RV Parts?

[GW208]

We need to replace the furnace in our trailer and I was hoping that we might get some suggestions for reliable online parts suppliers. What we need is an Atwood 7916 furnace, I found one at Tweetys RV but know nothing about them. Any information or experiences with them or other dealers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[RustyJC]

IIRC, Tweety's is OK. I think I've seen where they've sourced AC control boards, etc. for a number of individuals on iRV2.com. PPLmotorhomes.com here in Houston is another price-competitive source for parts - they ship nationwide.



Rusty

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

There are a number of good online sources. I have had good luck with American RV Company here on the West coast. Atwood 7916-II 36545 16K BTU RV Trailer Furnace 7916 Hydro Flame Camper Trailer RV Do a search on the internet and find a company close to you. Do comparisons on price with shipping.

Adventure RV is another company that I have experienced good prices and customer service from:

Furnaces on Sale! - Adventure RV

found this one on the internet:

https://www.makariosrv.com/products/Atwood-Everest-Star-Hydro-Flame-Furnace.html

 

[HBarlow]

Be cautious. I bought a new RV refrigerator several years ago from an online discounter in SW MO. When I had it plugged in and installed it didn't work. A new control board was required to repair it. I don't remember the details any longer but I think the company I purchased it from was little more than a telephone service and mail drop that was somehow purchasing new but returned RV appliances at a discouint and reselling them. IIRC the manufacturer sent me a new control board because once I provided a model and serial number the refrigerator was covered by warranty but it was a bit of a hassle to sort it all out and get it working.

I suppose, in retrospect, that the aggravation was not too large and it was still a good deal when all was done but be careful what you buy.

I have purchased items from PPL and Tweetys and consider them both reputable merchants.

 

[Blu-meanie]

You can't fix your old one?

 

[GW208]

Thanks for the info guys, that's exactly what I was looking for and it will give me several places to shop from tomorrow.

You can't fix your old one?

I don't know if I could or not, this is the original HydroFlame furnace in our 1984 trailer. The problem we're having is that with the pilot light on, we are getting a strange odor in the trailer, it's not raw propane but more like incomplete or poorly combusted propane. Considering the age of the furnace and the nature of the problem I think that we will be a lot safer to just go ahead and install a whole new unit.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Be cautious. I bought a new RV refrigerator several years ago from an online discounter in SW MO. When I had it plugged in and installed it didn't work. A new control board was required to repair it. I don't remember the details any longer but I think the company I purchased it from was little more than a telephone service and mail drop that was somehow purchasing new but returned RV appliances at a discouint and reselling them. IIRC the manufacturer sent me a new control board because once I provided a model and serial number the refrigerator was covered by warranty but it was a bit of a hassle to sort it all out and get it working.

I suppose, in retrospect, that the aggravation was not too large and it was still a good deal when all was done but be careful what you buy.

I have purchased items from PPL and Tweetys and consider them both reputable merchants.

Excellent point Harvey. There are a number of online "businesses" that buy returned or remanufactured products then sell them at an "apparent" super discount. It would behoove anyone shopping on the internet to perform due diligence of the businesses offering super discount prices. They could be a volume dealer, a dealer that prefers to sell a lot of products for minimal profit vs. a dealer that sells fewer items for a greater profit; whatever is in their business model. I prefer to shop online with established brick and mortar companies and/or companies with a history of great customer service. If it sounds too good to be true - it probably has strings attached. Buying online has inherent risks as you (and even I) have encountered. The inconvenience of not being able to return a defective item to the store in person for immediate resolution is a risk of the game. Most of the time the seller or manufacturer will honor the warranty. The buyer needs to determine if the discount is sufficient to accomodate the inconvenience.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Thanks for the info guys, that's exactly what I was looking for and it will give me several places to shop from tomorrow.









I don't know if I could or not, this is the original Hydro Flame furnace in our 1984 trailer. The problem we're having is that with the pilot light on, we are getting a strange odor in the trailer, it's not raw propane but more like incomplete or poorly combusted propane. Considering the age of the furnace and the nature of the problem I think that we will be a lot safer to just go ahead and install a whole new unit.

