Onboard Spares

[olypilot]

I recently came back from a trip in North East California. It was about 5000' and 15deg overnight. The furnace started having issues in the middle of the night. It would only heat for a few minutes then cycle off and start heating again. I checked the forums and saw some solutions. I removed the dryer hose duct and ordered a new style sail switch. Hopefully this solves the problem.

This brought up another question I had. I ordered a second sail switch to keep as a spare, but what other spares do people bring along? I am getting ready for a long three week cross country trip and want to take any spares that would be wise to have. Even if I have to go to an RV service center to have them install it, at least having the part would be helpful.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[SigSanDiego]

Sounds like my same symptoms. 2021 Grandby.

Was not sail switch. I tried two and FWC said SS wouldn’t fix.

They sent me a Circuit board.

Fixed in 5 minutes.

 

[olypilot]

Sounds like my same symptoms. 2021 Grandby.

Was not sail switch. I tried two and FWC said SS wouldn’t fix.

They sent me a Circuit board.

Fixed in 5 minutes.

My camper is a 2021 Hawk, so I might have a bad circuit board also. I am planning on spending the night this weekend in hopefully similar conditions to test it, but next to a 110v outlet. I can plug my small electric heater in just in case I haven't fixed the problem. Did they send you a new circuit board with no issues or did you have to pry it out of them?

 

[Bradders]

Hi Olypilot, I’m quite new to this forum, but keen to get involved and am more than willing to help if I can.
Are you talking about specific FWC spares, heater spares or general spares including tools, etc?

 

[Chuck H.]

My first impulse is to say be sure to have spare whiskey!!

We have a 2010 F250 Crew Cab and the tire removal tools are behind the back seat and a real hassle to get at in the best of times. Last time we went on a trip I took the tire removal stuff out of there and just set on the floor in the back seat. Want these things easily accessible so won't have to empty the back seat to get tire changing tools. I've also started traveling with a heavy duty 1/2" battery operated impact wrench in case we ever do have a flat. Makes very quick work of removing and reinstalling 165 ft.lb. lug nuts.

 

[AWG_Pics]

I have tire puncture repair supplies, an air pump, a battery jump thingy, a couple of coolant hoses and a spare coffee grinder. My tool bag has spare fuses, screws, duct tape and electrical multimeter, etc. Going on 4 years and the several things I have had to fix or replace have all been things I never would have anticipated needing.

 

[pvstoy]

Duct Tape and Bailing Wire... a toolbox staple. Along with a Multimeter.

 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

I also carry a code reader.

 

[craig333]

All those and more. And I'm not even a boy scout. Good thing my truck is a diesel.

 

[rubberlegs]

I carry a very small backpacking stove and one cannister. So far, in 4 years, we've not used it (except backpacking, of course). We use just one 10 lb propane tank.

 

[CPT Davenport]

When winter camping, I carry my little buddy heater for back up. Too many stories of FWC furnace issues. I have had good luck so far with mine (knock wood), but I don't wanna risk going through the nite in below freezing conditions if she does fail. I have the adapter to run the buddy heater off the 10lb tanks.

 

[craig333]

I have a catalytic heater for backup. Rather deal with moisture than be cold if it came to that. The stories I'm hearing seem to be not so much a design flaw with the heaters but a large batch of defective parts. That and the location of the sail switch tends to get dirty quite easy. My old Suburban furnace only has issues when its low on voltage.

 

[pvstoy]

In the past the only issues we have had with the heaters is I let it run out of Propane. And why every time it was at night, a very cold night???