Hail Damage on 21NE

[rainyescape]

We had a big Colorado hail storm in May, and I finally got all the parts in to make some repairs to our 21NE. The trailer shell itself held up just fine with no damage, but the hard plastic bits got smashed. Funny story about why it got hit: we had just had a Houghton A/C unit installed literally the day before, and we decided to leave the trailer at our house rather than take it back to our storage yard because it usually gets worse storms there. Jokes on us.

The roof vent cap above the fridge was smashed, along with the propane tank cover. One end cap for the awning also blew off, I suspect it was not on properly to begin with. The cap and the propane tank cover were trivial to reinstall, although it was hard to find the cap in stock any where online. The roof vent cap was a challenge due to the amount of RTV sealant that ETI injected into each screw hole. I wound up cutting off the old vent to bypass the goo for two of the screws. I used the opportunity when the old cap was off to install some bug netting using aluminum ducting tape. The brand new A/C also suffered some damage but nothing worth repairing. I’ll make some other posts about the repairs if anyone is interested.

[rainyescape]

So far I’ve found this propane tank cover from Flame King to be less frustrating than the old white (Camco?) one that came with the trailer. It has ports on the top, one for each tank’s valve, plus one on the front so you have access to the tank switch valve (and can view the red/green indicator). I’d say “easy” access but the tongue jack is very much in the way. There is a rear port too (it’s symmetrical) but the back one is not useful. White would have been nicer but I could only find black in stock. Amazon seemed to have the best price.

Flame King Dual 20LB LP Propane Tank Light Plastic Heavy Duty Cover for RV, Travel Trailer, Camper - Black https://a.co/d/8WJiSDn

[rainyescape]

The left hand “LH” end cap for our awning was Dometic part number 3312800.000B, and could only find it “in stock” at RV Parts Express. Turns out it was not in stock and it took 3 weeks for them to get. Wound up paying $61 for it: $40 for the part and $21 for shipping, which is ridiculous but I didn’t want the awning to get more damage with that cap off.

Dometic 3312800.000B Kit,Outer Cover Lc Lh P/W
https://rvpartsexpress.com/product/dometic-3312800-000b-kitouter-cover-lc-lh-p-w/

[rainyescape]

I don’t even know why our trailer has a fridge vent on the roof, we have a 12V compressor fridge (not a 3 way) so I’m not sure why the original owners opted for it. Maybe future proofing it in case someone wanted a 3 way fridge? Anyway, that just makes it all the more annoying that the hail storm damaged the cap and it needed replacement. All told it was easy to replace once I figured out the trick to removing the RTV sealant caulk goo from the screw holes: needle nose pliers. I thought I could just force a driver bit down through it, but that just wound up just getting the caulk in the square drive part of the screw and making it even harder to remove. After dinking around with the first two screw holes, I realized I could just cut the cap off for the last two screws. I did NOT replace all the caulk, just a LITTLE BIT under the screw head and in the screw threads.

[JohnK]

Great report rainyescape. Thank you. Did I miss how the solar panel fared?
John

[rainyescape]

You did not miss it! I forgot to mention! Our one solar panel came out unscathed. Same with the windows. Amazingly no damage to those, just the trailer’s brittle plastic bits were damaged.

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by rainyescape

It has ports on the top, one for each tank’s valve, plus one on the front so you have access to the tank switch valve (and can view the red/green indicator).

If you don't mind educating me, what is the purpose of this "red/green indicator" of which you speak? I'm not aware if I have such an indicator on my new-to-me 2012 19', but I will go out in the morning to look.

[rainyescape]

Ah, this is on the regulator between the two tanks. There is a switch to select one or the other (or both if you leave it in the middle). Photo below shows ours when red when both tanks were disconnected. Inside the regulator is a poppet valve that opens when the connected tank has high enough pressure. When that valve opens, the indicator turns green. At least that’s what I have read before, and would be worth fact checking. Also that poppet valve is a bit of a troublemaker and won’t open if you open the tank stem valve too quickly.

