Welcome to the sixth entry in April’s Medium Mod Contest. One Medium Mod will be published in every Email Alert in April. At the end of the month we’ll hold a reader vote to determine April’s winner. Click here for information about the 2021 Mod Contest, including how to enter.
Charles Coushaine, Punta Gorda, Florida
Furnace Fresh Air Return
2001 Ford F-350
2012 Chalet DS116RB
For about eight years I have had an unknown problem with my truck camper’s heating system. It would blow hot air for about 20-minutes, shut off for about another 20-minutes, and repeat.
It never ran steady to the set temperature. After discussing this issue with my very knowledgeable friend, Mikeee Tassinari, he said that my camper did not have a fresh air return back to the furnace. Hence, the furnace was getting starved for air, overheating, and shutting off.
So, this is how we fixed the air return problem.
With Mike Tassinari’s help, we opened up the basement and carefully cut a slot just below the furnace’s feed vent lines. This would allow air to return to the furnace. However, this only solved half the problem.
Next we needed to get the air from inside the cabin to the basement.
Not wanting any large grates in my floor, I decided to make the cut through the floor into the basement by going inside of the bottom of my kitchen island.
Then, I added a second grate in the side of the island and voila, the air flow problem was solved!
To see my finished modification, click on the following link:
We have tested this furnace fresh air return vent multiple times and it works great spectacular! It’s amazing to think that it took me eight years to discover that I had this problem.
It took me four hours to complete this modification and cost me $25. In my opinion, the skill level of this modification is medium.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
Enter Your Mods Now!
If you’d like to enter a modification you’ve done on your truck camper, click here. You can enter as many mods as you want, at any time. Good luck mod makers!
