Freshly Retired Navy, Hurricane 34B, X-Country engage!

[JimOIB]

Assume your 110V element if fried. It should still heat using propane.

1. is there a propane on/off valve somewhere in the propane line - the previous owner may have turned it off.

2. make sure a critter/bug hasn't nested in the propane venturi.

3. download the manual if you don't have it. the operations section has some tips on why it might not be working.

[JimOIB]

I forgot to ask the obvious question - has it worked on propane since you've owned it?

[SamNavy]

It has made hot water for the last 2 weeks, but I can't be sure what switches were flipped. I think I swapped to propane on the road and electric when we plugged into a campsite, but we didn't take many showers and I wasn't habitual about making sure what method was on.

The propane lights 3 times each for about five seconds if I use a stick lighter, but it's not igniting on its own.

I'm pretty sure that I felt heat coming the panel several times and heard the propane burning, but honestly wasn't paying close attention. I can't tell if the electric ever worked.

If I pull the electric heating element, can I tell from a visual inspection if it's fried?

[JimOIB]

Maybe if it has burned open. A multimeter would be a better way to check if you have power to the element first then pull the element.

There is a thermal overload that will shutdown the control board. I believe the way to reset it is to turn both the AC and propane power switches off fo a few minutes. Try that.

Others wise turn the power on and see if there is a red light lite on the control board. If so, the control board is calling for heat. That’s good.

Two other things to look at to neck it down is the fusible link on the thermostat - make sure it hasn’t blown. And the fuse inside the black capsule on the control board.

[JimOIB]

This may help - start on page 15. http://waterheatertimer.org/pdf/Atwo...ice-manual.pdf

Sorry, it took me some time to find it.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by SamNavy

It has made hot water for the last 2 weeks, but I can't be sure what switches were flipped. I think I swapped to propane on the road and electric when we plugged into a campsite, but we didn't take many showers and I wasn't habitual about making sure what method was on.

The propane lights 3 times each for about five seconds if I use a stick lighter, but it's not igniting on its own.

I'm pretty sure that I felt heat coming the panel several times and heard the propane burning, but honestly wasn't paying close attention. I can't tell if the electric ever worked.

If I pull the electric heating element, can I tell from a visual inspection if it's fried?

Do you own a multimeter and can you use it?

Check for 120 VAC to the 2 connections to the heating element when you have the electric heat switch on. If good, open the breaker for the electric water heater element and after verifying there is no voltage applied remove one lead to the element and do a resistance check on the element. If open, you have a bad element.

If you never got 120 VAC to the element then it's time to look upstream. Generally there is a relay controlled by the control board that applies the 120 VAC to the element.

[sduff]

Congratulations fellow vet (retired Army for 4 years now).

Welcome to the RV life!!! Best wishes with your new to you Class A. I wish I would have checked out some of the on post resale lots lime I did after I bought my used Class C...maybe I could have for a deal on a Class A like you did.

[Johnandcarols]

Welcome and thanks for your service! We are retired Army also in the DC area and are both defense contractors and bought our first RV last week. Tomorrow is a two day shakedown cruise to Lake Fairfax park in Reston. Agree...no time like the present!

[SamNavy]

^^Damned small world, John... check your PM's.

ACE, I'm a proud amateur multimeter user... as in, as long as it's either 12volts or 120AC I probably won't kill myself checking things. I've got the $8 Harbor Freight model and will get to checking things tomorrow.

I'm going to pull the electric element and the thermostat and replace them both just for good measure since it's a used RV they're cheap. There's a Camping World about 30 minutes from here and I've got a few other excuses to go there.

[JimOIB]

IMHO since both the electric and propane aren’t working then the issue is something in common. Those are the control board, thermostat/ECO circuit and the relay on the back of the tank. Look to see if the control board light is coming on - if it is, it is asking for heat. If not, then check the thermostat circuit.

There is a fuseable link in the thermostat circuit. On one of the brown thermostat wires you will see it in a plastic tube. Remove it and place the other end of the brown wire directly to the thermostat and see if the unit works. If it does then that’s your problem. Only do this for testing since it is a safety feature not meant to be bypassed.

And, I have to ask, is the propane tank on and have propane in it. You could have fried the element and think you messed up both electric and propane. It is probably worth shutting and reopening the propane to reset the pressure valve.

[SamNavy]

Jimbo/Ace, all great advice.

