Smoky smell while furnace runs

[tailypoe3]

Hey everyone! After some searching I can't seem to find my exact circumstances described.

I picked up our 2018 27' Flying Cloud this January, and there has been a smoky smell coming from the vents when the furnace is running. I'ts a bit hard to describe but it is NOT propane additive or plastic, it is almost like cigarette smoke (but not quite) or a little bit like exhaust. There are no alarms going off, but it is consistent enough to make our towels/clothes smell.

I contacted the dealership but all they could recommend was either a critter/nest somewhere, or that it was just the smell of the outside air. It seems to be an odd smell if it is animal related but-can anyone offer a detailed description of how I can check? I have no idea where an animal would be able to get in or what I can feasibly access.

I can say that my cats sometimes seem interested in the open intake area under the couch (and one has even managed to crawl back there a few times) and also the vent near the closet if that means anything.

Thanks all.

[overlander63]

A new furnace will emit a smell kind of like burning oil for a period of several hours before the "stuff" on it has completely burned off.

[xrvr]

Good advice.

[tailypoe3]

Thanks, the furnace has been continuously used for 2 months now and I did not notice the smell during the first month or so.

[xrvr]

In that case take the outside access door off and take a look. You do not have a male cat spraying there do you?

[tailypoe3]

No male kitties, Ill check some stuff out when the sun rises.

[RandyNH]

Certainly sounds like a critter nest to me. It takes mice virtually no time to build one. Going down the highway on my motorcycle, after three weeks down time, I could smell something, took it to dealer they had filled almost with the air box up against the air filter.
If your cat is interested then that's your best indication.

[Mollysdad]

Make sure wasps didn't build a nest in the vent. They love that area.

[tailypoe3]

I have to hunt down the right screw driver to check out the panel-how can I check on the vent? I haven't seen hardly any insects as we've been winter camping so far and in 0-30 degree weather although it is starting to heat up. Thanks for your patience and suggestions. If it is mice or insects can they do major damage or is it a fire hazard?

[Bob Peahl]

We recently had an odor that was more like poorly burnt propane when using the furnace (2017 FC 27).

Problem was a wasp nest in the exhaust. To inspect, remove the smaller cover for the exhaust, pull the exhaust pipe, and look inside. Ours was full of charred wasp nest.

Now we have a screen over that inlet.

[Octarine]

Mine also emitted an odd smell (exhaust/chemical) every time I used the heat pumps, which wasn't often, so it took a while for the smell to "burn off". I have a 2018 33 Classic. However, checking for hidden nests and cat pee can lead to fun and useful discoveries.

Originally Posted by tailypoe3

Hey everyone! After some searching I can't seem to find my exact circumstances described.

I picked up our 2018 27' Flying Cloud this January, and there has been a smoky smell coming from the vents when the furnace is running. I'ts a bit hard to describe but it is NOT propane additive or plastic, it is almost like cigarette smoke (but not quite) or a little bit like exhaust. There are no alarms going off, but it is consistent enough to make our towels/clothes smell.

I contacted the dealership but all they could recommend was either a critter/nest somewhere, or that it was just the smell of the outside air. It seems to be an odd smell if it is animal related but-can anyone offer a detailed description of how I can check? I have no idea where an animal would be able to get in or what I can feasibly access.

I can say that my cats sometimes seem interested in the open intake area under the couch (and one has even managed to crawl back there a few times) and also the vent near the closet if that means anything.

Thanks all.

[Burkathy]

I found wasp nests that would have a smell almost like cigarette when hot. Purchased a soft vacuum hose at HOME DEPOT to extend the one I have. The vacuum has a paper filter bag and I was surprised at what came out of that heating system. The smell did not come back

[Al and Missy]

These suggestions are all good, but the fact remains that the combustion side of the furnace should be COMPLETELY isolated from the interior, otherwise the potential exists for carbon monoxide to enter. The furnace, at least in my trailer, intakes inside air under the galley sink through an opening under the cabinet. There is no filter. If dust, pet hair or other detritus gets sucked in there it will contact the hot heat exchanger and smell. Inspect your furnace intake and make sure there is no debris in there.

