Propane regulator

[GraniteStaters]

After Paula and I ordered our 2019 LEII we both spent considerable time reviewing the forums for the tips, techniques, and trouble descriptions that folks have contributed.  I remember some posts about having ready spares on hand, particularly on longer trips, and we had plans to do that so I purchased some ready spares, tools required and recommended, and additional materials to facilitate repairs.  As it turns out, We are camping in Pittsburgh, NH today and for the next few days near the main source for the Connecticut River which runs between NH and VT through western Massachusetts, central Connecticut and onto the Long Island Sound.  This is our first trip this far north in our home state of NH.  We get to Ramblewood Cabins and Campground, find our site and proceeded to setup.  We eventually started thinking about supper.  Paula was prepping ingredients when she noticed the Truma light flashing on the control inside our Ollie.  I went outside to review the flashing light pattern, got the manual out and read the description which indicated a propane issue.  I had already turned on the propane tanks, but checked again to be sure.  I had recently filled the tank that we had emptied on our last trip.  I asked Paula to try the stove and she reported no propane at the burners.  I checked to see if both tanks to insure that we had propane in the tanks and we did, but the regulator showed red aka empty on the tank we used last and when I manually switched to the recently filled tank, it also showed red.  I remembered a post from folks about having a bad Fairview regulator either on the Oliver forums or one of the Fulltime RV forums on FB.  One of my ready spares was a Marshall dual HC regulator.  I found it in the basement and pulled the bag with the pipe dope and leak testing fluid.  I removed the offending regulator.  I installed the new regulator, reconnected the propane, leak tested and gave Paula the heads up to light the stove.  Voila, all is well.  I will open a service incident with Jason as we are still under warranty and get a new ready spare.

[Overland]

Yes it definitely pays to have a few key spares on hand. My regulator has gotten stuck a few times as well, but so far I’ve had good luck with either the whack-it-with-a-wrench or the open-and-close-the-tanks-a-dozen-times methods.

Edited July 21, 2020 by Overland

[Ray and Susan Huff]

Recommendations for spare regulators?  

A DIY video for trouble shooting and emergency replacement of offending regulator would be nice for those of us who are less mechanically minded 😀

[WhatDa]

Also worth pointing out than many regulators have a safety in them that can be triggered if you turn the gas on too quickly on an uncharged system.  So a "bad" regulator may have functioned as designed.  Usually shutting off the gas at the tanks, disconnecting them, closing all the stove valves/turning off truma/fridge/etc...  Then reconnecting and slowly turning the (primary) tank on.

[GraniteStaters]

I did try a few of the suggestions on this list including disconnecting all the supply cables and reconnecting them after hefting the tanks to insure they still had propane.  I gave the regulator a whack or two too because I had a regulator on a grill that use to get low flame occasionally until I whack it a bit.  I will describe the issue to Jason Essary and see if he has any ideas to fix the "bad" regulator.  There isn't much going on in there other than reducing pressure.

[mossemi]

9 hours ago, Susan Huff said:

Recommendations for spare regulators?  

A DIY video for trouble shooting and emergency replacement of offending regulator would be nice for those of us who are less mechanically minded 😀

YouTube has several videos about propane regulators that I find useful.

Mossey