Your complete
RV & camper troubleshooting guide
Step-by-step fixes for furnaces, fridges, water heaters, slide-outs and RV electrical problems. Start with the cheapest check and work up.
- Step-by-step checksIn the order a tech does them
- Cheapest fix firstFuses and valves before new parts
- Checked against manualsDometic, Norcold, Suburban, Onan
- Clear stop pointsWhen to call a tech, and the cost
Quick answers
Answers to the RV questions people ask most
Short answers first. Each one links to the full step-by-step guide.
How do I troubleshoot RV electrical problems?
First work out which system is dead. Your RV runs two: 120-volt AC from shore power or a generator for the outlets, air conditioner and microwave, and 12-volt DC from the house battery for lights, the water pump, the furnace fan and appliance control boards. Dead outlets point to the pedestal breaker, the main breaker panel or a GFCI outlet. Dead lights and fans point to the battery disconnect switch, a 12-volt fuse or a low battery.
How do I reset my RV’s electrical system?
There is no single reset button. Reset each part in turn: switch the campground pedestal breaker off and on, reset any tripped breaker in the RV’s main panel, press Reset on the GFCI outlets, and replace blown 12-volt fuses. Make sure the battery disconnect switch is on. A surge protector or energy management system can wait a short time before it passes power, so give it a minute.
How can I tell if a fuse is blown in my camper?
Pull the blade fuse and hold it up to the light. A good fuse has an unbroken metal strip; a blown one has a gap or a dark, melted spot. To test it in place, touch a test light or multimeter to the two small test points on top of the fuse: with the circuit on, both should show about 12 volts. Replace it with a fuse of the same amp rating.
Why did several things in my RV stop working at once?
When the furnace, water pump, lights and fridge all act up together, look for something they share: a weak house battery, a battery disconnect switch that is off, or a blown main 12-volt fuse. Many RV appliances need 12 volts for their control boards even when they burn propane. A rested, fully charged lead-acid battery reads about 12.6 volts.
Why won’t my RV furnace light?
If the fan runs and you hear clicking but get no flame, the board is sparking and gas is not reaching the burner: check that the tank valve is open, light a stove burner to push air out of the line, then check the igniter. If the fan never starts, check the thermostat mode, the switch on the furnace, its fuse and the battery. Most RV furnaces try to light three times and then lock out until you turn the thermostat off and on.
What does the error code on my RV fridge, thermostat or generator mean?
Codes depend on the brand and model, so the same code can mean different things. On a Norcold fridge, “no FL” means the burner did not light. On many Cummins Onan RV generators, code 36 means the engine stopped without a stop command. Look up your exact model in our error code lookup, built from the makers’ own manuals.
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How we write every fix
RV parts differ by brand and model year, so each guide follows the maker's service manual and lists its sources. Propane and 120-volt work have limits, and every guide says where to stop.
Read our process