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Camplite => Camplite Travel Trailers => Topic started by: evansev on February 16, 2015, 08:51:31 PM

Title: Red light switch?
Post by: evansev on February 16, 2015, 08:51:31 PM
Searched high and low - I can't find anything.  Does anyone know what the red light switch does? My 15' 14DBS has an unlabeled illuminated red light switch. I have no clue what it does.  It is located right on the entry cabinet, next to the interior light switch and the switch for the slide out.  Thanks in advance.
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: pinstriper on February 16, 2015, 09:00:24 PM
Sounds like the water heater ?
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: charliem on February 16, 2015, 09:04:10 PM
[font size="3"]The illuminated red toggle switch is the 120V power to the water heater. You can use electricity and/or propane to heat the water. If hooked up to shore power you can use just electric and save propane. You can also use both gas and electric to shorten recovery time. There is also a small black rocker switch inside the WH compartment that must be turned on to use the electric element. CAUTION: be absolutely sure the WH is full of water before you turn on the electric element. If not, the element will burn out very quickly. By the time you realize your mistake it will be gone. When filling the WH, turn on a hot water faucet and verify water coming out of it before you turn on the electric element. As long as the heater is full you can leave the black rocker switch on and turn on/off the red switch as desired.

Note that the propane side of the water heater is separate. It is controlled by the other WH switch on the wall and must be turned on to use the gas WH function.
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Title: Red light switch?
Post by: pinstriper on February 16, 2015, 09:18:22 PM
Is the gas/electric WH standard now ? Mine is just propane.
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: charliem on February 16, 2015, 09:23:08 PM
[quote source="/post/6871/thread" timestamp="1424135902" author="@pinstriper"]Is the gas/electric WH standard now ? Mine is just propane.[/quote][font size="3"]It would appear so unless a dealer ordered it that way. Whuda thunk?
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Title: Red light switch?
Post by: drdave on February 16, 2015, 10:45:34 PM
Definitely the hot water heater.   My 2013 is propane only.   Wish it was dual...    
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: evansev on February 16, 2015, 10:55:29 PM
Thanks everyone. I don't know exactly if it is standard or not to be honest.  I had ours built out and I got a lot of the options.  I really appreciate all the input and this forum.  We have been avid tent campers for years, but I just couldn't take the pack-unpack-pack-unpack thing into our utility trailer any longer - it's supposed to be a vacation right? - so this camper is our first and we wanted to do it right.
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: daplumbr on February 16, 2015, 10:56:11 PM
This is one of the mods I'm doing. I just received the kit for installing the electric element. The kit comes with an illuminated switch, which I will put in an "in-my-face" location. I'm also installing the auxiliary heating element in the A/C unit to take the chill off cool mornings without having to fire up the furnace. That's a much easier install than the WH kit. 
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: charliem on February 16, 2015, 11:58:13 PM
Quote from: @sandroad" timestamp="1424141771" source="/post/6875/threadI'm also installing the auxiliary heating element in the A/C unit to take the chill off cool mornings without having to fire up the furnace.
[font size="3"]I'm wondering why you elected to put the aux. heater in the A/C instead of just p[/font][font size="3"]lugging a small 1500 watt heater into one of the existing outlets? [/font][font size="3"]Using the A/C element requires running the noisy A/C fan. If that's not enough heat you can add a second by installing a new outlet wired to the existing 20A A/C breaker. You won't run the A/C and heater at the same time.
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Title: Red light switch?
Post by: daplumbr on February 17, 2015, 08:18:45 AM
Just lack of experience on my part! We may very well end up carrying a small separate heater after we try the aux element and find it noisy. 
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: gnies on February 17, 2015, 08:47:23 AM
I always believed that my water heater was propane only, I also have the switch with a red light but when I turn it on it use propane because I can see the flame. Do you guys think I have a dual or not? My model is a 2015 13QBB. I can't verify right now because my unit is in storage but will check as soon as I can get it back

EDIT
I just saw this comment from Charliem: Note that the propane side of the water heater is separate. It is controlled by the other WH switch on the wall and must be turned on to use the gas WH function.

I don't have a second switch so I guess it's propane only?
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: mitch on February 17, 2015, 09:14:39 AM
[quote source="/post/6885/thread" timestamp="1424177243" author="@paul"]I always believed that my water heater was propane only, I also have the switch with a red light but when I turn it on it use propane because I can see the flame. Do you guys think I have a dual or not? My model is a 2015 13QBB. I can't verify right now because my unit is in storage but will check as soon as I can get it back

EDIT
I just saw this comment from Charliem: Note that the propane side of the water heater is separate. It is controlled by the other WH switch on the wall and must be turned on to use the gas WH function.



