Forum Discussion
28 Replies
- I have a propane wand and glycerin spray (I don't use soapy water due to it corroding if not completely rinsed off) which I used to check for leaks or loose connections. I call it the Zippo test, and it ensures that other people keep their distance while I am checking the lines.
- I really don't see the issue. Glad nobody was hurt, but not sure you need to turn off the propane when not in use as the tile of this post suggests.
Propane systems can leak or break on something rolling down the road, just like anything on a trailer. That's why they install propane sensor alarms, because sometimes they leak, or someone can leave a stove knob on.
Done the too tried to unpack the trailer when I get home trick many of times. Luckily I am one of the "bad" ones that leave my propane fridge on when I drive, so when I get home I know for sure nothing is leaking :B subcamper wrote:
Propane is heavier than air, so open roof vents won't help much. That's why the detector is near the floor.
Steve
+1
Open roof vents will help very very little.- I acn barely und erstand the questshun.
- Propane is heavier than air, so open roof vents won't help much. That's why the detector is near the floor.
Steve - Not sure if it matters or not, but I always leave my roof vents open when towing with the propane on, Fridge on. I figure if there was ever a leak, there would be enough ventilation with 2 vents open. One thing about Propane, it has a strong smell. My regulator was leaking in the Spring time, and within seconds I could smell it from several feet away.
Blacklane wrote:
I wonder what happened to the propane detector which has been required in RVs since the early 1990s. That unit looks new enough to need one. And what about the smell? If the propane system had been acting balky before the explosion, there should have been other warning signs.
Came home, too tired to open trailer and empty everything, too tired to plug-into electricity. Opened propane valve at bottle....
Stove knob could have been left on constantly filling trailer with propane. Detector is useless if no one is inside to hear it. Fridge was likely working just fine, during one of the ignition cycles, the trailer exploded. The spark came on and the trailer had already reached the lower explosion limit with propane.... BOOM!
I'm a gas fitter.- I must admit, i am unlikely to buy a palomino product looking at the construction quality now its exposed. d
- Ironically when I returned from a trip last weekend (only an hour drive), I noticed I had left the two propane tanks in the open position. Luckily I had no appliances on.
And after trying to light my barbeque grill off the rear bumper, I finally realized that there was a gas valve that was closed. Blacklane wrote:
I wonder what happened to the propane detector which has been required in RVs since the early 1990s. That unit looks new enough to need one. And what about the smell? If the propane system had been acting balky before the explosion, there should have been other warning signs.
They where not in the TT for any of those issues to have any effect. They parked it after coming home from a trip and went in the house for the night and left the propane on to keep the fridge cold.
I'm gonna go with the "bumped a stove knob" theory - sat cracked open for hours filling the TT with propane 'til it was rich enough to leak around the fridge and ignite when that kicked on.
No real burn, which is why the whole TT still looks "clean" - just a big flash fire / explosion as the propane burned away very rapidly.
