Forum Discussion

mileshuff's avatar
mileshuff
Explorer
Sep 05, 2013

Exposed rubber gas lines under belly an issue?

My new 5'er has rubber lines running from the tanks beneath the underbelly fully exposed to the road surface. Should I worry about road debris hitting the lines or is this standard practice to run the lines like that?

6 Replies

  • i have a 2013 starcraft 278bh TT. the complete propane line system is rubber. i hope this stuff is up to the task.
  • Im replying to this topic as I recently found Propane flex hose problems:
    Short story: you need to inspect the rubber hose that runs under your seating area slideout to the heater under the dining table couch. Make sure it is not kinking or caught on something, or damaged in any way. make sure there are no screws or sharp objects protruding into this space that the line is supposed to travel freely in. In my unit I had to remove a drawer and remove flexible webbing covering the access hole to inspect the access area under the drawer where the hose is supposed to be able to move freely.

    Long story: I recently has issues with my furnace under the dining table not heating as is was supposed to. It would operate, but only when the slidout was in a partially closed position. I inspected the rubber fuel hose that is routed from the driver side storage cabinet up through the floor and into the slidout space. I found the line was kinked around and caught on a screw that penetrated through the floor into the area under the slidout. The hose outer rubber layer was damaged by the kinking and rubbing on the screw, but not leaking yet. When I found it I was seriously shocked by the potenetial danger of fire and explosion this damaged propane hose could have had. I will post photos of what I found when i have more time.
  • My propane piping is metal, but from the front of the TT to the propane tanks it is rubber. I had rodents chewing on these lines on a regular basis. I went to Home Depot and got some large diameter BX cable and encased the lines with it. Problem solved
  • It is a traditional black rubber flexible propane hose. On my trailer there are two propane tanks, one on each side of the trailer located behind access doors. A black hose is running from the auto switch valve on one tank, under the trailers belly and to the tank on the opposite side of the trailer. It is tied beneath the underbelly cover with support straps.
  • Is your galley in a slide.? Requiring a flexable propane line for it.
  • By gas I guess you mean propane? Those should be metal not rubber. Are you sure the rubber isn't "protecting" copper piping?

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