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2Nailz · 04-07-2019, 09:01 AM

So I ran into a problem that I thought was a safety feature, it was not. I was tinkering around in the coach and decided to ignite one burner on the gas cooktop. I had all the slides in and the cooktop would not ignite. I thought to myself that this was a safety feature to prevent someone from using the cooktop while traveling down the road. What I discovered is that this is not a safety feature but an extremely dangerous fault.

I had the kitchen slide out and went to grab something from the basement compartment below the slide and looked up and discovered the issue with having no gas when the slide is closed. The gas line that feeds the gas cooktop in the kitchen was getting pinched by the slide room when retracted. This had been happening for a while and the outer jacket of the gas line is damaged. I will have to have the gas line replaced and it does not look like the easiest of jobs to complete.

I am concerned that this is a safety issue caused by a bad design and could affect other coach owners who have this same configuration. I will do my best to describe the issue. The channel that is meant to protect the gas line and electrical is shaped like an I beam with the electrical on one side and the gas line on the other. There does not appear to be anything that secures these lines into the channels. So this channel is directly beside the beam that has the drive gear for the slide. One side of the open I beam, closest to the beam that has the drive gear, is where the electrical cables are routed. The other side of the I beam, where the gas line is routed, is closest to the opening in the coach. The gas line is just floating in this channel and if it comes out of the channel it can get pinched between the slide and the body of the coach. This is what has happened in my case.

Someone, Entegra, tech, previous owner, had attempted to secure these lines in the channels by using nylon cable ties. The gap between the I beam and the opening in the coach is zero. When the slide is retracted the cable ties get pushed/bunched to the end of the I beam mounted to the slide room making them ineffective at securing the cable or gas line. As a temporary fix I have taken electrical tape and wrapped around the channel in several places. I don't expect this to fix the issue because the channel rubs against the opening in the coach. This rubbing appears to have been expected because the opening in the coach has an L shaped bracket mounted vertically, on both sides, to protect the opening.

To be clear I purchased this coach used. There may be something missing that Entegra installed to prevent the electrical cables and gas line from coming out of the I beam channels. I am calling Entegra this week to get some direction, advice, etc. I will follow up with what I discover. Please also share your advice as well.

Regardless, I would suggest that owners check to ensure this condition does not affect their coach.

hdgoldie · 04-07-2019, 06:41 PM

I have no idea if there should have been something factory installed to secure the gas line, but you might want to consider trying heavy duty Velcro mounted inside the I-beam channel and then Velcro loops around the gas line so that it will stay in the channel. It would be a pain to get the I-beam clean enough to get good adhesion on the Velcro strips but once it was on your gas line should stay in place and it would still give you access to remove the gas line for future repairs if needed. Not the most graceful solution but it would stay within the limits of the channel so rubbing wouldn't be an issue.

2Nailz · 04-07-2019, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdgoldie

I have no idea if there should have been something factory installed to secure the gas line, but you might want to consider trying heavy duty Velcro mounted inside the I-beam channel and then Velcro loops around the gas line so that it will stay in the channel. It would be a pain to get the I-beam clean enough to get good adhesion on the Velcro strips but once it was on your gas line should stay in place and it would still give you access to remove the gas line for future repairs if needed. Not the most graceful solution but it would stay within the limits of the channel so rubbing wouldn't be an issue.

Thanks for the suggestion. I may attempt the velcro but in a past life I did some integration for the military and heat would cause the velcro, even industrial, to eventually let go on a vertical surface. On flat horizontal surface, like a shelf, no problems.

I have also been thinking about cutting slots in the channel just wide enough for a nylon cable tie, or possibly hose clamp, to secure the lines but prevent the ties from getting caught when retracted. Still scratching my head. I hope Entegra can provide some direction.

2Nailz · 04-08-2019, 06:01 PM

I must admit I am not happy with the response I received from Entegra after speaking with customer care and parts.

1st, CC could not provide any information as to how these lines are secured in the channel. CC also could not provide any information on what would be involved in replacement i.e. getting the replacement hose up through the slide wall and to the 2 burner gas cooktop.

2nd, Parts solution, per the supplier, is that I must purchase the entire gas line assembly verses just getting the hose that I require. This would be Jayco Part Number 0232483 Harness LP Hose and Manifold. Maybe I am not seeing straight, so I thought I would run this by the group here.

In order for the supplier to build the assembly they must build the hose I need, right? The attached drawing provided by parts shows the part I need, H72625-198. The hose has a connector that is threaded into the gas manifold, rectangular box on the drawing. I assume the other end has a connector for connecting to the 2 burner gas cooktop. I will have to pull the coach out of storage to investigate further. Anyone have any suggestions?

hdgoldie · 04-08-2019, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2Nailz

Thanks for the suggestion. I may attempt the velcro but in a past life I did some integration for the military and heat would cause the velcro, even industrial, to eventually let go on a vertical surface. On flat horizontal surface, like a shelf, no problems.

