Propane ****

DirtyDog

DirtyDog

Captain Leisure
Joined
Nov 10, 2005
Posts
3,157
Location
Eugene, Oregon
I've had a lot of problems with the propane system in my Hawk since it was new. Intermittently the propane will just not flow. After talking to the guys about it at pigfest, they all concluded that it MUST be the regulator. However, I sent the camper back to the FWC factory and they did a lot of tests and came up with other conclusions, ultimately that is was the tank hose if I remember correctly. After the factory fix, it worked fine for while but now the problems are back. Thinking that I am the unlucky one because the pigfest guys said they have never had the same problem, I decided to just get a new regulator when I get back and try that.

However, after reading Alaskan Snowbirds account of the same problem in their new Granby:

The propane didn’t want to flow that evening but I’m not sure if the regulator was frozen or if there was another problem. I put the tank in the cab of the truck with the heater running on it and after 15 minutes or so hooked it back up and it worked fine the rest of the night…maybe the regulator was frozen and the warm propane thawed it and the heat from the furnace was enough to keep it thawed during the night. Had this happen one other time too, but not since.

I'm thinking there is some systemic problem with the newer campers. Does it make sense to you guys that the regulator would freeze or the the tank would be too cold.

I'm pretty much at the end of my patience with this issue.....
 
This is a dumb question

But when the heater won't work will the stove, or water heater if you have one?
 
No when the heater doesn't work, there is no flow to the stove either. I haven't tried the water heater when the problem is occurring.
 
It may not be this, but try changing the hose with the ACME nut, i heard of a bad batch ot these when talking to a parts rep. I spent a lot of time on a similar issue, changed everything but that, and found it by accident..... worth a minute to swap one from something esle that you know works


P.S. the acme nut has a check valve in it. Thats what can cause issues, not the nut itself
 
It may not be this, but try changing the hose with the ACME nut, i heard of a bad batch ot these when talking to a parts rep. I spent a lot of time on a similar issue, changed everything but that, and found it by accident..... worth a minute to swap one from something esle that you know works

Pretty sure this was done at the factory the first time around.
 
Just thinking out loud but I wonder if there is anything to do with the tank internals/valving on the horizontal tanks (ie did anything change on those we wouldn't know about)?

For what its worth in the limited time I've had my camper I've never had any issue like this and that includes a very windy night a baker with the temps in the teens.
 
For what its worth in the limited time I've had my camper I've never had any issue like this and that includes a very windy night a baker with the temps in the teens.

There's no pattern to the circumstances under which the propane quits working. I've had it work recently in single digit temps just fine.
 
A bigger hammer

Take the handle end of a big screwdriver and give the regulator a couple of wacks, I don't care what they say I think the problem is in the regulator. They dont cost much, go get a new one and try it, it's going to be cheaper than a ride to Woodland. If you have a compressor you can disconect the supply side and blow air thru the system to see if you have an obstruction.
 
If the stove wont get gas to either then it is a delivery problem.

Working backwards Regulator, hose connection with the tank, tank valve itself(tank).

Stove should allways work if there is gas in the tank. If FWC can or allready replace all three units?
 
You probably don't feel like waiting around to trouble shoot it but if you wanted to figure it out if its before/after the tank having and adapter to connect in an axillary tank next time its finicky could help narrow down if its something to do with the tank itself or the regulator/connection.
 
My hope is to get all the info/suggestions I can on this and hopefully come up with the actual problem from FWC since this has affected other units. Tired of stabbing in the dark on this one. Being an intermittent problem, if I replace a regulator and it works in the moment, I have no clear indication of whether I'm going to be spending yet another cold night on the road eating raw meat.
 
My hope is to get all the info/suggestions I can on this and hopefully come up with the actual problem from FWC since this has affected other units. Tired of stabbing in the dark on this one. Being an intermittent problem, if I replace a regulator and it works in the moment, I have no clear indication of whether I'm going to be spending yet another cold night on the road eating raw meat.

Dog, it's a very simple system, we can figure this out, and besides think of the Donner Party, I'm pretty sure they ate raw meat.
 
