New (to us) American Sport toyhauler

[meredog]

Recently purchased a "like new" 2000 Amerian Sport Toyhauler. This purchase was prompted by our buying a Motorcycle trike in the spring and realizing that as much as we enjoy riding the trike , Michigan was not going to allow us to ride it during the winter months'
So, right after Christmas the wife and i are heading south and west to chase the sun and warm weather in order to ride the trike and escape the Snow .
At the present time i have the Forrest River in a local RV dealership having the furnace tended to. Didn't want to cycle properly. Could turn thermostat up and get heat but after reaching the temp the thermostat was set at the blower would continue to run without producing heat and the only way to get heat again was to shut it down wait a few minutes and then turn the thermostat back up. Unfortunatly i couldn't convince the wife to stay up all nite to cycle it manually.
That said, The only other thing that was apparent that needed atten were the tires and i had new goodyear marathon tires installed.
BEing new to the rv stuff (have towed trailers for years in my business) , i am seeking any info i can get for anything i might want to be made aware of that might need attention on one of these units
Herb

[LadyWindrider]

Congrats on all the new toys, and welcome to the forum. Since the trailer is used, I would check things well, especially tires and brakes, and don't forget to clean/pack the bearings. This should keep you safe towing. Check the tie-downs in the floor closely, make sure they are installed correctly and there isn't any missing hardware. Last thing you want is your toys getting loose inside the trailer. Of course the usual, plumbing, heat, air, doors, windows, etc. Download a copy of the appliance manuals if you can, might be handy. Be safe and have fun.

[meredog]

Thanks
Failed to mention but yes i pulled the wheels and cleaned and greased the bearings with high temp slick 50 wheel bearing grease. One of the self agjusters had came loose in one wheel--repaired it.
Altho short trip, we used it twice since we got it to attend a couple local blues fests. Took the trike with us and it pretty much stays put with the 3 wheels and emegency brake. Of course i also strapped it down.
All the manuals were in the original plastic envelope. The guy we bought it from said he had only used it twice and guessed that it didn't have over 500 miles of actual towing time on it. A couple years ago we had a bad wind-hail storm came thru and the unit had been peppered with hail that caused cosmetic damage. All the siding on the right side was replaced with new and the decals that were on it were not replaced.

[meredog]

OH--By the way i just joined this forum and used my Dogs name for my user name .

Here is a photo of the real Meredog.




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[ScottnKimmer]

Welcome to FRF and Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you and yours have a great Holiday.

Good looking toys! I am sure once you have the rig just the way you want it you will be enjoying many miles of happy travels.

[NWJeeper]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the "new to you" rig.

As for the furnace. It is normal for RV furnaces once the set temp. is reached to turn off the flame and continue to run for 2 to 3 minuets as the blower cools down the combustion chamber. It is also normal for the flame to cycle on and off if the chamber gets too hot prior to the set point on the thermostat.

[meredog]

In this case I could warm it up and leave it all nite. When i go out to check it the next morning and it is 35 degrees outside it is 35 degrees in the hauler and the blower is still running from the nite before

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by meredog

In this case I could warm it up and leave it all nite. When i go out to check it the next morning and it is 35 degrees outside it is 35 degrees in the hauler and the blower is still running from the nite before

Ahhh, Yes, I had that same problem with our last motorhome. Drove me nuts! Replaced just about every part on that thing one at a time till I finally got fed up and bought a new one. Never had a problem with it after that.

[meredog]

Originally Posted by NWJeeper

Ahhh, Yes, I had that same problem with our last motorhome. Drove me nuts! Replaced just about every part on that thing one at a time till I finally got fed up and bought a new one. Never had a problem with it after that.

I considered replacing it and may well wish i had when i get the repair bill. i can buy a new one for under 500.00

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by meredog

I considered replacing it and may well wish i had when i get the repair bill. i can buy a new one for under 500.00

Found mine through Ebay, didn't buy it through there but went straight to the guys website and bought directly, think I paid around $400 for the SF35 suburban...

[meredog]

Is the Suberban and the Atwood the same ? I am not sure what is in my toy hauler