a leak. My husband and I feel stupid we never noticed it but we are not educated at all in this kind of thing. I want to thank JB SMITH for his advice. Because of this blog, my husband and I can now start to enjoy camping again. Keep your fingers crossed, since it was only tried once, boondocking. FYI Never heard anything from Keystone since I started this blog. BLJ

SAABDOCTOR · 05-10-2012, 08:49 AM

WOW!!! What an incredible story. One thing is you should not feel stupid! you are not mechanics! The mechanics should feel stupid what did they think the black soot was spray paint? well let the manufactures play it's the other guys fault. your patinace is to be commended. and your post here may very well save someones life. OUTSTANDING JOB WELL DONE!. By the way if i let acustomer down like that i would be so embarrased, I hope in 43 years of repairing cars i haver never done that to some one.

Festus2 · 05-10-2012, 08:52 AM

BLJ -
Good to hear that the problem has been found and solved. Now you can finally camp and stay in your unit knowing that it is safe. Enjoy.

randy69 · 06-30-2012, 06:48 PM

Have you checked to see where the exhaust is leaking from ?? Before or after the muffler. And there is also a 1/2 pipe plug in the muffler for soot clean out maybe the plug is missing. And also make sure any windows on the generator exhaust side are closed. Just a thought.
Ps. Had to replace my Carbon Monoxide unit 1 year after I bought the trailer. And yes First Alert brand said 5 year guarentee. I just bought another one. Randy69

You may also like: