Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 10, 2025 ...

Update to close out this thread.  Sorry, it's kinda long, so go get a cup of coffee...

I have got my furnace working again just like new, or perhaps better than new!  For those who may want (or need) to attempt repair of a furnace, I offer the following helpful (I hope) info.

I now realize these Atwood (Hydro Flame) RV furnaces are pretty simple devices.  My comments will apply specifically to the units installed in my coach, but I think they are all similar.  You can access all the commonly replaced parts from the outside of your coach.  It should not be necessary to remove the heater from the coach unless you are installing a complete new unit.  I found a very good .pdf copy of a 2004 edition of the Atwood service manual here:

http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/hflamefurn04.pdf

This manual should cover the Atwood heaters installed in most 90's model Foretravel coaches.  It contains a detailed parts listing for most models - very helpful.  To determine the model number of the heater(s) in your coach, open the outside metal access cover, then drop down the inside hinged plastic cover.  Model info and wiring diagram contained therein.  With model number and above referenced manual, you can look up any required original part number.

So, finding the OEM part number is easy - finding the actual part may be more of a challenge, as detailed in my original post.  In the case of my "burned out" burner, the OEM part is NLA (no longer available).  With the help of forum members (see posts above), I identified 2 possible replacement part numbers: #38548 (kit with burner and ignitor), and #36043 (burner alone).  I called several RV parts specialists, asking their advice.  They unanimously steered me away from the kit, and recommended the replacement burner #36043 as a substitute for my original burner.  This part application IS NOT sanctioned by Atwood - their only official solution for fixing my furnace would be "Buy a New Furnace" (for $600-800).  No surprise there...
 
I ordered the burner from Amazon (Amazon.com: Atwood 36043 Burner: Automotive).  Comparing it to my old unit, it is basically the same in shape and size, but with some detail differences.  The new one has a plate across the opening of the burner - the old one does not have this plate.  The old one had a threaded mounting stud that is missing from the new one.  Looking inside the burner, the old one has a welded in additional piece of metal (flame guide?) that is missing from the new one.  In spite of these details, the new piece mounts correctly and seems to work just fine, so I am happy!

Having heard many good things about the Dinosaur line of replacement electronic boards, I decided to try one in my heater,  The original problem I had with the heater was "intermittent operation".  With the thermostat set to maintain a given temperature, the heater would come on one time (or several times) and work fine.  The next time it came on, it might (randomly) run the fan but the burner would never light.  Then the fan would continue running, blowing cold air, until I recycled the ON-OFF switch at the thermostat.  One of the selling points of the Dinosaur board is it will try for a light 3 times, instead of just once like the OEM board.  In case of a little air in the gas line, or very windy conditions, this would help assure that the furnace will operate when required.  Another good point about the Dinosaur board: it has a built-in LED that glows "green" when power is directed to the board by the thermostat, and "Red" when the gas valve is opened.  This can help verify correct wiring and operation.

The Dinosaur board was also ordered from Amazon (Amazon.com: Dinosaur Electronics (UIB S) Small Universal Ignitor Board:).  It is exactly the same size and shape as the OEM board, mounts in the same place, and the original wiring connector fits perfectly.  When I first tried the heater after my repairs, it would not light due to air in the gas line.  I could distinctly hear the board making 3 attempts to "light the fire".  Once the gas started flowing, the furnace worked perfectly, starting and stopping exactly as it should.  I plan on buying another Dinosaur board to install in my rear furnace - I feel it is much superior to the 20+ year old OEM board.

Picture below shows the furnace housing "gutted" after I removed the motor, fans, gas valve and burner assembly.  Disassembly only requires common hand tools and common sense - nothing difficult.  There was a heavy buildup of dust and dirt in the fans and blower housing, which I cleaned out with brushes and blow gun.  I also oiled the bushings on the motor, cleaned the ignitor electrodes, and adjusted the gap to 1/8".  The other photos show the old burner (compare to photo in Amazon ad).

I hope this writeup encourages others to tackle this project!