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Old 12-16-2022, 12:20 PM   #1
Reece379
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Need Advice

Hi all! My girlfriend and I recently decided to go full time in our 2018 Montana 3791RD here in South Carolina (upstate.) The winter nights are starting to get cold (temps going below 30) and our furnace isn’t working. During the day it would work for a while but it seems as temps drop it kicks on less and less! The furnace will start its cycle, but never ignites. Basically, when the cycle starts the blower turns on, and I can hear the ignitor clicking. It’ll cycle 3 times then fault itself out and flash 3 red blinks at a time on the furnace. I reset and usually have the same results. Occasionally after many resets it would finally ignite, but now not so much and just counting on the fireplace and a space heater! I have read many articles and all say “sail switch”, but also read if it’s sail switch it doesn’t get to the ignitor stage of the sequence. We’ve tried to get service people to come look but they fail to show, and Service centers are booked weeks on end and require we leave it there. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated! Also, another minor issue is it seems over time my front left Jack fades down. Makes a popping noise all the time and constantly have to go re-level. Need the seals rebuilt? Again, thanks so much!!
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Old 12-16-2022, 02:25 PM   #2
bobbecky
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Your sail switch should be accessible from the outside. This is a link hopefully to a manual for your furnace. https://myrvworks.com/wp-content/upl...ing-Manual.pdf
Not sure why your jack is not maintaining your rig level, but it could be a seal, or more likely another component in the hydraulic system. The popping you are experiencing is called stiction, and can be resolved by the addition of stiction fluid. This is a link to the Lippert page that tells how to add the fluid that will stop the popping. https://lci-support-doc.s3.amazonaws...cd_0002091.pdf
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Old 12-16-2022, 02:53 PM   #3
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Even though it sometimes does eventually light I would still pull and clean the sail switch. There could be just enough lint to prevent ignition some of the time but the persistence of the fan could occasionally get the contact it needs for it to ignite. It's a possibility. I would start there. It doesn't hurt to have an extra one on hand just in case.
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Old 12-19-2022, 03:10 PM   #4
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Since you hear the ignitor clicking you do not have a sail switch issue. The most likely culprit is a propane issue. Do you have propane? Is the valve open? Is the stove and water heater burning okay?
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Old 12-19-2022, 05:26 PM   #5
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Good article. Very comprehensive. Lots of things could be the issue.

Click here

Here's another article that talks about the 3 red flashing lights down farther in the article.

Click here.

Doing some more internet surfing:

Number of Flashes Diagnostic Information
1 w/ 3 sec. pause Air Flow / Limit Fault
2 w/ 3 sec. pause Flame Sense Fault
3 w/ 3 sec. pause Ignition Lockout Fault

https://myrvworks.com/wp-content/upl...ing-Manual.pdf

As power is applied to the circuit board, the system does the
following:
a. Timing circuits allow the blower to purge the heat
chamber for 15 seconds.
b. When current is supplied to the gas valve it opens to
high burn stage. (The controller module activates the
low burn operation on the valve.)
c. As the valve opens, the ignition module sends a high
voltage spark to the electrode at the burner. The
ignition module detects the presence of a flame. If the
flame is not sensed after 7 seconds of sparking a signal
is sent to the controller module that there is no ignition
and shuts off the valve. After another 24 second purge,
it will try again. After a third try, the controller will go into
“soft” lockout, timing for one hour and the diagnostic
LED will flash a code, See Chart. After the timed hour,
the controller will initiate (3) more tries for ignition. If
there is no ignition, the timing sequence begins again.
d. If the system does not ignite and the thermostat is still
calling for a heat demand, the blower will for 90
seconds as a post purge then shut off.
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Old 12-27-2022, 06:48 AM   #6
Reece379
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Customer1 View Post
Since you hear the ignitor clicking you do not have a sail switch issue. The most likely culprit is a propane issue. Do you have propane? Is the valve open? Is the stove and water heater burning okay?
Hi, yes propane tanks are full / valves open / stove ignites and burns as should. The furnace burns during the day, but at night when temps drop is when it starts faulting. I'm beginning to wonder if it is a regulator problem, but furnace is the only thing affected with the cold temps. Stove still burns as should no matter time/temp.
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Old 12-27-2022, 06:55 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Reece379 View Post
Hi, yes propane tanks are full / valves open / stove ignites and burns as should. The furnace burns during the day, but at night when temps drop is when it starts faulting. I'm beginning to wonder if it is a regulator problem, but furnace is the only thing affected with the cold temps. Stove still burns as should no matter time/temp.
Without the correct testing equipment it's difficult to diagnose the regulator. We had the same problem and eventually just replaced our regulator which solved our problem. It is possible to have the furnace falter while the other gas appliances work just fine. That's because the furnace's demand for propane requires that the regulator operate at it's maximum flow setting. The other appliances don't require the same propane pressure and can still work fine. If your regulator is weakening then that could be the case.