Add a little Gorilla Glue or J-B Weld epoxy to the mix...that's not a piece you should ever have to remove.

Wish I could help with replacing the gas line but that's way out of my pay grade.

2Nailz · 04-21-2019, 08:32 AM

Status update:

Instead of having to purchase the entire LP harness assembly, Entegra assigned a part number to the 198" LP hose leading to the 2 burner cooktop from the T in the gas line. I did have to ask more than once, so persistence paid off this time. Entegra P/N 0336885, Vendor P/N H72625-198. I am impressed with the support Entegra is providing on this older 2015 coach and am grateful that I am able to purchase just the part I need at a very reasonable price.

I placed an order for this part through my Entegra dealer and have not received it yet. I will update upon receipt and share my notes and discoveries from the installation in the hope that it helps someone down the road.

757driver · 04-23-2019, 11:31 AM

Great to hear, let us know how the installation goes.

2Nailz · 05-05-2019, 09:37 PM

Status Update:

I was able to route the hose from the stove through the slide out wall to the basement. This was not easy at all. I used the original hose to pull the new hose through the wall by taping the ends together and it still was a struggle.

I thought this would be the hardest part. I attempted to remove the old hose from the manifold in the basement. This is where I met failure. The vendor used some type of sealant on the male threads into the manifold that will not release. I tried cussing, swearing, pleading, praying, and finally resorted to heat. None of it worked.

My fallback is to order the entire assembly that includes the hose from the LP tank to the Aqua-hot and the LP gas stove including the manifold. This is what Entegra recommended from the start. I don't think the person at Entegra new about the sealant on the threads at the manifold but they were right. I do not think the hose is meant to be separated from the manifold.

I have emailed my dealer requesting to order the complete LP hose assembly. For now I'll drown my wounds in bourbon, until ROUND 2.

2Nailz · 05-09-2019, 03:23 PM

I requested some advice from Entega support about the routing of the replacement hose to the 2 burner cooktop. They requested pictures, which I provided. They don't think I can route it the same way it was originally and their best guess is that I will have to drill a new hole.

They also confirmed that the hose cannot be removed from the manifold. I wish they could have stated that when I purchased the individual hose

Still awaiting the receipt of the complete assembly. The cost was not excessive at all. Really not much more than just the hose.

Live and learn.

2Nailz · 05-26-2019, 09:19 AM

Final update.

I received and installed the complete assembly. It took about 6 hours. I followed the existing routing of the hoses and reused all the cable clamp hangers in the original locations. I also used RectorSeal Tru-Blu vibration resistant thread sealant on all connections. I found it easier to apply the thread sealant with my finger than the included brush. I also tested all connections for leaks, including the new manifold/T, with BrassCraft Gas Leak Detection Solution.

When taping an old hose to a new hose I found it best to first wrap the connection thoroughly with electrical tape extending about 4 inches on either side of the connection. Then I wrapped duct tape over the electrical tape. The electrical tape alone was not strong enough to hold the connection together but it helped protect the hose and connection from the adhesive of the duct tape.

The routing of the new line to the LP tank was not very difficult. The challenging part was routing the hose through the wall which had spray foam around a bundle of cables. I just cut the old hose in the basement and taped the new hose to it and pulled it through.

The routing of the new line for the Aqua-Hot was easy.

The routing of the new line to the 2 burner gas cooktop in the kitchen was VERY difficult. The most difficult part was getting the new line routed from where the slide out rail attaches to the kitchen slide room exterior wall. There is about 2 inches of space to work with and two 90 degree turns. Again I used the existing hose taped to the new hose to push & pull it through. This required a tremendous amount of patience, as it would get stuck in the wall, so I would have to pull it back slightly and then pull it forward again many times and in several locations. I also had to remove the paneling in the rear of the sink area to get access to the wall cavity. I also removed the outside TV to gain limited access to the wall cavity.

The whole issue was the result of the LP gas line that feeds the 2 burner gas cooktop getting pinched, to the point of failure, between the kitchen slide out room exterior wall and the body of the coach when the room was retracted. There was nothing that I found holding the hose in place to prevent this from possibly happening. So I devised a way of preventing this from happening again. The hose and electrical cables are housed in a I beam type cable trough that is next to one of the slide out gear tracks. I drilled holes through the top and bottom of the inside of the I beam. I then used zip ties/cable ties looped though these holes to secure the electrical and LP line from protruding outside of the protection of the I beam. I also used some edge trim I had on hand to protect the outer edge of the I beam and the opening in the coach. I have attached pictures that I hope help show what I am trying to explain.

Bottom line, this can be accomplished with time and patience at home.