Leak from Propane regulator valve

[jamesvinton]

We would need to have the shop contact us with a diagnosis of the problem and an estimate of the repair (materials and time) for approval.You would need to pay the bill and then submit that to us for reimbursement.


FRANK PHILLIPS
MONACO RV
TECHNICAL ADVISOR

877.466.6226

DISCLAIMER:

MONACO RV, LLC BEGAN MANUFACTURING IN SUMMER 2009.PRIOR TO THAT, THE MONACO(r), HOLIDAY RAMBLER(r), BEAVER(r), McKENZIE(r), AND R-VISION(r) BRANDS OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AND THE ROADMASTER(r) BRAND OF CHASSIS WERE OWNED AND MANUFACTURED BY OTHERS. THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESEY TO YOU. MONACO RV DID NOT PRODUCE THESE DOCUMENTS OR THE PRODUCTS RELATED TO THEM.WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES CONCERNING THEIR ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS.





At 12/29/2014 6:52:50 AM an inquiry came in from holidayrambler.com. The topic of the customer's inquiry is:

Request Technical Assistance or Schematics

Name: James Vinton
Email: jamesvinton@comcast.net
Address: 12778 Woodgrove Dr. Huntley, IL 60142 USA
Phone: 847-927-3945 (Cell)

Contact By: Email, Phone

Holiday Rambler Serial Number: 140119053613312102591 Chassis VIN: 51Z4D5343E4060515 Year, Make and Model: 2014 HR Ambassador 36pft Ownership History: 1st Owner
Mileage: 6000
Selling Dealer: General RV Huntley, IL
Current Location: Tucson, AZ

Comments:
We are parked at the Lazy Days KOA campground in Tucson AZ. The Lazy Days center is right next door.
Ismelled gas and heard a hissing sound from underthe coach, smelled gas. I called Lazy Days and they do not have a mobile service and cannot make a service appointment until mid February. The folks at KOA recommended Liberty RV Service, who WILL come to the campground to fix the problem. Ryan Frye is a certified techician who is familiar with HR and Monaco products, told me to call you to make sure the issue is covered under warranty and that I can use his service. Please call me back ASAP as i beleive a gas issue is very dangerous!

email.. jamesvinton@comcast.net
cell,, 847-927-3945

I cannot get to you by phone but have left a message.

Thanks Jim Vinton

Dear Mr. Phillips,

I don't know if Liberty RV Service has contacted you by now. I copied your email to them, last night. They may not have had time to respond.

The problem I am experiencing is a defective propane regulator. Something has happened inside the regulator that caused propane to spew out of the bottom of the regulator through a hole in the casting. The propane was blown across the bottom of the RV and we could smell it in the bathroom and outside the RV, on the other side. A liquid gas leak requires an immediate response from the responsible parties and this was not forthcoming by anyone connected to Holiday Rambler and Monaco This was an incredibly dangerous situation that could have led to a total destruction of the RV and a possible death of anyone in the RV, had it caught fire. I expect Holiday Rambler to pick up ALL costs involved in repairing this.

Your representatives, Lazydays and La Mesa RV centers could not supply a mobile repair service and could not supply a service appointment until Mid-February and Mid-January, respectively. On Sunday night, the KOA Campground recommended that I call Mr. Frye at Liberty RV , www.mylibertyrv.com to do the repair. Mr. Frye advised me to turn off the propane at the tank, which I had already done, and came the next morning to service my problem. It was then he discovered the faulty regulator valve. He did not have one with him but said he would return the next morning.

Liberty RV is coming this morning between 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM to install a new regulator. If you need to talk with Ryan Frye, of Liberty RV, please call my cell phone, 847-927-3945, at that time. or you can contact him at 520-302-4252 or customerservice@libertyrv.com . I ask you to call because I have had difficulty contacting you in a timely manner. If you wish to Skype so you can see what is happening, please let me know. I do understand there are others with service issues and that you cannot answer your phones immediately. I was in a service position for an international company, before I retired, and I spent many years on the other side of the phone.

Mr. Phillips, I do understand your situation and would not expect you to do any less than I would have done for a customer in a similar situation. This was a life threatening issue and I expect you to address it as such.

Regards

Jim Vinton
Cell 847-927-3945
Email jamesvinton@comcast.net

Holiday Rambler Ambassador 36pft
Unit Serial Number: 140119053613312102591

[BFlinn181]

Sorry for your issues, but what's the point of all the information above? It sounds like you're more concerned about being reimbursed than getting the definite safety hazard repaired. Not sure what kind of immediate response you expected from Monaco/Holiday Rambler. Did you want blanket approval that all costs would be covered? Did you want them to force Lazy Days to send a service tech? What's the need for "Technical Assistance or Schematics"?

