Palomino popup camper ice fishing shack, having issues with the propane furnace

I bought a Palomino popup camper recently and started converting it into an ice fishing shack. I am having some issues getting the propane furnace with thermostat and the stove to work/light. I replaced the propane regulator on the outside already. Looked at the hoses and no cracking or leaking propane. Wondering what kind of pilot it uses. Will be working on it this weekend. If that doesn’t work i’m tearing it out and looking for other suggestions. I have a Char Griller 22424 table top grill i could turn into a wood burning stove or return it and get a propane heater. If I go with the propane heater are there any out there with a thermostat setting?

Here are some pictures.

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Interior without end walls. Has folding insulated hard sides.

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Looking to add a couple of bunk beds in the bank for overnight fishing.

Received a post from another forum i’m on regarding troubleshooting.
http://www.beamalarm.com/Documents/troubleshooting_rv_furnace_problems.html

Whatever you do make sure any unit for heating exhausts to the outside. Install battery operated carbon monoxide detector. This is no place to cut corners, too many ice fishermen have inadvertently turned their shanty into a coffin. Be safe.

Thank you, thats what I was told on the hearth.com forum site too!

IS the push button ignition sparking. I know in our pop up for the summer I replaced ours with an electric spark ignitor like on some grills so when you hold it down it keeps sparking.

Corey Stevens:

Look to see if on the heater there is a metal plate. There should be one on all heaters. Once you find, look for these items of info on it. Who made it, what is the model number and then what is the serial number… Now you can google the maker, look for the model and use the serial number in case there were changes made to the particular model. You should also be able to find an online link to the owner’s manual, which should answer a bunch of questions for you. If you cannot find anything once you have determined Make, Model & SN, post the info, perhaps we can find and offer more help.

Mark

You might want to look for mud in the orfice or gas outlet many times bees make mud plug.

Last year in my travel trailer I had the same issue. Turned out to be a circuit board. I’m sure its a dfferent heater but it may be something to look into. Mike’s LP and RV in Maplewood of Frost ave is nice to work with.

You could call hilltop trailer sales and they could tell you all you need to know. They also have all parts for older popups. I’ve gotten a couple things there for my Starcraft popup. Btw cool build. I would recommend if you can coating the bottom of that frame and plywood with something as the salty roads will be tough on that thin frame. I will say though my dad took a old popup and built a shack on it that was about 15 yrs ago and his is still in good shape. Keep posting the progress!

I had water in the lines, used a scuba tank and a connection to blow the water out which was frozen, Had it in the garage over the weekend to work on with the heat on. Got the old furnace to work but decided to install the Dyna Glow wall heater and connected it with a quick disconnect line that was in the camper already. Heats it up alot faster than the old furnace and has a better rating on propane usage. Its the 10,000btu model for up to 300sq ft and has a thermostat.

Also installed 3 catch covers, may install a 4th after I decide if I want to take out the old furnace.

Oh very good! How does that new heater vent then? Through wall? Have a pic of that?

It is ventless but I left the old furnace and refrigerator vents installed and the roof has a vent that I can open also, there are 3 to 4 windows that open with screens also. There is an Oxygen Depletion Sensor shuts down heater if oxygen were to be depleted, has a thermostat on it. Its rated for upto 300sq ft. It was about -19 outside of the garage on Sunday morning at 7am. Went to Menards to get some parts to hook it up. Got back around 840am. Set everything up, turned on the propane, lit the heater and it was about 75-80 degrees inside the camper and still freezing cold in the garage and outside. lol! Can’t wait to get it on the ice to test it out. It doesn’t have the 1″ pink panther foam insulation boards installed yet on either of the ends with plywood installed where the beds were. I’m thinking of not installing bunks but maybe get a couple of light weight hammocks I could hang to sleep in. Just in case my friends come to fish overnight with me. Hopefully we get the 12″ or more of ice this year on the lakes near Stevens Point WI. Wouldn’t mind going as far as Lake Superior, camp out at a boat launch in the camper and bring a ice fishing tent in case the lake ice isn’t that thick or as a saftey precaution. Any reports on the ice up there yet?

https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/962278-dyna-glo-dual-fuel-blue-flame-vent-free-wall-heater.html

Heres a pic, its sitting near the door above the wheel well.

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Still need to do some rewiring or uninstall some wire and put some caps over the ends, such as the wire leading to an outside light bulb to the left of the wheel well. Overall I’m stoked for going ice fishing. Last year I went with my friends for the first time and only caught a mud puppy near Mt. Morris WI. Lol!

Awesome!

Does that heater run on the same quick disconnect with regulator hose that the big buddy runs on?

Also install a co detector. Hemoglobin has a greater affinity to carbon monoxide than to oxygen. Even if there is adequate oxygen in the air, if there is also carbon monoxide you can accumulate co and get co poisoning. Don’t rely on the oxygen sensor alone, get a co detector as well.

I didn’t need the regulator, I have a regulator where it connects to the propane tank, then to the quick disconnect under the heater. Working on a carbon monoxide detector after Christmas, the camper most likely won’t be on the ice until late January depending on how much ice is on the lakes up by Stevens Point WI.