5 Common Forest River RV Furnace Problems (Troubleshooting)

Camping has become even more popular in recent times. However, even the most enthusiastic campers start to find as they get older and their family grows, it’s not as appealing as it once was. This is why so many of us opt to purchase a motorhome or RV.

This still allows you to participate in the ‘getting away from it all’ adventures, but with the added comfort levels of having a travelling home. It is so convenient to have your own bathroom, kitchen, and bedrooms along with recreational space that allows you to have a more comfortable experience with a spot of luxury.

Having your own travelling home allows you to customise your space and add in whatever equipment you feel will enhance the experience for you and your family. Many will opt to install a furnace to provide a heat source, as it naturally widens the limits of where you can travel whilst maintaining that level of comfort you desire.

Of course, having taken this extra step then it is very frustrating to encounter problems or to find your furnace isn’t functioning as it should. Within this article, we will explain some of the most common problems, along with simple steps you can take to try and prevent them happening.

We will also help you to troubleshoot and hopefully resolve a problem if it does occur. Forest River RV furnaces are very popular and one of the most widely installed brands. For this reason, this is the model we will talk about in this article – although many of the issues and solutions will be common to other makes too.

Firstly, let’s take a look at the most obvious things before troubleshooting any other problems. Make sure that you check that you do have sufficient fuel for your furnace. If that is not the issue, then try looking at some of the common faults and their respective solutions below.

Forest River RV Furnace Problems

1. Vehicle Not Heating

The most common fault is the furnace is on but not providing adequate heating through the vehicle. If this is the case, you need to examine the thermostat. Firstly, ensure it is set to the desired temperature. If it is set too low, then it will not heat up fully.

If you wish the temperature to be suitable for your surroundings without having to constantly change it, then it is worth noting there is an automatic setting you can use which will select a suitable temperature for the current conditions. This will avoid you needing to change the settings all the time. But you can of course perform a manual override at any time if you want to change things up.

2. Thermostat automatic mode not working

Occasionally, even when you have set your thermostat to automatic mode you may find it’s not working. This is usually due to the sensors within your furnace . These are exceptionally sensitive and even just a small amount of dust or debris on the sensor can prevent it from functioning fully. To try and prevent this, you should add cleaning of sensors and your vents to your preventative maintenance checklist.

Being careful not to apply too much pressure to avoid damage and carefully clean the vents and sensors on your furnace and try again. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, it may be that your sensor needs replacing by a professional.

3. Furnace won’t start

One of the most common issues is simply that the furnace suddenly stops working altogether, which is not great if you are away from home. Usually, issues are caused by an electrical fault. It could simply be a faulty connection within the furnace, or in the worst-case scenario, a fuse or circuit breaker has blown out.

If you feel qualified to do so, then you can start by checking the fuse to see if it has tripped out. If not, you can then check over each individual connection. See if any have become disconnected or are clearly loose.

If you find a loose wire, you can simply put the connection back in its original location and ensure its firmly connected once more and hopefully this will resolve your issue.

It may be that you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, or you may notice some wires or connections look to be damaged. If this is the case, then it would be sensible to contact a specialist who can resolve this problem for you.

4. Furnace not heating properly

Another thing to check is the fan settings. If they are too low, then even if adequate heat is being generated, it may not be circulating sufficiently. Try turning the fan speed up a little and hopefully this will make a difference.

5. Sooty residue

As with any device of this nature, especially one with many small components, they can easily become clogged up with a sooty residue. This is one of the reasons why a preventative maintenance plan is so important. You should routinely clean and check your hoses, sensors and valves.

This way, of course, you also become highly familiar with the set up and are most likely to be able to instantly spot any issues arising. If you do find a build-up, however, you can usually carefully clean most components yourself.

Depending on the part, you can utilise sandpaper, compressed air, or small sharp objects. Always take the safety precaution of disconnecting the fuel source before taking the furnace apart and always use the least force possible to prevent any further damage. If none of these options cures your problems, then unfortunately you will probably need to seek expert assistance to get your furnace functioning again.