No propane getting to any appliance! - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Escape Systems | Water, Waste, Charging & Propane
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-08-2016, 07:52 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
nathanj04011's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Midcoast, Maine
Trailer: 2016 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 435
No propane getting to any appliance!

Even though they didn't absolutely have to have it, I filled my propane tanks up yesterday in preparation of a camping weekend. This morning I went out and switched the fridge over from electric to propane to hopefully cool it down a little bit more.

I came home this evening to my wife sputtering and spouting about how the fridge just got warmer all day. It was currently at 50°. Except that my wife doesn't sputter and spout, that was me after she told me. I went out and tried to start the stove but no propane came out. The propane light on the fridge was blinking.

I looked at the level indicator behind the propane tanks to see what was happening there, and the indicator was on red. For both tanks. I shut both tanks off waited, and then slowly opened it up. No love. I also unhooked the propane hoses from the tanks and reconnected them. Again no luck.

Does anybody have any ideas what could be the problem? I know I've exhausted my knowledge just from what I did!
nathanj04011 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 07:58 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
When did the gas last work?

If you have a gas grill at home try one or both of the tanks there.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 08:07 PM   #3
Commercial Member
 
tractors1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21 - "Felicity"
Posts: 2,945
I'd definitely suspect a leak downstream of the regulator if the regulator is not the culprit. It would have had to switch over to bleed off both tanks.
__________________
Charlie Y

Need custom storage to your design? Don't drill holes!
www.RVWidgetWorks.com
tractors1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 08:13 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
fudge_brownie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Janesville, WI, Wisconsin
Trailer: Escape 19 (sold) Escape 21 2014
Posts: 1,879
Did you watch them fill the tanks? Did they use a screw driver to do any adjustments to the flow? I have had the refuel technician shut my tanks off and I had them given to me with a slight leak.
__________________
Paul and Janet Braun
2003 Toyota 4Runner V8 now 2012 Toyota Sequoia V8
Escape 19' 2010 now 2014 Escape 21'
fudge_brownie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 08:22 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
nathanj04011's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Midcoast, Maine
Trailer: 2016 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 435
Thanks folks!

I went out and hooked up our grill directly to the tank. It wouldn't light either. There was also no "pffftttt" sound when I unhooked the tank.

He did fiddle with the screw on the tank, however they were in tight and when I loosened them, pressured propane gasses came out. Strange.

The tanks were last used two weeks ago.
nathanj04011 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 08:31 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
Take em back to the fill station.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 08:58 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
nathanj04011's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Midcoast, Maine
Trailer: 2016 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 435
I guess so. Will do that in the AM. Thanks folks!
nathanj04011 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 08:59 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
KarenH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
Send a message via Skype™ to KarenH
Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanj04011 View Post
I shut both tanks off waited, and then slowly opened it up.
It cannot be stressed enough that these OPD tanks need to be slowly opened--I know firsthand. Maybe give it another try...
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
KarenH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 09:10 PM   #9
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Have you removed the tanks from the carrier to see if there's propane? Easy to tell by weight.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 09:17 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
nathanj04011's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Midcoast, Maine
Trailer: 2016 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 435
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4 View Post
Have you removed the tanks from the carrier to see if there's propane? Easy to tell by weight.
Yes I have. They are both "full" as far as I can tell.
nathanj04011 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2016, 09:25 PM   #11
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanj04011 View Post
Yes I have. They are both "full" as far as I can tell.
That definitely sounds like the safety valve. Have you tried 1)shutting off the tank valve 2) completely detaching the tank from the hose 3) reattaching the tank to the hose and 4) turning it back on slowly? f that doesn't work, you might try what others have suggested and have the propane shop look at the valves.

Also, what's the position of your regulator switchover? It should be pointed at one of the tanks.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 12:33 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanj04011 View Post
I looked at the level indicator behind the propane tanks to see what was happening there, and the indicator was on red. For both tanks. I shut both tanks off waited, and then slowly opened it up. No love. I also unhooked the propane hoses from the tanks and reconnected them. Again no luck.
That's not a level indicator. It shows whether the tank which is currently selected as primary has pressure (green) or not (red). "Primary" means the one the lever is pointing at, as Robert mentioned. Indirectly, that colour indicates empty or not... as long as the pressure from each tank can reach the switchover device.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4 View Post
That definitely sounds like the safety valve. Have you tried 1)shutting off the tank valve 2) completely detaching the tank from the hose 3) reattaching the tank to the hose and 4) turning it back on slowly? f that doesn't work, you might try what others have suggested and have the propane shop look at the valves.
I agree - to get the excess flow valve to reset, you may need to disconnect the hose from the tank. This valve is located in the end of the hose, and removing the hose from the tank completely removes any trapped propane pressure from the valve to be sure that it will reset.

