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05-16-2017, 08:23 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Highland
Posts: 476
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Automotic LP tank regulator
I am looking for an automatic LP tank switch. I have dual tanks on my trailer but dont want to leave them both open at the same time. Any recommendations?
Thanks
__________________
Chris Moore
2010 Starcraft/Jayco 297BHS pulled by
2009 Chevy Silverado
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05-16-2017, 08:55 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Campbell Hall
Posts: 2,835
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If you've got the auto-changeover valve/regulator, then just let it do it's job.
The indicator under the window will tell you when the primary is empty. Flip the switch to make the spare the primary and refill the empty.
Leaving one tank or two open doesn't really make a difference, does it? 30 lbs of propane fireball isn't much different than 60. Brown pants all around!
__________________
TT 2015 19RD "TheJayco"
TV 2003 F-350 "Montblanc" - Housebroken chore truck
Sitting in The Cheap Seats.
And proud of it!
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05-16-2017, 09:09 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: SW Washington
Posts: 1,024
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chrismoore701
I am looking for an automatic LP tank switch. I have dual tanks on my trailer but dont want to leave them both open at the same time. Any recommendations?
Thanks
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That's how they work. You leave the bottles open. I don't get the irrational fear of propane.
__________________
2009 F350 CC LB 4WD
2017 Jayco 355MBQS
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05-16-2017, 09:13 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Highland
Posts: 476
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Sorry for the misunderstanding. I have a regular regulator, it does not switch. So I only open one tank at a time to empty one and still have a spare when I run out of the one. The problem is, it always happens in the middle of the night. So I want to install an automatic regulator and looking for a recommendation on what kind to get
Thanks
__________________
Chris Moore
2010 Starcraft/Jayco 297BHS pulled by
2009 Chevy Silverado
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05-16-2017, 09:18 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: SW Washington
Posts: 1,024
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chrismoore701
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I have a regular regulator, it does not switch. So I only open one tank at a time to empty one and still have a spare when I run out of the one. The problem is, it always happens in the middle of the night. So I want to install an automatic regulator and looking for a recommendation on what kind to get
Thanks
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You lost us at the not wanting both bottles open. Your choices will get down to vertical or horizontal mount base on your rig. They are not expensive, nor hard to install. For the most part all the fittings are standard and will be the same.
Just make sure the one you buy actually has the auto-changover feature.
Here is an example of a vertical that mounts between two bottles.
https://www.amazon.com/Camco-59005-D.../dp/B0024ECBCA
__________________
2009 F350 CC LB 4WD
2017 Jayco 355MBQS
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05-16-2017, 09:52 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Highland
Posts: 476
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I was also looking at this one
https://www.amazon.com/Flame-King-AC...TWGNWXDMW0GKCC
How do you tell if they are vertical or horizontal mount?
__________________
Chris Moore
2010 Starcraft/Jayco 297BHS pulled by
2009 Chevy Silverado
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05-16-2017, 10:02 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Arizona
Posts: 2,324
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Regulator
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrismoore701
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I have a regular regulator, it does not switch. So I only open one tank at a time to empty one and still have a spare when I run out of the one. The problem is, it always happens in the middle of the night. So I want to install an automatic regulator and looking for a recommendation on what kind to get
Thanks
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I thought the auto regulator was great too, until I let both tanks go dry, in the middle of know where! Now I shut 1 tank off manually, now no worries. Happy Trails
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05-16-2017, 12:21 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Lancaster
Posts: 806
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bdreinv
I thought the auto regulator was great too, until I let both tanks go dry, in the middle of know where! Now I shut 1 tank off manually, now no worries. Happy Trails
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And this I don't understand at all, even though I hear it from a lot of people. If you have an automatic switching regulator, to me it makes no sense not to use it. All you need to do is take a look at the indicator every couple of days so you know when it has switched over. Then you can pull the empty tank and go get it filled, never missing a beat. To each his own, I guess.
