B190 Enthusiasts

I know this is probably something I should know but I'm still not too familiar with how the furnace works. I know it runs off of propane and I know the fan runs on 12v and drains the battery easily. The one thing I'm still not sure is whether or not it needs to be manually started or is it kicked on when the propane is on and you turn up the thermostat? Is there a pilot light or anything ( like the fridge has ) that I can check to make sure she's running properly? At first I thought the hot water switch was for the heater but after reading skaters "what does this switch do" I learned I was wrong.
Thanks for the help!!!

I will go verify this, but I believe mine just kicks on with the thermostat. Have not actually used it, but tested it when I first got the Bus this summer.
Will be needing it in 8 days when we head to Illinois for a festival. Going to be in the 40's at night.

Mine had an electronic ignition, so it was a matter of turning on the gas, turning up the thermostat, and making sure it was on.

Note the furnace doesn't usually start immediately - it usually takes 20 seconds or so before it catches on that it needs heat. Then, the fan will start, and - if everything is working - a moment later it'll kick on the gas then hit the ignitor. It takes a minute or three to heat up the furnace itself (it's all metal) before you'll start feeling warm air.

If you pull off the metal cover, on mine there was a clear hole that you could see into the burner compartment. As long as that hasn't fogged over due to age you should be able to see a flame.

Thanks for the tips guys I'll see how it turns out.

Wakeslayer, which festival you going to? Wouldnt Be Shoe Fest would it? I have a group of friends going out there for that.

I'm taking mine up through the finger lakes and to niagra then back down to the catskills for the Catskill Chill. Festivals are basically the sole reason I bought this thing athough i find myself making whatever excuse i can to take it out somewhere.

Thanks again for all the help,
Safe travels.

Eamonn,

Indeed it is Shoe Fest !!! Ready to rock for three days. There are some great bands playing. Keller and the Keels are the big act, but lots of other great ones. We also went to WhipperSnap near Rockford in July. Music festivals are literally the sole reason we bought ours as well. Also took it to the Big Wu Family Reunion earlier in August.
We have some friends in northern Illinois that turned us on to all kinds of jam bands in that area. Old Shoe, Sean Shiel, Jaik Willis, Honest Monday, Flatland Ramble, Thinner Teed, etc. What a great scene !!

We will have to meet up at one next season. Dozens of people come up to us and just want to look around the Bus. Never seen anything like it. Be hilarious to have two of them at one.

Just get on the Bus!!

Mike

Eamonn,

Wow, I just looked up Catskill Chill. Jealous !! To say the least. Have yet to see Yonder Mtn. Love them. Want to see Lotus, and Lettuce as well. Particle played at Whippersnap and I have to say that was probably the highlight of the weekend for me. They were unreal. Having never heard them I was expecting more techno, which is really not our bag most of the time, and crimony, they crushed it.
We just got back from Madison last weekend and saw Anders Osborne play a neighborhood block party. If you have not seen Anders play, you must. Far and away our favorite musician at the moment.

Have a great Festi,

Mike

HAHA RIGHT ON!!! I have the same thing happen to me when I show up with the four winds to festi's ( I named it the four winds after franklins tower ). I actually drove it all the way out to summer camp for the first time this year. What a wild experience that was. Really brutal weather.

Funny story actually, while I was out at summer camp I happend to see another b190, only this one was beat to hell. The guy literally had the entire top end tied down with ratchet straps and sealed with a silicone bead. I'm surprised he got down the highway. I guess hippies can adapt to survive anywhere, (although I prefer mine clean and in working order.)

I actually bought it off of a phish head, who hooked it up completely for people who make music a big part of their life. We should def. meet up simetime next summer during the festival season. The catskill chill should be awesome, one of the most solid lineups all summer. I've been to gathering of the vibes, moe.down., summer camp, a bears picnic, mighty high mountain fest, and a ton of random overnight shows. Yonder mountain is incredible live I'd highly recommend getting to see them.

I'll def. hit you up on FB man. Till then, happy travels.

Note....the furnace has an electronic ignition, but there is also an OFF switch on the bottom of the thermostat that will prevent the furnace from working

In all the hub bub about making the festival connection, I forgot to post that I went and looked at mine and yes, there is an on off switch on the bottom, then just adjust temp as normal on top.

You all are right about how the furnace works. Don't worry about draining the battery. I had mine a
on all night last spring when we got caught in a snow storm camping in Joshua Tree. Absolutely no problem with the battery, but the fan was extremely noisy. After we got hme, I sprayed some WD 40 on it and I can hardly hear it now (access is through the closet floor. Just remove the screws around the edges.)

Silly, I know but if I am parked for 6 weeks this fall with full hookups, will the furnace be running on their electric or still with my propane?

The furnace burns propane for heat regardless of the electrical source. The fan and ignition runs off the battery. If you are hooked in to a power source this source will keep the battery charged and supply a 12 volt current via the converter to run the fan.

If you have full hook up you can also bring along an electric heater. I have used an electric in 8 degree weather in our 190. Wore a ski cap and got in a nice sleeping bag. Slept great.

If you have full hookups why not use the overhead heater in the air conditioner? Runs on electricity and won't use propane or drain the battery.