'Could have'..too Scary to Contemplate!

[rvcruiser]

Thank goodness for son-in-laws! We are parked beside daughter and son-in-law at a campground in south Florida. Having just returned from the Keys we filled up gas tank a few blocks from the campground. While travelling for the last few miles after filling up, we ran the gennie for our residential fridge. Next day while setting up outside there was faint a smell of gas. A couple of hours later I went inside and the smell was even stronger. After a time we traced the smell to the gennie compartment. By now it was almost dark. Asked son-in-law to help us take a look....he found the hose that fills the gennie with gas had a pin hole just before it entered the gennie. Leaking gas directly over the exhaust for the gennie! Since there was a bit of extra length in the hose, he disconnected hose, sliced off about three inches including hole, then reconnected it to gennie.
What 'could have happened' is too scary to contemplate! A spark, a hot gennie exhaust pipe....who knows.
Thank goodness for our great son-in-law Bryan!
P.S. This hose was in fine shape and the hole was on the side....cannot figure how it could have got there.
Please.....check your gennie gas supply hose as part of maintenance!

[wny_pat1]

richardwise wrote:
Gas leaking onto hot exhaust in NOT good. Fiberglass burns very quickly! I know from experience a 1962 Corvette takes only about 10 minutes to completely burn. I'm glad you found your leak. Folks- listen to the man.

Yep, my son had a custom Vette that he was hauling on a commercial car carrier burn up. Just had a brake job done on the trailer, and the Vette was right over the axles. It was gone before the fire dept got there. They go real fast!!!

[CavemanCharlie]

If it's 17 years old and you have not changed your radiator and heater core hoses your really running on borrowed time too. Power steering hoses are hit and miss. Some of them will run forever others not. The Ford power steering hoses seem to have about a 12-15 year life span.

[mowermech]

The Texan wrote:
I would expect, after 17 years, all the fuel hose should be replaced. That was a wake up call, so as soon as you can replace the rest of the line.

I agree. Alcohol or no alcohol, rubber goods eventually get brittle and fail. Even if sunlight never hits them, they get brittle and fail.
I bought several air hoses about 5 years go. None of them have ever been around alcohol or sunlight, but they turned brittle and cracked last summer.
Many years ago, I bought a 1977 Pace Arrow Class A. The generator fuel line was hard and brittle, and had to be replaced. Oddly enough, the engine fuel lines were in great shape!

[Matt_Colie]

Jim,

As the owner (and lover) of an antique and classic (old, quite old) motorhome, I can assure you that the rubber in your fuel lines should be replaced. It is not capable of with standing the stuff that is now sold as "motorfuel" in most of the US and Canada. Suspect that any original rubber is probably also due for replacement. And get the brakes flushed too while you are at it. This list is not real long, but it can add greatly to the reliability of your coach.

Matt

[Homer1]

I have had similar problems with gas lines on cars. They, for what ever reason occasionally will develop a pin hole. Usually fuel does not exit these holes, instead they suck air and cause rough operation. Sure glad you found the problem. Every day must feel like you were just re-born.

[The_Texan]

I would expect, after 17 years, all the fuel hose should be replaced. That was a wake up call, so as soon as you can replace the rest of the line.

[JaxDad]

Yet another good reason to use Sta-bil or any good fuel treatment in EVERY tank of Ethanol-enriched gasoline put into a vehicle built before the advent of this junk.

That or replace all soft parts in the system with new stuff that's impervious to alcohol.

Of course that still doesn't solve all the other issues, but it helps.


Glad everything turned out well in the end.

[JoeH]

How old was the hose ? I had to replace the one on our genset awhile back due to a pin hole in the line that caused it to run rough ( sucking air) My hose was pretty brittle so the whole thing was replaced. I wonder if ethanol in the gas is a contributing factor .

[FunnyCamper]

wow glad everything came out alright. that is scary.

[RoyB]

Buy that man a beer - Glad all came out OK...

Roy Ken

[richardwise]

Gas leaking onto hot exhaust in NOT good. Fiberglass burns very quickly! I know from experience a 1962 Corvette takes only about 10 minutes to completely burn. I'm glad you found your leak. Folks- listen to the man.