Pretty much since I bought my Sprinter chassis Winnebago View in 2017, it’s had a problem with propane filling. It only takes about 3 gallons at 50% but the fill would go very slow. One campground in Oregon even stopped filling my tank after half a gallon because he was afraid his pump would burn out.
After doing a lot of research, I theorized that the Overfill Protection Device (OPD) was sticking partially closed. An OPD has a float similar to a toilet tank. Once the liquid propane gets to the 80% level, the float shuts the valve down. When the fluid level drops, float drops and opens the valve. An OPD is also known as a Fill Stop Valve.
Since it’s a horizontal permanent mount tank, the valve was up tight and I couldn’t get a part number off the valve. I found a similar looking valve on Ebay and luckily it fit.
First step is to empty the tank. I parked well away from the barn in an open field and opened the vent. Be patient as it takes a while to empty that tank. And have an extinguisher close by. I spent the better part of a week letting propane out a few hours a day.
Once empty, I used an adjustable wrench to remove the fill hose connector and then the OPD from the tank.
Sure enough the OPD float was binding in a semi-closed position.
This compares the old and new OPDs. Notice that the new valve’s float drops to an open position. The new valve comes with coated threads to seal the connection.
Before installation, I used a gun brush and vacuum to clean the threads on the tank.
I was very careful not to cross the threads. One very important aspect is to make sure the OPD valve is oriented correctly. There’s a line on the front of the valve that indicates the top. I enhanced the line with a Sharpie. Make sure that mark is at the 12 o’clock position so the float drops properly.
Tomorrow I’ll get the tank purged and filled. I have some indicator liquid to check the fittings for leaks.