I think the idea is if the indicator turns red, your tank is empty. Kinda dumb since usually you have some other indication, like stove won’t turn on, that your tank is empty. And with how finicky it is, just because it’s red doesn’t mean your tank actually is empty. I got so frustrated with this thing (and how hard it was to read with the old cover) that I bought a Mopeka tank sensor kit, an older model of this that came with the LED indicator and 2 sensors: Mopeka Pro Check Sensor - Wireless Propane Tank Magnetic Sensor Level Indicator - Propane Gas Tank Pressure Gauge Electronic for BBQ Grill - Remote Ready Propane, Butane And Fuel Level Gauge With App https://a.co/d/aFkVyEe

[JohnK]

Originally Posted by Mike G

If you don't mind educating me, what is the purpose of this "red/green indicator" of which you speak? I'm not aware if I have such an indicator on my new-to-me 2012 19', but I will go out in the morning to look.

Mike, following is my understanding of how "the red and green" are intended to be used. I have been successfully using the following procedure for more than a decade. It is ingenious in its simplicity and usefulness. The red and the green always indicate the status of the bottle to which the lever is pointed. Always!

1. Fill both bottles and point the lever to one of those full bottles. Doesn't matter which one. As long as the bottle to which the lever is pointed has pressure, you will see green and that is the bottle which is now in use.

2. When the bottle to which the lever is pointed runs out of pressure, the green will turn to red and simultaneously your propane system will now switch over to providing your appliances gas pressure from the other bottle. That switch over from the empty bottle to the full one is seamless and you won't notice it unless you keep an eye every couple of days on that red/green sight glass. When you see red, the bottle to which the lever is pointed is empty. Go fill it at your leisure while the other bottle is now in use.

3. At some point before the second bottle runs out of pressure, go fill the one that ran out. Once you remount the newly filled bottle, point the lever to the bottle which your appliances have been using since the first one became empty. Once you have pointed the lever to the bottle currently being used, the red will now turn green till this bottle runs out of pressure and the system automatically switches over to the bottle you just refilled.

Cheers!

[Mike G]

That's very helpful, thank you! I went out and looked; now I do see the indicator which I never noticed before. It showed mostly red with a thin strip of green at the bottom. I wonder if that is supposed to mean the bottle is nearly empty rather than completely empty? I turned the lever to the other bottle and the indicator moved to fully green, which makes sense for a full bottle. Sweet!


I can live with some inaccuracy in the thing. At least it gives me some indication of the selected tank's status. More than I had otherwise!

[rainyescape]

Whoa, thank you JohnK, I had no idea it worked like that. That’s pretty dang neat!

[Mike G]

Backing up a bit here on my previous post... I took that LP tank off and weighed it, and found that it was still practically full! So maybe my indicator really needs to be taken with a shaker of salt.

[Selkirk]

Out of curiosity, how large was the hail responsible for that damage?

My E19 is situated in a very hail-prone area. A colleague's 5th wheel sustained a significant beating during the last major storm (I believe repairs were in the high 4-figure range) . The damage to your E21 looks to be superficial by comparison.

That's one of the reasons I decided on a molded fiberglass design......

[occer]

Originally Posted by rainyescape

Also that poppet valve is a bit of a troublemaker and won’t open if you open the tank stem valve too quickly.
https://a.co/d/aFkVyEe

That is a safety feature, if you have a total failure of a propane line the valve turns off.
If you’ve had the tank off or there is little to no pressure in the line and you turn the tank on fast the valve thinks there is a break and shuts down.

[Sean Murry]

Originally Posted by rainyescape

I don’t even know why our trailer has a fridge vent on the roof, we have a 12V compressor fridge (not a 3 way) so I’m not sure why the original owners opted for it. Maybe future proofing it in case someone wanted a 3 way fridge? Anyway, that just makes it all the more annoying that the hail storm damaged the cap and it needed replacement. All told it was easy to replace once I figured out the trick to removing the RTV sealant caulk goo from the screw holes: needle nose pliers. I thought I could just force a driver bit down through it, but that just wound up just getting the caulk in the square drive part of the screw and making it even harder to remove. After dinking around with the first two screw holes, I realized I could just cut the cap off for the last two screws. I did NOT replace all the caulk, just a LITTLE BIT under the screw head and in the screw threads.

We have the 12V compressor fridge as well. We have the Novakool, and the manufacturer of the fridge suggested it not be a bad idea to leave the roof top vent in place as it will allow hot air to escape, making the fridge more efficient, so when we had our trailer built we had Escape eliminate the side wall vent but leave the rooftop vent

[Ian G]

Although hail is usually not an issue for a moulded fibreglass trailer, our Escape and boler have gone through several major storms. As the OP mentioned most damage it to vents and covers. My experience is that the tow vehicle will be damaged to a far greater extent. As a protective measure we bring an inflatable hail protector with us for some piece of mind.