Almost lost the coach today

Topic: Almost lost the coach today - fire! (Read 1346 times) previous topic - next topic

Almost lost the coach today - fire!

August 18, 2011, 07:29:37 pm

It appears that the thermal cutoff for the electric water heater failed. Something is shorted because the wire from the element up to the cutoff is burnt. The cardboard and paper enclosing the water heater burnt. This trashed some of the control wiring and the gas ignitor won't kick on. Whether its a board that oveheated or the actual wiring that is the problem, who knows!

So - for a 95 U320 is it a 6 gallon or a 10? Oops - looks like its a 10...
It appears the 6 gallon gas/elec/heat exchanger is about 450.00 discounted.

We need to leave for our trip. I guess the only option is to rely on the heat exchanger for hot water for baths or use campground showers. I can get one shipped up the Arkansas where we will stay and then put it in next week.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #1 – August 18, 2011, 07:35:15 pm

Anyone know where the fuse is?

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #2 – August 18, 2011, 07:37:26 pm

Sad to say Dave, but our old coaches are capable of having anything fail due to anything, from old age to bad insulation on wire, bad circuit breakers, hell who knows what is next, so we just keep out eyes, ears and noses tuned for what is next.
Even the new stuff can go astray. The joy of having such toys to keep us busy. When we are all done, it is time to worry about tire pressure again or what is for dinner.
Cheers

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #3 – August 18, 2011, 08:07:03 pm

Wife is willing to live with heat exchanger hot water for the trip up. Instahot can give hot water for the morning dishes. Adventurer RV and ppl seem the cheapest - right at $600.00. Whoever will drop ship to Harrison AR for next week delivery for the best price will get my money.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #4 – August 18, 2011, 08:13:38 pm

The market is really slow and the heaters are light. I would haggle and find someone to second day air cheap. I must have relatives in the middle east because I don't believe in list price.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #5 – August 18, 2011, 08:56:30 pm

The reason I never leave the water heater on overnight, propane or electric.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #6 – August 18, 2011, 09:16:46 pm

Check the thermal cutout for continuity and if it fails, it did its job. Sometimes the cutout is not properly positioned to be able to be activated by the flames of a flash back. Pretty common occurrance for us when in the desert and winds.
The burning on the supply wire for the cutout occurs due to the time it takes for the cutout to kill the flame. Just replace the wire and it will be fine. I would not replace the heater for this problem unless it fails to work after replacing the thermal cutout and associated wiring. Burnt cardboard is no big deal. What were the conditions that existed prior to the fire?

Regards,
Jon Twork

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #7 – August 18, 2011, 09:25:18 pm

By the way, one can add an extra cutout to the cutout wire to facilitate a faster reaction by the cutout for flames. The plastic sleeve over the cutout is there to keep hot water from the emergency release valve from killing the cutout prematurely.....
I would believe that if you replace the wiring that was burned (usually pretty easy to do as excess is available near the water tank) you will find that the fuse is fine. I can send you a couple of cutouts if you don't have any available where you are located. I have about 50 of them.
Regards,

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #8 – August 18, 2011, 09:29:18 pm

I just noticed an Atwood 10 gallon gas/110V on ebay for $528 buy it now. This is from a RV dealer. His shipping is $29 but for a bit more they usually can overnight, etc.

If this is not the model you are interested in, you might call or email him. Here is the address for the Atwood and all ebay water heaters: Atwood 10 Gallon RV/Motorhome Water Heater | eBay

All gas listings: rv heater water gas | eBay

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #9 – August 18, 2011, 10:00:44 pm

We are pleased that you caught the burnt wire in time.

Atwood hot water heaters use a small round front-mounted thermostat low-voltage switch to tell the circuit board to turn on the gas burner. Some older Atwood heaters used a separate thermostat 120-volt switch to turn on the electric heating element.

Newer Atwood hot water tanks have a different (more expensive) circuit board that uses the same small round front-mounted thermostat low-voltage switch to turn on the gas valve and close a rear-mounted relay that turns on the 120-volt electric heating element.

12-volt circuit breaker for hot water tank is behind white cover on bay wall.

