cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

Replacing thermostat for gas furnace only

VA-Apraisr
Explorer II
Explorer II
Have a 2003 Fourwinds with the old style wall thermostat with the hard on/off switch and temp adjustment below with just bars (no numbers). On several occasions, the furnace will start and heat up camper but won't continue to keep comfortable. Would have to get up and bump it on and sometimes it would stay on then not work again an hour later (sleepless nights). Any suggestions on replacing it with a more modern unit? This only works the propane furnace ( have a separate ceiling a/c unit with manual knob adjustment). Thanks!
13 REPLIES 13

rrupert
Explorer
Explorer
Congratulations! You will be happy with the new thermostat. You will probably find that the AAA batteries will last you quite a while. We get a whole Pennsylvania camping season out of a pair with usable power left. Now do yourself a favor and throw that cheapest thermostat in the world into the trash. Well, maybe keep it for emergency backup or just twist the wires together when you need.
Rich and Joyce
2018 Jayco Jay Flight 21QB
2012 Ford F150 4X4 Supercrew EcoBoost
Reese Strait-Line Dual Cam Hitch

Amateur Radio K3EXU

VA-Apraisr
Explorer II
Explorer II
Thanks guys......W is White wire and R for Red wire (according to Honeywell tech) so I tried it and it worked!! Simple fix and now need to keep supply of AAA batteries just in case they drain down (no battery/no heat!!).

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
I have the RTH111 as well now. Use R and W and leave the jumper in like DrewE said. Not sure about red and white wires. With ours, it is two blue wires to the thermostat, where the blue wire is connected and disconnected by the thermostat. With the two blues it doesn't matter which goes where

Easy to check if you have the right two wires- just connect the red and white ends to see if the furnace then comes on.
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

DrewE
Explorer
Explorer
Those codes are more or less standard, although inscrutable to non-HVAC professionals. Often I think the colors of the wires correspond to the letters.

R is common (Rc is for cooling, Rh for heating, and if both exist there's often a jumper connecting them together).
W is heat control
Y is cooling control
G is the fan control

I don't recall offhand what B and O are generally for; one's probably the 24VAC power from the transformer, one might be for a heat pump or something like that. At any rate, you need to use W and R for the furnace operation and ignore the others. It oughtn't matter in this particular case which one goes to which connection, but red to R and white to W seems to me to be more aesthetically correct than vice-versa.

VA-Apraisr
Explorer II
Explorer II
Ok, got a Honeywell RTH111 non-programmable termostat.....question: It has 8-wire pins on back labeled "B,O,G,Y,W, R, Rc" and don't know which to hookup the red or white wires coming from my old thermostat. Anyone know which to use? As usual, the diagrams on instructions are almost impossible to understand. Trial and error should give me the answer, but thought I'd ask beforehand. Thanks!

ronfisherman
Moderator
Moderator
While looking at the igniter. Check the connection on furnace control board. I needed to use some contact cleaner on the board where a wire connector attaches to the board.
2004 Gulf Stream Endura 6340 D/A SOLD
2012 Chevy Captiva Toad SOLD

VA-Apraisr
Explorer II
Explorer II
Well, hoping for the best! Mine sees alot of beach use and think the spring in the old thermostat has rusted up some because when I move it back and forth a few times, it normally starts working ok again. But, if not, will certainly look at the igniter. Only cost $22 for the cheapo new unit from Lowe's. Thanks!

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
Had those symptoms, got the digital thermostat, furnace still does that. It is more to do with the burner and ignition.

After some efforts there, it mostly cycles ok, but once in a while just blows cold air and you have to shut it off, wait till fan stops, turn it on and after fan starts wait for the boom when it comes on properly.

It has nothing to do with the thermostat in our case. Might in your case, but don't be surprised if that doesn't solve everything.
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

VA-Apraisr
Explorer II
Explorer II
Will do..........thanks as always!!

rrupert
Explorer
Explorer
naturist wrote:
Go to Loweโ€™s or Home Depot and buy one of the cheaper thermostats for home use. Nobody needs 7- day programmable internet access for a camper. The cheapest home thermostat just needs to close the circuit when the set temperature is reached and open the circuit again a degree or two warmer.


I agree, a digital non-programmable is all you need.
Rich and Joyce
2018 Jayco Jay Flight 21QB
2012 Ford F150 4X4 Supercrew EcoBoost
Reese Strait-Line Dual Cam Hitch

Amateur Radio K3EXU

naturist
Nomad
Nomad
Go to Loweโ€™s or Home Depot and buy one of the cheaper thermostats for home use. Nobody needs 7- day programmable internet access for a camper. The cheapest home thermostat just needs to close the circuit when the set temperature is reached and open the circuit again a degree or two warmer.

ROBERTSUNRUS
Explorer
Explorer
๐Ÿ™‚ Hi, one of the best things that I did for my trailer was to install a digital thermostat for my furnace. Find the simplest one that you can. Mine has controls for the air conditioner too and they don't get used because I have a manual air conditioner like you have.
๐Ÿ™‚ Bob ๐Ÿ™‚
2005 Airstream Safari 25-B
2000 Lincoln Navigator
2014 F-150 Ecoboost
Equal-i-zer
Yamaha 2400

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
Some ideas.

Many of us have done this.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman