Propoane Problems

[kbitts]

We are new Bighorn owners - just approaching one month in our rig (fulltimers) and have not gone more than two days without a propane problem. Looking for someone who can help! Techs have numerous times checked the system, replacing tanks, hoses and regulators and all seems fine for a day or two and then the auto changeover goes to red and that is it. Are we dealing with inefficient techs at the service center or a factory defect???
Small adjustments needed - such as doors not closing properly, surround sound not working, cracked mirror (cracked on drive from dealer to rv park - 30 miles) and this propane issue has now worn our patience and we are really regretting our Bighorn purchase. Love the floor plan but not being able to cook and having to run space heaters isn't the way to live.

Thanks for any advice.

New and regretful owners Bighorn 3670RL

 

[billd]

Give the Heartland corporate office a call and ask to speak to the service rep for your area. Explain the situation and they will help you, even in finding a different servicing dealer to look at your problems.

Bill

 

[jpmorgan37]

kbitts,
We are in Texas also and depending on where you are, you may be using a tank of propane in two days. Several questions, are you using a heat pump? Do you have dual pane windows? Are you using supplemental heaters? Have you added any insulation to the fantastic fan vents? All of these will help in reducing the propane usage. I learned a year ago after going through a 40# bottle in two days. Now I use one every month or two. Just something to think about.
John

 

[Scott]

Kudos to Billd for the correct and good advice to kbitts - also some informative insite from jpmorgan37 about propane usage.
I am sure that competant service tech can quickly determine where the propane usage is being caused by. Because they can typically quickly tell by using instruments as well as the smell that would be involved, I don't think you are looking at a leak issue. Either way though we will find out and get it resolved.
They can figure out what came loose on the surround sound system as well. If your wardrobe mirror broke in transit - odds are strong that it was not locked properly for travel. They can usually tell that from the breakage pattern in the glass. If it broke because of poor workmanship, you can be sure that it will be replaced.

ST

 

[busted2341]

KBITTS,

Amazing how after reading this forum I find things out. This last week, here in Texas I was surrounded by temps in the 20s-30's for a week. I also had the same problem with the changeover valve. Haven't had it checked yet but I thought I was out of propane because it showed red when I switched the valve. I found I had a full tank (that is another problem,Scott-do u supply the tanks or are they supplied by the daler-mine did not even fit and because it was forced the strap holding it was broke.) anyway after messing with it for awhile it seems to work for now. I =have no idea what the problem was or is but will let all know...

 

[GARTH]

I am having the same problem, more so with the tank on the door side. When the temperature is cold the indicator on top of the regular tells me the tank is empty and it switches to the other tank even though it may be completely full. I just refilled the tank and it now refuses to allow any propane out of it. On Sat. I put a heater in the tank compartment and warmed it up and it worked absolutely fine. On Sunday I checked it again to see if it was still working and no it wasn't. I have already replaced the regulator and the problem still exists. I believe that the valves on top of the tanks must be faulty. Scott do you have a solution for this problem?
Garth

 

[busted2341]

...Sure am glad I wasn't immagining things...

 

[Scott]

I talked to our engineers about the issues you are describing and what I am getting from them and the tank mfg. is that it sounds like there is liquid in the valve area, which is a result of over-filling the tank and can cause problems in freezing weather.
Cold weather should not effect the valve, unless there is liquid in there which can screw up the whole process. Do I know the details of how it screws it up? No. I just know that we install the same tanks and regulators on thousands of coaches every year and we have not had any issues with them. Obviously there are a couple of you experiencing issues in the freezing weather. The only thing that I can gather from my sources is the overfilling, resulting in liquid in the valve area. Other than that, we (Heartland and the tank mfg. will do whatever we can to make sure that the tanks, valves, and regulators are working correctly and replace any faulty parts.
ST

 

[GARTH]

Checked the door side tank again last night when I got home and it still would not allow any propane out of it. I switched it out with another tank which was only half full to see if I had a faulty tank, but that one wouldn't allow any propane out either. I took my wife's hairdryer and heated up the orange regulator valve and the propane started flowing. Switched back to the full bottle and it worked. Before I left this morning I checked it again. The temperature was above 40 degrees when I did and everything seemed to work fine. Could you tell me what the purpose of the orange regulator is? I am thinking that this is where the problem is.
Garth

 

[Scott]

OK, I have a new suggestion, from your description, the orange regulator could have been moved so that it is upside down, which would allow it to hold liquid, which would freeze. Check that out. When you look at the orange regulator, the one area with the hole in it should be pointing down, not up.

ST

 

[kbitts]

update on our propane probs

After much head scratching and talking with the "experts", I think our service techs have solved our propane problems. Here is what seems to have happened...apparently specs indicate that new tanks be purged three times before set up - now the consensus seems that they need 5 purges before they can eliminate all moisture that may be in the tanks. When they are not purged properly, the moisture travels up and into the regulator, temps drop at night and the regulator freezes. So, our dealer purged the tanks 5 times, replaced the regulator - again - and so far, we are doing fine - we are keeping our fingers crossed! After all of this, we did have a smell of propane and found one of the brass nipples had a crack - just another apparent coincidence that was quickly.
Although we had gotten quite frustrated over these problems, we are tremendously happy with our Bighorn 3670 and very satisfied with how our dealer's service department stuck with us to fix the problem.
Apparently this season here in North Texas has been cold and wet enough to have caused more of these problems than they have ever had in the past. So, we weren't alone and it wasn't just a Bighorn problem.
Thanks to all who responded with advice and suggestions.

Kathy & David
Bighorn 3670

 

[ChopperBill]

Just as a side not I looked at a TC forum today and one manufacture does not offer the auto switch over valves as the can have problems in freezing temps. Does anyone know if it would be easy to put the auto valve on the door side propane compartment. It is a little unhandy on the other side with the bedroom slide out.

 

[vangoes]

kbitts,
The cracked nipple on your propane....how was it discovered. I have been having a faint propane smell outside the unit and the dealer nor I have been able to determine the source by using a sniffer and soapy water. The smell is on the offdoor side around the propane bottle compartment.

 

[ct0218]

I checked several times before I found my leak. I checked every fitting 3 times, and finally on the last check I found it. Not sure why it didn't show up earlier, but it didn't. I knew I had a leak because I could smell it. I tightened every fitting.

Puging the tanks properly is important, especially in high humidity conditions. A lot of places will just fill a new tank without purging at all, and that may work in the extreme south, but not everywhere. Even if it is above freezing, gas running through that small orifice will drop the temperature a lot, and any moisture will freeze instantly.

 

[Uncle Rog]

I will certainly be wary of cracked nipples, and purge my tanks at least three times prior to driving to Honolulu or Manila, thanks for the tip..HA!

 

[GARTH]

Scott: I checked the orange regulator when I got home last night. It appears to be mounted properly. I even removed it from the fire wall to check that the flow was going the right way and everything looks fine. Could you tell me what the purpose of this regulator is as the line leaving it goes to the main regulator anyway. Since the temperature has risen above 40 degrees it is hard to diagnose the problem when everything works like it should. Maybe it is moisture in the tanks. Garth

 

[Scott]

Make sure you read kbitts post up above. It has to be water or liquid gas in the valve(s) somewhere. At this point I would say that the "purge" they are talking about is something you need to consider.
ST