Furnace Blower Motor Fails in 2018 Escape 19

[H&T]

Our Atwood (Dometic) furnace stopped working in mid-July, 2 months past the 2-year warranty expiry date. After carefully checking out the thermostat, fuse and power feeds I couldn't find anything so took the trailer in to a local authorized RV service centre for Dometic furnaces. They diagnosed the problem as a defective blower motor that was causing a spike in amperage which was tripping the reset breaker. The replacement part blower motor finally came in last week. When the service centre installed the new blower motor it was also found to be defective and ceased up. Dustin at Escape Trailer Industries says he has never seen a blower motor problem with the Dometic furnaces they install. Have any of you run in to such a problem? I'm concerned as to whether there might be some quality control issues with the manufacturer. Does anyone know where these furnaces are made? Are there other potentially more reliable furnaces that could replace the Atwood model in our 2018 Escape 19? One needs a reliable furnace for shoulder season camping here in Canada. I appreciate your comments. Harry

[Rossue]

Seems like a one-off; I would be leaning on Dometic to cover this issue.

[steve dunham]

The Atwood / Dometic furnace in our 2018 Escape has failed twice .
I got a quote to change out the furnace to a different style /manufacturer , the quote was well over $1000 . Plus like the RV guy told me , none of the RV furnaces are that dependable so two years down the line I could be facing the same problem
If I remember correctly the blower motor on the Atwood furnace has stamped steel end bells with shaft bushings so when the bushings dry out the shafts tend to drag and seize
The blower motor is basically a throw away part cause it costs more to fix than their worth
Now when we camp in the Fall shoulder season , we get a campsite with electricity and bring along a portable electric space heater
We’ve had 2 Fall camping trips cut short by furnace failures .

[Iowa Dave]

The campsites with electrical hookups are nice in the Fall and early spring. We bought a small electric heater and used it several years. It still works but got kind of noisy so we bought a new one for about 25 or 30 dollars at the hardware store. It oscillates, spreading the heat more evenly. It’a not large, stores in its box and runs quietly. Nice for staying up with the declining temp in the camper overnight or taking the chill off safely early in the morning or if we are out of the trailer until after dark.
Iowa Dave

[Doug2000]

I have a small catalytic heater I used to use in the tent, I carry it in the trailer just in case. I have also talked to others who have a Mr. Heater Big Buddy just in case. I crack a couple of the windows,

[Nature Nurtures]

Hello Harry, I just joined the forum to try to find a solution to our furnace issue. My husband will be home from a trip mid next week and I will show him your message. It may just be the ticket to our problem. We've had on going issues and are narrowing it down to the fan (blower). The heater works when plugged in to electricity but not otherwise. We almost never plug in and need the heater for the shoulder seasons too. Our camper is a 2018 Escape 19.Thanks for posting; more to come. Michelle

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Nature Nurtures

Hello Harry, I just joined the forum to try to find a solution to our furnace issue. My husband will be home from a trip mid next week and I will show him your message. It may just be the ticket to our problem. We've had on going issues and are narrowing it down to the fan (blower). The heater works when plugged in to electricity but not otherwise. We almost never plug in and need the heater for the shoulder seasons too. Our camper is a 2018 Escape 19.Thanks for posting; more to come. Michelle

Just a clarification. Are you stating that the furnace operates properly when the trailer is connected to shore power but does not work properly when the trailer is NOT connected to shore power and the furnace is being powered strictly from the trailer batteries?

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Just a clarification. Are you stating that the furnace operates properly when the trailer is connected to shore power but does not work properly when the trailer is NOT connected to shore power and the furnace is being powered strictly from the trailer batteries?

That does sound like a battery problem, not the fan motor. A low battery (low voltage) will make the furnace motor run slow enough that the sail switch doesn't close, shutting down the system.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

That does sound like a battery problem, not the fan motor. A low battery (low voltage) will make the furnace motor run slow enough that the sail switch doesn't close, shutting down the system.

I read the post twice and it sure looks / sounds like a battery issue to me but I thought that maybe what she wrote and what I read were two totally different things

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by H&T

Have any of you run in to such a problem?

I had a motor failure in a similar (not the same model, but the same design) Atwood furnace, but it just wore out the brushes and commutator after many hours operation - more than you could have accumulated in two years of ownership. It did not cause excessive current trips, it just didn't run, or didn't run fast enough for the furnace to work.

[Nature Nurtures]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Just a clarification. Are you stating that the furnace operates properly when the trailer is connected to shore power but does not work properly when the trailer is NOT connected to shore power and the furnace is being powered strictly from the trailer batteries?

