Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 13, 2025 ...

Water heater on 1996 U280

May 21, 2017, 11:38:35 am

Trying to figure out the water heater on our coach. When we bought it a couple weeks ago, the water heater cover was off and were not sure how long it's been off.
There is a switch by the sink and one under the bed that say water heater.
There is no 12 volt power going to water heater. Is there another switch that has to be turned on?
We also tried the furnaces and only the one in the rear of the coach came on.
We can only find one control on the wall that seems to operate air conditioner, heat strips and rear furnace.

Quote Selected

Re: Water heater on 1996 U280

Reply #1 – May 21, 2017, 12:18:52 pm

A photo of your water heater (standing outside, looking at what you see when you open the cover) would be helpful.  OR, give us the model number off the heater, if you can find it somewhere.

My uninformed guess: you have a combo gas and electric heater.  The switch by the sink should turn on the heater in gas mode.  The switch by the bed operates the electric heating mode.  First thing is to find the appropriate circuit breakers and check them.

Try looking in the fuse boxes at the base of the bed, and at the fuses under your dash cover - see if anything says "water heater".

Quote Selected

Re: Water heater on 1996 U280

Reply #2 – May 21, 2017, 12:20:14 pm

Yes, one thermostat. Controls 2 zones. Usually.

Quote Selected

Re: Water heater on 1996 U280

Reply #3 – May 21, 2017, 12:34:50 pm

Hey,
  Welcome to the Foretravel forum. TONs of 1st class info here and on the Beamalarm.com site.

        Bob n  Sue

Quote Selected

Re: Water heater on 1996 U280

Reply #4 – May 21, 2017, 12:53:07 pm

On mine the switch under the sink has a green and a red indicator light. Green comes on when switched on, red comes on when hot or when it decides not to light the red comes on instantly. I clean the contacts at the board (I think five wire connector) and it works for a while again. Switch under the bed is for 110v lift the bed to see if there is anything plugged into the receptacle by the switch. Your water heater might not have 110v heat.

Quote Selected

Re: Water heater on 1996 U280

Reply #5 – May 21, 2017, 12:56:46 pm

Also make sure you are looking at the under bed switch for the water heater and not the one for the block heater in the engine.

On mine two furnace thermostats one in bedroom roadside above where your head rests in bed for rear furnace. Front furnace thermostat is next to the fridge. Two ac controls one curb side of bedroom but on front wall for rear air. One above entry door on the end of the over head cabinets.

Quote Selected

Re: Water heater on 1996 U280

Reply #6 – May 21, 2017, 01:05:51 pm

And you may also have the engine coolant option.  If you do, there should be a faucet in the waterheater bay to regulate on / off or somewhere in between.      I don't know why you would ever turn that function off unless you were traveling in VERY hot weather and didn't want the house waterheater to add heat to the engine coolant ?

Quote Selected

Re: Water heater on 1996 U280

Reply #7 – May 21, 2017, 01:12:26 pm

"The switch by the sink should turn on the heater in gas mode.  The switch by the bed operates the electric heating mode."

That's how it works in my '93 U300.

Quote Selected

Re: Water heater on 1996 U280

Reply #8 – May 21, 2017, 02:20:12 pm

Just went out and looked at our coach.  Our original water heater is gas only (although I have added a HotRod).  The fuse controlling the propane heater 12V circuit is in the 12V fuse box at foot of bed.  Circuit #8: kitchen fan & water heater, 15amp.

If the fuse if good, then the LEDs in the water heater switch by the sink should light up (like Derek said above) when you turn it on.

If the switch LEDs light up, but the water heater propane burner does not light, then that's a separate problem.

Quote Selected