Drew Callahan · May 24, 2026
As someone who has traveled over 80,000 miles across North America in three different rigs, I’ve faced my fair share of challenges. One of those challenges is dealing with diesel heaters on my Pleasure-Way Ascent. These systems don’t fail because of negligence; they fail due to the harsh conditions of cold, altitude, and extended boondocking. … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 24, 2026
What do you do when your Grech Strada’s diesel heater won’t fire on a freezing morning, and you’re staring at a fault code, unsure if you’re looking at a $40 part or a $400 repair? I’ve been in that exact situation more times than I can count while traveling over 80,000 miles across North America … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 24, 2026
Hey there, I’m Drew Callahan. After logging over 80,000 miles across North America in three different rigs, I’ve seen my fair share of diesel heaters acting up. It was around mile 340 of a high-desert loop through Nevada in February when I first noticed the Beast Mode’s diesel heater taking longer to kick in than … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 23, 2026
As Drew Callahan, I’ve spent over 80,000 miles across North America in three different rigs, and one thing I’ve learned is that when it comes to the Roadtrek Zion’s diesel heater startup issues, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. Walk into any RV dealer service bay, and you’ll hear, “Glow plugs wear out. Replace … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 23, 2026
Hi, I’m Drew Callahan. After traveling over 80,000 miles across North America in three different rigs, I’ve learned that the Thor Sequence diesel heater has a specific vulnerability that can catch many of us off guard. When the glow plug begins to fail or the fuel pump loses pressure, the system doesn’t just go quiet; … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 22, 2026
When I first started my journey across North America, I never imagined I’d put over 80,000 miles on three different rigs. There’s a lot to learn on the road, and one of those lessons came when my Winnebago Travato’s diesel heater quit firing on a frigid morning. The owner’s manual didn’t mention it, but I … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 22, 2026
It was around mile 340 of a high-desert loop through Nevada in February when I first heard it—that unmistakable click-click-click from beneath the Jayco Terrain’s floor, followed by the unmistakable scent of unburned diesel wafting up through the vents. The heater would attempt to fire, struggle for maybe three seconds, and then completely shut down. … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 21, 2026
Hey there, I’m Drew Callahan. After traveling over 80,000 miles across North America in three different rigs, I’ve learned a lot about the ins and outs of RV living. One of the challenges I’ve faced is dealing with diesel heaters, particularly when they refuse to light on those chilly mornings. Many folks assume that if … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 21, 2026
I’ve spent enough mornings elbow-deep in the battery compartment of a Chinook Bayside that I can practically diagnose its power problems by sound alone. The click-click-click of a dying lead-acid bank trying to crank the inverter. The way the lights dim halfway through coffee because the voltage sags as soon as the compressor kicks in. … Read more
Drew Callahan · May 21, 2026
Mess up a lithium battery swap on a Melbourne and you’ll spend the next three weeks troubleshooting a system that won’t charge, won’t discharge, and leaves you stranded with zero margin for error in the field. I’ve watched owners install a lithium bank that’s technically compatible on paper but fundamentally incompatible in practice — dropped … Read more