[font size="4"]Assuming yours is like mine, the red light next to the switch is an indicator that the water heater is turned on but not working.   When you flip the switch the light comes on and then in a minute goes back out?

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Title: Red light switch?
Post by: gnies on February 17, 2015, 09:28:47 AM
[quote source="/post/6886/thread" timestamp="1424178879" author="@mitch"][quote source="/post/6885/thread" timestamp="1424177243" author="@paul"]I always believed that my water heater was propane only, I also have the switch with a red light but when I turn it on it use propane because I can see the flame. Do you guys think I have a dual or not? My model is a 2015 13QBB. I can't verify right now because my unit is in storage but will check as soon as I can get it back

EDIT
I just saw this comment from Charliem: Note that the propane side of the water heater is separate. It is controlled by the other WH switch on the wall and must be turned on to use the gas WH function.



[font size="4"]Assuming yours is like mine, the red light next to the switch is an indicator that the water heater is turned on but not working.   When you flip the switch the light comes on and then in a minute goes back out?

  [/font][/quote][/quote]Yes I think mine is like yours, can't remember 100% but I think so, so I guess it's not standard in newer model to have a dual one since mine is a 2015? Or maybe mine was a early 2015 model but it's much like the 2014 one because there is some other option that I don't seem to have or maybe the dealer ordered it that way.
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: charliem on February 17, 2015, 10:08:34 AM
[font size="3"]When you guys get back to your campers it's easy to tell the difference. The model SW6D is gas only, the SW6DE is gas plus electric. The gas side is controlled by the rocker switch with the red light next to it. The light stays illuminated until the burner ignites; the goes out.  The electric element is controlled by the red toggle switch similar to an ordinary residential light switch. It stays illuminated anytime the electric side is enabled, even if it's not heating. It's not yet clear if the gas/electric is factory standard now, or even a listed option. I had to specifically request it. Evansev may have ordered it unknowingly or his dealer may have ordered it. I'd like to see it standard, like other trailer vendors, because most new buyers don't know to ask for it at the time of purchase. Keep in mind LL is still growing into this market.
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Title: Red light switch?
Post by: gnies on February 17, 2015, 10:23:05 AM
Quote from: @charliem" timestamp="1424182114" source="/post/6889/thread[font size="3"]When you guys get back to your campers it's easy to tell the difference. The model SW6D is gas only, the SW6DE is gas plus electric. The gas side is controlled by the rocker switch with the red light next to it. The light stays illuminated until the burner ignites; the goes out.  The electric element is controlled by the red toggle switch similar to an ordinary residential light switch. It stays illuminated anytime the electric side is enabled, even if it's not heating. It's not yet clear if the gas/electric is factory standard now, or even a listed option. I had to specifically request it. Evansev may have order it unknowingly or his dealer may have ordered it. I'd like to see it standard, like other trailer vendors, because most new buyers don't know to ask for it at the time of purchase. Keep in mind LL is still growing into this market.
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Mine is gas only then because I don't have the second switch you describe. I guess if I had it it would be next to the other one? Gas only is not a big deal for me I don't use it much, I put it on a bit before I plan to wash the dishes and I haven't took a shower yet in it but might take some next season because I got my trailer really late in the season last year. I don't think I use much propane with the use I do but it would have sure be nice to have electric so I don't use my propane while I have full hookup  :)
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: pinstriper on February 17, 2015, 10:57:17 AM
Oh, the things those wacky dealers will add on when you tell them "Gimme The Works !"

Paulie, we camped 11 weekends last year and only ever used the propane for hot water. We haven't yet exhausted the first propane bottle. Not using the cooktop or furnace makes your propane go a lot further #captainobvious

We also have a 1500 or so watt electric heater. The thing is smaller than a gallon jug of milk, packs away easy.
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: mitch on February 17, 2015, 11:02:48 AM
The propane does last a good while, I probably had 20 days of full boondocking, the fridge and hot water heater on 100% of the time.  Didn't use a full 20lb propane tank.
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: jtelles3993 on February 25, 2015, 09:09:39 AM
My 2015 21'RBS came with a gas only water heater. Here's a relatively inexpensive kit that adds an electric element... I'll probably install one eventually?

http://m.campingworld.com/shopping/item/hott-rod-water-heater-conversion-kit-6-gallon/47672
Title: Red light switch?
Post by: jtelles3993 on February 25, 2015, 10:37:23 AM
Quote from: @mitch" source="/post/6895/thread" timestamp="1424185368The propane does last a good while, I probably had 20 days of full boondocking, the fridge and hot water heater on 100% of the time.  Didn't use a full 20lb propane tank.

That's impressive!