Bad propane "Auto Changeover Regulator"?

Flooringit

Well-known member
Last night I got home and realized furnace hadn’t come on in awhile. So I went out thinking well time to go fill up. Got out drivers side first plum empty. Grabbed the spare empty also. So I went to door side of rv unhoooed tank and grabbed to pull out was completely full. So I turned the switch on the automatic valve and it went clear so I thought well guess I need to switch it when other is empty (just read they are suppose to be automatic). Well tonight furnace hadn’t come in again in awhile. Walk out it’s red I’m like how the heck did I use 30 in one night. I grab tank still feels full. I figure must be froze bring inside and let it warm up take back out and hook up says empty I move switch to other side and goes clear. I’m puzzled but gonna get warm. So I go back in and it’s blowing cold. Walk back out and the thing is red. So still puzzled decide to warm up bottle come in and do some reading about the issue. And decide to go out and switch the tank to the other side and now it works. What the heck. I still can’t figure out why one side worked all night no problem then had to switch to the other side. I’m guessing the valve is bad? Or I heated up the tank enough? I don’t know. I had heat running till about 9 no problems. About 11 I was getting cold. So then the trying to figure it out started.
Thanks in advance
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Could also be the line going across the coach to the other tank or a separate small regulator on the other side.

If desired, to troubleshoot, you could move the pigtail from the side that seems to not work, over to the auto-changeover regulator directly and try it there to test if it's the regulator or something else.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
If I'm following correctly, the full tank on the door-side doesn't work but on the off-door-side it's fine. Get a new door-side regulator and pigtail. It could be other things, but those are the most likely and the easiest and the least expensive.
 

Flooringit

Well-known member
Well the door side one did not work. I unhooked it went to take it out it was full, so I put it back in and turned the switch on the automatic switch and it went to clear. It worked for 24 hours then all the sudden it just quit working. I had no heat again, went out messed with it brought bottle in put in front of heater, took it back out and hooked it up and went clear again but went red a few minutes later ,
i took of like and I heard the line release air. Took bottle put in drivers side and it went fine. I found it strange it worked 24 hours and became problematic again
 

jimtoo

Moderator
If you put bottle (tank) in front of heater and then it worked for a while, it sounds like you may have Butane instead of Propane. Butane stops flowing at aprox +5*F and Propane is good down to about -40*F.

Jim M
 

Flooringit

Well-known member
I have the underbelly completely closed off and a heater under there. We had some -10 2 nights ago never had a water problem. I’m sure it’s abive 32 below the belly. And the heat goes into the propane tank areas. I only had the tank in front of the heater for about 30 minutes and once out in wooded only worked a few minutes
 

jimtoo

Moderator
What unit do you have? I have never heard of any propane tanks being in heated area and the lines are attached to the outside of the frame on every unit I have ever had, not in enclosed and heated area.
 

carl.swoyer

Well-known member
Well the door side one did not work. I unhooked it went to take it out it was full, so I put it back in and turned the switch on the automatic switch and it went to clear. It worked for 24 hours then all the sudden it just quit working. I had no heat again, went out messed with it brought bottle in put in front of heater, took it back out and hooked it up and went clear again but went red a few minutes later ,
i took of like and I heard the line release air. Took bottle put in drivers side and it went fine. I found it strange it worked 24 hours and became problematic again
Are you possibly experiencing lp freeze.

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Gaffer

Well-known member
Propane tanks are not in enclosed or heated compartments in any RV I have ever seen.
 

Flooringit

Well-known member
Propane tanks are not in enclosed or heated compartments in any RV I have ever seen.
They have a open bottom but as I said earlier I have the bottom of the camper sealed
off all the way around it. And have a heater under there as well plenty above 32degrees down there
 

olcoon

Well-known member
If you put bottle (tank) in front of heater and then it worked for a while, it sounds like you may have Butane instead of Propane. Butane stops flowing at aprox +5*F and Propane is good down to about -40*F.

Jim M

From what I've been told when you buy propane in the summer it's a mix of propane & butane (one reason propane is cheaper in the summer), so that possibly may be your problem it you got your tanks filled in the summer.
 

klindgren

Retired Virginia Chapter Leaders
On my previous camper, I had a regulator go bad. Just would not switch from door side to off-door side. It would switch from off-door to door but not the other way. Heartland replaced the regulator (camper was still under warranty) and no problems after that.
 

wehavefun

Well-known member
On my previous camper, I had a regulator go bad. Just would not switch from door side to off-door side. It would switch from off-door to door but not the other way. Heartland replaced the regulator (camper was still under warranty) and no problems after that.
I am having a similar issue, I can't get propane from doorside to off door side. I have changed the door side regulator, I have gas when opening line on non tank side of regulator. So I know regulator lets propane pass thru, I have NO gas coming across to off door side when separating line before auto switch. I can't believe it, but apparently the line failed internally, I have seen rubber brake lines do this on cars but usually you will get minimal flow.

The camper is inside a heated garage, I have changed tanks, I have changed the door side regulator to the new dual stage regulator. Going to stop at dealer on Tuesday unless someone here has had experience with same issue. I am planning on changing crossover line.

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danemayer

Well-known member
I am having a similar issue, I can't get propane from doorside to off door side. I have changed the door side regulator, I have gas when opening line on non tank side of regulator. So I know regulator lets propane pass thru, I have NO gas coming across to off door side when separating line before auto switch. I can't believe it, but apparently the line failed internally, I have seen rubber brake lines do this on cars but usually you will get minimal flow.

The camper is inside a heated garage, I have changed tanks, I have changed the door side regulator to the new dual stage regulator. Going to stop at dealer on Tuesday unless someone here has had experience with same issue. I am planning on changing crossover line.

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When you changed the door side regulator, did you also change the pigtail on that side? If not, I'd suggest doing so before taking it to the dealer.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
When you changed the door side regulator, did you also change the pigtail on that side? If not, I'd suggest doing so before taking it to the dealer.

Agreed, we changed the pigtail first and that solved our issue.


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wehavefun

Well-known member
When you changed the door side regulator, did you also change the pigtail on that side? If not, I'd suggest doing so before taking it to the dealer.
I didn't change the pig tail, however I do have gas when opening the threaded line after the new regulator. I am not going to take the 5th to the dealer, I will stop there and speak to the techs.

I can certainly fix it myself by changing enough parts, just trying to avoid that step. I am 99% sure the crossover line is blocked, but that is pretty odd for a 2016 unit.

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