Al

[xrvr]

Does it have an outside access door? Check tbere.

[tailypoe3]

Ok I can't see anything unusual from the outside panel and we do have a screen installed over it, and our air intake is under the couch and kind of hard to get to-there is a small rectangle cut into the seating above it and underneath the cushion, I unscrewed that earlier and mostly was blocked by the top of the furnace (I think), I can see the ducts and behind them it looks like sawdust from manufacturing. In general quite a bit of dust and hair seems to be circulating under there. Under our couch on either side of the air intake is also two storage spots and everytime I open them the sterilites in there are covered in dust, so maybe it is just that+hair burning up.

Blargh-thanks again all for the ideas!

[tailypoe3]

When I'm feeling ambitious I'll unscrew the tops of the seating and see if I can vacuum up as much as possible, will keep posted if I find a solution,

[AirstreamInc]

Hi tailypoe3,

We're very sorry to learn about the issue you described in your 2018 27' Flying Cloud. Please send me a direct message with your contact information and the last 6 digits of your VIN so we can share it with our Customer Service and Technical Support team.

You can also reach Airstream Customer Service and Technical Support at customer_support@airstream.com

We look forward to helping you get this resolved.

[CEDRICWARD]

tailypoe3
Standard RV heaters are a waste of money and fuel to run.
I highly recommend buying an Olympian Wave 8 Catalytic Heater for your heater.
They burn propane almost 99% but you should have some ventilation anyhow.
They are VERY ECONOMICAL to heat your trailer and can be moved to the area you need to heat without heating the entire trailer at night if you hook them up with a long enough propane hose or run them from a separate small tank. You can also have more than one hose with quick connect fasteners in two locations to move the heater.
You could also buy two smaller Olympian heaters and install them on a wall, one in the bathroom and one in the living room although that will cost a bit more in total but avoid having to move the one heater. You will have to buy feet for the movable heater at about $13 a set and the covers cost almost $20 each and the covers for the wall mount heaters keep falling off so you could make your own much cheaper.

As to your current problems, mud wasps and their nests, mice and their nests and simple dust build up in these heaters and can cause problems including fires..
I guarantee that if you were to remove the heater (many slide out after disconnecting the electrical wires) so you can clean them out with compressed air and some brushing. The fact that they need 12volt to run their fans is a major drawback if you are boon docking without shore power or solar.

The Olympian can now be purchased at CampingWorld for about $289 and is well worth it.

You MUST keep them covered when not in use to prevent poisoning the catalytic surface with dust, cat hair, etc. which will lessen the life of the heater dramatically.

It costs about $160 just to have Camco replace the catalytic surface and refurb the entire unit. That does NOT include the cost of shipping it to them at about $40-50 dollars for me from Idaho to Greensboro NC.

I am currently having two of them refurbed after twenty years of use and I didn't cover them as much as I should have.
Forget your onboard heater and buy an Olympian and your problems will be solved.

[rmkrum]

Don’t forget that appropriate ventilation with any catalytic heater is mandatory for life safety.

[CEDRICWARD]

rmkrum

I pointed that out in my second sentence but apparently not emphatically enough.

Thanks for re-emphasizing that danger.

I have been using my Olympian catalytic heaters and even kerosene heaters since 1986 without any problems with either typ e units. However, my trailers are notorious for having lots of air leaks and I've never had a problem although many years ago using an old Thermos brand catalytic heater that was designed to use Coleman fuel, I used Chevron White Gas while in my Dodge Van (couldn't find Coleman fuel at the time) while in Mammoth Cal over night and in the morning I was lucky to wake up and open my van sliding door to get fresh air.
My brain was scrambled for a couple of days, so using the right fuels and having good ventilation is MANDATORY with everything.
Thanks again for your input.