Propane for fridge/stove going out - Montana Owners Club

432bartman · 10-05-2020, 03:29 PM

We loaded up and left our spot with a 4 hour drive home. Prior to leaving, I unplugged from the 50amp, and my fridge went to using propane. My propane regulator was set to the middle position, both tanks on, and both are full. Two hours into our drive, we pulled over to a rest stop, and I discovered the fridge beeping and the propane would not kick back on. I tried to get the stove top going, but it would not ignite either. I placed the propane regulator switch to the forward and back positions and nothing changed. It would not re-ignite. Could the propane regulator switch be bad?

**DQDick** · 10-05-2020, 03:42 PM

Yes it could be. Last fall I had an issue with mine and the park I was in has a tech on site. I mentioned replacing the valve and he took me behind his building and there was a 5 gallon bucket full of the same type that Keystone had put on mine. The tech said those were all the ones he'd replaced since August. It was October.

432bartman · 10-05-2020, 04:03 PM

Quality is job one.......lol.......Thanks for the reply. Do you know what kind you went with? Here's the one I have right now.

rohrmann · 10-05-2020, 04:42 PM

I replaced our regulator a couple years ago after it started failing with this one: MARSH EXCEL MEGR253H Marshall Excelsior Reg 2-Stage Auto Vert Bulk, purchased on Amazon. The 253H is the high capacity version: https://www.marshallexcelsior.com/2-...4-inv-x-38-fpt

**Carl n Susan** · 10-05-2020, 05:17 PM

AFAIK, there is no "Both Tanks On" position in the center or anywhere the lever can be positioned. The center position is actually a "Both Tanks Off" position. The lever needs to be all the way left or all the way right to allow propane to flow.

By placing the lever in the middle, once the existing propane in the line was consumed everything quit. It does take a while to get the propane to flow out to the cook top, stove, heater, furnace, refer, etc. once the lines have been emptied.

sourdough · 10-05-2020, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl n Susan

AFAIK, there is no "Both Tanks On" position in the center or anywhere the lever can be positioned. The center position is actually a "Both Tanks Off" position. The lever needs to be all the way left or all the way right to allow propane to flow.

By placing the lever in the middle, once the existing propane in the line was consumed everything quit. It does take a while to get the propane to flow out to the cook top, stove, heater, furnace, refer, etc. once the lines have been emptied.

^^^^This would be right as far as I know as well. Years ago my son camped with us and turned my regulator "to the middle" without my knowledge and we lost LP. As I was trying to figure it out he advised he had "helped" me by putting it in the right position. Restored it, bled the lines and all was well. That may be your situation.

**DQDick** · 10-05-2020, 07:31 PM

My answer was due to your statement that you tried it in each position. if it still isn't working in an on position, it is the one you have that I had to have replaced and it was replaced with the one Rohrmann pictured.

sourdough · 10-05-2020, 07:48 PM

It could just as well be the regulator. Replaced two and have one in my spare box....they do fail.

432bartman · 10-05-2020, 09:44 PM

Thanks guys for the replies.

RMcNeal · 10-06-2020, 05:12 AM

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I was wondering...I've noticed that mine seems to use propane from both tanks roughly equally. I have the Mopeka sensors and any time I use propane, they both drop percentage. I've tried switching the regulator from one side to the other, but it doesn't seem to matter which way it is pointing. I just figured this was normal. My old rig used up one tank, then auto switched to the other. I haven't used up the propane that came with the rig last October yet. Right now it shows 50% on the DS tank and 71% on the ODS tank. Yesterday, they were 53% and 79% before I went to bed and the furnace ran a little last night. Is that normal?
My regulator is the original one and looks just like the one Bartman posted a picture of.

jimcol · 10-06-2020, 05:37 AM

I'm not familiar with Mopeka sensors. Most sensors on propane do fluctuate a little with air temperature.

RMcNeal · 10-06-2020, 05:44 AM

Yeah, I was skeptical about the Mopeka sensors too, but they have great reviews. They attach to the bottom of the tank with a magnet and use some sort of sounding method to determine how much propane is in the tank. The sensors attach to my phone via bluetooth and I have a sensor reader inside my basement that gives me readings whenever I push a button for each tank. They seem to be at least somewhat accurate as I have removed the tanks and weighed them to compare readings. Most other types of gauges I have seen and used don't work at all.
Accurate or not, propane is definitely being used from both tanks. I can tell by picking them up and judging the weight. I don't have a scale with me, but neither one now weighs as much as a full 30# tank.

jimcol · 10-06-2020, 05:59 AM

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying the Mopeka is wrong or in error. I'm just saying you will have some change based on temps. The tank that dropped 3% could be related to temperature change and that one that dropped 8% could be temperature change plus propane usage.

RMcNeal · 10-06-2020, 06:05 AM

Yeah, I understand. I was just saying I had my doubts about how well they would work but they do seem at least close. I've never moved the handle to point at a different tank so I was wondering how I could be down on both? Especially after Carl said there isn't a setting for "Use both tanks simultaneously". I'm amazed that the propane in the original 30# tanks from a year ago still are more than half full after using the furnace several times, cooking occasionally, running the water heater on propane a few times when I only had 30 amp service, etc. These things must be much more efficient than my 2014 Travel Trailer. Seems I was filling tanks several times a year on the old one.
The drop in propane on both tanks is what prompted me to buy the sensors in the first place. I just assumed the regulator was using both tanks all time, so when one turned red (empty) they both would be empty or pretty close, and I didn't want a cold night at 2 am without propane.

ForBruce · 10-06-2020, 12:46 PM

before you buy a new regulator....look into the VENT hole for spider webs....there is breed of VERY tiny spiders that can clog up a vent hole and stop it from BALANCING air vs gas. The regulator shuts down.. I fixed many a gas valve by just clearing the webbing..

By the way they do get past the vent hole guards as small as they seam....look at the yellow arrow on my picture for the vent hole....(taken by a mirror)

dieselguy · 10-06-2020, 06:35 PM

If the lines were mostly empty due to having the selector set to nothing ... it may take a minute or so of opening a gas valve and purging the line with LP. If you listen, you can hear air and or LP coming out your stove burners before you try and light. If you can hear either or coming out a burner ... I'd guess you haven't purged the line yet. If you don't hear anything ... probably the regulator.

whiterose · 10-11-2020, 01:52 PM

Determine if you have propane at the furnace / stove.

beekeeper.va · 10-11-2020, 05:33 PM

I did not see this posted here so here goes. The tanks have an internal switch in the tank that checks for a high volume of gas escaping. If the lines are empty, turning the tanks on too fast causes the internal valve to pop closed. If you listen closely, you can hear a "tink" if that happens. Go shut off both tanks. Then crack the valve very slowly on the tank that is selected. Hope this helps.

Roy & Georgia · 10-14-2020, 09:16 AM

Recently had to replace my regulator (same unit as yours) because while checking out my connections with soapy water I found it was leaking around the crimps on the front of the regulator. If yours is leaking too it might be letting propane out of both tanks.

twindman · 10-14-2020, 10:48 AM

I finally sprang for the big bucks propane tester a few years ago ($20-30 LOL). I had a leak around the tanks and determined it was the short connection hose. I have had a smell in the unit at other times not picked up by the detector by the WH/Stove area. It was worse in the bedroom which is why I suspected the tank area.

Gives peace of mind when you can track down the leak pretty quickly.

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