Propane Problems Con't

DD,

We've only had the furnace completely refuse to light twice but have had really low flows to second appliances (when furnace is running, stove/water heater won't light or are very weak flame...when water heater is running stove/furnace have low flame or won't light...etc)

The latter case was always when tank was half full or less and I think the former was too. Could be just coincidence though.

I did register something about the hose connection to the tank not feeling "solid" (like the fitting had not made firm contact) one time and I've been careful to feel it bottom firmly or redo the connection and I think that's helped but, as you say, not much consistency so I can tell for sure.

It acts like regulator or the ACME nut (is that the nut that connects the tank to the hose??) xtreme mike posted about but since you've had both replaced that doesn't ring true either...though I'm wondering if the FWC crew replaced your ACME nut with another from the same batch they had in stock thinking it was an individual problem not a problem with the whole batch?? My money is on the ACME nut.

Another propane problem I (and another FWC owner I talked to) have is the propane sensor going off with an amber light and loud "chirp" every 30 seconds to a minute or so. Nearly always at 3 AM (arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh).

At first I thought the fuse was incorrectly installed as one blade was against the side of the connector instead of in it, but after correcting that it still happens. After reading the manual it looks like it's a low battery warning but when I check the battery it's always been in the green on the factory monitor.

This one I've got nailed...it only happens when the furnace first kicks on. The furnace startup load draws enough for the monitor to sense what it thinks is a low battery and starts the low battery warning instantly. If I pull the fuse and replace it all is fine, until the next time the furnace starts (at 3:30 AM).

The solution would be for the propane sensor manufacturer to incorporate a small delay in shifting to the low battery alarm mode, or, provide an auxiliary battery backup (AA's, 9v, ??) that would carry the sensor through short periods of main power outage. Another solution might be to increase the wire size to reduce the drop to the unit and/or direct wire to the battery with an in-line fuse and avoid the fuse panel (I'm beyond my electrical self here). Still another solution might be to use a 9v battery powered alarm, if they make them...My 2 cents.

My short term solution has been to pull the fuse and leave the alarm off for the rest of the night after the first time it wakes me up...not good but I either die in my sleep or from lack of it.:eek:

Hope all that helps some.

Happy Trails!
D
 
I was looking at a Casita some years back, and they mentioned "purging" the tank before it was filled. They said if it wasn't done, or done right, the system would not work. I don' know if they meant that the propane would not flow or what.
 
This is what i was talking about earlier, the next step is to test the gas output of the lp system, you need a tool called a "manometer"

They run about 50 bucks, connect this at the stove burner or tee into the line at the fridge, run a burner and see how many "inches of water colum" are shown on the dial. should be 10 to 15

this will tell you if the system is getting proper gas flow for sure, or if it could be a bad tank, or poor purge job, or even oil in the lines from an overfill situation. so many variables here.

Appliance side swivel nut fitting is female 1-5/16" Acme x 1/4" mpt. As the appliance side of the Type I connection, it makes a positive connection by threading on to the Acme threads of the valve with a user-friendly right hand turn motion. The fitting is thermally sensitive and shuts the flow of gas off if the temperature reaches a range of 240�F-300�F. This feature protects against uncontrolled fires and causes the cylinder valve's back check to close, shutting off the flow of propane. Inside the brass nipple portion is a flow-limiting device which limits the gas flow to 10 SCFH maximum flow when activated. Simple to use with its wrenchless, familiar right hand thread. Protects against uncontrolled fires with its thermally sensitive sleeve and flow-limiting device.
 
Let's talk about poor purge for a minute. These problems started again after in New Mexico, I ran the tank completely empty, took it to a podunk propane dealer where the guy was super pissed he had to help me 10 minutes before closing. He didn't open the valve while filling it (purge valve?) which is the first I have seen someone fill it like that. Problems started a couple nights after that and were resolved when I had it filled again but properly this time?

I talked to people about this and they said highly unlikely source of trouble. Grasping at straws here.
 
Purging only has to be done once when the tank is new, it removes the air in the tank and allows for a "full" fill from there after. if not done when new you would never have much performance, purging can be done however anytime(when empty) if you wanted. it would only be a piece of mind thing at this point
 
I think I found a name for my camper.

I couldn't help myself
 

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