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Old 11-15-2008, 08:22 AM   #1
CAPTSMIR
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Gas Regulator

I'm a firt timer to the forum and I need advice already. I must say that I was excited to hear about MOC and will visit the site frequently. The question I have, is anyone having problems with the first stage high pressure lp gas regulator on the drivers side of your rig. We have an 08, 3075 and the regulator is leaking. I spent the entire day yesterday searhing the Clearwater area for a replacement. No luck. Does anyone know where I can find a replacement without having to deal with Lazy Days? Thank You and looking forward to being a part of MOC.

CAPTSMIR (George)
 
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Old 11-15-2008, 08:36 AM   #2
rogue
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George, First WELCOME to the Forum! Most rv dealers parts departments carry them, as I assume Camping world. Maybe some campgrounds or LP centers. Mine started leaking, purchased one and installed it. Just make sure you test for leaks when you reinstall it. If you can not find one right away you can use the switch on the passenger side, have it pointed for the passenger side only, and just use the one tank. Only a slight inconvenience if it runs out, to swap it out and get the empty one filled.
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Old 11-15-2008, 08:48 AM   #3
SlickWillie
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by CAPTSMIR

I'm a firt timer to the forum and I need advice already. I must say that I was excited to hear about MOC and will visit the site frequently. The question I have, is anyone having problems with the first stage high pressure lp gas regulator on the drivers side of your rig. We have an 08, 3075 and the regulator is leaking. I spent the entire day yesterday searhing the Clearwater area for a replacement. No luck. Does anyone know where I can find a replacement without having to deal with Lazy Days? Thank You and looking forward to being a part of MOC.

CAPTSMIR (George)
You can actually run without that regulator. It is there merely to assist in opening the bottle on that side. Without it, you have to crack the valve on that side verrrrry slooooowly, or the safety device inside the bottle will shut it off.
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Old 11-15-2008, 09:29 AM   #4
rwellesley
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Thats good info Slickwillie, I recently had to replace mine and wondered what its purpose was.
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Old 11-15-2008, 11:03 AM   #5
Glenn and Lorraine
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George, First of all WELCOME to the MOC Family.
I see your are from Sarasota. There are a number of RV Dealers in your area as well as Pinellas County. More importantly there is a Camping World at Lazy Days. I understand why you wouldn't want to deal with Lazy Days but Camping World is seperate.
If your 08 is still under warranty you can also stop at any authorized Keystone RV dealer and as most all RVs use the same regulator most any RV dealership should be able to warrant the regulator.

SlickWillie
I find it very difficult to believe that the regulator is there only to assist in switching bottles. After years of RVing, your explanation is the very first time I ever heard that.
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Old 11-15-2008, 11:56 AM   #6
SlickWillie
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quote:Originally posted by Glenn and Lorraine

George, First of all WELCOME to the MOC Family.
I see your are from Sarasota. There are a number of RV Dealers in your area as well as Pinellas County. More importantly there is a Camping World at Lazy Days. I understand why you wouldn't want to deal with Lazy Days but Camping World is seperate.
If your 08 is still under warranty you can also stop at any authorized Keystone RV dealer and as most all RVs use the same regulator most any RV dealership should be able to warrant the regulator.

SlickWillie
I find it very difficult to believe that the regulator is there only to assist in switching bottles. After years of RVing, your explanation is the very first time I ever heard that.
Glenn, the regulator on the driver's side drops pressure to 18psi. Ours went out last winter. Too much thread compound in it. I ordered one in Rockport at the Montana dealer, Camper Clinic. In the meantime (long time), their service guy came to our RV park and was eating lunch down at the pier by the water. I happened to be fishing, and I talked to him for awhile, and decided to ask him about my suspicion as to why the regulator was there. I could see no reason for the regulator other than for backpressure. He assured me it only served one purpose, to create back pressure when the valve on that tank was opened, thus keeping the safety valve from shutting off. Otherwise you have the volume of the 1/2" pipe that goes to the other regulator to fill. I am currently running without the regulator. I know how to open the valve; no need to spend the money and effort to put the regulator back in. If we were still under warranty, I would have it replaced.

BTW, I looked at a lot of regulators. I would not get anything but the replacement from Keystone. IIRC, it is imported from India. The others I looked at did not have the capacity for the volume of gas the furnace, range, and hot water heater need to operate.

I feel sure I could enlighten you on a lot of things you don't know after years of RVing, but I won't waste my time. You seem to be the kind that knows it all.

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Old 11-15-2008, 12:16 PM   #7
Mrs. CountryGuy
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Cripes, this ole leaky brain seems to remember they added that valve on the driver's side for some "safety" regulation.

Anyone know where I heard that??? I sure don't remember. SIGHHH

Don't remember if it was a federal mandate, a RVIA mandate or if there even WAS a mandate.

