external propane connector

[woodie]

I have the external propane connector and I tried using it with a 15" hose to my old Coleman stove but barely get enough gas to make a flame.I just bought a new Coleman stove and want to use it from the connector,but still have to buy the fittings to make it work.What length of hose do those who have this set up use?

[Dave Walter]

The external propane fitting on your Escape provides a low pressure source of propane (i.e. has already been regulated) that we use for our gas BBQ and for our fire bowl. Whether you use yours in this manner or for a stove, you would have to make sure that your device does not have its own regulator attached. I purchased 15 ft long hoses with fittings for my BBQ and firebowl, which in most cases is long enough to allow the BBQ to sit on the picnic table at a site. In hindsight, a 20 or 25 ft hose for the BBQ may have worked out better, since there are some sites where the 15 ft hose was too short.

[woodie]

The guy at the propane store tells me there is no way to adapt the fittings to a Coleman camp stove.Gets the question all the time and has fittings and makes hoses and sells Coleman stuff.Is there anyone who has figured out how to adapt and use a camp stove on the external propane quick connect.

[hotfishtacos]

Originally Posted by woodie

The guy at the propane store tells me there is no way to adapt the fittings to a Coleman camp stove.Gets the question all the time and has fittings and makes hoses and sells Coleman stuff.Is there anyone who has figured out how to adapt and use a camp stove on the external propane quick connect.

Woodie, there is no way to make a high pressure stove work on the low pressure quick disconnect. When I wanted to do what you want I purchased what I needed to connect to one of the trailer bottles directly and then provided a regulator for exactly that application with 2 extension hoses. Works fine. There are a few people here who have done it and posted pictures.

Steve

[woodie]

What makes the camp stove high pressure? If it has a regulator between the propane source ( green propane canisters) and the stove,it is regulated me thinks.If one eliminates the regulator on the stove and have the propane regulated through the regulator on the trailer,does that not amount to the same thing?Just trying to figure it out.

[hotfishtacos]

Originally Posted by woodie

What makes the camp stove high pressure? If it has a regulator between the propane source ( green propane canisters) and the stove,it is regulated me thinks.If one eliminates the regulator on the stove and have the propane regulated through the regulator on the trailer,does that not amount to the same thing?Just trying to figure it out.

I like your train of thought but the pressures that the low and high appliances are actually using are very different. On your stove, the bottle screws into a small, non-adjustable regulator taking the pressure down to a much higher pressure than is available at the low pressure quick disconnect on the trailer. (I believe it is about 10 times higher) If you did what you suggested you would only have about 10% of the needed pressure for the stove. Just do a little research on this site and purchase the stuff to come right off one of the bottles for your high pressure needs.

BTW, for myself, I use the low pressure quick disconnect for my Q120 Barbeque and for a propane lava rock fire ring. The stove either gets a small bottle or for long trips I connect to one of the big bottles with a setup I described previously.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by woodie

If it has a regulator between the propane source ( green propane canisters) and the stove,it is regulated me thinks.If one eliminates the regulator on the stove and have the propane regulated through the regulator on the trailer,does that not amount to the same thing?

Yes - but there is the problem hotfishtacos described.
This potential problem is that a camp stove may use a separate regulator and control, but with the regulated pressure between them still much higher than that used by indoor appliances, so if you replace the stove's regulator with the trailer's, there isn't enough pressure for the control or the burners.

Another potential problem which I would expect only with a single-burner camp stove or grill is that these may combine the regulator and control, so if you eliminate that you have a full-blast-only appliance.

[JohnB]

We got the dual propane especially to solve the issue of running the BBQ and camp stove off a bulk supply and not have to take along the small 2 lb cylinders which get to be expensive.

I found a valve that connects to the bulk tank and has two threaded supply connections. Not that big a deal to remove one tank from the trailer and move it to the table to use the BBQ and camp stove as needed. We sometimes cook with the tank remaining on the trailer and just move the BBQ or stove close to the front of the trailer. And when not in use the tank has a nice safe place to travel with its twin and the dual propane connection. We should not have to worry about propane supply while camping.

[woodie]

Thanks everyone. Since I only have one 20lb propane tank on the trailer, is there such a thing as a tee to allow propane to the trailer and regulator on one line and another line to bypass the trailer regulator and run to the stove and it's regulator.

I have been using the camp stove on a separate 20 lb tank ,but was just trying to simplify things and use the quick connector.If the tee idea works that would help.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by woodie

Is there anyone who has figured out how to adapt and use a camp stove on the external propane quick connect.

I have an extra connector with the regulator on it from a retire Coleman stove. I plan to take it to Fairview Fittings to see if they have any way to make it work. They have just about every size and shape of pipe fitting that is made at their disposal.

I have also though about rethreading the pipe somehow to accept an available fitting too, or maybe even flare it for a flared fitting.

Either way, once I have the time to look further into this, I will report back. Could be a bit tough to do it any time soon though, as I will be camping for 12 nights on 3 trips in the next 3 weeks.

