quick propane / grill question

[LarryandLiz]

I don't know much about propane RV systems and haven't seen this question addressed before so here goes:

I have the usual Escape two propane tank with quick connect propane set-up. I usually use my grill (without regulator) and the quick connect.

My grill is getting old and decrepit (kinda like me) and a buddy and I are heading out on Wednesday for a few days fishing (our wives gave us permission).

My buddy wants to bring his grill, get me to unhook one of my propane tanks and use his grill and its hose/regulator. He says the hose is long enough.

I've not heard of anyone doing this and am wondering if doing what my buddy suggests will cause any issues?

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by LarryandLiz

I don't know much about propane RV systems and haven't seen this question addressed before so here goes:

I have the usual Escape two propane tank with quick connect propane set-up. I usually use my grill (without regulator) and the quick connect.

My grill is getting old and decrepit (kinda like me) and a buddy and I are heading out on Wednesday for a few days fishing (our wives gave us permission).

My buddy wants to bring his grill, get me to unhook one of my propane tanks and use his grill and its hose/regulator. He says the hose is long enough.

I've not heard of anyone doing this and am wondering if doing what my buddy suggests will cause any issues?

It will cause no problems whatsoever. If you ran one of the tanks empty, you would disconnect it to refill it. You are simply disconnecting it in the same way as if it were empty and connecting another device to it.

[Leisure Lee]

No problem at all. When not camping, I use one of the tanks on my home Bar B Q and have no issues at all. Enjoy the fishing!!

Jim

[LarryandLiz]

Thanks ..... fridge and cooktop can run at the same time as my buddy’s grill ?

[dfandrews]

Sure. The auto-changeover regulator is designed for that. When I do it, I move the lever (on the nose of the reg.) to point to the tank I'm leaving on. Then close the other tank, and remove it. You can also verify that you still have propane serving the trailer, by briefly lighting the stove.

[LarryandLiz]

Thanks for your helpful responses

[Raypat]

My new Escape is coming soon. Wondering if anyone can recommend a portable gas grill? Thank you.

[Iowa Dave]

Have you ever seen the mouth open up on a 50 lb. flathead catfish? That’s about how big this topic is. Lots of options and like the catfish and his diet. people have their favorite Cooker of the day. I like my Little Weber with the temp gauge. I inadvertently melted the plastic shelves one day and once removed never got new ones. Didn’t use them anyway. I like the split grill plates for cleaning. Easier to handle. I hook it up to my 11 lb. bulk propane tank with a hose. Got tired of the little cylinder cost and running out in the middle of a cook.
Iowa Dave

[Ops]

Originally Posted by Raypat

My new Escape is coming soon. Wondering if anyway can recommend a portable gas grill? Thank you.

Make that 2 of us.

A friend gave me a Coleman PerfectFlow 2 burner stove that uses those 1 lb propane tanks. I also own a Camp Chef 2 burner stove as well (easily twice the weight of the Coleman) so I'd prefer using the Coleman.

I went looking for an extension hose from the female quick connect on my 21NE to use with the stoves (I took the Coleman with me). Basically the propane shop 'expert' said he couldn't help because it's a completely different system and proprietary with the Coleman unit.

Can anyone clarify what are the best choices for outside use/quick connect suitable stoves (ETI connector) in their experience?

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by LarryandLiz

Thanks ..... fridge and cooktop can run at the same time as my buddy’s grill ?

As long as the selector on your change over points to the tank that is left connected to the trailer it shouldn't cause any problems.

[gbaglo]

Start with post #2 on this thread and then read hundreds of other reviews and opinions.
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...ion-16872.html

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by Raypat

My new Escape is coming soon. Wondering if anyone can recommend a portable gas grill? Thank you.

I got a Blackstone 17" Adventure Ready Griddle, for our new trailer. I'm loving it at home, so it's going to be even better on the road.



I added a low pressure propane quick connect to it.



12ft RV Propane Quick Connect Hose and Conversion Fitting for Blackstone 17inch and 22inch Table Top Griddle - 1/4 inch Safety Shutoff Valve & Male Full Flow Plug

I also purchased an Outland Propane Firebowl.



Outland Firebowl 893 Deluxe Outdoor Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit with Cover & Carry Kit, 19-Inch Diameter 58,000 BTU


I replaced it's hose with regulator with a quick connect hose.