Circuit board main value is to monitor gas flame and to turn gas off if flame goes out. Circuit board can be bypassed to open gas valve to temporarily heat water. 12-volts to front thermostat to 2nd thermostat (ECO) to burner will open burner and gas must be manually lighted and visually monitored. Gas valve will shut off when correct water temp is reached.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #10 – August 18, 2011, 10:05:55 pm

The propane was totally off, all my sensors were off (I've installed separate switches for each). Plus the solenoid valve has a switch wired in line to it - it was off.
All that was running was the electric element for the water heater, one AC unit, the inverter, the reefer (on AC) and a couple of lights. I brought the coach over at 9 am, plugged it in and turned on 1 AC unit. This occurred at 1:15 pm. The smoke was coming from every bay - it went into the fore-aft wire run so that when I started opening bay doors I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I suspected the reefer, then the batteries and/or the inverter at first because those were the 'known' running equipment. The first thing I did was pull the power and check the back of the reefer.
The one wire that burned through was a wire from the element to the thermo switch above it.
All the 12V control wiring at the heater is partially damaged.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #11 – August 18, 2011, 10:42:55 pm

Dave,
Mine had a melt down inside the metal cover over the 120 volt thermostats, the wires in there and some of the insulation in there a few years ago. Called Atwood to buy new parts, no kit available but he had serviceable parts with new thermostats, no charge, they showed up in the mail a few days later. Mine has long enough engine coolant hoses so you can pull the water heater out without disconnecting them, set it on a box next to the coach to repair the back, if you go this route change the electric element even if it's good.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #12 – August 18, 2011, 10:48:49 pm

I'm pretty sure that's what has happened to mine. If the heat didn't damage the front board then I might get by with those parts plus some wiring. I've had a new element laying around for years.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #13 – August 18, 2011, 11:04:23 pm

Dave, Glad you caught it in time! And no more damage!

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #14 – August 18, 2011, 11:10:42 pm

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – August 18, 2011, 08:13:38 pm

I must have relatives in the middle east because I don't believe in list price.

Me too, but it started in Okinawa, then Thailand, then Vietnam, then Malaysia, and finally perfected in West Berlin, Germany. Lowes hates to see me coming.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #15 – August 19, 2011, 06:02:49 am

I'm very happy to read that you cought the fire before major damage occured.
As the owner of a 1995 U320 like yours, that had suffered major refrigerator fire, I can attest to first hand, the horror of what a fire can do, and how fast it can go out of control.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #16 – August 21, 2011, 09:40:42 pm

What caused your refrigerator fire?

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #17 – August 22, 2011, 05:17:01 am

Quote from: John Duld – August 21, 2011, 09:40:42 pm

What caused your refrigerator fire?

I bought the Foretravel from somebody that
Bought it in Texas at a insurance auction.
I tracked down the original owner, he told me that a rodent built a nest in the vent and the propane flame or heat ignited the nesting material.
The fire burned for about 10 minutes before he and the fire department extinguished it.
Insurance wrote it off as a total loss.
I have my hands full bringing her back but things are looking up.
I will sure know this coach inside and out.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #18 – August 22, 2011, 10:57:15 am

That's why when I changed refrigerators, I lined the entire enclosure including the ceiling with Hardie Backerboard. Added a little weight but a lot of piece of mind.

Every motorhome I have ever seen has a tinderbox around the fridge. Our Foretravels are no exception. Lots of Lauan, plastics and carpet.

Yes, rodents are a threat but as refrigerators age, rust takes it's toll on the pipes that hold the ammonia and when they rust through, the ammonia is flammable in concentrations of 15% to 25%. I bought my U300 without the fridge as it had started leaking but everyone got out when they smelled it and it did not catch fire.

Hardie Backerboard can be cut with a sharp box cutter with repeated scribes and then bent until it snaps. Smaller cutouts can be made with a pair of side cutters. A cordless drill, tube of sealant, a tape measure and a couple of days are all that is needed.

A picture says a thousand words. Here are a few shots of my modifications before I replaced the fridge: https://picasaweb.google.com/100921130470085833749/U300Modifications

Here is a site with a good explanation of why RV fridges fail: Why They Fail

Please call or write if you have any questions. I spent years fighting fires and now want to make sure you don't have to.

Re: Almost lost the coach today - fire!

Reply #19 – August 22, 2011, 01:22:14 pm

Lon, Thanks for the information on your refrigerator fire.

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