[hotfishtacos]

Originally Posted by woodie

Thanks everyone. Since I only have one 20lb propane tank on the trailer, is there such a thing as a tee to allow propane to the trailer and regulator on one line and another line to bypass the trailer regulator and run to the stove and it's regulator.

I have been using the camp stove on a separate 20 lb tank ,but was just trying to simplify things and use the quick connector.If the tee idea works that would help.

Yes there is a tee option and that is what I use. I could leave it connected to the bottles but I don't. I'll take a pic if I get a chance.

[Devil Dog]

Some low and high propane tid-bits.

Propane Regulator Facts , High pressure and low pressure propane , propane 101

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by woodie

Thanks everyone. Since I only have one 20lb propane tank on the trailer, is there such a thing as a tee to allow propane to the trailer and regulator on one line and another line to bypass the trailer regulator and run to the stove and it's regulator.

I have been using the camp stove on a separate 20 lb tank ,but was just trying to simplify things and use the quick connector.If the tee idea works that would help.

Here is the adapter that I found and use. I found one on line at a place called Ace Hardward, but they are only in the USA. I think I also saw one on line at Camping World (Mr Heater brand if I remember correctly?) again USA. It is about 4 inches long.

Was passing through Hundred Mile House and sitting in a restaurant having breakfast, I looked up and there down the street was a store called Ace Hardware. So I just had to go in and have a look. They are not part of the USA Ace but they had the part I was looking for. They actually had 2 different models the difference being the 2 connection fitting ends. They had this one with the standard propane female connector on the end and the second one on the side same as the top fitting on a 2 lb camp propane cylinder (can't recall what they call that). The other model had 2 2 lb style connectors. Since I already had two different hose I took this one. The amazing thing was it was about the same price as those in the US - usually things are a lot more here - that is another topic!

This is the fitting you would need to attach to your 20 lb tank and the existing hose on your trailer would screw into the female end of the fitting. Your BBQ and camp stove would attach to the side fitting using a hose like the one that would also attach to a 2 lb tank.

I phoned around to a few BBQ stores in Vancouver but could not find anything like this. One store said they don't sell anything like that and don't recommend using adapters like this as they could be incorrectly attached and possibly cause problems. Said I needed to buy a second tank - go figure!

So far it has worked just fine and if one uses caution there should be no issues with attaching it properly.

There are other options out there. I think Coleman makes one but I don't think it has the female regular propane fitting.

[JohnB]

Just realized that the adapter I mentioned will not work for your setup between the tank and the Escape regulator connection. The female end is for the old style of connector and you need the one that has the threads on the outside of the fitting like this one by Mr Heater from Camping World web site. The one I had photo for works for me as my extension hose has the correct male fitting to connect.

You would need a wrench to connect the Mr Heater to the propane tank.

Propane Adapter Tee - Mr. Heater F273751 - Propane Accessories - Camping World

The next link has a good explanation of the various connectors. It also has the correct naming for the various type of end connectors.

http://www.mrheater.com/upload/productspotlight.pdf

A link to Mr Heater web site with various connectors they have.

http://www.mrheater.com/productdetails.aspx?catid=357

[woodie]

Originally Posted by JohnB

Just realized that the adapter I mentioned will not work for your setup between the tank and the Escape regulator connection. The female end is for the old style of connector and you need the one that has the threads on the outside of the fitting like this one by Mr Heater from Camping World web site. The one I had photo for works for me as my extension hose has the correct male fitting to connect.

You would need a wrench to connect the Mr Heater to the propane tank.

Propane Adapter Tee - Mr. Heater F273751 - Propane Accessories - Camping World

The next link has a good explanation of the various connectors. It also has the correct naming for the various type of end connectors.



http://www.mrheater.com/upload/productspotlight.pdf

A link to Mr Heater web site with various connectors they have.

Mr. Heater - America's Most Popular Portable Heaters

Thanks for that,I got the guy at the barbecue/propane place to order me the tee,except I got the one that hand screws onto the tank,no wrench needed.I can still use the external quick connector on the trailer for my barbecue,which has no regulator built in.So everybody will soon be connected and happy.I don't like to cook in the trailer ever since I burned bacon in a camper I had,stunk for months.

[ChuckS]

I had a 2010 Escape 19ft with the propane disconnect. It did not work well pressure was to low so we never used it.
Chuck

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

I had a 2010 Escape 19ft with the propane disconnect. It did not work well pressure was to low so we never used it.
Chuck

It is meant to be low, at operating pressure. We have no issues at all with the appliance regulator disconnected.

[hotfishtacos]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

I had a 2010 Escape 19ft with the propane disconnect. It did not work well pressure was to low so we never used it.
Chuck

Pressure is supposed to be low...you didn't use it correctly.

[woodie]

Just wanted to finish up with what I started.This is what I ended up doing.I got a propane line splitter,a tee ,so I can interrupt the propane before it gets to the trailer regulator.This allows me to run another line which is high pressure to my external camp stove's regulator.Hope that makes sense .