Yes, that's correct. When we are not connected to shore power the fan doesn't run fast enough. ( We have a new sales switch but that was not the problem.) Our battery is full and has never dropped below 50%. The batteries are only two years old and are removed and properly stored during off season.

[gbaglo]

No help here, but you don't have to remove the batteries in the off season ( winter, I presume ). If the batteries are fully charged they won't freeze.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Nature Nurtures

Yes, that's correct. When we are not connected to shore power the fan doesn't run fast enough. ( We have a new sales switch but that was not the problem.) Our battery is full and has never dropped below 50%. The batteries are only two years old and are removed and properly stored during off season.

I would take a voltage reading at the furnace when on shore power and when on battery power . From my past experience with a furnace acting in a similar manner , there is a voltage issue not a motor issue

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

I would take a voltage reading at the furnace when on shore power and when on battery power . From my past experience with a furnace acting in a similar manner , there is a voltage issue not a motor issue

2X.

If you don't have an inverter, the furnace is likely the heaviest current draw item in the trailer. If there is a bad battery connection that produces a fair amount of voltage drop at high current draws, that would produce the condition you are describing. A voltage measurement alone draws almost no current, and will not show the voltage drop a poor connection produces under heavy load.

As Steve suggests, measure the voltage at the furnace under both conditions to insure that it is the same before deciding it is a motor problem.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by H&T

Our Atwood (Dometic) furnace stopped working in mid-July, 2 months past the 2-year warranty expiry date. After carefully checking out the thermostat, fuse and power feeds I couldn't find anything so took the trailer in to a local authorized RV service centre for Dometic furnaces. They diagnosed the problem as a defective blower motor that was causing a spike in amperage which was tripping the reset breaker. The replacement part blower motor finally came in last week. When the service centre installed the new blower motor it was also found to be defective and ceased up. Dustin at Escape Trailer Industries says he has never seen a blower motor problem with the Dometic furnaces they install. Have any of you run in to such a problem? I'm concerned as to whether there might be some quality control issues with the manufacturer. Does anyone know where these furnaces are made? Are there other potentially more reliable furnaces that could replace the Atwood model in our 2018 Escape 19? One needs a reliable furnace for shoulder season camping here in Canada. I appreciate your comments. Harry

Good luck with Dometic parts. I'm still waiting on an awning end cap ordered (and paid for, including shipping) in early March...

[mvassallo]

My follow up question is this, - my friends have a brand new E-19 just delivered 10 days ago with a similar problem. The furnace works when connected to power but not when on battery. Fan blows but furnace does not come on when on battery. What would cause the drop in voltage at the furnace? How does one problem solve this drop in voltage from being hooked up to power and running on battery in this new, never camped in outside of the drive way Escape? Thanks for the insights.

[steve dunham]

You need to take the proper voltage readings until then everything is speculation
Throwing parts at a problem isn’t the answer !

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by mvassallo

...
The furnace works when connected to power but not when on battery. Fan blows but furnace does not come on when on battery. What would cause the drop in voltage at the furnace.
...

First, one question - is the fan blowing as hard on battery as it does when connected to 110VAC power? Just use your ears to confirm this.

Second, voltage drops can be caused by numerous factors and guessing at this stage will only confuse matters. One example, my brand new Escape arrived with loose connections at the battery. Super simple fix...

Third, become best friends with an inexpensive multi-meter. Take your first readings directly at the battery posts with the fan off and then on. Let us know what you see.

--
Alan

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

First, one question - is the fan blowing as hard on battery as it does when connected to 110VAC power? Just use your ears to confirm this.

Second, voltage drops can be caused by numerous factors and guessing at this stage will only confuse matters. One example, my brand new Escape arrived with loose connections at the battery. Super simple fix...

Third, become best friends with an inexpensive multi-meter. Take your first readings directly at the battery posts with the fan off and then on. Let us know what you see.

--
Alan

On our Escape we found loose wiring connections at the range hood , refrigerator, kitchen receptacle and at the battery . Seem to be a common malady .

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

On our Escape we found loose wiring connections at the range hood , refrigerator, kitchen receptacle and at the battery . Seem to be a common malady .

Steve, you're leaving out the numerous crimp connections that come loose after a little while of bouncing down the road (assuming they were made correctly in the first place).

Or connections that were never made. Take a look at the second ground screw in the pic below - that screw was never tightened. I found it after tracing why some of my grounds were intermittent.

A heads up. If you have any electrical background, it would be a good idea to check every wire connection. I have been through my trailer and found so many electrical problems, I have lost count.

Escape was really bad at wiring when they built my trailer. Hopefully, they have improved under the new management.