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Old 06-30-2018, 10:33 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 34E
State: Florida
Posts: 48
THOR #11425
Dash AC blower fail

Hey all, left this morning for a ten day trip and found the dash AC blower won't come on in my 2014 Hurricane. It had been working intermittently but then this week it seemed to "heal itself". But now it doesn't work at all.

Stopped at a shop on the way out of town hoping a tech would have a mirror because chassis fuse panel is around a corner in the engine compartment.

Fuses checked out fine however... We unplugged the white plastic connector with about five wires that plug into fuse circuit board right next to blower fuse. We found the heavy red wire in that connector which we believe is the positive running to the blower motor. The plastic around that hole in connector is brown/black and slightly melted. Obviously a failure. We couldn't tell if the fuse board was burned at that spot or if it was just the connector.

I can see this is a big repair job... Might need parts and surely will take days to fix.

Now for my question... I believe the other end of that red wire goes through the chassis firewall and connects to the blower motor under the dash. Do any of you have an opinion on the possibility of my unplugging the red wire from the blower motor, and using a cigarette lighter adapter, connecting to the blower motor and plugging it into the lighter socket to at least make it run (naturally at the fastest speed). Even though the roof AC units are working fine, it's pretty unpleasant riding on those seats.

Sent from my SM-G965U using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

Sent from my SM-G965U using Thor RV Forum mobile app

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Old 07-01-2018, 03:13 AM   #2
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2013 ACE 30.1
State: Alberta
Posts: 1,410
THOR #2631
Hi, you said the fuse feeding the fan motor was good (although the connector looks like it overheated at some time), but I wonder if you voltmeter checked the corresponding fuse pin to see if there was actually 12v on it when the ignition is on "accessory"? I guess what I am wondering is even if you were able to re-feed the motor wire from a different fused 12v source, is the problem the HVAC blower motor or the BCC fuse feed for the motor? On RV Custom Products BCC circuit boards the HVAC motor feed is a 25 amp fuse on connector marked P5, fuse F9. Does this jive with your cct board?
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Old 07-05-2018, 12:34 AM   #3
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 34E
State: Florida
Posts: 48
THOR #11425
Figured it out and it's not good

So we have some burn marks on the connector that plugs into the RV Custom Products FW221 power controller. All fuses are good. We left on our trip without the dash AC.

On arrival in Luray, VA, and after much contemplation, I took a guess on the power controller board being fried. I cut the heavy red wire near the connector. tested it and learned he wire runs into the passenger compartment to the blower motor. So I added a length of wire to it in the engine compartment, installed an inline fuse holder and installed the fuse from the power controller board. I connected that the positive on the chassis battery.

Viola! Dash fan blower works, blower speed control works and compressor comes on to blow cold air. The only downside is that I need to remember to turn the AC off at the dash when the engine isn't running since the fan blower would continue to run, discharging the chassis battery.

So now I need an FW22 controller board. I contacted RV Custom Products. The nice lady there said that they are moving their company and so not shipping any product until 7/21 at the earliest. When they do, this board is over $500. They do not fix them.

Thor, designers, in their infinite wisdom installed this controller in a metal box around the corner from the engine compartment hood opening. No question that it will be a multi-hour replacement job.

I am not a happy camper. I'm learning that not much thought went into the engineering and design of my Hurricane. I'm also learning that there's no consideration for the supply of mission critical components. I"m lucky. I got my stinkin' AC to work. But that controller runs everything. What if the wipers didn't work? I'd be stranded, waiting for RV Custom Products to get their act together.

Our Hurricane is beautiful. But it's a gutless wonder. WTF. I cannot believe we, as owners put up with this.
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Old 07-05-2018, 01:20 AM   #4
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2013 ACE 30.1
State: Alberta
Posts: 1,410
THOR #2631
Well at least you have the dash fan working again, although not as you would prefer it. The concern is why did the connector overheat since there are many of these RV Custom BCC cct boards out there.



The BCC in my 2013 ACE 30.1 is in an awkward place on the driver side engine compartment and is a bear to get to.....and a job to remove if ever required. It might be possible to replace the connector strip feeding your dash fan but unfortunately that means removing the cct board to work on it as well. Some pictures of the front and back might help you and others with this cct board. Note the grey 50 Amp mini breaker that causes so many issues with battery charging failures when it trips.
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Old 07-05-2018, 09:51 AM   #5
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Windsport 29M
State: Pennsylvania
Posts: 223
THOR #10254
Fairfield - good to see you are able to get a work around going. Since it's the dash A/C, is that Thor or Ford?

I thought Ford made most of the cab components.

Did you check with them?
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