Yep, a complete replacement is a good idea for older RVs. My brother had a similar problem with the fumes coming from the heater in his vintage Airstream. When we removed the heater, there was a hole rusted through the combustion chamber allowing fumes to go into the interior of the trailer.



Bill

 

[HBarlow]

I've seen the same condition Bill spoke of.

RV furnaces are not real expensive. Probably still in the $500-$600 range. The replacement will not only be fresh and safe but may have new and improved features and performance capabilities making them worth the money spent.

 

[Grizzly]

Normally I'd fix an appliance like that. Just take it out, put it on a work bench and look for an obvious problem. A repair manual for RV's is helpful. However, with a furnace that old, I'd replace it with a new modern unit, which will most likely be more efficient.

 

[surfbeetle]

I purchased the Pull Rite rail kit for my fifth wheel hitch from Tweety's. They had good customer service when I had to return it because it would not work on my truck, no problems getting an RMA. Ultimately, UPS damaged the package during the return trip so I had to file a claim with them so I don't know how soon Tweety's would have issued the refund since I got paid by UPS instead.

 

[Ram4Sam]

I purchased the Pull Rite rail kit for my fifth wheel hitch from Tweety's. They had good customer service when I had to return it because it would not work on my truck, no problems getting an RMA. Ultimately, UPS damaged the package during the return trip so I had to file a claim with them so I don't know how soon Tweety's would have issued the refund since I got paid by UPS instead.

Wow, UPS actually damaged a set of hitch rails that are made from steel plate? That must have been a sight to see.



Sam

 

[surfbeetle]

Ha Ha, no. When sending them back, I wisely took them to the UPS store in the original box, had the clerk there package everything back up and tape the box shut. A couple of days later, a set of rails shows up at my house in a different box. I called Tweety's to see why there was a box here. They checked and had not sent me anything further. As it turned out, UPS damaged the original box, repacked everything into a new box, lost a couple of the bolts and a small bracket from the kit in the process. For some reason after the items were in a new box, UPS decided that my house is where the box was supposed to go.



Tweety's said that because of the UPS caused loss to the kit, they could not do anything with an incomplete kit, as a result, I filed a loss claim with UPS.



I apologize for the hijack.

 

[TLane]

I just added a second A/C unit on the front (bedroom) of my trailer. I looked at several places online, compared prices, then called a couple of dealers locally. Comparing the total price, one of my local dealers was only a few dollars more than the cheapest internet price, so I went with them. If I have a problem with it, it will be money well spent to be able to get local service, advice on the installation, warranty work (if needed), and so on. Turns out that I needed a set of longer mounting bolts, the local dealer traded them out for free. I prefer to deal locally when I can, but I will order online when the price difference is big.

 

[GW208]

I ended up calling Tweety's yesterday and they had both the furnace and vent kit in stock so I went ahead and placed the order. I received an e-mail this morning verifying that the items were shipped and they even knocked $10. off the order because of their price matching policy. Thanks again for the help guys.

 

[starkmr]

Yep, a complete replacement is a good idea for older RVs. My brother had a similar problem with the fumes coming from the heater in his vintage Airstream. When we removed the heater, there was a hole rusted through the combustion chamber allowing fumes to go into the interior of the trailer.



Bill

I've seen the same condition Bill spoke of.



RV furnaces are not real expensive. Probably still in the $500-$600 range. The replacement will not only be fresh and safe but may have new and improved features and performance capabilities making them worth the money spent.

Normally I'd fix an appliance like that. Just take it out, put it on a work bench and look for an obvious problem. A repair manual for RV's is helpful. However, with a furnace that old, I'd replace it with a new modern unit, which will most likely be more efficient.

All of these guys are very experienced and made the right choice in replacing the furnace. What isn't really said here is this; a gas furnace with a damaged combustion chamber will cause incomplete combustion, amongst other things, resulting in a release of carbon monoxide which is a toxin. It is odorless and colorless, you and those with you will just drift off to sleep and that will be that. The lesson here is this, don't take chances with gas fired heaters of this nature, it may be the last chance you take.



There was a family of 5 killed here in Anchorage a few years back from an improperly vented forced air heater. Sad tragedy for sure.