Furnace Ducting - Terrible Workmanship

scottz · 06-25-2017, 05:04 PM

I was trying to figure out why I did not have any air flow to the bedroom furnace floor register and found this behind the front compartments rear wall. They box in two of the frame rails to create an air duct that feeds the bedroom register. The entrance to this air duct is behind the wall, above the vacuum. Apparently the duct was in place first and whomever installed the vacuum simply disregarded the fact that a furnace duct was there and shoved the vacuum in breaking the duct off. Bad design, there is no way the duct and vacuum can occupy the same place.

Not sure what my options are. About the only thing I can think of is to relocate the vacuum. Of course, that will leave a big hole in the wall. Let me know any suggestions.

The other thing I cannot figure out is how heated air gets to the kitchen/living room registers. Looking through the registers it is also a duct made by boxing in frame rails. However, there are only three outputs off the furnace (last photo); the large one is the one that is supposed to go to the bedroom (broken off), one of the small ones goes directly to a vent in the floor of the bathroom, the other small one hangs down in the under belly, not connected to anything. So, how is air getting to the kitchen/living room registers (3)? I verified that heated air is coming out of them. Do you suppose they are using the entire underbelly as a plenum? Or is that small duct supposed to connect to something? I'll have to pull the under belly cover off to figure it out; not happy about that.

**sourdough** · 06-25-2017, 05:17 PM

My thinking is why you are contemplating trying to replace/reconfigure an obvious manufacturing blunder on a 2017 Montana? That's a dealer fix in my mind and let them worry about dropping the underbelly and fixing it all up. It's easier to repair some minor fixes without worrying about warranty but it appears to me, to do this right, it's going to require much more than a person wants to get into when it could be done for free by the dealer. JMO

**chuckster57** · 06-25-2017, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

My thinking is why you are contemplating trying to replace/reconfigure an obvious manufacturing blunder on a 2017 Montana? That's a dealer fix in my mind and let them worry about dropping the underbelly and fixing it all up. It's easier to repair some minor fixes without worrying about warranty but it appears to me, to do this right, it's going to require much more than a person wants to get into when it could be done for free by the dealer. JMO

I agree 100%.

**JRTJH** · 06-25-2017, 07:53 PM

I agree with the above. This is a dealer service department issue, not something you need to be "reworking" at the new owner level. It may be inconvenient, but the dealership needs to spend the money and time on this one....

As for where the air originates for the floor vents in the kitchen/living room: There are three "duct openings on the bottom of the furnace plenum, three on the face and one on each side. I'd say that keystone connected the ones you can't see (that are under the floor) to the ductwork for the kitchen/living room run.

scottz · 06-25-2017, 08:39 PM

I'll work on getting a dealer to fix it. Although, I usually think I'll do a better job of fixing things myself. Not to mention having to tow it a couple hours and lose the use of it for who-knows-how-long.

Correct on the outlet out the bottom of the furnace. I reached up in there and can feel the duct coming out the bottom. That's one thing I don't have to worry about. And the one going into the under belly is the way they keep the tanks warm.

B-O-B'03 · 06-25-2017, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

... I'd say that keystone connected the ones you can't see (that are under the floor) to the ductwork for the kitchen/living room run.

I am not sure I would be able to say that, given my own experiences, with a new trailer and the experiences of others I have read about on these forums.

I think the only thing, it seems, that you can be sure of is there is at least one screw up in your trailer and it is probably up to you to find it.

Looks like scottz has found his first.

-Brian

Ken / Claudia · 06-26-2017, 08:27 AM

Well the good news is you have found why the vent does not work. You have photos and can explain the problem to the service dept. Phone them, so that might get approval from Keystone started, make a appointment to take it to them. Just me but, I would not worry about how air is getting thru to the other vents. It is, so it works. I would leave it alone.

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