# Suburban Furnace



## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

Hi, I have found this site by luck as I was looking for advice regarding the Suburban furnace in my Dodge camper. It is an old 80s "C"class camper and the furnace appears to have been 'looked at' before by somebody else that didn't know what they were doing, I have taken the furnace out to have it reconditioned but I cannot find anybody who repairs them? I would appreciate any name's and telephone numbers of any repair agent you may know, or anyone who has a fairly cheap secondhand one for sale. thanks for looking Mick.


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

*hydroflame*

Mick I have exactly the same problem with mine, from an 80's C class..

no one wants to / can help 

I may try and cahnge mine for something more modern....

John


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## 98064 (Mar 10, 2006)

http://www.marksrv.com/suburbanparts.htm

Bored, me 

First page of search...


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

lots of nice parts, nothing i need tho


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## 98064 (Mar 10, 2006)

Just a punt...


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## 98064 (Mar 10, 2006)

Guys, that web site has a request option for older units, worth a go?

John I seem to remember model/part no's were an issue first time round, maybe send a photo and discription, just a thought.

Annoying when the toys play up, thus far I've been lucky (GRASPING FEVERSHLY TO A PIECE OF WOOD HERE) and been able to sort with cleaning/adjusting and even a spot of welding!!!!! :roll: 

Si


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

hi Si, yep no part numbers on my unit.. just a hydroflame logo..

I may try these chaps though.. have pictures...

out of interest, any idea what the/a Limit switch does? 

John


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## 98064 (Mar 10, 2006)

> any idea what the/a Limit switch does?


Errr, a/ limit, no I'm afraid.

We have an old hydroflame unit that is so simple, manual ignition, well press a button repeatedly with the gas in pilot position and pressed and turn to on when lit. Thermostat does the rest. The only other option we have is a reset button which though obvious in it's discription doesn't seem to do anything. It's a button, I had to press it once  
Actually there is another toggle which I think stops the heating bit running for summer use, haven't played with it though.


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## LC1962 (Oct 6, 2005)

I don't know if these guys can assist but they sell the parts over here - perhaps they have a contact as to who fixes them too??

www.leisurevehicleservices.com

A shot in the dark perhaps, maybe worth asking?????

John, I thought you were buying one from over the pond? :wink:


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

Si have you a pic of your unit?

mine has electric ignition, a limit switch, the sail switch, the circuit board, burner, fans, and thats about it.. sounds like a slightly modern version of yours

original problem:

It stopped blowing warm air .. but only after lighting for 3 seconds.. then just cold air.

So, ingnition and sail switch are ruled out.. leave the limit switch? the 'board' and I cant see what else, that could be wrong...

J


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

Linda i think I still am  $150 doesn't seem bad for a modern unit....

(3 seasons use)


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## 98064 (Mar 10, 2006)

John, no pic's but I remeber the one's you posted and it looked nothing like ours unfortunatly.
I'm frankley not even sure there is a circuit board involved either.

Gas on, heats thermocouple thing that engages blower at given temperature which then runs until the thremostat switches gas off to main burner and once thermocouple things temperature drops suitably blower switches off, dead simple and all in one unit.
Only issue so far was lighting which turned out to be crud up the pilot gas pipe, blast with the compressor sorted that.


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

thanks Si.. this one doesnt have a thermo couple as such, and no pilot light.. DamonDunc did mention something about a current passing through the air stream to tell circuit board burner was lit.. he may bge able to elaborate as I have forgotten a bit of what he said..


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## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

Thanks everyone, I have been reading your replies and posts, I have tried the web address I have been given in the States and I am just waiting to see if they have a contact in the U.K. otherwise would somebody enlighten me on the furnace's for sale in the U.S.A. for $150.00 I have only just joined the forum so I am missing information. plus I am just a noisey bugger that likes to know what is happening!


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

Leisure Vehicle Services 


Unit 39 Rumer Hill Bus Est 
Cannock 
Staffordshire 
England 
WS11 0ET 

+ (44) 01543 577 334 
+ (44) 01543 570 177 


Yankee, Steph here is very useful

John


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## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

*suburban furnace*

it's me again! I have just received a reply from the States about a replacement furnace so John if you are sitting down (which you probably are, unless you P.C. is on top of the piano) the replacement price for my model is $914.00 including delivery (Gasp). Good job the English weather is so warm, just means the wife will need a few vests with sleeves and long johns in the evening as we sit sipping our hot Bovril from thermos cups. And now a message for Linda about John's $150.00 furnace, if that is all John will pay I will add an extra Ten (10) English new pence to the bid and a part full bottle of Pepsi, so, do I win? Cheers Mick.


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

ahh easy yankee 

Linda was only bringing mine back from states, i have sourced it me self and she doesnt know who from  

Seriously , Steph should have something for both of us, an older unit that is less obsolete.. new units are only $400 if they will fit, thats a lot less than $917! ?

I am sure she will respond soon if you email her.


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

funny you should mention sitting down.. the way I have my PC set up in the RV I tend to stand up to use it  (am at work now tho)

something to do with being to far from the screen when sitting at the dinette...


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## LC1962 (Oct 6, 2005)

johng1974 said:


> ahh easy yankee
> 
> Seriously , Steph should have something for both of us, an older unit that is less obsolete.. new units are only $400 if they will fit, thats a lot less than $917! ?
> 
> I am sure she will respond soon if you email her.


