9 replies to this topic

[Ovrcmr]

I just bought a 2005ish Cuchara yesterday and the private seller doesn't know campers. Me neither. This is my first.
Really well taken care of and in excellent shape but I'm having problems identifying the switches on it. There are 3 switches just inside the door and the switch closest to the door switches on the outside lights. The middle appears to turn on interior lights and fan. But I have no clue for the third or furthest switch from the door. Anyone care to answer? Also guessing the switch just above the counter by the sink that says Atwood is the water pump? When on it has a red light that comes on. Its winterized so I currently don't have water to verify.
I'm shocked that after I got the propane tank filled from empty that the furnace heater automatically came on with hot air. I expected that I'd have to light a pilot. No? I did move a switch on the thermostat which maybe did it but I'm still shocked that it worked.
No clue about the fridge yet. Guessing the batteries aren't sufficient to run it continuously and the little gauge doesn't go to green when I flip it to propane like the instructions say inside the fridge. Will I need to open the cover outside for the fridge to light it?
I've looked everywhere including Hallmark's site and don't see these answered. I'm guessing that most get a walk through that answers these questions so they don't get asked much. Hallmark has been kind and offered a walkthrough when I got my truck prepped for a camper but I'm 5 hours drive from them. Also they have been very generous to me already before I picked up the camper and I don't want to impose further if it's an easy answer in the right place.
Prior to buying the camper I have been reading everything I can on this and other sites so thank you for your expertise that I've already learned from you and all further information provided.

[desert-trails]

We bought a 2011 used Cuchara early last year and love it.  It's our fifth popup camper over the last 30-odd years and by far the best.  

 

Concerning those three switches inside the door:  On our setup the first switch closest to the door is the outside light.  Second and third switches are the override switches for the inside lights.  One controls the right bank of lights in the ceiling and the other controls the left bank of ceiling lights and the overhead fan.  

 

The switch near the sink is the hot water heater switch.  When we switch ours on a red light comes on momentarily while the hot water heater ignites and then the red light shuts off and you can hear the hot water heater fire off and starts heating the water.  

 

Our pump switch is located down low by the front window.  It's on the panel that shows the levels in the tanks and battery condition.  

 

Sounds like your heater was on at the thermostat.  That's why it fired.  No pilot needs to be lite. 

 

Not sure about the issue with the reefer.  Ours is a 3 way.  Works great.  Auto setting on the controls lets it go between propane and electric without changing.  Again, no pilot on ours to light.

 

Play around with the systems.  You'll get the hang of it.  Once you get most of your questions answered you can always call and talk to Hallmark.  They've been great to us even tho we bought ours used here in So Cal.  

 

Or better yet, call and set up an appointment for a walk-through.  You could camp your way there and back.  

 

If you have any other questions here I'll do my best to help.

 

Cliff

[CougarCouple]

Welcome to WtW Ovtcmr
You can google the model and or serial number of the refer or any other items in your camper and pdf owner instructions to help with operating.

Russ

[larryqp]

If you had the atwood switch on with the red light on for any length of time with your hot water heater empty because it was winterized, you may have fried the hot water heater's electric element it so equipped. If it is gas only you may be okay. I bet you could setup a visual walk thru using FaceTime or Skype, but the 5 hour drive would be well worth it to avoid and user errors causing expensive mistakes.

 

Enjoy your new camper

[ardvark]

The water heater is propane only. To light the fridge, set it to gas, hold the button in and press the other button which will snap as it is a piezo igniter. Continue to hold the button in until the little marker swings over to green. Sometimes it takes more than one snap to get ignition. If the gas has been off a while and as always light a cooktop burner first to get propane flowing from tanks. Otherwise it takes an eternity to get the air out of the line. Lighting the furnace accomplishes the same thing as the furnace burner orifice is much larger than the water heater or fridge.

 

Steve

[Ovrcmr]

Thanks, I got the fridge working. I think I'll run down to Colorado next week and talk with Hallmark before I do anything else that might cause problems. I think I know where and what most of the components are now but that third switch still eludes me. Looks like the fan on the furnace runs about halfway through the night before the batteries cant handle it anymore. I'm currently not using anything else that uses the DC. I know I need to replace the batteries but waiting to get solar setup before I buy new batteries.

[Ovrcmr]

I'll recheck the third switch, I was thinking the middle switch allowed all the interior lights but I'm likely wrong.

[ardvark]

The way these thinks are built, you really can't hurt anything by throwing switches. Does that 3rd switch turn the ceiling fan off and on so you want use the fan blowing in what raising the roof and blowing out when lowering it? I can't recall. The single thought I would leave you with is folks are often afraid they will damage things if they do something wrong with a switch, but generally speaking, it is more often an inconvenience than a disaster.

 

Steve

[ntsqd]

On ours the middle switch is the left bank of lights and the vent fan. The far switch is the right bank of lights. I leave these two switches on when we're using the camper and turn them off when we park it at home.

[Ovrcmr]

Drat! I've been hoping to check the the left/Right lights switch but it's been too cold and have been finishing up my move. I was going to take a trip to Colorado this week to visit hallmark but got lots of snow with wind and single digit temps.