Suburban CT10D pilot

[Jonathan Wright]

Hi --

I'm having trouble getting the pilot light to stay lit in the Suburban LP furnace in my U-haul VT.

The model appears to be CT10D on the Mfg. plate, but it's a little unclear. I called both a specialty RV renovator here in Phoenix and then Suburban itself, both were no help in finding what type of thermocouple this takes.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Jonathan

[john warren]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Wright

Hi --

I'm having trouble getting the pilot light to stay lit in the Suburban LP furnace in my U-haul VT.

The model appears to be CT10D on the Mfg. plate, but it's a little unclear. I called both a specialty RV renovator here in Phoenix and then Suburban itself, both were no help in finding what type of thermocouple this takes.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Jonathan

thermo couplers are sort of universal. take the old one with you and get one that looks like it and it will work.

[mszabo]

Did you bleed all the air out of the system fIrst.
This needs to be done.
Is your battery charged
Or plugged into shore power ?
Has it ever worked for you and or is this the first time you have tried to light.
The more info you can give us will make it easier to trouble shoot
Mike

[Jonathan Wright]

This is the first time I've tried to fire this up, as I have recently purchased the rig. It has a new battery, I am plugged into 110v, the converter is on, and there is gas to the unit, as the pilot will light but not stay on.

I spent seven hours yesterday wrestling with this, and have determined that it is impossible to replace the Thermocouple in this unit without pulling the entire furnace (though, this thing is called a "heater" in the manual, as is has no blower). This necessitated removing the cabinetry housing above the unit on my VT16, and constructing a 12" series of extensions for a 1/4" socket driver to reach the 4 hex/phillips fasteners located at the rear of the unit on the main firewall. Then two persons were required to execute the unfastening.

We have the element loose now, and anticipate being able to remove it today and check function out of the furnace box. I am debating whether or not to attempt to refurbish the unit, or try to find something updated to replace it.

I will say that this is some of the most absurdly frustrating engineering I have ever encountered. I might even consider remounting the Thermocouple to enable service without removing the entire device. What a PIA.

Thanks for your support!

[Darwin Maring]

Did you find a small web weaved by a small bug inside of the unit?

[Jonathan Wright]

After removal of the furnace, I have determined that substituting a modern catalytic heater is going to be a better solution, with more efficient use of propane and improved safety. The existing furnace box will accommodate several brands of heaters, and portable units that have flexible adaptors appear to be able to be used.

Mr. Heater - America's Most Popular Portable Heaters

Is this a bad idea?