Propane issues. - Montana Owners Club

Montana_1302 · 09-30-2006, 11:43 AM

I'm not sure if this will apply to everyone but we have 2 propane bottles, one on each side of the trailer. The problem we are having is that the bottles can't be switched. When one goes dry and you swing the selector to get gas from the other bottle you get nothing. The only way to get gas is to physically move the bottle to the other side of the trailer. We've ensured bottles are filled, hosed are good, checked regulators, etc. Dealer checked regulators on both sides and replaced one of them with no change in symptom. He suggested I contact Keystone directly to see if they any ideas but I thought I'd check here first.

LonnieB · 09-30-2006, 12:33 PM

mtmy2k, it's my understanding the mechanism on the propane switches automatically, so there is no interuption of fuel to the appliance when one bottle gets empty. The indicator will turn red after this happens, then you turn the valve to the opposite setting and the indicator should turn green. When you fill the empty bottle and put it back in-line, leave the valve as it is. When the other tank is empty the indicator becomes red again, and you swith the valve to the original position. Like I said, thats just my understanding of the system, and I may have understood wrong.

Countryfolks · 09-30-2006, 12:52 PM

Which side delivers fuel, The side with the change over lever [on the road side on mine] or the one w/o the lever? If you get fuel from the side with the lever you may have a bad switching valve or the crossover pipe is plugged.

Skip

JH Sechelt · 09-30-2006, 01:14 PM

Had the same problem with our 2980Rl. The sidewalk side with the switch over valve would work OK but the road side would not let enough propane through to run the furnace. I took the hoses and cross over apart and blew it out with air and it still would not work with furnace, soon as the furnace would draw propane the little green indicator would go into the red and the furnace would not stay lit. That was one item I was going to save for the dealer as you, I could move tanks around. 3 or 4 months later they both worked on their own. Go figure. Sometimes you really have to make sure those hose are done up real tight to the tanks, or I don't think the check valve in the tank opens enough. My guess is that lots of the switch over valves don't work very well to start.

Good luck
J&D

VanMan · 09-30-2006, 03:40 PM

I know those OPD valves will "shut down" if you open the valve too fast - it thinks there is a leak and the OPD shuts off the propane's path out. Perhaps the turning of the switching lever (empty tank to full tank) could do the same thing if done too fast since the tank's valve is already fully open.

Wrenchtraveller · 09-30-2006, 05:44 PM

I agree with Van Man and you must open the valves very slowly on the newer tanks or the safety valve will close. It happened to me once but I knew the fix and now I open both valves very slowly and the system works great.

patodonn · 09-30-2006, 05:45 PM

Quote : "Dealer checked regulators on both sides and replaced one of them with no change in symptom." Did that mean he checked the OPD valves on both tanks? I think there is only one "regulator", the one with the red/green indicator and the black selector lever.

Just for clarification, the black lever should be positioned to "point" to the bottle supplying the system...pointing back (aft) to select the "driver-side" bottle as the source of supply, and pointing forward to select the "passenger-side" bottle. The actual switchover when the "selected" bottle runs out is automatic; moving the lever afterwards is only a "clean-up" item to get the system and red/green indicator back in agreement as to which bottle is supplying the system pressure.

You probably had all that correct to begin with, but I was confused by some of the wording.

Hope this is of some help..

bsmeaton · 09-30-2006, 09:40 PM

J&D,

Did you ever get yours resolved yet? This year I starting having the same problem. Not enough pressure from the road side - and I don't have the little regulator on the road side. I just bought a new regulator but haven't installed it yet. Do the cylinder valves ever go bad or get plugged?

Brad

dcowie · 10-01-2006, 12:19 AM

I agree with VANMAN; had the same problem and learned of the fix on this forum - open slowly. Another thing I learned was to light the stove burners whenever you switch over manually in case the lines are air bound.

LonnieB · 10-01-2006, 04:55 AM

I just finished checking mine. I lit the furnace, checked to see which tank it was drawing out of, and turned the valve off on that tank. The automatic switchover valve ( for lack of knowing proper name ), switched tanks, the green indicator turned red, and the furnace never faltered. I turned the indicator lever the opposite direction and it instantly turned green. I then let the furnace run for several minutes to make sure it wasn't going to starve for fuel. I don't know if any of this is going to help answer your question, but it let me know my understanding of the system is correct. BTW, the port side tank on mine has a red regulator, and the starbord side has the gray regulator between the automatic switchover valve, and the appliances.

