Problem with heater on 2017 13' Scamp

[Bob Greene]

Our Scamp is barely a year old and ever since day one there have been problems with the heater working intermittently. At first I thought it was because I put a gauge on the propane tank. Then I thought it was a problem with the battery. Now I find that after the heater is on, even for a short period of time, it will not restart even though the battery is good and the propane tank full. I'm not sure but I think it may run more consistently if I tighten the cover but I have no idea why this should make a difference. While the Scamp is on its way to a repair shop before my warranty runs out but I would love to know if others have had this problem. Thanks. Bob

[mary and bob]

I don't know about a Scamp, but the propane furnace in our Uhaul was voltage sensitive when only on battery power. Plugged into shore power it worked good, on battery not so good.

[Byron Kinnaman]

I believe that the furnace has a 3 year warranty. Check the manual to be sure. If so manufacturer's web site to find the closest certified repair facility. Take the trailer there and let them fix under warranty.

[Jon in AZ]

I've never had a problem with ours, except the thermostat was broken when we got the trailer. I doubt it is covered under the appliance warranty, so I might want to rule that out first.

[Glenn Baglo]

If you put one of these gauges on the propane tank, take it off and discard. My buddy and I both had them for BBQ propane tank and found flow reduced significantly.

[Radar1]

One thing to check is the inlet and exhaust ports on the outside. If mud daubers have decided to build a nest then it would restrict the required airflow necessary to get the sail switch inside to validate air flow.
Also, if there was any air in the propane line, the heater will try to ignite a few times and then go into shutdown mode and not attempt to restart until you shut it completely off and reset the lighting sequence. Sometimes you need to go through this sequence a couple times if the heater hasn't been used a while, until the air is expelled and propane reaches the burners.

[Victor Benz]

Originally Posted by Bob Greene

Then I thought it was a problem with the battery.

Note that almost everything on 12V in your trailer will work, and you may still not have enough voltage to run a furnace. Most furnaces have a "sail switch" which detects sufficient air flow from the fan, and then permits the furnace to light. For most furnaces, if the battery voltage is below 10.5 VDC, then the blower/fan motor will not run at the correct speed to initiate the ignition sequence. Test this by checking the voltage at your furnace circuit breaker.

Vic

[k0wtz]

Glenn I was thinking of this I guess a no no now


thanks


bob

[Bob Greene]

SCAMP Heater Problem Saga Continued......
Since my Scamp is less than a year old I called Scamp's service department this past and was told to bring it to a local repair shop and that I would be reimbursed. I then brought the Scamp to an RV repair store that has been around forever. They acknowledged that once the heater went on, it would not go on again without waiting X number of hours. This past Wednesday I called Scamp and spoke with Kent ( the owner of Scamp?) to let them now I brought the camper in for repair. He was very pleasant and said "I wish you had called before but OK". The very next day I called Scamp to let them know the repair shop felt it was a defective switch. This time I got Mike, {the owner's son?} who was quite rude and insisted that even though this was a problem from day one, and even though the camper is less than a year old, it was not their problem and that I needed to call the heater manufacturer. I then asked for him to text me the manufacturer's number but he never did.
The good news is that the switch, which is not visible without taking our the heater, was the problem and that the heater now works perfectly. Still not sure who will pay the $200.00 bill to diagnose and fix the problem. Will be calling Kent tomorrow as he will be back from vacation. Hopefully no one else has had a similar problem but if you do, check out the switch.

[Jon in AZ]

My understanding is that appliances are covered by their respective manufacturers, assuming the problem is within the appliance and not in how it was installed, which seems to be the case here. That is standard practice across the RV industry. So, Mike may have actually been correct (although rudeness is never correct).

At this point Suburban may not want to cover a repair they did not pre-authorize. Since Kent apparently gave the go-ahead, seems like Scamp should cover it as a goodwill gesture. Definitely follow up with Kent personally.

Don't know exactly how the process goes, so I'll be interested in how it works out.

[TomK]

Bob, I think Jon's assessment of the warranty process is correct. We had a very hot wheel hub on our new Scamp in 2014. I felt it was probably just an incorrectly adjusted castle nut, and wanted to remove, inspect, and re-pack the bearings. I called Scamp before proceeding, because I didn't want to jeopardize the warranty. Scamp gave me the contact info for Dexter Axle. I called them, and they told me to take it to a trusted trailer shop near home. I did that, paid for the repair, and sent the bill to Dexter. I received a check from Dexter shortly afterward.

Tom

[Jon in AZ]

I realize I'm armchair quarterbacking here, but I think Scamp service was correct in sending you to a repair shop for diagnosis.

Once the diagnosis came in that it was a fault in the appliance itself (and not in the propane supply, wiring, thermostat or other bits installed by Scamp), the appliance manufacturer should have been contacted before proceeding with the repair. The repair shop should have known and perhaps even assisted with the contact.

If the furnace manufacturer has any integrity, they may cover it anyway. If the repair shop is honest, they should assist with the documentation. And if not, Scamp should cover it because they said they would.. They bear some responsibility in not explaining the warranty process more completely at the outset.

Lots of "should haves." Hope it soon becomes "did." Best wishes!

[Bob Greene]

While waiting for Kent, the owner of Scamp, to return from vacation, I did contact Suburban, the manufacturer of the heater. They did indicate that they would reimburse me especially since they had had dealings with the repair shop in the past. Obviously, I was quite relieved. On top of that, however, I spoke with Kent yesterday who was quite pleasant and said they would, in fact, pay for the repair.
While I understand about the manufacturer being responsible, I also believe that since this was a problem from day one of ownership, that Scamp should be responsible. To me, it is not the money but the principle. It is also a matter of how one is treated when they have a complaint.
I am delighted to have our Scamp back home with a working heater and can't wait to go camping.
I think this is a great forum and I appreciate everyone's responses. I hope that this discussion will also be helpful to anyone who may have had a similar problem with their heater.

[Jon in AZ]

Bob, glad to hear all ended well! Happy camping!