Replacing LP tank in motorhome

[Scottiemom]

My sister and her husband are on a trip from Indiana to Las Vegas in their 1997 Class C. They've not had problems with snow/rain but it has been cold. First night out (Dec. 26) they heard a "pop" and attributed it to one of the dogs dropping a bone on the floor. Spent the night in a campground and used the gas furnace and auxiliary electric heater.

Yesterday morning got up and started driving. Around 11 a.m. they were near Joplin, Missouri, when they heard the "pop" again. They knew then it wasn't a dog bone on the floor, but didn't know what it was. The next time they heard the "pop," they started smelling propane. They immediately got off the highway and my BIL inspected but could not find anything amiss with the propane tank. Sister got on her smart phone (don't you love these things?) and found 3 RV service centers. Called one and they said they were about 40 miles away and if they could get there, they had someone who could inspect and repair the tank. BIL opened all the windows and they sped away. I don't know the name of the service center, but their SIL looked it up and said of the 3 in the area, it had the best ratings.

The tech pulled the coach in the garage and got under it. While he was there, the "pop" sounded again. A secretary came running from the office having "seen something" (I'm guessing flame maybe). The tech came out from under it and said he was pulling it out of the garage because he was afraid of what would happen.

So, they found a leaking pressure relief valve. Okay. But the service center told my sister and BIL that the stationery tanks on the motorhomes were required BY LAW to be REPLACED every 10 years. Huh? I said, "Perhaps they meant inspected." She said no. The people there told them they were to be inspected EVERY YEAR and REPLACED every 10 years and their motorhome which they bought new and have always stored inside is 20 years old and it had never been replaced.

Now, we are sitting here in our Phaeton and it has a 12 year old tank which we've never changed, and never had inspected. My DH said this was not true. DOT tanks, like your grill tank, etc., must follow the inspection and replacement rules governed by DOT, but the motorhome stationery tanks are covered under ASME rules. I did some research last night and found this to be true.

My sister asked them to just remove the tank then, cap the lines and they would get it fixed (when they could do some of their own research). They refused saying that was against the law, a removed tank must be replaced with a new tank. One cannot remove and cap the lines. No other option.

But instead of just replacing the pressure relief valve, they are going to replace the entire tank and all the fittings and gas lines, because of rust and because it's past the "10-year rule." DH says he is sure it will cost them over $1000. In the meantime, sister and BIL rented a car and are driving the rest of the way to Las Vegas and will pick up the motorhome on their return as parts were not readily available.

We once had a fill valve replaced on a Class C tank, no problem. DH said that if they had gone to a propane business, they would have gotten the tank fixed.

Sister said there is rust on the tank and they told her and BIL that rust is a no-no and that again was a reason to replace it. I read where people clean and repaint them. It is possible to have a defective tank, but in their case, it is the pressure relief valve leaking.

Beware out there.

Dale

[ksg5000]

Take your rig into any professional propane dealer - they will empty the propane tank, put on new safety valve and refill the tank. No big deal and won't cost much.

[turbojimmy]

There is no re-certification or replacement requirement on ASME (AMERICAN Society of Mechanical Engineers) permanently mounted propane tanks. You can change the relief valve - once they've "popped" they should be replaced. The tank obviously needs to be empty to do it.

I've had my 34-year-old ASME tank filled at least half-a-dozen times over the past 4 years at 4 different propane suppliers. None balked at the age or condition of the tank (it is pretty rusty).

I would cut your losses and get the RV out of there. I'd go to a propane supplier instead for advice.

[dks]

I understand that in Ontario propane tanks must be inspected every year, not replaced every 5 years. This applies to tanks permanently mounted to a vehicle.

[Farmboy666]

They should have just driven away.If the valve is bad replace it, it's just plumbing like any other system. Saying they can't remove it unless they replace it is total BS and having all the lines replaced is even more ridiculous. They sound like the perfect victims. PS. You can't judge by what's illegal in Canada.

[Scottiemom]

JaxDad wrote:

wildtoad wrote:
There is no 10 year rule for the permanent LP tanks on a motorhome.

Actually, there is in some jurisdictions, here in Ontario it’s in fact a 5 year rule, and it’s the entire system including piping and appliances.

Replacing a pressure relief valve yourself is illegal in most places, it certainly is here.

Are you saying all tanks must be changed out every 5 years? Or are you saying it must be inspected every 5 years. And are you talking motorhomes or trailers?

And, they are not in Canada, they are in the U.S.

[JaxDad]

wildtoad wrote:
There is no 10 year rule for the permanent LP tanks on a motorhome.

Actually, there is in some jurisdictions, here in Ontario it’s in fact a 5 year rule, and it’s the entire system including piping and appliances.

Replacing a pressure relief valve yourself is illegal in most places, it certainly is here.

[wildtoad]

There is no 10 year rule for the permanent LP tanks on a motorhome. There may be things that have gone wrong with the tank, but I suspect they are being fleeced..

[Ranger_Smith]

A tank is a chunk of metal. If it is defective it is because it has a hole in it. If it were me I would have ordered the pressure relief valve from Amazon or another online place and replaced it myself.