18 FT RV Quick Connect Propane Hose for RV to Grill for Camp Chef Stove and Fire Pit- 3/8 Female Flare Fitting x 1/4 Full Flow Quick

I then added a female quick connect to the hose with a built in regulator that came off the firebowl.

Nigo Industrial Co. Brass Tube Fitting, Half-Union, Flare x NPT Male Pipe (1, 3/8" Flare x 1/4" NPT Male)

1/4" RV Propane Quick Connect Adapter for Propane Hose, Propane or Natural Gas 1/4" Quick Connect or Disconnect Kit - Shutoff Valve & Full Flow Plug

Now I can run my Blackstone off of the trailer quick connect, a 20 lb propane tank, or a 1 pound propane tank. And my firebowl off the trailer quick connect or 20 lb propane tank.

[MyronL]

My vote goes to the Weber baby Q. Came with a regulator which I removed, so I could connect to the quick connect from the trailer regulator at the tanks.

I unscrewed the trailer propane hose from under the regulator, added a nipple and a tee, and an elbow and a length of pipe, to which I added the quick connect.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Ops

Make that 2 of us.
I went looking for an extension hose from the female quick connect on my 21NE to use with the stoves (I took the Coleman with me). Basically the propane shop 'expert' said he couldn't help because it's a completely different system and proprietary with the Coleman

It is not so much that the Coleman and most similar stoves use a proprietary system; it is that the typical propane regulator reduces tank pressure down to a point that it will support a column of water 11-inches tall. The regulator used on Coleman and lookalike stoves does not reduce tank pressure to to 11 inches of WC, it is somewhat more, perhaps 13 to 14 inches of WC. The stove therefore requires a slightly higher pressure than that which is provided by the ETI QD System to operate properly. If you remove the Coleman regulator and feed it low pressure propane, you will get flame but on the high setting the flame is inadequate for cooking. A Coleman or similar stove can be made to run on low pressure by installing slightly larger jets, which are located where the burner tube slips over the gas manifold. I know it works because I had an old camping stove and I had nothing better to do one day so I started experimenting. Rather than replacing the jets, I used a set of tiny drill bits and a pin vise. I found the bit that fit the jet and then used the next larger sized bit. Not much of a size difference, but the stove had the whole range of flame from low to high. However, the igniter would no longer light the burners, they had to be lit by hand.
Would I recommend this conversion? Only if you absolutely cannot go on living without having a Coleman stove that runs on the low pressure QD. If I wanted to use a Coleman type of stove, I would leave it as is and use it unaltered with 1-lbs disposables or with a hose (Walmart) made to connect a Coleman to a bulk cylinder. We do almost all of our cooking on a Weber Q, but we have a single burner butane stove with an adapter that will also connect a 1-lbs disposable. In the last 3 years before this year, on the road for much of the summer, I believe I only used the butane stove once. It’s more of a backup which, if it were not so small and light, I wouldn’t bother keeping. I guess you could say I’m not a “stove” person.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by Raypat

My new Escape is coming soon. Wondering if anyone can recommend a portable gas grill? Thank you.

We do as Iowa Dave replied.

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

"I like my Little Weber with the temp gauge. I inadvertently melted the plastic shelves one day and once removed never got new ones. Didn’t use them anyway. I like the split grill plates for cleaning. Easier to handle. I hook it up to my 11 lb. bulk propane tank with a hose. Got tired of the little cylinder cost and running out in the middle of a cook."
Iowa Dave

We haven't melted the plastic shelves (yet), but if we did I would replace them as I like to use them.

I think the small tank I bought is 10 lbs. I like that better than using the 1 lb cylinders.

We have a 5.0 and store ours in the hatch above the propane tank hatch. The grill is about 1/2 inch higher than that opening. I just remove the lid, put the grill bottom in and then the top slips in right in place on top of the grill. I saw a post where someone cut a couple slots out where the legs could slide in without removing the top. I considered that but decided not to do it. It is quick and easy to remove the cover and set it on top. I replaced the hinge pins on the grill with pins that have the little ball bearing. Easy to put the pins in and out.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Ronn

We do as Iowa Dave replied.

We haven't melted the plastic shelves (yet), but if we did I would replace them as I like to use them.

I think the small tank I bought is 10 lbs. I like that better than using the 1 lb cylinders.