By the way, turning on slowly doesn't really mean slowly rotating the handle. The most effective method is to slightly open the valve ("just a crack") so that you can hear the hiss of propane flowing, then wait for that to slow down (indicating that the trailer's propane lines are close to normal pressure), then spin it the rest of the way open. You're just trying to avoid a high rate of propane flow.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 12:47 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1700
Posts: 14,935
Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanj04011 View Post
I went out and hooked up our grill directly to the tank. It wouldn't light either. There was also no "pffftttt" sound when I unhooked the tank.
The "pffftttt" sound is the release of propane trapped in the hose, so apparently nothing (or no significant amount) came out of the tank.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanj04011 View Post
They are both "full" as far as I can tell.
There are not many different things to go wrong here, in warm weather.
It's hard to imagine how the service valve (what you open when you turn the handle) could fail (especially on both tanks).
The excess flow valve is in the hose, not the tank, so hooking the grill directly to it eliminates the trailer's valve (although the grill hose has its own).
The Overfill Prevention Device (OPD) is the valve in the tank operated by a float; it is there to stop flow into the tank if the level is too high, so it's hard to see how it could be a problem.
The last valve is opened by the nose of the hose connector when you tighten the hand nut (big plastic knob) - it pushes in a pin in the base of the tank's socket. If you don't turn the nut far enough, there can be no flow.
Brian B-P is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 01:58 AM   #14
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
The last valve is opened by the nose of the hose connector when you tighten the hand nut (big plastic knob) - it pushes in a pin in the base of the tank's socket. If you don't turn the nut far enough, there can be no flow.
Another good point. Make sure the hoses are fully hand tightened to the tanks so the internal valves can open.


Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 07:00 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Trailer: 2015 5.0 TA, 2014- RAM HEMI 8 spd
Posts: 447
Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanj04011 View Post
Even though they didn't absolutely have to have it, I filled my propane tanks up yesterday in preparation of a camping weekend. This morning I went out and switched the fridge over from electric to propane to hopefully cool it down a little bit more.

I came home this evening to my wife sputtering and spouting about how the fridge just got warmer all day. It was currently at 50°. Except that my wife doesn't sputter and spout, that was me after she told me. I went out and tried to start the stove but no propane came out. The propane light on the fridge was blinking.

I looked at the level indicator behind the propane tanks to see what was happening there, and the indicator was on red. For both tanks. I shut both tanks off waited, and then slowly opened it up. No love. I also unhooked the propane hoses from the tanks and reconnected them. Again no luck.

Does anybody have any ideas what could be the problem? I know I've exhausted my knowledge just from what I did!
This may seem very simplistic, but check the tightness of the hose fittings. I experienced this the first time I removed and filled the tanks. Since then I have learned to fully tighten the fittings. They are very hard to get to on my trailer and I did not initially get them fully tightened. Now I turn the hose fittings until they bottom out. When the fittings are fully secure, you should hear gas when you open the tank valve. Good luck!
Scuba55 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 07:41 AM   #16
Senior Member
 
nathanj04011's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Midcoast, Maine
Trailer: 2016 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 435
Thanks everyone for your help! First thing this morning I got up and went down to the filling station where I had them filled, and he hooked one back up and saw that there was pressure coming out of the tank after he disconnected it. He kind of scratched his head and said "I don't know why you didn't get any propane out of the tank." I had him put the other propane tank on the propane filler thingy and then brought them home.

I hooked them back up to the trailer and at least one of them popped the green pressure indicator right away when I open the valve. I have yet to try the other tank as far as the pressure indicator is concerned.

I was able to light the stove and start the fridge. I have no knowledge of such things but is it possible that there was an airlock or something?

I guess if anyone else has the same issue, take it back and have them hook it up to the propane filler thingy. Seemed to work for me!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
nathanj04011 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 08:52 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
What is this adjust with a screwdriver thing a couple folks referred to? I have never heard of, or seen such a thing. When I refuel the tanks, they just fill until they hit the stamped weight, then stop. No screwdriver needed.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 08:57 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
Dave Walter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 2013 19' & 2013 15B
Posts: 2,634
Quote:
Originally Posted by nathanj04011 View Post
...I hooked them back up to the trailer and at least one of them popped the green pressure indicator right away when I open the valve. I have yet to try the other tank as far as the pressure indicator is concerned...
The issue seems to be that when you had the tanks filled, you failed to completely screw on the hose connector from the trailer to the tanks. As others have stated, if the connectors are not tightened completely, they will not allow the propane to be delivered from the tanks into the hose. (And the indicators on your regulator will show "red" as you observed. This was probably a worthwhile lesson for you to learn, as I suspect you will not make the same mistake again.
__________________
2013 19' \ 2013 15B, 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Offroad

"It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it." - 1907, Maurice Switzer
Dave Walter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 09:20 AM   #19
Senior Member
 
Vermilye's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,363
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett View Post
What is this adjust with a screwdriver thing a couple folks referred to? I have never heard of, or seen such a thing. When I refuel the tanks, they just fill until they hit the stamped weight, then stop. No screwdriver needed.
There seems to be a number of different ways suppliers "fill" tanks. Some do it on a scale by weight (although I haven't had anyone use that technique in a couple of years), others open the relief screw & fill until vapor comes out, and at least one just filled the tank until it stopped. I've ended up with everything from 3.8 gallons to 4.9 gallons in an empty tank. According to my weight to volume calculations, 4.7 gallons is a full tank...
__________________
Jon Vermilye My Travel Blog
Travel and Photo Web Page ... My Collection of RV Blogs 2018 F150 3.5EB, 2017 21
Vermilye is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-09-2016, 09:30 AM   #20
Site Team
 
rbryan4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett View Post
What is this adjust with a screwdriver thing a couple folks referred to? I have never heard of, or seen such a thing. When I refuel the tanks, they just fill until they hit the stamped weight, then stop. No screwdriver needed.
Many propane dealers (including most of the ones we use) will open the bleeder valve about 1/4 to 1/2 turn during filling and look for liquid coming out. That ensures the tank is full regardless of whether you're filling by weight or by volume.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
rbryan4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.