Roger
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TV 2010 Ford F-150 Supercab
TT 2016 Jay Feather 23RLSW
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05-16-2017, 12:38 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Campbell Hall
Posts: 2,835
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rkresge
And this I don't understand at all, even though I hear it from a lot of people. If you have an automatic switching regulator, to me it makes no sense not to use it. All you need to do is take a look at the indicator every couple of days so you know when it has switched over. Then you can pull the empty tank and go get it filled, never missing a beat. To each his own, I guess.
Roger
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X2!
What a wonderful piece of equipment. My last TT had one 20# tank. And 2:00AM was it's favorite time to run out. Now with just the least bit of attention, we don't run out.
__________________
TT 2015 19RD "TheJayco"
TV 2003 F-350 "Montblanc" - Housebroken chore truck
Sitting in The Cheap Seats.
And proud of it!
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05-16-2017, 01:01 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Elizabethtown, PA
Posts: 1,560
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Just like at home for the BBQ grill Have you ever noticed that they mostly go empty on a Sunday Late in the afternoon when you can't get them re-filed and your cooking a nice couple of steaks, that's when they go empty. KEEP A SPARE
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2004 Jay Feather 25E
2001 Ford Expedition 4X4 EB 5.4 3.55 rear
2004 Ford Expedition 4X4 EB 5.4 3.73 rear
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05-16-2017, 01:15 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: South Texas
Posts: 7,216
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bedrck46
Just like at home for the BBQ grill Have you ever noticed that they mostly go empty on a Sunday Late in the afternoon when you can't get them re-filed and your cooking a nice couple of steaks, that's when they go empty. KEEP A SPARE
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My spare BBQ tank just saved my butt last weekend. I fired up the grill, went inside to patty the meat, went back out to check the temp and clean the grates, and had no fire. Grabbed my spare and was back in business in no time at all. Now I just have to remember to fill the empty tank.
The key to the auto changeover regulator is to look at it once in a while. Mine has worked flawlessly. The only time I had a little hiccup was when the dial was red and I didn't know how long it had been that way. I just grabbed the empty tank off and had it filled right away. I still had plenty of gas in the other tank though, so it couldn't have been empty for too long.
Bottom line: Install the auto changeover regulator and let it do its job the way it was designed. So long as you do your part (very minimal) you will never have a 2 am wake up call to a cold trailer with no furnace. We go through less than one 30 lb tank a year, so it's rare that we have to worry about it at all.
__________________
-2018 Greyhawk 29MV
-2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JLU) (Primary Toad)
-1994 Jeep Wrangler YJ (Secondary Toad)
-2014 Jay Flight 28BHBE & Ram 2500 6.4L CC 4x4 (sold)
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05-16-2017, 01:21 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Missouri City, The Republic of Texas
Posts: 5,063
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Chris and Rusty,
I looked at both links and noted both adverts "suggest" a pig-tail and a spool of white pipe tape. I'd always thought tape for LP pipes was yellow.
Am I wrong and/or will their suggested "also buy" be appropriate to use with propane?
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Cheers,
T_
2013 F-350 CC SB 2WD 6.7PS
2013 Eagle Premier 351 RLTS
-SOLD- 2012 X23B
-SOLD- 2003 Ford Expedition 5.4, Bilstein shocks
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05-16-2017, 01:32 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: South Texas
Posts: 7,216
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RedHorse1
Chris and Rusty,
I looked at both links and noted both adverts "suggest" a pig-tail and a spool of white pipe tape. I'd always thought tape for LP pipes was yellow.
Am I wrong and/or will their suggested "also buy" be appropriate to use with propane?
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You definitely want the yellow tape. Also, pay close attention to the female port on your regulator and the male fitting on your pigtail. Mine both required a small adapter. I don't know what sizes they were, I just bought what I needed at the time, sorry.
__________________
-2018 Greyhawk 29MV
-2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JLU) (Primary Toad)
-1994 Jeep Wrangler YJ (Secondary Toad)
-2014 Jay Flight 28BHBE & Ram 2500 6.4L CC 4x4 (sold)
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05-16-2017, 02:19 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: SW Washington
Posts: 1,024
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Yes, get the yellow tape specifically for propane. I don't know what the difference is but for the couple of bucks it costs it makes no sense not to.
