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Keeping This Spare Part In Your Kit Could Save Your Trip

The back story

Ok, so let me set the scene….. Finally, you have a long weekend and plans to enjoy a fabulous time camping with your family. You load up and head out. You arrive at your site and are all set up. The kids are exploring or riding their bikes, and just as you sit down in your nice camping chair with your favorite beverage, you hear your wife calling out something like this, “Honey, there’s no hot water!” or,” The furnace won’t come on!”

Your mind begins to race and you quickly go over your setup checklist. Propane? Check. Power? Check. Switch? Check…..These are words that will strike fear in the heart of any RV traveler. Have you ever been on an RV camping trip and had a problem with your furnace or water heater?

Atwood Water Heater in an Airstream.
RV water heater system – All photos by author (Ronnie Dennis)
The solution

So what do you do? Throw something? Pack up and go home? That’s not an option, you just got here. Tough it out and deal with the problem? You might as well be in a tent. That’s not what you bought an RV for. So really, your only choice is to try and FIX IT!

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So, first thing’s first, you break out your phone and get to Googling. You check all the basic stuff, cobwebs in the vent, mud dauber nest, wasp nests, etc. No answer. Fortunately, most water heater and furnace issues can be fixed in 10 minutes with one simple part, the igniter board. But you have got to have one with you in order to fix it. Which part do you need and do I need to carry an extra for each appliance? Good NEWS! Dinosaur Electronics makes the UIB64, a universal igniter board.

By simply moving a jumper wire’s position it will work for either your furnace or your water heater, and in some instances even your refrigerator.

Dinosaur Electronics UIB64
Universal Igniter Board for RV water heaters and furnaces
Why?

If you own an Airstream, or any RV for that matter, with an Atwood water heater or Atwood furnace, then I highly recommend you keep one of these Dinosaur Igniter Boards in your spare parts kit. This inexpensive part will replace the ignition board in either your propane water heater or propane furnace and maybe your fridge.

This small part could potentially be a trip saver and also save you from having to return to the RV shop or dealership for an expensive repair and lengthy wait.

UIB Universal Igniter Board for RV furnaces and water heaters
Dinosaur UIB64 Igniter board works with most RV water heaters and furnaces

Being small, lightweight, and easy to swap out while on the road it makes for a perfect addition to keep in your spare part/tool kit. Made in the USA with heavy-duty, well laid-out circuits, these boards are actually made better than the OEM component.

UIB64 By Dinosaur Electronics
Dinosaur Electronics make quality products using high-end components

Also, the Dinosaur UIB64 comes with a weather/dust cover to help protect it from the main cause of failure in the first place, the elements. The combination of both the well-made board and cover ensures you will get a long dependable life from this board. 

Dinosaur Electronics provides a dust/weather cover to protect your igniter board from the elements.
Murphy’s Law

If you follow Murphy’s Law of RV camping, “If you have it you will never need it.” Adding one of these Dinosaur Boards to your repair kit will ensure you never have water heater or furnace problems, which is not bad insurance. But, if the “Real World” strikes, remember with some basic tools and a little understanding of your RV’s systems you have averted most trip-ending problems and will get the most out of your RV.

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