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Heat strip won't run on generator


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Hello from the middle of nowhere BC! Our furnace quit a month or so ago but we have been staying warm with a Mr. Buddy propane heater. This morning, while generator was running to charge batteries, out of curiosity, I turned on heat strip. (We have rarely run geni in the a.m.) It came on for a few seconds but then quit & wouldn't come on again. Generator overload light came on. Other than kitchen lights, nothing else was on. Inside temp was 56, outside was 48. Its not crucial but it would be nice to know if this was user error &/or an easy fix. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Chris

Chris & Duke Chadwell
🐾Maddie & Baxter🐾
Elite II Hull 292
2022 F-250 Lariat 7.3 Godzilla 4x4 Lakeland,FL
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I don't know the exact specs for your heat strip, but I bet it is 15 amps or more. HOWEVER, there is not a large initial overload like with your air conditioner motor, it will stay right at that amount all the time.

 

What generator do you have?

 

Your battery converter (charger) can draw a fair amount of AC current if your batteries are low. Try turning off the circuit breaker and see if the heat strip will stay on. Make sure your other major appliances are truly off - the electric heating elements in the water heater and the fridge especially.

 

The heat strip is really intended for use with a good shore power connection. A small electric box heater with a low setting of around 500 watts would be handy to have, and it will run off a generator with no problems.

 

Do you have the onboard surge suppressor? If so, look at the remote display and see what amp draw it shows when you switch on the heat strip. The display is buried in a really handy place (in the left rear electronics compartment).... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-relocate-the-surge-suppressor-remote-display/

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

 

 

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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

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Chris, guess you're on your way home. Don't know where you are in BC, but if you are near Boya Lake, it's one of our top ten campsites anywhere, if you can snag one of the many lakeside spots. No more free firewood, since you're out of the Yukon, but beautiful views.

Bears often sighted along the hikes, when we've been there, but I've not seen evidence in the very well managed campground. No hookups. Sometimes no water, some had to go to a community spring spout down the road. But, so worth it.

 

What's up with the furnace? Resistive heat, as in the heat strip, usually draws a lot of amps. I don't think it's user error, just too much power for your generator. Hence, the overload. Try again when you get to a place with a 30 amp connection. Which may very well be when you are in the States again.

 

You guys are troopers! What a trip full of memories.

 

Sherry

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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Unless your generator is over 3000 watts it is very unlikely to be able to run the heat strips with anything else drawing 120 VAC, especially the water heater.  Maybe even the charger or fridge.  It's an easy test.  If you're trying to work with a 2000 watt or smaller generator, I know you can't run anything else.

 

On a different note, does your furnace fan come on, run for 10-15 seconds and then the whole thing shuts down?  If so, it sounds like your sail switch is sticking.  If this be the case, open the rearmost curbside hatch under the bed where you can see the furnace and turn it on.  While the fan is running slap the the top of the case with the palm of your hand several times - hard.  Ours had started sticking in Colorado early in our Alaskan trip we took this year (Alaska, where the temperatures broke 100 year old heat records, so we really didn't ever need the furnace.)  Anyway, this solved the problem and it worked after that.  It's a simple fix but in our Hull #050 it is a bugger to pull the furnace to get at it.

Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Maggie, Lucy and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 

 

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Yep, user error. Gen is only 2400 watts & now that you mention it, the only other time we tried it we were on shore power.

 

Steve, you had heat & smoke, we had rain & 40° temps our entire time in mainland Alaska. But then, on August 7th, we crossed the Haines Summit & saw the sun. It was glorious. Thank you for the tip to smack the furnace. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Sherry, we did not stay at Boya Lake because the conditions were perfect to see the northern lights & the sites there were hammocked by trees. We stayed at the Beaver Dam Rest Area & witnessed fantastic ribbons of white light circling overhead. Bucket List ✔

The next night we stayed at the Bell 1 Rest Area & witnessed a faint green glow on the horizon.

 

John, We are now in Pemberton at the Nairn Falls Provincial Park working our way to your side of town & would love any suggestions you have on visiting your beautiful state.

 

Jason, thank you for checking in. The furnice on the fritz hasn't been toooooo terribly inconvenient, for a Floridian in Alaska. Our poor gal has taken a beating so a visit to the Hohenwald Ollie Hospital is on our return home itinerary, we just don't know yet exactly when that will be, but will schedule accordingly.

 

Thank you all for being there!

Chris

 

 

20190827_192046.thumb.jpg.80d60759ab492af0ddd6bd1c2464fa81.jpg

 

 

Chris & Duke Chadwell
🐾Maddie & Baxter🐾
Elite II Hull 292
2022 F-250 Lariat 7.3 Godzilla 4x4 Lakeland,FL
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