Gas Leaks...

[dkperez]

This isn't specific to trailers OR motorhomes, so I figured I'd put it here...

A couple weeks ago, my wife left for work in the morning. A minute later she walked back in and said "I think I smell propane by the trailer". So, I ran out to check, and sure enough, the left side tank had a definite odor.

So, later that morning, I mixed up some soapy water and checked, and the hose that ran from the regulator to the tank was leaking at the regulator. This hose has a crimp fitting on that end, and it turned very easily. I suspect me fiddling when changing tanks had put enough torque on the hose that it started turning.

SO, off to the local propane people to have them put a new end on the hose.

While that was gone, I took all the stuff loose on the left side and put new ptfe pipe goo (I forget what it's called, but it's made specially for propane and natural gas fittings) on all the joints, and put things back together. New hose, and no more leaks... UNTIL, I walked around to the other side and stuck my head in the compartment.

Yup, a smell. Again with the soapy water. Same fitting on the hose on this side. Back to the propane people for another end. Put it back together and STILL smelled gas. Tested again, and where the black pipe that goes across the trailer has a fitting on the right side, then a reducer, then the hose into the regulator, it was merrily bubbling.

So, I disassembled everything on this side and put new pipe goo on everything and reassembled... The reducer is one of the conical fittings that doesn't use sealer, so that one just got put back together...

Checked again, and the reducer was definitely leaking. Tightened things a bit more. Still leaking....... Pulled that all apart again and ran down to the propane guys for a new pipe fitting and reducer, put it all back together and neither of us smells anything on either side..............

SO, I had THREE things leaking, including a brass fitting that shouldn't ever leak, but it was easy to fix. Moral, I reckon, is periodically give a sniff and see if you smell anything, and if you do either fix it or get it fixed... AND, it may be more than one thing leaking so try to find all the leaking stuff.

[mo5er]

Very good advice, thanks for sharing! I soapy water test mine every 2 months, plus stick my nose in there quite often.

[Hooligan]

FWIW:
In the 80's, we had a Travel Trailer, and were at a dog show. Strong smell of propane thru the kitchen window.. The propane regulator on top of the tanks, had a hole in the back that apparently was the source of the propane. Grabbed my JB Weld and sealed that hole. Returning home, the propane dealer replaced the regulator and said that hole was a vent in case the diaphragm in the regulator leaked. By sealing that hole full tank pressure could have gone into the propane lines. He mentioned that full pressure could give you a 3 foot high flame at the stove...
Sometimes we are good, sometimes lucky....

[terry735001]

like hooligan side but did not say

i think you need to make sure your propane regulator is giving out the right PSI / what ever it needs

[Arch Hoagland]

How old is your RV?

[CLIFFTALL]

Thanks for posting. We can never have enough reminders about propane safety. A working detector is a must as well.

[dkperez]

The new 5th wheel is just over a year old. I didn't check each regulator (there's one for each tank), but the leaking hoses were on the INLET side of the regulators...

In each case, it was the hose from the 30 lb tank into the regulator. And they both leaked the same place - at the barbed end with the compression cover clamped on it? In each case, the hose could turn inside the compressed housing and they both leaked.

I figure either I was too frisky when changing tanks and goofed 'em up, or they weren't put together right in the first place. In either case, no more bubbles and no more smell...

A three foot flame on the stove would be REALLY "interesting"...