Replacing the propane piping question

[NanciL]

I just bought a small older model trailer that has copper tubing running from the regulator to a two burner stove and then to a fitting for an outside stove, and I would like to replace it all including the regulator with flexible tubing.
How hard a job is it ?

I have done lots of water piping (both threaded and glued), but never gas.

Jack L

[SoundGuy]

beemerphile1 wrote:
Threaded black pipe or copper tubing is the industry standard.

No longer - many newer trailers, my own 2014 Coachmen Freedom Express being one, are plumbed right from the regulator output with propane rated rubber hose. Mine is about 15' long and runs back to about the middle of the trailer where it feeds a splitter which has several outputs to which are connected more rubber hose that then runs up into the trailer to various locations to feed the furnace, fridge, water heater, and stove / oven. There's no hard pipe of any description.

[JBarca]

Old Biscuit, Thanks for your reply, that brings up a good point.


A question to the NanciL, what exact type of "flexible tubing" did you want to use?

Rubber gas line hose is flexible, soft copper tubing is flexible, and then there is flexible gas line that has an accordion style bellows to it to allow it to flex, or some other type?

[Old-Biscuit]

JBarca wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Propane hoses or gas pipe

No flexible for regulator or main feed line

Hi Old Biscuit,

Just asking on your statement that seems to have read, " Do not use flexible hose on the main tank regulator." Is that what you meant? If so, are you sure? or did I miss understand something.

If you meant it that way, many many campers are built with high pressure pigtails off the tank valve to the 2 stage cross over regulator and then low pressure hose from the regulator to the main black iron truck line. They use this to allow the tanks to be hooked up easier and the I believe vibration isolation between the main trunk line and the discharge side of the 2 stage regulator.

Please clarify.

Thanks

John

That is correct......high pressure hoses/pigtails and low pressure hose from reg to black pipe

OP asked about 'flexible tubing' which I take to be like the flex tubing used to connect stoves...metal tubing

If OP was asking about 'propane HOSES' then YES
Appropriate high & low pressure propane hoses are standard

[JBarca]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Propane hoses or gas pipe

No flexible for regulator or main feed line

Hi Old Biscuit,

Just asking on your statement that seems to have read, " Do not use flexible hose on the main tank regulator." Is that what you meant? If so, are you sure? or did I miss understand something.

If you meant it that way, many many campers are built with high pressure pigtails off the tank valve to the 2 stage cross over regulator and then low pressure hose from the regulator to the main black iron truck line. They use this to allow the tanks to be hooked up easier and the I believe vibration isolation between the main trunk line and the discharge side of the 2 stage regulator.

Please clarify.

Thanks

John

[beemerphile1]

Threaded black pipe or copper tubing is the industry standard. All copper connections MUST BE flared, do not use compression fittings.

[Old-Biscuit]

Propane hoses or gas pipe

Flexible for stove only

Cooper for other propane appliances

No flexible for regulator or main feed line

[JBarca]

Just a heads up on using flexible tubing on LP gas lines.

When using a rubber type hose on LP that is even gas rated, there is a chemical reaction between the LP and the rubber and an oil starts forming in the hose. The longer the hose, the more the oil. I do not know exactly what the chemical reaction is, but it does happen. I have read it, heard about it and even have the issue. I have an 8 ft hose for my BBQ grill that I run off of a 5# LP tank. At the end of that hose it is dripping with oil come the end of the season.

My camper also has a short hose from the tank regulator to the black iron main LP pipe. While I'm sure this hose also creates the oil, since the hose is only about 2 maybe 3 feet long, it has not created the oil like my 8 ft hose does. And the sch 40 1/2" gas pipe is a very big reservoir for what little oil is created to settle in.

Point being, if you do the whole trailer with small rubber hose you may have a large oil problem that will get into your gas appliances.

I also do not know if a rubber flex line is allowed "inside" a camper. It may be, but maybe not as a cracked hose from deterioration could go undetected. The soft flexible copper not degrade like the rubber.

Just some things to think through.

Question, if you have done a lot of water piping using steel pipe, what is the concern of using soft flexible copper tubing? Is it the flares on the end? That can be overcome with a good flare tool, getting good training on the flare process and some practice.

Hope this helps

John