I'm 100% sure that the propane delivery system is functioning properly. The propanenflame will light and produce solid heat for about 5 seconds if I use a stick lighter to manually ignite the flame. I can hear/smell and ignite thebpropanenflame myself and it runs solid for about 5 seconds before shutting off. This cycle happens 3 times after flipping the switch in the coach. The red light on Tue switch comes on and stays on even after the 3 cycles. There is no ignition spark that I can see from the ignitor. I removed the ignitor and gapped it a little thinner and checked the porcelain for wear. The ignitor looks perfect.

Just to rule out the easy stuff, I'm going to replace the thermostat, ECO and heating element since they're cheap and easy.

I also have done the eraser trick on the two connectors assemblies and no change.

I also removed the fusible link and connected that wire directly to the thermostat with no success.

Will betcha all know in a few hours.

[Johnandcarols]

Originally Posted by Lt Keefer

Make sure you spend as much time as possible with the children during your second career cause it goes by faster than the first.

Boy is that ever true. About to finish up my second 'career' as a contractor and it has flown, compared the the first 28 in the Army. Love being in the same home for years as opposed to 18 months and gone. Loving this RV life too!

[sduff]

Originally Posted by Johnandcarols

Welcome and thanks for your service! We are retired Army also in the DC area and are both defense contractors and bought our first RV last week. Tomorrow is a two day shakedown cruise to Lake Fairfax park in Reston. Agree...no time like the present!

Enjoy, I miss the DC area. I was stationed at Ft. Belvoir for 3 years. The wife and I thought we would want to go back there and retire because we loved the area so much...then we moved to Colorado and that was that. However, as much as I enjoy Colorado we miss Virginia and W. Virginia in the fall immensely...absolutely GORGEOUS!

You are staying relatively close to home for your first trip...my shakedown was an almost 500 mile (one way) trip to Mt. Rushmore. My backup camera went out in Wyoming and I learned really quickly that I needed to add some insulation to my doghouse if my wife and I wanted to keep the cabin cool and be able to have a conversation while going up and down hills.

[sduff]

Originally Posted by Johnandcarols

Boy is that ever true. About to finish up my second 'career' as a contractor and it has flown, compared the the first 28 in the Army. Love being in the same home for years as opposed to 18 months and gone. Loving this RV life too!

I also spent 28 years in the Army...currently in my second career as a teacher. I love that I get 2 months off to go on RV trips with the family (I had kids late so my little ones are only aged 13 and 15).

I certainly hope my second career goes by as fast as the last one went...I love the students...but they can be a little rough sometimes...LOL.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by SamNavy

Jimbo/Ace, all great advice.

I'm 100% sure that the propane delivery system is functioning properly. The propanenflame will light and produce solid heat for about 5 seconds if I use a stick lighter to manually ignite the flame. I can hear/smell and ignite thebpropanenflame myself and it runs solid for about 5 seconds before shutting off. This cycle happens 3 times after flipping the switch in the coach. The red light on Tue switch comes on and stays on even after the 3 cycles. There is no ignition spark that I can see from the ignitor. I removed the ignitor and gapped it a little thinner and checked the porcelain for wear. The ignitor looks perfect.

Just to rule out the easy stuff, I'm going to replace the thermostat, ECO and heating element since they're cheap and easy.

I also have done the eraser trick on the two connectors assemblies and no change.

I also removed the fusible link and connected that wire directly to the thermostat with no success.

Will betcha all know in a few hours.

Hopefully you're picking up a control board as well - common failure point on these Atwood systems. When mine went out everything worked except the flame sense so it would error out on propane. I replaced it with a Dinosaur control board and been good ever since.

My Atwood furnace control board went out as well and with the Dinosaur control board replacement in it we haven't had another issue.

[SamNavy]

Swapped out the ECO and TSTAT... no joy.

Manager at Camping World had me really confused. I told her I had a pretty "standard" model Atwood gas/110 heater and she acted like I'd just told her I have "standard" herpes or something. She said I had to be specific about the model number because those boards can cost $400. Since I was pretty sure you can buy an entire brand new heater for under $400 shipped, I just grabbed the ECO/TSTAT and left rather than dispute the guru.

When I got home, looked up my GC6AA-10E and am pretty sure it's the most "standard" model produced ever that uses the most "standard" model control board #91365. Yes, I know I'm being "standard", but they're about $100 shipped and even cheaper if you get a used one.

I also learned that was a rash of defective units over the past few years and the one I have does not look 12 years old... almost brand new. I suspect that maybe the original owner replaced the current one a few years ago and it's just now failed. Will order one shortly.

Now moving on to the slide-seal.

[KrisCatNC]

Congratulations!!! and thank you very much for your service! My brother was also in the Navy stationed in San Diego!

Enjoy your semi-retirement ;-)