I'm guessing the pigtail would be for someone who only has one existing tank and is adding a second. Not sure why you would need this if yours are in serviceable condition.
ETA: So I did a search, the composition of white tape vs yellow tape is the same. It is coded based on thickness only, in my state it is "illegal" to use white tape on a propane fitting in a residential setting. It has to do with building codes and identifying pipe joints. So my guess is that the white tape will work fine if that is what you have.
http://allthumbsdiy.com/plumbing/whe...s-or-pipe-dope
__________________
2009 F350 CC LB 4WD
2017 Jayco 355MBQS
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05-16-2017, 03:15 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 1,958
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I'm installing this Marshall one this weekend to replace my original one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Although my existing one does now leak when the spare tank is removed (likely crack or hole in the internal diaphragm), I am going with the same because I really like the way the indicator works, and how visible it is. I have read that on many others the indicator is very difficult to read, so decided to stick with what I have and like.
Note that I am not really disappointed in my current regulator's longevity. It had seen five harsh Canadian winters in storage before it failed - not really surprised that it may have developed a leak after that amount of time. Stuff gets pretty brittle at -40F.
__________________
2011 Jayco X19H (purchased 2015)
2008 Jayco 1007 PUP (purchased new, traded for the X19)
2018 Nissan Titan Midnight Ed.
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05-16-2017, 03:18 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Ottawa, ON
Posts: 1,958
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rustysocket
Yes, get the yellow tape specifically for propane. I don't know what the difference is but for the couple of bucks it costs it makes no sense not to.
I'm guessing the pigtail would be for someone who only has one existing tank and is adding a second. Not sure why you would need this if yours are in serviceable condition.
ETA: So I did a search, the composition of white tape vs yellow tape is the same. It is coded based on thickness only, in my state it is "illegal" to use white tape on a propane fitting in a residential setting. It has to do with building codes and identifying pipe joints. So my guess is that the white tape will work fine if that is what you have.
When to use PTFE Teflon Yellow or White tapes or Pipe Dope
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Both are PTFE tape, but the yellow stuff is rated to 10,000 lbs pressure, the white or pink (high density) plumbing version is rated for 2,000 lbs pressure.
ETA: From the specs for LA-CO brand tapes.
__________________
2011 Jayco X19H (purchased 2015)
2008 Jayco 1007 PUP (purchased new, traded for the X19)
2018 Nissan Titan Midnight Ed.
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05-17-2017, 04:33 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Greater Grand Rapids
Posts: 1,393
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You're smart to get the auto change-over regulator. Like others have said, I use to leave my secondary tank closed "so I knew when the primary tank ran dry". That always seemed to happen between 1:30 and 3:30 a.m.! So after 2 years of getting up in the cold, wee hours of the morning, I decided to let the darned thing do its job; and just check it once a week! I full-time and typically dump my tanks once a week. So, it's now part of my routine to check it while I'm waiting for the black tank to drain.
NO MORE COLD MORNINGS!
__________________
2013 Eagle 266RKS
2011 Ford F-150 w/3.5L Ecoboost & H.D. Tow Package
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05-17-2017, 05:26 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Highland
Posts: 476
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Are there any other units you guys recommend? Looking for the best option
Thanks
Chris
__________________
Chris Moore
2010 Starcraft/Jayco 297BHS pulled by
2009 Chevy Silverado
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05-17-2017, 07:52 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Charlotte
Posts: 709
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bdreinv
I thought the auto regulator was great too, until I let both tanks go dry, in the middle of know where!
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I was thinking about getting the auto changeover, but after reading your post I'll leave well enough alone. I know that if it goes off in the middle of the night I still have a full tank and its time to refill the empty... Thanks, bdreinv
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wan-der-lust (noun) | 'wändǝr,lǝst | a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel
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05-17-2017, 10:54 PM
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#20
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Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: SAN Jose
Posts: 30
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Hello all
Bought a 2017 Jayco 161 Octane, was looking for automatic change over then found out it came with one. The Mitchell one used to have a led that you could hookup. So instead I had to use LP Tank check witch shows how much is in each tank at the push of a button or open the app.
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