Propane quick connect

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by DanandDaphne

I ended up buying one of these quick connect adaptor with regulator.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is for when The hose from the trailer doesn't work out for our campsite. When I have the portable generator with us I bring an extra propane tank and use that. If not I can pull one off the trailer and use it. Other option would be an extension hose but I haven't gotten one just yet.

I assembled one of those with parts from a variety of vendors (e.g., Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, etc.), but I also included a high pressure fitting between the Acme fitting and the regulator to allow use of the hoses sold to run appliances that cannot be converted such as a Coleman lantern using a 20 lbs cylinder, eliminating the expensive and environmentally unfriendly 1 pounders. I rarely use the propane quick connect fitting on the trailer because I find it a pain to wrestle cylinders in and out of the 5.0TA’s propane compartment. I much prefer to carry a separate cylinder in the truck bed (in a milk crate) for cooking appliances and the propane fire pit. This eliminates hoses on the ground near the trailer’s door. The quick connect fitting was an option when I purchased my Escape. I thought it was a “good idea.” Had I known then what I know now, I personally would not have ordered it and if it is now a standard feature, I would ask it to be deleted on my build sheet as the line could conceivably be damaged by road debris. YMMV!

[iamunique127]

I didn't bother converting anything to use my Coleman stove and Napoleon BBQ, both with built-in regulators. I bought the proper hoses and use them with a 10 lb. propane bottle I carry in the truck.

[RedRiderCan]

I am having issues as well with the quick connect. I have removed the regulator on my Dickson spitfire and bought the proper valve and quick connect hose from Dickinson. The bbq burns yellow flame and cannot reach 200 degrees.it seems that the quick connect on the trailer is not right. The female end on the trailer portion is not tight, it can be pushed back and forth into the escape valve. There is also a knob on the escape valve which I do not know what its purpose is, turning the knob does not make any difference.Any help would be appreciated.

[brroberts]

On my quick attach there is a lever valve that turns the flow of gas on and off.

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by Crows Nest

Since the QC is already regulated by the regulator at the on board propane tanks, anything connected to the QC cannot have a regulator? I have a fire pit that connects directly to a bulk tank but it has its own regulator. So that’s not going to work? What portable propane appliances come without a regulator?

Show us some pics, and what brands and models are you trying to use. For the fire pit, you merely Put a male nipple on the fire pit in place of the hose and regulator and use a 15 or 20 ft hose with male and female couplings on it. (this is true of almost every device you try to connect.)

DOZYANT 12 feet Low Pressure Propane Quick-Connect Hose, RV Quick Connect Propane Hose, Quick Disconnect Propane Hose Extension - 1/4” Safety Shutoff Valve & Male Full Flow Plug for RVs



MOFLAME 1/4" RV Propane Quick Connect Fittings for Connecting Gas Appliance Heater, Camping Gas Grill Connect to RV Trailer. 1/4" Quick Connect Conversion to 3/8" Male Female Flare Thread -2 Pack



Install which ever nipple works (they are both flare fittings) and then connect your hose, done.

You can get packages that will save money. If you are using a Blackstone griddle, this is the same hose as above but with the adapter for the griddle, and it saves you $8 or so. You can also find the adapter by itself.
12FT RV Quick Connect Propane Hose, Quick Connect Propane Hose for RV to Grill, Low Pressure Quick Connect Propane Hose with Elbow Adapter for 17" and 22" Blackstone Griddles



The intent of having a separate hose is not having to deal with a heavy or bulky item like a griddle or fire pit and having a hose permanently connected to it.

Charles

[C&G in FL]

In post #22, I meant to include a photo of what I assembled for both high and low pressure use on a20 lbs cylinder. Here it is:

[DGLP]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

In post #22, I meant to include a photo of what I assembled for both high and low pressure use on a20 lbs cylinder. Here it is:

MB Sturgis sells conversion kits for low pressure QCs for a number of brands of stoves. Some "deluxe kits" also have adaptors to reconnect the OEM regulator back to the stove and allow high pressure supply from a tank. There are other manufacturers out there who also supply the same. Not all camp stoves may work with a low pressure supply even if the regulator has been removed.

https://mbsturgis.com/products/?s=lo...ontent=1&sku=1

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by DGLP

MB Sturgis sells conversion kits for low pressure QCs for a number of brands of stoves. Some "deluxe kits" also have adaptors to reconnect the OEM regulator back to the stove and allow high pressure supply from a tank. There are other manufacturers out there who also supply the same. Not all camp stoves may work with a low pressure supply even if the regulator has been removed.

https://mbsturgis.com/products/?s=lo...ontent=1&sku=1

All of my camping appliances have been converted to low pressure except for a Coleman propane lantern which has never been used but would be used if conditions dictated it necessary. That is the reason for the high pressure fitting on my fabricated assembly, because I refuse to purchase or use the environmentally unfriendly “greenies.” Honestly, I see no reason to buy Sturgis’ expensive “deluxe kits” to allow using high pressure supply from a tank, as the assembly I posted the picture of does just that and the appliances can be rapidly connected to the quick connect low pressure fitting on the trailer without adapters. I have probably experimented with propane appliances more than many people. I converted a Coleman propane stove to run properly on low pressure (11-inches of water column). I gave that stove to a friend who is still using it with a QD fitting on his stick built trailer. In reality, I rarely cook on a stove when camping, I generally cook on a grill or a single burner induction hot plate. With experimentation and practice, it is possible to bake muffins and brownies on a small grill like a Weber or Napoleon.