I hate getting old!
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Old 11-15-2008, 12:30 PM   #8
bigmurf
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Never had the regulator on ours. Never had a problem.
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Old 11-15-2008, 01:06 PM   #9
The Oldguard
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Everything you need to know about Gas Regulators.
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Old 11-15-2008, 02:54 PM   #10
mtheo
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I also was told that it was to reduce the volumne of gas that was need fill the 1/2" pipe that would cause the safety valve in the tank to close. When mine started to leak I tried to find an 18# regulator and all that was available were 12# regulators. With that and the second regulator my appliances would not work. I at that point I decided to leave it out of the system with no ill effects. Just got to open valve very slowly.
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Old 11-21-2008, 03:10 AM   #11
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This is very timely for me. I have 2007 3500rl since April 2008, in the fall of 2008 at the right side tank I smelled propane, disconnected everything resealed the connections, still leaked. Rather than haul the rv to a dealer 50 miles each way I called someone locally who was recommended (live in small town) who had rented space had an impressive truck for road service and he said had worked on rv's for years. He messed with it for an hour or so, replaced the regulator, charged $125, did not have the tools to check the pressure at the stove, or seem to even know about such a thing, although he said the regulator was a normal problem.
We were in Kissimmee after Christmas, and I determined the propane leak still existed. Someone that had lived in the campground, and was highly recommended did come out and checked the propane, changed the regulator again, did have the test equipment spent 2 1/2 hours ran the stove gauge etc. Pronouced the system leak free, $250.
After that I kept that tank closed for most of our summer 7 week trip, still not convinced. Near the end of the summer I opened the valve so I could determine if it was still leaking. My left side tank ran empty, the furnace would not light, the right side tank was also empty and smelled like propane. I was checking the left side tank daily to montor when it ran out, so it was less than one day, no way the right side tank could have been used up by the furnace in one day.
I just made an appointment to have problem fixed next week a good dealer, told him to replace everything between the two tanks if necessary.
Now it seems the culprit is probably an unnecessry regulator that seems difficult to replace with a good one.
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Old 11-21-2008, 04:19 AM   #12
ole dude
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Had trouble with mine, replaced it with a regulator (adjustable) from the butane dealer, $15.00. It was actually for a fish fryer, has plenty capacity, works well.
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Old 11-21-2008, 04:49 AM   #13
OntMont
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In October 2005 the RVIA standard was changed to require an intermediate regulator on the tank on the other side from the main regulator. (not all are on the same side). Before that date, there was only one regulator. The advantage of the added regulator is that it prevents of surge of gas into an empty cross-over pipe. This surge of gas sometimes triggered the flow limiting safety device that is built into the tank connector. When the flow limiting device was triggered, people would find that their furnace would not run, although other lower demand appliances might continue to function. Keystone almost always put one tank on each side of the trailer. Some other manufacturers often put both tanks together, and do not require this secondary regulator.

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Old 11-21-2008, 07:48 AM   #14
hazmic
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Mine dose not have one and ONT MONT has the answer to the question. I have said before and will repeat OPEN THE TANKS SOOOO SLOWLY. You probably operate with out the regulator if you open the tanks sloooowly. Mine was built in June of 05.
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Old 11-21-2008, 09:38 AM   #15
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FWIW - that open slowly also applies to the single side regulator -- although both of my tanks are on the same side with single regulator, I ran out of Propane last weekend. Had both tanks filled and when I put them back in, I just opened them up. Heard the rush of gas into the line -- all was well --- NOT. As mentioned, no heat. Had propane coming from one tank but not the other (which was the first I opened since it was the one my regulator was pointing too). Had to turn off both tanks, let the pressure subside some (turned on the stove for a few seconds) and then opened the tank again, slowly. I also jiggled the tank first to 'dislodge' the valve (i.e. cause it to open up inside the tank -- not sure if that was needed but it worked so....). Regardless, now both tanks are flowing propane.
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Old 12-29-2008, 07:40 AM   #16
sreigle
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I assume we're talking about the little regulator on the offside and not the main regulator with the switch handle. As OntMont and others described, it's purpose is to reduce calls to Keystone (my guess) because no propane is flowing from that tank. Our 2003 did not have that regulator and if you opened the tank valve too quickly it assumed you had a leak and the safety valve shut off the flow. This regulator eliminates this problem. In theory, anyhow.

We had two of those little regulators fail on our 2007 Montana. They cut the propane flow to a very low flow amount (don't know the psi), enough our furnace would not run off it.

So, I tossed that regulator and just slowly and carefully open the valve on that tank. No problems. If you decide to remove it, keep in mind the hose connector to the inlet side of that regulator does not match the connector on the hose on the other side of the regulator. You have to get an adapter. No RV dealer had one. I tried at least a dozen. I finally found it at Ace Hardware in with all their other connectors. I just took the old regulator with me to match it up since those are the sizes on the hoses.

Good luck. And welcome aboard, George.
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Old 01-07-2009, 05:07 PM   #17
werhapy
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For the older units you can change out the pigtail to the bottle to one with a check valve built in. The check valve keeps the pressure in the line between the far side tank and the single regulator when you change the tank. Since I changed the pigtail there haven't been any troubles with the tank safety valve. This way there is not the sudden surge when you open the valve on the tank.

Enjoy!
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