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Old 07-09-2022, 04:59 PM   #1
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Alarm Issue

I am a newbie to RV world. We have a 2017 Sunseeker 2300. When on our maiden voyage an alarm that sounded like a fire or smoke alarm went off. The first time is sounded for about 10 seconds and then went off. The next day it sounded for about a minute and then went off. We were connected to shore power. We were not using the stove or air conditioner at the time. Any ideas as to what the alarm was? How do I turn it off? How do I prevent it from going off?
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Old 07-09-2022, 05:12 PM   #2
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I just (this week) had to have my Carbon Monoxide/LP Gas alarm replaced because it kept going off. It didn't stop as soon as yours and the only way to stop it was cut power then turn back on and it would reset. Mine had a light on it to indicate it was having an alarm.

There may also be a smoke alarm go off. There may be some others as well.
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Old 07-09-2022, 07:33 PM   #3
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It depends on which alarm is going off.
If it's the smoke alarm on the ceiling, try replacing the 9v battery.
If it's the propane alarm which is a 'drive you out of the rig' alarm, check your house batteries. If they are low, the alarm will go off randomly (the voice of experience). Also, cleaning products, hair spray, gas from a dog , or sewer gas will set them off. Was your water heater operating on gas?
If it's the CO detector which is part of the propane detector, something like dust can set them off.
If there's no leak, no low batteries, or other cause, you might need to replace the propane detector.
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Old 07-10-2022, 12:14 AM   #4
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2017? Check the carbon monoxide/propane alarm. They have a 5 year service life. It's time. My 2017 Sunseeker 2250 LE just did the same thing. There should be flashing leds when it happens. If you have the instructions (or get the model number from the unit and search it up), it should indicate what the alarm is for. You can remove the unit by removing the two screws and look on the back. There should be a build date on the back.
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Old 07-10-2022, 05:45 AM   #5
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I was also going to suggest looking at the propane alarm as siskiyouline suggested.
Is any additional equipment installed in your camper that may have an alarm? Examples are hi/low voltage alarms, temperature alarms, etc.
Yeah, there's nothing like having an alarm go crazy when you're sleeping. I remember thinking, "is this a dream or do I just have a screaming headache?"
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Old 07-10-2022, 07:10 AM   #6
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If you determine it is the CO/Propane alarm and you choose to replace it yourself ( good choice), be aware there are two versions. The basic version which is the alarm only, and the enhanced version that connects to a relay on the propane system to shut off the propane if the alarm is triggered. Be sure to get the correct one.
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Old 07-17-2022, 03:59 PM   #7
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Alarm Issue - Again

We have a 25' 2017 Forest River Sunseeker. It has approximately 26,000 miles on it.

A week or two ago I posted a question about an alarm that went off and then quit twice on two separate days on a previous camping trip. The motorhome sat for more than a month with no alarms going off.

This weekend we were on a short trip. This time the alarm sounded as I was emptying the black water tank (I think it was coincidental) and getting ready to leave for home. After about 10 minutes or so the alarm went off by itself.

About 4 hours later, an hour after arriving home, after everything was turned off, and the camper was disconnected from our 30 amp line at home, the alarm went off again. There was no power going to the camper except the house batteries. Everything but the clock inside the camper was turned off. I finally got the alarm to stop by disconnecting the house battery. The alarm started again when I started the vehicle to move it and park it. The alarm went off when I shut of the vehicle motor.

I think the alarm is situated overhead by the sink and clothes closet, but I cannot see it to get to it to identify exactly where it is and what it is.

Anybody have any ideas what the alarm is monitoring, and what is causing the it to go off, and what is necessary to resolve this issue?
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Old 07-17-2022, 05:41 PM   #8
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I believe the CO alarm (or maybe it's the propane alarm) has a 5-year life expectancy and starts to beep at you when it expires. Could it be that?
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Old 07-17-2022, 05:52 PM   #9
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Is it a combo smoke/co2 alarm connected to your 12 volt system? If yes I'd replace it and see if the problem continues to reoccur.
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Old 07-17-2022, 11:41 PM   #10
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There should be a combo propane/carbon monoxide detector in the vehicle. Your motorhome is a 2017 model. These alarms have a 5 year lifespan and when they reach end of life they will intermittently sound off. My motorhome is also a 2017 and I just had to replace mine.
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Old 07-18-2022, 09:58 AM   #11
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Our CO/Propane detector started barking this spring as well. We got 7 years out of ours.
When you look at the unit, if the light blinks red-red, green-green, its the indicator of end of life.



