BBQ & Quick Connect

ILH

Well-known member
During my factory tour at Heartland earlier today (see my other post regarding the tour), the bbq quick connect was pointed out as a feature on the Road Warrior and Cyclone units. I then pointed out that the LP lines are not compatible with Weber bbqs - which are one of the most popular bbqs used by RVers. This fact was unknown to the factory rep.

Note - I wrote to Weber earlier this week regarding the incompatibility - they concurred that their units are not to be used with the low pressure quick connect lines on the RV.

I hope someone at Heartland addresses this issue soon.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
A quick disconnect option downstream from the LP regulator is pretty much an industry standard. All RV manufacturers use the same type of disconnect. I would think it would be up to Weber to conform to the RV standard, not the RV industry's place to conform to a specific grill manufacturer.
There is a device that will allow an owner to connect any LP device/grill, prior to the RV regulator. The only problem with this is it "ties" your grill to the RV. Same as the quick disconnect type. You are tethered to the RV and can't grill more than 10 or 12 feet away.
The Weber grill might be able to be used but you would have to come up with adapters that would allow you to remove the Weber regulator and go straight into the orifice from the RV quick disconnect line.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
I may be wrong, but I believe RV manufacturers making RVIA sealed products, must put their LP connections downstream of the regulator. If I'm right, it means we simply cannot cut it on before the regulator, making it difficult to interface well with many BBQ grills.

Like Ray mentions, I used the Mr. Heater "T" at one of my tanks.
 

truknutt

Committed Member
The Coleman Roadtrips use their own regulator thus allowing the "T" right at the bottle and before the RV's regulator. Doesn't Weber have or make its own regulator?

Or is the issue that the Weber connector just won't fit the Heartland supplied quick disconnect? If this is the case, as Jim said Mr. Heater makes all kinds of adapters & hoses.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
The Coleman Roadtrips use their own regulator thus allowing the "T" right at the bottle and before the RV's regulator. Doesn't Weber have or make its own regulator?

Or is the issue that the Weber connector just won't fit the Heartland supplied quick disconnect? If this is the case, as Jim said Mr. Heater makes all kinds of adapters & hoses.
Weber has a built in regulator. It's part of the gas valve and the small bottles screw directly into the valve/regulator. My Weber is in the basement of the rig in FL so I can't determine if it may be adaptable. Not a concern for us because we use a separate 20# LP bottle.
 

sjs731

Well-known member
From what I understand the quick connect would have to be used with a grill without a regulator. You can't run LP through 2 regulators (one at the rig and one at the grill) because the pressure drops too much. I carry an extra tank for our RoadTrip.


Steve
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jbeletti

Well-known member
Here is what I have learned from Engineering.

RVIA code that governs our installation of quick-disconnects for LP gas:

5.3.14 “…Quick disconnect devices are listed for propane use in low pressure applications only. (less than 1psi.) These connections should never be installed to service the anticipated use of high pressure exterior appliances…”
 

ILH

Well-known member
The point of my original post was not to point fingers at who is wrong - but merely to point out an area where the RV industry and bbq manufacturers could work better together.

From the sounds of it, most of us are still carrying around canisters of LP whereas the purpose of the quick connect lines is to save that space and weight. I'm just saying that the fact that we're discussing this point in a forum means there's an issue needing to be solved.
 
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jbeletti

Well-known member
You are completely understood Ian.

Heartland has now addressed this by clarifying that to the extent we wish to build RVIA sealed RVs, we must adhere to the code referenced in my previous post.

Now - will the grill industry be willing to address the needs of RVers who have a low pressure LP quick connection? Only time will tell. Thank you for lobbying Weber. Their grills are super popular with RVers. I have one myself :)

Thanks for brining this whole matter up. At minimum, we all now know why Heartland plumbs to the low pressure side.
 

porthole

Retired
Something else to consider. The post, low pressure, disconnect does not supply sufficient pressure to flow through the common propane hose extensions (those with the 1" male-female ends).

I purchased the portable stainless grill from Costco with the plans on using standard propane supply hoses with the 3/8" flare fitting and my self installed RV fitting. Cyclones didn't come with that feature until recently.


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jbeletti

Well-known member
Duane,

Are you saying that you build/bought a hose that allows you to get better pressure/flow rate from the low-pressure side?

Though I have tapped the high-pressure side using the Mr. Heater "T", I could still use more at the grill burner. Maybe I should look at the OEM regulator on my Weber to see what pressure it's set for and consider some experimentation.
 

Diveman

Member
I removed the built in regulator for my Weber 200 and bought some hose and created adapters for using with the low pressure of my Trail Runner. Works great and I can use it without having to tap into the high side of the LP. I found some information on the web on how to do this. I will take pictures later (it's raining right now) and post them.
 

porthole

Retired
Jim, what I have done is experimented and searched.

What I have found is using adapters that go from a low pressure disconnect to the typical 1" hose extensions yields minimal or no flow. And the low flow is not enough to run a non regulated grill.

And you have to look carefully at the male adapters. Some have a sleeve internally that actually allows the propane to flow once the fitting is inserted all the way.

The webers are not the easiest to bypass, although it can be done.
I elected to replace the grill. As much as I am a weber fan I think the Q200 is seriously lacking in cooking performance.

Marine outfits have the hose I was referring too, just not my local supplier in the length I want.

My new grill has two burners and he regulator is actually mounted on the tank fitting instead if the grill, making for a simpler hose connection.
So I am still in the "work in progress" stage.

And with going to all these rallies - grilling aint a such a big deal :)

BTW, my low pressure adapter works great with my Little Red Campfire", using the shutoff valve on the disconnect to regulate flow.


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taken

Well-known member
I removed the built in regulator for my Weber 200 and bought some hose and created adapters for using with the low pressure of my Trail Runner. Works great and I can use it without having to tap into the high side of the LP. I found some information on the web on how to do this. I will take pictures later (it's raining right now) and post them.
This is what I did as well. Weber grills are soooo easy to adapt to low pressure. Simply unscrew the regulator from the grill, attach a quick connect fitting in it's place, and buy a length of hose with quick connects on both ends. Took me about 4 minutes to set ours up to run on low pressure and it works 100% as before.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
I use the Olympian 5500 Grill, designed for the low pressure side, with quick connect fittings using the factory provided stub, so I guess I am RVIA compliant and don't have to rip the sticker off.
 

taken

Well-known member
LOL, I guess my sticker has to go then. ;) I agree the Olympian is a good unit. We had one with our last rig. Just a touch small for us and it didn't like to light without a lighter.
 
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