I trust you told Steph who sent you :wink:


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

will do 

x


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## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

Thanks John, I have just spoken to Steph and you are 100% correct she certainly knows her job! not only a mine of information but polite and intellegent as well, anyway thats the brown nose bit out of the way so to buisness, she has given me two contact numbers for engineers that might be able to help me because my furnace is different to yours. I have already taken my furnace out of my camper to have a look at (eek.) so many relays and switches that it is virtually impossible to figure out which piece is faulty without intimate knowledge of the furnace, (to each his own) and I mean that in the nicest possible way. I will keep posting the developments as they occur (if they occur) as it may help you to sort yours out. Do you buy the R.V. magazine because they ran a two series article on furnaces a while back, might be worth while enquiring about. Cheers and thanks. keep the pedal to the metal Mick.


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

Mick thanks will keep an eye out for the articles etc

good luck and let us know
John


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Just wondering, for the uninitiated in such American terms, what is a suburban furnace? Pictures conjoured up are of driving through the never ending 'burbs in some US city, and coming across a workshop at a cross roads with a smelting furnace with black smoke & sparks billowing out, next to the 7/11, Al's stripjoint, and macdonalds?.......What's it got to do with RV's?...
:roll:


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## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

bognormike said:


> Just wondering, :roll:


The American version of Carver/Trauma blown air heating.......just a tad bigger! 8)


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)




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## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

Hi Bognor, they are correct the item we are talking about is a blown air heater fueled by L.P.G. that is fastened inside the camper or R.V. it's called a furnace in the states and in my case the make is Suburban, but I prefer your version, I would rather be on route 66 in the states and just calling at a Mc Donalds for a bite. but at the moment that is just that "a dream" anybody want to buy some grown-up kids? Bye-bye for now. we gone! Mick.


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## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

Hi Bognormike, or can I call you Bognor for short? they are correct the item we are talking about is a blown air heater fueled by L.P.G. that is fastened inside the camper or R.V. it's called a furnace in the states and in my case the make is Suburban, but I prefer your version, I would rather be on route 66 in the states and just calling at a Mc Donalds for a bite. but at the moment that is just that "a dream" anybody want to buy some grown-up kids? Bye-bye for now. we gone! Mick.


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## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

*suburban furnace*

Hi everyone, here is the next chapter in the saga of my furnace, are you all sitting comfortably then I'll begin, L.C. (Linda I think) gave me Leisure vehicles address and phone number, I rang them spoke to Steph who gave me Conrads phone number (still awake?) right! I rang Conrad and told him the problem with my furnace, first thing he did was to tell me my camper was a year older than I thought because of the model number of my furnace, that proved to me he knew something about furnaces anyway next thing was to look at it as Conrad lives in Nottingham and I live at Chapeltown, Sheffield we arranged to meet in Doncaster,( Eh?)
The reason is- I have a pal in Donny with a 30 foot R.V. who has problems with one of his furnaces so Conrad arranged to sort us both out at the same time. We met yesterday morning (Thursday) it took him less than one hour to sort out my problem and ring Leisure Vehicle Services and order the replacement parts, same with my pal Gaz, except he has had to take his unit away because the complete furnace had to be striiped down because his problem was the motor, but it is expected back early next week so we are both well pleased. I am writing this the next day (Friday) and I have just received my parts, so hows that for service. right Conrads telephone number is 07785575178 
Cheers, I'm now part of a convoy again, Mick.


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

well done Mick


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## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

Hello again, well, here we are at what I hope is the final chapter in the 'Tale of the Suburban furnace', having received the new parts yesterday I pulled the furnace out of the garage and proceded to fit them, fitting the parts was a simple job, putting the furnace back into the camper was a bit harder, (anyboby doing this repair in the future I would recommend that you take the chrome vent off the outside of the vehicle because although the furnace will come out with the vent in place it doesn't want to go back the same, it took me half an hour to realise that) anyway then I had to wire the furnace in (Oops) the cowboys who had the camper before me had not left the three pin plug that connects the power, so back to the drawing board! I eventually used three female bullet connectors squeezed to the correct size, lucily for me we had written down the the coloured wires in their position on the plug when Conrad had been working on it, now after connecting the wires together and fastening the gas pipe I stood back and switched on the thermostat and
WE HAVE HEAT what do you know 'it works' I am now in the wife's good books, now connect the flexible pipes that carry the heat around the camper and check them, WHAT no heat coming through the pipes then it dawned on me (not the morning sun) there is no back panel on the furnace so the heat is blowing straight out of the back of the furnace and through a separate grill into the camper in just one place, 'am I bovvered' well no I will be able to fabricate a rear panel today and then 'back on the road again'
Cheers for now, happy cruising Mick.


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

well done Mick.. what happened to your original rear panel then?
John


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## 104395 (May 9, 2007)

Hi John, about the rear panel, at a guess I would say that the T*SS*RS (people) that had the camper before me probably thought it was a square frizbee and threw it away when it didn't fly right, but that is just one of my theories regarding the previous owners, who, may turn out to be very nice people in their own way (Choke). watch for other posts regarding my camper as I sort out other problems. ( what problems? I don't have problems I just rectify jobs the other owners started and kindly left for me to finish! saves getting bored!) anyway the wife says I have to go and finish putting the new toilet in before we go to the steam rally this coming weekend. Catch you again, watch out for those smokeys with camaras. Cheers Mick.


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