[B]If you smell gas, step one, in a sticks and bricks home or an RV --- Turn off the gas![/B] Once you determine the leak is from the regulator, Replace the regulator. No need to wait for "Technical Assistance or Schematics." I'd have turned off the gas, removed the regulator and gone to a store to find a replacement. Keep the original bad regulator and send to Monaco/Holiday Rambler for inspection, proof of defective part.

By the way, when I was in a cheap college apartment years ago I tried to turn on the stove and the knob and gas valve fell off into my hand. I had a 2' long jet of flame roaring into my kitchen. I called the fire department and they came, TURNED OFF THE GAS which extinguished the flame. No need for the fire extinguishers they lugged up the stairs.

Sorry, I don't know what else you expect from Monaco. Now if they won't reimburse, then tell us about it.

[jamesvinton]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

Sorry for your issues, but what's the point of all the information above? It sounds like you're more concerned about being reimbursed than getting the definite safety hazard repaired. Not sure what kind of immediate response you expected from Monaco/Holiday Rambler. Did you want blanket approval that all costs would be covered? Did you want them to force Lazy Days to send a service tech? What's the need for "Technical Assistance or Schematics"?

[B]If you smell gas, step one, in a sticks and bricks home or an RV --- Turn off the gas![/B] Once you determine the leak is from the regulator, Replace the regulator. No need to wait for "Technical Assistance or Schematics." I'd have turned off the gas, removed the regulator and gone to a store to find a replacement. Keep the original bad regulator and send to Monaco/Holiday Rambler for inspection, proof of defective part.

By the way, when I was in a cheap college apartment years ago I tried to turn on the stove and the knob and gas valve fell off into my hand. I had a 2' long jet of flame roaring into my kitchen. I called the fire department and they came, TURNED OFF THE GAS which extinguished the flame. No need for the fire extinguishers they lugged up the stairs.

Sorry, I don't know what else you expect from Monaco. Now if they won't reimburse, then tell us about it.

So, from the tone of your response, you are reprimanding me for posting my problem and the responses I got from Monaco. Interesting. I was posting what I thought was a serious problem and the responses I had received from the 2 dealers I had called for help along with the quick response from a mobile service not related to Monaco. The gas leak took place while I was away from the coach and my wife was inside. The gas, had it ignited , would have engulfed the RV and possibly caused the death of my wife. Of course I was upset! I did the right thing. Turned off the gas and called a professional. If you are saying I should have removed the regulator and reinstalled a new one, you are completely wrong. I am an electronic engineer, not a know it all that could have done something wrong and caused more problems. I don't play with issues that could bring disaster. I was asking for reimbursement and rightly so as the coach is under warranty and due to the nature of the problem, gas leak, expected the manufaturer and/ or the dealer to be responsible, given the possibility of danger. A flat tire would have been different, a faulty plumbing would have been different. This was a life threatening issue and I felt that the response was lacking in urgency. I am thankful that the mobile service, Liberty RV, here in Tucson, was quick, to respond, on a Sunday night, knowledgeable, professional, and not a pompous know it all.

[CLIFFTALL]

Let's knock off the back and forth personal banter. It's not allowed here. Please discuss the issue and not each other.
Thanks

[onechaddude]

I'm glad everything turned out as well as it did. Gas leaks are a serious safety matter. Unfortunately you found out manufacturers don't jump when they should especially in a safety matter. I guess customer service has gone with the wind. Glad you and your wife are safe after all. I try to always keep in mind that anything manufactured will break at any given time. It's just a matter of time. Happy new year.

Chad

[CampingCajun]

Take care of the problem & hash it out with Dealer/Monaco after the Holidays. I have had issues taken care of on weekends, etc. & everything was made right. Good Luck & stay safe.

[BFlinn181]

jamesvinton, I wasn't "reprimanding (you) for posting (your) problem," I was asking what WAS the problem? You posted responses from Monaco but didn't clearly state what you did until your response to me. I'm happy to hear you turned off the gas to prevent fire and damage to your RV. It seemed like you were upset that Monaco didn't have a technician on duty to instantly respond to your dilemma on Saturday or Sunday evening during a holiday period. Expecting a company to commit to reimbursement before they know the charges and cause of said issues also seems a bit much.

Clifftall, I'm not trying to banter with Jim, just trying to understand what his expectations were from the posting of emails from Monaco without any explanation except inferred through the emails. From the sequence of information in that which he provided, it sounds like, as I questioned him, he was requesting promise of reimbursement before dealing with the issue.

Jim references the "This was a life threatening issue and I expect you to address it as such. " and demands fast response. Fact is, a leaking regulator is a serious issue, requiring quick action. Once the gas has been shut off, it's no longer a dangerous situation, just a nuisance.

Ideally Lazy Days or Campers World should have sent over a technician to be sure you were safe, they were the closest. What did you expect Monaco, from hundreds of miles away to do to reduce the danger?

