Chinook RV

I recently purchased a 1995 Chinook Concourse and have been trying to get familiar with everything. I checking the monitor panel on the range hood I found the names for the displays aren't readable. I've looked through the manuals and material that I have, but can't find much on the subject. I would appreciate any help, maybe a picture or diagram, that anyone could post for me. I'd like to label them so I'll know what I'm monitoring.

Thank you, Alan

Here's mine which is an '02 Concourse. Parden the dust/dirt...

Mine looks just like Skillet's. Note that the "Gen," "Water Heater," and "pump" labels you see are not that visible in real life, and only "activate" when there is light behind them. In the case of my era rig ('99), the WH and Gen ones never light up, because those features are not activated via the monitor panel (the WH switch is by the kitchen sink and the generator switch is by the rear door and in the driver overhead). The "pump" switch is there and so that one does light up.

If you have this same panel, and if yours is broken somehow, I do have a spare. I removed mine is why. It was working fine though. I also did a fair amount of analyzing of the back side and the wiring, so I could move the wires over to my new area (but won't be using that panel). So if yours is the same, and you could describe how it's malfunctioning, I may be able to help.

Thanks to both Skillet and BG, your posts will give me the information I need to label mine. Just curious BG, what would you need for your panel?

Hi Alan,

I was on the road and forgot about this thread. What does your monitor panel look like?

Mine is like this:

Sorry about not getting back sooner on this thread. It appears that there are a lot of similarities between your panel and mine, but they are a little different. The order of the monitor lights and switches are as follows from left to right. Black water tank, gray water tank, fresh water tan, LP, battery, monitor switch, water pump switch, hood light switch, and exhaust fan switch.
As you can see from my picture, the labelling was all messed up so I put labels on the lights. As far as I know everything works on the panel, although I'm not sure about the fan exhaust switch, it is a pull type switch and doesn't seem to do anything. Your panel appears to be a rocker type switch.

Other than the exhaust fan switch, which I will be checking out, the only thing wrong with my panel is in an aesthetics manner.

Alan

Just as info, at least the way my panel is, the panel itself has a circuit board and a plug in harness (one of those white plugs). So the panel has "factory" wires from the panel manufacturer and they go from the circuit board built into the panel to a half a plug. The other half of the plug plugs into it and just ends in a bunch of bare wires. Then Chinook took their wires and connected them to the various bare wires. In my rig the harness/plug was under the microwave (which on my rig removed with about six screws and was over the stove/range hood). The panel itself just pops out from the metal hood (held in with some small integral clips).

I'm trying to think of any reason I should keep the hood, and not coming up with one right at the moment. I almost chucked it, but then remembered someone (you) might be looking for one. If you are interested, let me take a few days to decide for sure if there is any reason I should keep it, and if not, I'd be happy for you to have it if you would like it. I don't *think* there'd be any problem wiring it up for the reasons I mentioned.

One thing to check: I have noticed on older Chinooks that the range hood vent was a "real" vent and exhausted to the outdoors. Later ones (including mine) don't do that. They just circulate up into one of those Brillo looking pads. That might make a difference on the actual metal hood part, although maybe not on the click-in monitor portion.

I think I have some photos of the "guts," and if I do I'll post them there when I find them.

Hi BG,

I got my hood exhaust fan working, so everything works on my panel. It just doesn't look that pretty. It appears to me that there is a thin film overlay over the monitor leds', and that is what is messed up. I have some more pressing issues that I need to address. I'm tinkering now with my furnace, the fan comes on but the burner isn't coming on. I probably should take it out where I can work on it, and give it a good cleaning. I found some good information on the Chinook owners yahoo site.
I also need to check out my water heater to make sure that it works. I also need to have my lp tank filled. The monitor shows the level with the green light flickering, but I don't know how accurate that is.
Sounds like I have my work cut out for me, huh?

Alan

Sounds like an RV (just one wherein the PO didn't have everything up and running). It can be a little daunting, but you sound like the sort of person who will work through it.

On the furnace.... which layout do you have? I made a thread here on taking the furnace out of my club lounge layout, with photos. Even if you have a different layout, your furnace might be in the same location and so you might find something of use.

Worst case scenario, most of these parts and appliances are still available - not that I'm saying it's going to come to that.

I think that the problems with my rig lie with not the person that I bought it from, but the guy that he bought it from. The guy that I bought it from only had it a year, and only used it one time. He knew very little about it.
I'll see if I can find that thread that you mentioned. I have a dinette setup and the furnace is under the front bench seat. Don't look like it would be too hard to get out (if you don't mind standing on your head, LOL) I think that I'm going to get the LP tank filled before I do anything though.