We have a 5.0 and store ours in the hatch above the propane tank hatch. The grill is about 1/2 inch higher than that opening. I just remove the lid, put the grill bottom in and then the top slips in right in place on top of the grill. I saw a post where someone cut a couple slots out where the legs could slide in without removing the top. I considered that but decided not to do it. It is quick and easy to remove the cover and set it on top. I replaced the hinge pins on the grill with pins that have the little ball bearing. Easy to put the pins in and out.

High Ronn,
I’m old, I get mixed up sometimes. I never remember If the little tank weighs 10 or 11 pounds or if it holds 10 or 11 pounds of propane. I just know it weighs 21 lbs when it’s full and works very well. I was in a hurry to preheat the grill one day and after hooking up the propane, I did not open the lid and flip the trays out. I just turned it on and hit the igniter. A little while later a lot of stinky smoke. The cast iron grill cleaned up ok when it cooled. I was in the hardware store one day and saw the split grill and retired the one piece original unit and haven’t looked back. I’ve had the Baby Q since 2014. Lots of good meals. Rita got a plastic tub at the container store and we transport it in the Highlander with no odor while on the road. I also keep my Everest campstove griddle, bar b que tools, auxiliary hose, folding toaster etc in the tub. Works for me.
I have the vertical auxiliary tank that I keep in the front box in a small plastic bucket to keep it from tipping or getting beat up. The hose works on the campfire in a can, Weber Q and Everest stove. I have the adapter to the quick propane hookup but rarely use it. I like to cook on the picnic table and am not fond of the campfire under the awning unless it’s raining, which works great by the way. But a little sooty.
Iowa Dave

[Raypat]

Thanks for the weber idea. Is it "non-regulated? I don't understand what that means but the folks at Escape mentioned this. Again, thanks for your quick reply.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by Raypat

Thanks for the weber idea. Is it "non-regulated? I don't understand what that means but the folks at Escape mentioned this. Again, thanks for your quick reply.

The quick connect on your trailer is low pressure. It has already been 'regulated' down from the high pressure of the propane tank. So, if you try and use a propane appliance that has another regulator, it won't work.

So on my Outland Firebowl, the hose that came with it had a regulator, permanently attached to the hose. So, I had to remove that hose, and replace it with a hose that didn't have a regulator.

I then added a female quick connect fitting to the hose with the permanently attached regulator, so when that hose is attached to a high pressure propane tank, it will regulate that down to low pressure.

I can then plug the new hose without a regulator on the Firebowl, either into the trailer's low pressure quick connect, or the original regulated hose's new quick connect.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Raypat

Thanks for the weber idea. Is it "non-regulated? I don't understand what that means but the folks at Escape mentioned this. Again, thanks for your quick reply.

The Weber does have a regulator attached to the control knob, but it is easily removed. All you need to do is to get a low pressure male QD fitting (I stress low pressure, the high pressure fitting looks the same externally but is borrower on the inside and it will not work with a low pressure female fitting as is on the Escape, and an adapter to mount the male fitting onto the control knob. It will then work with the QD on the trailer. Tejas Smokers on the web is somewhat expensive but has high and low pressure fittings as well as QD hoses in multiple lengths.

[Ronn]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

High Ronn,
I’m old, I get mixed up sometimes. I never remember If the little tank weighs 10 or 11 pounds or if it holds 10 or 11 pounds of propane. I just know it weighs 21 lbs when it’s full and works very well. I was in a hurry to preheat the grill one day and after hooking up the propane, I did not open the lid and flip the trays out. I just turned it on and hit the igniter. A little while later a lot of stinky smoke. The cast iron grill cleaned up ok when it cooled. I was in the hardware store one day and saw the split grill and retired the one piece original unit and haven’t looked back. I’ve had the Baby Q since 2014. Lots of good meals. Rita got a plastic tub at the container store and we transport it in the Highlander with no odor while on the road. I also keep my Everest campstove griddle, bar b que tools, folding toaster etc in the tub. Works for me.
I have the vertical auxiliary tank that I keep in the front box in a small plastic bucket to keep it from tipping or getting beat up.
Iowa Dave

Just because mine haven't melted doesn't mean I haven't done the same thing. Lucky so far.

I am presently looking at something to put below the handle. I have more than once grabbed the EXTREMELY hot lid when closing the grill cover. I am a slow learner and I know I am better off finding something for that area than thinking I learned my lesson. Some are smart enough to wear gloves, I not and I seldom put them on in the winter either.

Other than scorching my fingers a few times we like our Weber Q grill alot.