[jamesvinton]

Chapter 2 of Gas Leak!! The furnace would not stay lit. I called my "new" friend, the independent RV repairy guy, and he is out of town. I called Atwood to ask if there was anything I could do. We checked a couple of things and determined that the LP gas pressure is lower than the furnace needs. Turned on a burner on the stove,, seemed ok,, turned on 2nd burner,, flame lowered,, turned on 3rd burner and flame almost went out,, so it seems the LP gas pressure, with the new regulator is very low. Called RV repair guy and he can't come until tomorrow.. Sheesh!! and it is 35 degrees in Tucson!! We came here to escape the cold in Chicago!! Oh, well, RVing is an adventure. I was told to expect the unexpected because it is like owning a house that is constantly in an earthquake and a hurricane.. Having some fun now!

[CampingCajun]

Sometimes an rv is a love/hate relationship.

[BFlinn181]

I'd hope the second service visit is free since the tech didn't do the complete job the first time. Anytime a new pressure regulator is installed it should be pressure checked and adjusted to provide the pressure required by your system. To stick one on and not check pressures and adjust as needed is like putting a carburetor or a distributer out of a box on a vehicle and expect it to be properly set for the engine. I'd point this out after they come and correct the pressure.

[RodgerS]

For what it is worth, I was really confused trying to figure out what the issue was in the first place. My first reaction was this was a post from Monaco, providing assistance via the forum for some reason, and I tried to see if I had missed the beginning of the thread where someone had asked for help from Monaco.

Once I found out that the owner had turned off the gas, it seemed like the immediate life threatening issues had been dealt with and the thread was more about a service issue.

The other day I said happy new year to a fellow customer and she looked at me like she wanted to tear me apart..."my bad" I guess in the language of my kids.

Well, back to studying for my rv technician certification.

[jamesvinton]

Guess what??? No LP Gas pressure again today. It got very cold last night and apparently the new regulator has moisture or something wrong. When I turned on the stove burner, the flame lasted a few seconds and then went out. Would not light after that. Now that the outside ( ambient) temp is warmer, I have gas. Called the RV guy and he said he would bring a new ( again) regulator tomorrow. I am really impressed with him. He answers phone calls on Sunday!! Said he would come today bit has a 3 y/o daughter's birthday today. No problem for us.. we have electric heat pump and a microwave/convection oven. This has been a real learning curve trip. As we started out I noticed the left rear outside tire looked low. had it checked and pressure was down to 20lbs. had a tire repair place check and they found loose fittings.. No problem with the tire, thankfully. So.. we are learning as we go.

[Alan Wilson]

Originally Posted by jamesvinton

Guess what??? No LP Gas pressure again today. It got very cold last night and apparently the new regulator has moisture or something wrong. When I turned on the stove burner, the flame lasted a few seconds and then went out. Would not light after that. Now that the outside ( ambient) temp is warmer, I have gas. Called the RV guy and he said he would bring a new ( again) regulator tomorrow. I am really impressed with him. He answers phone calls on Sunday!! Said he would come today bit has a 3 y/o daughter's birthday today. No problem for us.. we have electric heat pump and a microwave/convection oven. This has been a real learning curve trip. As we started out I noticed the left rear outside tire looked low. had it checked and pressure was down to 20lbs. had a tire repair place check and they found loose fittings.. No problem with the tire, thankfully. So.. we are learning as we go.

James, these MH are definitely a learn as you go education. I can't begin to tell you all the things I have learned on mine. The worst of which is DON'T move your MH at all unless you dump the black tank first. I moved ours from one site to another site about 75 yards away and completely crippled the tank flush system. This resulted in several hours of disassembling the back panel of the wet bay in order to gain access to the spray nozzle, remove it, clean it up and drill larger holes in it so this doesn't happen again. Found that bit of wisdom here on IRV2. Your tire situation sounds like mine. I have valve extensions on my MH and they keep leaking air. They will soon be gone as they are worthless IMHO.


Alan Wilson

2001 HR Scepter 38 PBD

[JDL]

Originally Posted by Alan Wilson

James, these MH are definitely a learn as you go education. I can't begin to tell you all the things I have learned on mine. The worst of which is DON'T move your MH at all unless you dump the black tank first. I moved ours from one site to another site about 75 yards away and completely crippled the tank flush system. This resulted in several hours of disassembling the back panel of the wet bay in order to gain access to the spray nozzle, remove it, clean it up and drill larger holes in it so this doesn't happen again. Found that bit of wisdom here on IRV2.

Alan Wilson

2001 HR Scepter 38 PB D

Not to Hijack, but Alan, what happened with not dumping the black tank?

I have moved quite a bit with my black tank not empty. I rarely ever spend enough time to fill it much between dumps, but it could happen.

Thanks,