40 Year old Suburban furnace

[Aluminati]

Hello All

I just pulled my Suburban furnace out of the trailer. (Gutting out). Is there a way to test to see if the old girl works? Are there any dangers in opperating this old furnace as far as Carbon Monoxide?

These are some pictures I took of it.

[bobfowler]

40 years old? Replace it....

[overlander63]

Don't keep it. You don't know if it is about to start leaking from the heat exchanger, the combustion tubes if they are rubber will leak into the coach. There are just too many minuses, and not enough plusses, to using it. If cost is a major factor, see if you can find one from a late model rv in a salvage yard.

[Royce]

What Bob and Terry said.

In my opinion life is short enough, no point in checking out early because of a leaky furnace. If I am going to check out early, I at least want to be having fun.

[custom67as]

I bought a 22' 67 Safari last year and in the process of restoring it. I replaced EVERYTHING except the stove/oven. I purchased a new Suburban 24NT which I was told by a dealer they no longer make. The old heater was 20k BTU. I thought the 30NT was an overkill but that's probably what you will have to replace it with. I had to build a box under the new heater so the holes going outside would line up with the old holes. I also had to take the old heating ducts out as they were I think 4"X6" wide and the new outputs are made for a 4" round duct. I installed new 4" duct work and output grills.
The new heater is not cheap but all I have to do now is turn the thermost on and it fires up. Better than lighting a pilot light! Good luck and throw it away.
Also install a propane, and CO2 alarm! They will cost you about $50 each but its nothing if something goes wrong. Better than being dead.

[Lumatic]

I ditto the above sentiments. Especially if it is a NT22 which had a serious safety recall. You need to know what you are doing working on furnaces and those who do know what they are doing won't work on yours. Send her to the scrap heap or give it to someone you don't really care for.

[john hd]

just junk it and get a new one so you can sleep safely and be around to tell us all about your restoration.

good friend of mine almost lost his eyesight trying to light one of those when it blew back through the pilot hole.

john

[overlander63]

Looks like the consensus is to make it go away. Have you given any thought to a catalytic as a replacement? They are a bit less money, simpler to use, more fuel efficient, don't need electricity (good for boondocking), and you can use the spot where the furnace was for more storage. We have one in our Sovereign, I haven't had to run it with more than one element since we've had it, and it's gotten down into the 30's.

[Aluminati]

I think what I am going to do is to take it apart so I can learn what each part does...then throw it out.

I will only be using it during the day and not at night. I am using it for a mobile burger joint so I just need to be warm in the winter during the day.

Any suggestions of a heater that I can purchase so I can keep it on at night if needed. Maybe something electric?

I will be pluged into city power during the winter anyways.

[klattu]

I was hoping to see a 1967 Chevy

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by klattu

I was hoping to see a 1967 Chevy

That was my first thought when I saw the title, too. I changed it slightly to avoid confusing the furnace with an elderly GM SUV...
A small oil-filled electric heater would probably fit the bill, they are quiet, efficient, and relatively safe, as there are no exposed heating elements to touch a combustible object.A catalytic heater would still be a good idea for daytime use, you could just switch it off before you go home at night, and turn on the oil-filled radiator.