I'm not confirming that your regulator is the problem...but it is a possibility.
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Old 12-27-2022, 07:01 AM   #8
Reece379
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Originally Posted by jsb5717 View Post
Without the correct testing equipment it's difficult to diagnose the regulator. We had the same problem and eventually just replaced our regulator which solved our problem. It is possible to have the furnace falter while the other gas appliances work just fine. That's because the furnace's demand for propane requires that the regulator operate at it's maximum flow setting. The other appliances don't require the same propane pressure and can still work fine. If your regulator is weakening then that could be the case.

I'm not confirming that your regulator is the problem...but it is a possibility.
Thanks, I will keep it in mind. Going to check the thermocouple today and if it is getting power I will move to the regulator. Just can't seem to make it make sense that it functions fine in the day but at night acts up (temps anywhere from 15-30.)
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Old 12-27-2022, 07:35 AM   #9
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Thanks, I will keep it in mind. Going to check the thermocouple today and if it is getting power I will move to the regulator. Just can't seem to make it make sense that it functions fine in the day but at night acts up (temps anywhere from 15-30.)

The intermittent problems you describe could be a number of things but I would be thinking regulator or control board. The way it operates at different temps (propane requirement) sounds like regulator. I've replaced the regulator on my last 2 trailers due to similar issues. Mine were Fairview as yours is I imagine. I replaced with Marshall Excelsior units (2 on a 5th wheel). If you go that route note that they make the MEGR 253 and 253H. The H is a high output (more allowable BTUs):

https://www.marshallexcelsior.com/si...%20Catalog.pdf

Note page 5 for the difference between the regular and the high output. I only use the 253H, makes no difference day to day but does allow a higher output if you need it. Page 11 has the high pressure regulator for the off side. I believe I use the MEGR 130-30. Good luck on resolution.
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Old 12-29-2022, 02:43 PM   #10
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I, too, have a 2018 Montana 3791RD and we’ve been full-time in it for almost 3 years. Love it. Anyway, whenever my furnace dies that it’s because there isn’t sufficient gas left in the tank. Try this … if it dies again, turn on one of the stove burners. If it lights and stays on, turn on a second burner. I’m thinking both burners will puff and flutter as my wife calls it. If that is true, use a more full tank. If you still have problems I would consider replacing the tank regulator.
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Old 12-30-2022, 03:21 AM   #11
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Need advice

Have you had you 12v batteries load tested. The furnace works of the 12 volt system through the inverter, colder Temps can lead to battery issues
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Old 12-30-2022, 05:57 AM   #12
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Have you had you 12v batteries load tested. The furnace works of the 12 volt system through the inverter, colder Temps can lead to battery issues
You mean CONverter.

Converter converts 120VAC to 12VDC
Inverter converts 12VDC to 120VAC
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Old 12-30-2022, 08:27 AM   #13
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Oopppss!!!
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Old 12-30-2022, 08:35 AM   #14
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Have you had you 12v batteries load tested. The furnace works of the 12 volt system through the inverter, colder Temps can lead to battery issues
Yep, CONverter.... But, to add to this comment, the OP's problems seem to occur "only at night"... Considering that "at night" there's also more 12 volt demand from lights, vent fans, range hood fan, water heater operation (controlled by 12 volt system) as well as the colder temps causing greater 12 volt demand to operate the furnace longer and more frequently.....

All that "extra battery power demand" could likely be affected by a bad battery and be "masked by furnace problems that don't directly point to the battery"...

I also would recommend pulling the batteries, taking them to be load tested and confirming that there's no issue with batteries....

AND: While the batteries are disconnected, use a volt meter to confirm that there is 13.6 VDC at the battery cable connections which will verify that the trailer CONverter output is correct. If that voltage is higher or more likely lower than 13.6 VDC, there's a problem with the CONverter output, and quite likely not a "furnace or battery issue" although that CONverter problem may lead to (or already has) damaged the battery or batteries .....
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Old 12-30-2022, 08:42 AM   #15
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But it is a factor in the colder Temps that the CONverter is unable to keep up with the 12vdc demand with a bad battery is what I was trying to point out, SIR!!!!
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Old 12-30-2022, 09:12 AM   #16
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But it is a factor in the colder Temps that the CONverter is unable to keep up with the 12vdc demand with a bad battery is what I was trying to point out, SIR!!!!
Exactly... Which is why I posted what I did. To give the OP a "hopefully clearer explanation" of what was happening and why it was important for him to check his batteries and CONverter output.
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