Tired of cold showers ugh

[oldmanriver809]

Well we're about 1500 miles into our first ever RV adventure which has been great but our propane system isn't working well. We have a 2013 14rb AR-ONE. The problem we are having is that the propane won't continually flow over a longer than 10-15 minute time frame, sometimes less than 30 seconds. I have a full tank of propane(20lbs) and I thought it was the regulator so I bought a new one and installed it. I checked for leaks with soapy water and do not have any. Sometimes the propane will last long enough to make a pot of coffee and once so far it's lasted/flowed long enough for supper and two showers but this morning after successfully making a pot of coffee I tried lighting the hot water tank for a shower and it went out, burner and pilot light, after about 10 minutes. I read that you should turn the propane valve on very slowly to avoid "freezing up" the valve and I have been doing that but with limited success. We would surely like a warm shower and were wondering if you all would have any suggestions that might fix this problem? Thank you in advance!

[oldmanriver809]

Hi dodge guy. Well the old tank was still almost full. The guy at the propane exchange picked it up to give me a new and said this one is still full and shook it so I told him I just wasn't to sure about it and that I wanted a new tank anyway lol. Well we got one shower in the books and I'm waiting to see if the burner will kick back on as my wife gets her shower. I'm wonderin if the pilot light went out after the first cycle of the burner shut off. Is there an adjustment for the pilot light? It seemed to have an awfully small flame?

[dodge_guy]

All that and a bad/empty tank.

I did that one time. Furnace stopped working, after an hour of poking around I found the tank empty.

[oldmanriver809]

Ok so I left the tank valve on all last night and tried to use it this morning for coffee on the stove and it would not work. It definitely had pressure in the line because when I opened the valve yesterday I could visibly see the line kinda move from slowly opening the valve. So I found the closest grocery store and swapped out the tank and lit the hot water pilot light and turned it to the on position. It started the burner and has heated up the tank and kicked off. I also lit both burners as the hot water tank was running and they worked fine also. In a few minutes we will attempt to get showers and see if the water tank burner cycles on and off as it should. So far so good!! Wooohooo!! Thank you all for your help and input!!

[ppine]

I mostly use a solar shower. Always works.

[jfkmk]

profdant139 wrote:
jfkmk, what is a "flow Vance in the pigtail?" Please forgive me if I am misreading your post. Thanks.

A “flow Vance in the pigtail” is my dyslexic fingers typing on an iPad. I meant to type excess flow valve. Sorry!

[profdant139]

jfkmk, what is a "flow Vance in the pigtail?" Please forgive me if I am misreading your post. Thanks.

[colliehauler]

jfkmk wrote:
Yes, he has a pilot light on the water heater. We had a 2012 AR-One 17RD and it was a manual lighting pilot light. Not really an issue, you only light it once!

Oldmanriver we had a very similar problem with ours when we first bought it. Turns out it was a defective excess flow Vance in the “pigtail”, the rubber hose running from the tank to the regulator. Replace it and open the valve slowly.

Also, don’t bleed down the lines. Once you do, it takes a while to light the water heater.

For those who never close you propane tanks...a few years ago we were camping and were out of the campground for a day. When we returned, we smelled propane and the tank was sweating profusely. Turns out some critter chewed through the pigtail and made just enough of a hole to bleed down the tank but not to trigger the shutoff valve.

OP, we really loved our AR-One, it was a basic trailer but never had a single problem with it. Good luck!

Defective excess flow in pigtail could be the problem, worth changing the hose out.

[oldmanriver809]

Stopped here for a few days deep in rural North Carolina. Awesome!!!!

[oldmanriver809]

Hello everyone and thanks for the replies!! My ar-one is a hard sided camper and I have a pilot light for the hot water tank but for travel I do not use the refrigerator. I only put things in it that I will consume while camping and using the electric option i.e.: beer, Bologna, and mustard lol.. I've left the propane supply valve on all day and will leave it on through the night and try to light it tomorrow to get a shower. When I changed the regulator a few days ago I blew out the line between the tank and the regulator dodge guy and it was clear. jfkmk I can't tell you how much we are enjoying our AR-ONE!! Love love love it!!

[dodge_guy]

It actually sounds like there may be a spider web somewhere in the supply
Line! You would need to disconnect at the end of the run before it branches out, and disconnect after the regulator. Then blow out the line. Do the same with the flexible hoses.

[jfkmk]

Yes, he has a pilot light on the water heater. We had a 2012 AR-One 17RD and it was a manual lighting pilot light. Not really an issue, you only light it once!

Oldmanriver we had a very similar problem with ours when we first bought it. Turns out it was a defective excess flow Vance in the “pigtail”, the rubber hose running from the tank to the regulator. Replace it and open the valve slowly.

Also, don’t bleed down the lines. Once you do, it takes a while to light the water heater.

For those who never close you propane tanks...a few years ago we were camping and were out of the campground for a day. When we returned, we smelled propane and the tank was sweating profusely. Turns out some critter chewed through the pigtail and made just enough of a hole to bleed down the tank but not to trigger the shutoff valve.

OP, we really loved our AR-One, it was a basic trailer but never had a single problem with it. Good luck!

[2oldman]

6.2Superduty wrote:
Looks like the original poster has a popup.Looks like a Coleman. My 2005 Jayco popup had a pilot light.

I looked it up. It's a small hard-sided trailer, and he did post in TT.

[6_2Superduty]

2oldman wrote:

oldmanriver809 wrote:
2oldman I have a pilot light on the hot water tank if that's what you mean

Very unusual for a 2013 trailer. Most have DSI.

Looks like the original poster has a popup.Looks like a Coleman. My 2005 Jayco popup had a pilot light.

[George3037]

2oldman wrote:

oldmanriver809 wrote:
2oldman I have a pilot light on the hot water tank if that's what you mean

Very unusual for a 2013 trailer. Most have DSI.

I agree. My trailer is a 2010 and have no standing pilots for the water heater or the fridge. Both have electonic ignition.

[ScottG]

No need to turn off propane until (or if) you park it for the season. Your causing all your own problems so just leave it on!

Ans as 2OldMan indicated, your not running the fridge on electric while going down the road. It needs propane then.