Deactivated Furnace

[will]

A previous owner of my 89 345le had trouble with
the front furnace(nearst the door). A dealer told
him it was determined to be a safty hazard,by airstream,so their directive was to deactivate it.
Is this true,can i not have two furnaces? I would rather have the one by the door than the one in the bedroom if I can only have one.

[BobbyW]

*
**************************************************Go straight to the source when it comes to safety issues.
**************************************************
*

Airstream Technical Assistance:

Phone: 937-596-6111 (Ask for Customer Service)
Fax: 937-596-6802 (Attention Customer Service)
E-mail: rfisher@airstream.com

They are waiting to give you the correct answer. If it is true, ask for the bulletin to be emailed of FAXed to you. Then, let us all know either way so that others that are affected can act.

It also could be that Service Center did not know how to repair it, which I can't imagine. Or maybe they did not take it to an Airstream Service Center but just took it to an independent RV shop.

Best Regards and Welcome to the AirstreamForums (tell your friends)
-BobbyWright

[davidz71]

Are you talking about the catalytic heater? An RV dealer also took the heater off the wall while checking the unit I purchased from a private individual. That made me mad. There is one group of people saying that these units have killed people because they consume oxygen inside the trailer. Kids have been killed by using them in tents. When used properly, they are a good flameless source of heat. I have used a Coleman 2,000-5,000 BTU propane catalytic heater in several tents and in my Excella for the past year. I know enough that you have to have a vent toward the top of the trailer and slightly crack a window to allow a source of oxygen to replace that which is being consumed. Some say these heaters give off fumes and I have not found this to be the case except in a Coleman gas catalytic heater a friend used one weekend in a tent.

I just installed an Olympian Wave 6 heater and use it in conjunction with my suburban furnace to save 12 volt power. I'm still kicking.

[ViewRVs]

The 345's have two Duo-Therm furnaces. The center one is under the sink near the door. The other is in the rear bedroom. They have intake and exhaust vents on the exterior. The only way lack of oxygen would be a problem was if the gaskets were leaking. A good re-furb should take care of that. The 345's also have the carbon-monoxide detector located right near the furnace. Although mine needs replacing.

I worry more about the heat against the wood cabinets.

I am curious to hear the verdict. My 2 furnaces are in need of service. They worked well when they worked last winter. I could not really depend on either one.

[will]

As suggested by our moderator...I called Airstream Factory and talked directly with their service person....His reply to my query was..
..."There have been no recalls or usability problems with this furness sinsce 1972"..he suggested that I reconnect it and use it. I would have followed those directions had I not found on further examination that the unit was completly gone except for its cover.

[83Excella]

WOW, you think he told you that hoping you wouldnt check it out or look before the sale? make sure there are no loose wires and the gas line is capped before you turn on any gas so you dont go pooof or booom.

John

[ViewRVs]

My understanding from Andy (Inland) is that the two heaters are strategically placed to protect water lines from freezing in cold weather. The front heater is under the sink. The rear heater is right by the white, gray, black tanks, and heats the bathroom to sauna like temps (we cracked the bathroom door to let the heat out). Using an alternative heating methods (roof A/C heat strips) may increase the risk of freezing a pipe.