Montana_1302 · 10-01-2006, 07:43 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I should have stated the problem is with the street side bottle. It does have a regulator as does the curb side, each feeding into the transfer switch. If I'm reading everything correctly, the transfer switch "points" towards the tank it is drawing from and the indicator should be green and regardless of the switches position when it automatically switches over the indicator will go red. Then, when you check your system and see that it is red you switch over to the "full" tank and remove the "empty", refill and replace. That is how we started out and had the issues I originally posted. We took it to the dealer who replaced the street side regulator which did not fix the problem. At that point I started leaving the street side bottle off and move the bottle to the curb side when it goes dry. It's a pain but it is the only way I can get it to work. I will try the "open slowly" method and see if that changes anything.

Montana_1302 · 10-01-2006, 07:44 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I should have stated the problem is with the street side bottle. It does have a regulator as does the curb side, each feeding into the transfer switch. If I'm reading everything correctly, the transfer switch "points" towards the tank it is drawing from and the indicator should be green and regardless of the switches position when it automatically switches over the indicator will go red. Then, when you check your system and see that it is red you switch over to the "full" tank and remove the "empty", refill and replace. That is how we started out and had the issues I originally posted. We took it to the dealer who replaced the street side regulator which did not fix the problem. At that point I started leaving the street side bottle off and move the bottle to the curb side when it goes dry. It's a pain but it is the only way I can get it to work. I will try the "open slowly" method and see if that changes anything.

JH Sechelt · 10-01-2006, 08:43 AM

Hi Brad,

To be honest I haven't used the road side propane bottle for the last 3 or 4 months. It did work the last time I tried it. I think the problem is in the switch over valve. Some times if you turn it back & forth a whole bunch it will start to work. I don't have a regulator on both sides of our trailer. Just the one Regulator that is part & parcel of the switch over valve. I know sometimes on the BBQ, if you don't give that big plastic coupling that goes to the propane tank a little extra twist, it might not open the safety valve in the propane bottle properly. It will lets some gas out, just not enough to run things like a furnace.
Good luck.

J&d

bsmeaton · 10-01-2006, 04:48 PM

Thanks J&D. I just recieved the new regulator-selector valve through UPS. I got the same make as what originally came on the Montana. It was relatively cheap ($38). I'll give it a try and let you know.

I also got a remote light for the valve that flashes inside the RV whenever the bottle changes over or whenever the selector drops into the red. Hopefully I can keep an eye on it better from inside to see if it fixed the problem. The only troublesome thing about the remote indicator is it's battery operated and you have to take the batteries out everytime you shut off the tanks or it will flash until the batteries are dead. I may have to rig a microswitch on there to isolate the batteries.

Brad

bsmeaton · 10-01-2006, 04:53 PM

Steve,
I believe you've got it right. Once you run one tank down the valve switches automatically, but the selector is still pointed to the empty tank and the indicator will be red. Once you sitch the selector over to the full tank, the indicator should return to green and you should be able to remove the empty tank for refill without interrupting service.

Brad

MAMalody · 10-01-2006, 08:10 PM

Mine seems to be different. With the selector on the street side tank, the indicator is green. When the street side tank runs dry, the indicator goes red and then the valve switches automatically to the curb side tank and the indicator went back to green. Go figure.

bsmeaton · 10-01-2006, 08:13 PM

Mike,

hahahaha - I think they all just do what they want after reading all these posts.

By the way, thanks for the tip on the Blue Sea battery box. Got it on order and next spring I'll get the golf cart batteries from Camping World.

Brad

VanMan · 10-02-2006, 02:33 AM

Brad, you may want to compare battery prices. I get mine (for golf carts) at Sam's Club.

noneck · 10-02-2006, 03:32 AM

This makes no sense, sounds like your unit has a separate regulator feeding a single automatic selector switch. The regulators are designed to maintain 12" water pressure.
My 2002 Montana has the integrated regulator/automatic selector switch on the curb side. Street side LP tank has the short tubing (black hose) connected to black iron pipe which is plumbed across to curb side selector...and the curb side tank runs from the short tubing (black hose) to the other side of the selector. These are both running at the tank pressure which is necessary to get enough delta p (p = pressure) to allow automated switch over. The output feeds into the regulator which steps it down to the 12" to 14" output pressure that is sent to your applicances (Furnace, Fridge, stove, and hot water tank).
I am not suggesting you change anything but it makes no sense to me or I have not understood your configuration correctly...

OntMont · 10-02-2006, 03:55 PM

Starting in October 2005, the RVIA standard was changed to require that manufacturers who put propane bottles on both sides of a trailer, had to add a secondary regulator (the red one spoken of above) to the tank on the side opposite the main regulator. This is to overcome the problem of the excess flow valve closing when a new cylinder is opened into an empty cross over pipe. The red reglators are relatively cheap (or so I am told), and might be a good enhancement for those of us without them. Otherwise, as stated, open the valve very slowly.

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