[DGLP]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

All of my camping appliances have been converted to low pressure except for a Coleman propane lantern which has never been used but would be used if conditions dictated it necessary. That is the reason for the high pressure fitting on my fabricated assembly, because I refuse to purchase or use the environmentally unfriendly “greenies.” Honestly, I see no reason to buy Sturgis’ expensive “deluxe kits” to allow using high pressure supply from a tank, as the assembly I posted the picture of does just that and the appliances can be rapidly connected to the quick connect low pressure fitting on the trailer without adapters. I have probably experimented with propane appliances more than many people. I converted a Coleman propane stove to run properly on low pressure (11-inches of water column). I gave that stove to a friend who is still using it with a QD fitting on his stick built trailer. In reality, I rarely cook on a stove when camping, I generally cook on a grill or a single burner induction hot plate. With experimentation and practice, it is possible to bake muffins and brownies on a small grill like a Weber or Napoleon.

For those not familiar with propane appliances, fittings, hoses, etcetera, it might be easier and perhaps safer to purchase a kit, whether it's deluxe or not. You did not specify the components that you used for your assembly - it would be helpful to have the specifics. I did not purchase a kit. I used the propane extension hose provided by Escape and purchased fittings to make my own assembly. I had no experience with propane fittings. It took a lot of time for me to research this matter and to purchase/return/exchange components until I got the correct ones. I’d read much about the Suburban stove fiasco on this forum so I approached this project with due caution.

MB Sturgis has a link (under Resources/DOCUMENT LIBRARY)with an article on quick connects and hoses: "Am I Buying the Correct Size Natural Gas Hose & Quick Disconnect?" This article may prove useful for those attempting to understand the vagaries of connector/adapter/plug sizing.

https://mbsturgis.com/wp-content/upl...nformation.pdf

I don't use "greenies". If I want to use high pressure, I have an 11 lb. tank that I might take with us. I don't have a truck, so a 20 lb. tank is too bulky. And I want to avoid the extra weight of a 20 lb. tank.

Previous postings on this forum suggest that other Escape owners have not been as successful as you in adapting propane camp stoves for use with low pressure propane:

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...-qc-24173.html

[oldwave]

Camp Chef Ranger series work with or without the supplied regulator.
I hook mine up to the outside quick connection
It works fine

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by DGLP

You did not specify the components that you used for your assembly - it would be helpful to have the specifics.

It took a lot of time for me to research this matter and to purchase/return/exchange components until I got the correct ones. I’d read much about the Suburban stove fiasco on this forum so I approached this project with due caution.

Previous postings on this forum suggest that other Escape owners have not been as successful as you in adapting propane camp stoves for use with low pressure propane.

First, I do not fear propane but I am respectful of the good and the bad it can do. The same is true of electricity. If you are competent in working with either, then you can make them work to your advantage. For example, when I lived in a winter environment and was deeper into photography than I am now, I built a darkroom in the basement and wired it in such a way that one switch turned off the overhead light, turned on the safelight, and turned on the outside “do not enter” red light. Those who may not be proficient in propane (or electrical) systems like yourself are wise to exercise caution and do the research that you did; experience is how you become proficient.

As to the specifics about components I used, the photo I posted shows it but I am happy to describe each component. From left to right on the photo:

1. An acme fitting which attaches to the propane tank’s valve. Purchased at Lowe’s.
2. A high pressure fitting with the same threads as a “greenie” with a protective cap. I had one in my box of propane parts but I have seen them in Ace Hardware.
3. A brass male-to-male 1/4” nipple. Again I had it in my inventory but available at Lowe’s or Ace Hardware.
4. A regulator, which I believe I purchased at Lowe’s or it may have been salvaged from a rusty grill I was throwing away, I do not remember.
5. A second brass male-to-male 1/4” nipple.
6. A 1/4” female QD fitting I purchased from Amazon. Amazon has them as a combination of a female QD with the male fitting for a hose.
Tools and Supplies: Assorted wrenches and either yellow Teflon tape or pipe dope.

Previous posting may indicate other Escape owner’s may not have been as successful at converting appliances as I have been but that is where experience and proficiency comes into play. When I converted the previously mentioned Coleman stove, I did it as a “challenge” because the common opinion was that it could not be done.

I can look at any camping grill or stove and immediately know if it can be converted to a low pressure setup. I have yet to see a propane fire pit that cannot be converted and have a full range of flame from low to high. But like anyone else, I have advanced knowledge in some areas, basic knowledge in some, and absolutely no knowledge in others.

[SA54]

Most propane/BBQ appliances are high pressure. The trailer set up is low pressure. You need a BBQ/ stove that can operate with a low pressure regulator. Done.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

In post #22, I meant to include a photo of what I assembled for both high and low pressure use on a20 lbs cylinder. Here it is:

I did the same thing which allows me to use my grill for a picnic away from the camper.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by SA54

Most propane/BBQ appliances are high pressure. The trailer set up is low pressure. You need a BBQ/ stove that can operate with a low pressure regulator. Done.

With all due respect, this is misleading. Most propane/BBQ appliances that have regulators operate at the same pressure (11-inches of water column) as the Quick Connect fitting on the trailer. You just cannot regulate pressure twice so the regulator on the appliance has to be removed and replaced with a hose with a male low pressure fitting that will plug into the QC or into another hose with a female fitting. For example, the regulator on a Weber grill delivers gas at the same pressure as the regulator on the 20-lbs cylinder(s) on the trailer. In some cases, the regulator on the appliance cannot be removed or replaced because it incorporates a flame intensity control. Coleman stoves and some of their grills (and equivalent stoves from other manufacturers operate at a higher pressure than 11 inches of water column (but not at tank pressure, AKA high pressure) and cannot be used on the trailer’s QC without extensive (not recommended) modification. The only thing in the equation is the propane as it comes out of the XX lbs cylinder regardless of its size or even a greenie throw-away.