Community Forums

Larry65 · 09-07-2015, 06:04 AM

We have a new vista 36y winnebago. The LP gas keeps failing.
We had it service twice and each time it failed again within minutes.

So here we are on Labor Day traveling to Canada with no LP gas and the dealer is closed.

Does anyone have an idea if there is something we could do ourself beside putting on the electric.

Larry

Betr2Trvl · 09-07-2015, 06:46 AM

One of the very few problems we had on our new coach was with the LP regulator. At first, it just seemed very sensitive to how quickly you turned it on, as they have a fail safe device internally at will shut off gas flow if it senses a high flow situation. So, first thing is to shut the valve off on the tank, and try to open it very slowly. It may take a couple times to get gas flow.

That worked for us a time or two, then we just could not get gas flow. Had a tech come to check it out (we were at Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach that happens to have a service facility on site) and determined the regulator valve needed to be replaced. Easy enough to find them, although they may not be a direct replacement for your OEM part. Need to ensure that the vent is in the correct position which is very important, then try to get the same gas flow, or close.

We got a new OEM one sent to us later as the one I found did not have the same flow which was really irrelevant in the summer. Tiffin covered both the quick fix part and labor, as well as getting the correct one to our dealer that we just got installed.

I am capable of doing a lot of things, but playing with LP is something I really did not want to do. So I had the tech install it. Very simple, but even he had to re-tighten it after he checked for leaks.

CW has the regulators, although I found one at another dealer that appeared to me to be a higher quality than the one CW carried.......

Good luck!

ahicks · 09-07-2015, 07:09 AM

Do you have an LP leak detector that's not turned on?

Does the stove work? If so, this is not about the LP "failing", it's about one (or more) of your appliances (refer, furnace, water heater).

Gary RVRoamer · 09-09-2015, 11:37 AM

Just what does "failing" mean"? LP Alarm goes off? LP appliances won't light? Or maybe just one appliance won't work in LP gas mode? Please tell us a bit more about the problem or you will get well-meant but totally inappropriate advice on what to "fix". "Failed within minutes" suggests that it does work to at least some degree.

Does the stove work? Will furnace run and produce heat? Fridge in LP mode? Water heater in LP mode? None of those?

Larry65 · 09-10-2015, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahicks

Do you have an LP leak detector that's not turned on?

Does the stove work? If so, this is not about the LP "failing", it's about one (or more) of your appliances (refer, furnace, water heater).

Thanks, everything else is working. I did tell my dealer that it was the water heater. Brand new coach and here we are 3 weeks in Canada with cold showeres

Gary RVRoamer · 09-10-2015, 08:52 AM

OK, let's talk about the water heater and LP. When you turn on the switch, does the red "check" light come on and go off again. Or just stay on? Can you tell if the burner sparks (attempts to light)? Does it not light, or lights but soon goes out again (10-20 seconds later). The specific details are what isolates the nature of the problem. The LP mode of the water heater is really pretty simple, but RV techs aren't strong on diagnosis and tend to just replace parts until something changes.

I think you have an Atwood combination gas & electric water heater, right? Knowing the model of the heater also helps.