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Old 07-18-2022, 10:36 AM   #12
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If you determine it is the CO/Propane alarm ( likely), it is an easy replacement however, be aware there are two versions. One is simply an alarm while the other also has a circuit in it to activate a relay that will shut off the propane if the alarm triggers. Be sure to get the correct one.
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Old 07-18-2022, 02:29 PM   #13
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Also, if your batteries are really low it will alarm... ask me how I know.
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Old 07-18-2022, 03:00 PM   #14
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Also, if your batteries are really low it will alarm... ask me how I know.
^^^x2. Happened to us on both our tt and small mh. If it's a low battery, they emit an ear piercing alarm. If it needs to be replace, that's more of a 'chirp'. Of course, it could be a smoke alarm chirping with a low battery too.
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Old 07-18-2022, 06:05 PM   #15
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On the floor

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I believe the CO alarm (or maybe it's the propane alarm) has a 5-year life expectancy and starts to beep at you when it expires. Could it be that?
The propane alarm is always mounted on the floor, since propane gas is heavier than air (Nitrogen + Oxygen).

Carbon Monoxide is about the same density as air, so a CO alarm can be mounted on the floor (sometimes in combination with the propane alarm) or mounted on the ceiling (sometimes in combination with a smoke alarm).

In our Cherokee 38P, the propane alarm is solo; one of the two smoke alarms is also a CO monitor.

The propane monitor does not run on batteries. It has a small heater inside and draws too much current for batteries. It runs on the RV's batteries. It is the only type with a built-in expiration timer. Once you attach it, it starts timing for five years. When that period is close to expiring, it will give warning beeps for a while, then quit when the deadline is reached. It will also beep if the battery voltage gets too low, probably about 9-10 volts.

About six months ago, the RV park where the Cherokee is stationed called to tell us that an alarm was going off. Since it was 150 miles away, I told them where the key was hidden and asked them to just remove batteries from the alarm that was sounding. We found the batteries removed from both ceiling alarms.
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Old 07-18-2022, 06:07 PM   #16
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If you determine it is the CO/Propane alarm ( likely), it is an easy replacement however, be aware there are two versions. One is simply an alarm while the other also has a circuit in it to activate a relay that will shut off the propane if the alarm triggers. Be sure to get the correct one.
Isn't the propane alarm that "deadmans" the propane supply line mostly used in motorhomes?
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Old 07-18-2022, 06:17 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by siskiyouline View Post
There should be a combo propane/carbon monoxide detector in the vehicle. Your motorhome is a 2017 model. These alarms have a 5 year lifespan and when they reach end of life they will intermittently sound off. My motorhome is also a 2017 and I just had to replace mine.
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It should look similar to this. There are different models, colors and shapes.
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Old 07-18-2022, 08:34 PM   #18
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Where?

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I think the alarm is situated overhead by the sink and clothes closet, but I cannot see it to get to it to identify exactly where it is and what it is.
As noted, the propane detector is on the floor, not overhead. I don't mean to be insensitive here, but I will make a general statement. DW is pretty hard of hearing--too many rock concerts in her youth. She has top-of-the-line hearing aids and they do give her left-right discrimination. However, she has almost no front-back or up-down discrimination. Could this be a factor in your inability to locate the source of the alarm sound?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ephraim613 View Post
Anybody have any ideas what the alarm is monitoring, and what is causing the it to go off, and what is necessary to resolve this issue?
Given the age of the motorhome, it seems likely that the propane alarm is expiring or has expired. They have a built-in 5-year timer. (In other words, like beer, you don't own it--you only rent it.)

One last point. Generally you can order any old 12 volt propane detector. You don't have to match brands. But as Flybob mentioned, there are two types. The easiest way to distinguish them is to count the number of wires going into your old one. One type has two wires: red for +12 Vdc, black for Ground. The other type has a third wire which goes to a solenoid that shuts down all propane fron the tank to the RV. This type is usually used in motorhomes.
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