Funny Atwood exaust heater smell

[Jamesiam]

A few months ago I replaced the sail switch in my Atwood 8516-III furnace. It has since worked like a charm, thanks for all information sent to me and for all the old links.

My luck might have run out on heater though. Freezing in Reno while measuring old curtains for replacement, I fired up heater to a loud, but short screech. I let heater run, which it did, warm air was flowing but now a weird smell is coming from exhaust. I can’t place smell; it’s not a burnt smell. I also don’t notice smell coming from inside duct. I removed access panel in rear and no signs of smoke, no signs of rubbing parts. Tonight I will blast exhaust tube with high pressure air in case anything is wedged inside.
UPDATE Not a speck of dust or particle in exaust, which I suspected for I air hosed it a few short weeks ago

Is it possible to lube this furnace without removing from vehicle? I will also look for lube ports online this afternoon.

 

[n0izh]

A few years ago when we first realized we wanted to do a bunch more camping we looked for a small trailer to pull. My friends sister had just what we wanted and we went to look at it. When we opened the door we found mice had gotten into the place in the two weeks they had had it in their back yard getting it ready to sell. There was mouse crap every where! Of course they were really embarrassed and promised to take everything apart and clean and make sure they found the mice before we bought it. They started at both ends with vacuum cleaners and clorox and got it all cleaned up, but found no mouse. We assumed the noise scared it back outside. When they started the furnace to show us everything worked, the fan motor had started to squeak a bit and there was a vibration present while it ran. Also had kinda a funky smell coming out of the vents. They said it hadn't been run for a couple years and the dust may be burning off. The furnace worked the same way for a couple trips, then the motor seized up in a great squeal. When I finally took things apart to replace the motor we found the mice...two of them in the squirrel cage fan. I guess the vacuuming scared them into the only place the hoses couldn't reach. When we turned the furnace on the mice where in the fan and the high speed joy ride was the last they had. They didn't rot like you would think, they sort of freeze dried due to the air flow. But that was the vibration we felt, and the source of the funky smell. This probably has nothing to do with your furnace problem except to tell you make sure a mouse or something isn't interfering with the fan rotation.
Have you found what your trouble is?
John

 

[Jamesiam]

Funny stuff!
No I have yet to figure it out, actually when trying to trouble shoot this weekend, it wouldnt even start up! I suspected it was the on/off reset switch atached to Atwood furnace. 2 months ago when I purcahesed camper and couldn't get heater to fire at all I noticed when using switch from on to off it sometimes wouldnt click. Today I picked up new on/off switch, replaced and furnace fired right up, smell still present.
Like your mouse story I have read other stories on this wonderfull site about droppings, wasp nests and other possible funny smell solutions. When I first purchased camper I did find wasp nest in exaust, visible from peering in. I scraped and blew an air hose in rear exaust and up until a few weeks ago, camped a few times with no smell, but being used and warm something might have entered to get a bit toasty.
So I'm debating, use mirrors and see if I can peer in every corner and crevice around heater and if clear, fire up heater and run and run till smell magically goes away, or yank heater and grease lube tighten and inspect heater.
It has to be in exaust area though, no smell in camper when running.I'll keep this post informed

 

[n0izh]

It sounds as though you have looked things over pretty good, and if the smell is only in the exhaust and not in the camper I'd say screw it! I've had a few tanks of propane that smelled bad. Maybe something different in the refinery, or a different brand of odorant. Got any other propane tanks to try? Still hoping to hear you found an easy way to lube the motor though. I think I may have to pull mine this summer. I hear a bit of a squeak as it winds down to a halt.
John

 

[craig333]

You guys were scaring me since I haven't been anywhere or used my heater since the pigfest so I went outside and fired it up. Lit on the first try and no bad smells. Now I can get some sleep. Just don't find something else to scare me about