Propane Hoses Leaking

[THE MEEKER]

I have a 2015 Jayco 27RLS (manufactured February 2015). Today I noticed a strong odor of propane at the tanks. I took the cover off and upon inspection I found both lines from tanks to the regulator were leaking. The rubber hoses at the crimped fittings are cracked. You are all aware of the safety and fire hazard this is.

I am sick and tired of the cheap and shoddy components that are used in these things, especially when it comes to a safety item that should not fail within 6 months.

I replaced both lines at my own cost. I recommend all of you inspect your propane supply hoses on a regular basis.

Be safe and happy camping.

[norty1]

Funny you should post this, I was just looking at mine yesterday and thinking I have heard of failures but never ever had one go bad.

[brianca2]

On our little Trailer, there was no teflon tape on one of the connectors that require teflon tape, and was leaking. i put some soapy water on the connection and if was bubbling away. So I want a bought the teflon tape that comes in the yellow container and did it right. The yellow teflon is thicker and that is what I was told by a rv dealer to use, and it should have been on there in the first place.

[wags999]

Actually propane is pretty safe, it will only burn if an air / propane mixture is between about 2% and 9% any more or less and it won't ignite...that being said, your dealer should of caught loose hoses when they check the propane regulator, part of ctheir responsibility. I also check each time we fill either tank. I have the same unit as you, made a in March and have not discovered any issues. Good luck.

[bedrck46]

THE MEEKER
Were the leaks at the crimped connection or at the threaded connections???

[SmokerBill]

Originally Posted by bedrck46

THE MEEKER
Were the leaks at the crimped connection or at the threaded connections???

Both of mine were leaking at the crimped connections, next to the regulator. They were 3 years old, but I'd been smelling propane when removing the cover for a long time.

I plugged one of the hose ports on the regulator and installed just one longer hose. I don't have auto-switchover, so it's just as easy for me to disconnect from the empty and reconnect to the full one when the time comes. And I'll have just one hose to replace next time.

Bought the replacement at Walmart online for instore pickup. Think it was around $14 total.

[Parcany]

Meeker take the parts back to the dealer and tell them what happened and maybe they will give you new ones.

[edatlanta]

My Designer always had a slight propane smell when I opened the door to the propane compartment. I could never find the source, but two years ago I could get no propane from either tank. I ended up, after much exploring, replacing the auto switchover regulator and both pigtails to the tanks. Not only did I get propane flowing again, but the slight propane smell was gone. I never could find it, but it definitely was there and now isn't.

[THE MEEKER]

I would burn more money and gas going back to the dealer than the cost of new hoses. I expected to have to do some repairs on my new rig. I am just annoyed that all the repairs and corrections I have done thus far is because of cheap components and poor workmanship. That being said, I am still happy in my investment with Jayco. I have family and friends who have other brands. I would have a stroke if I had to deal with all the issues they are experiencing with their rigs.

[namusmc65]

Originally Posted by edatlanta

My Designer always had a slight propane smell when I opened the door to the propane compartment. I could never find the source, but two years ago I could get no propane from either tank. I ended up, after much exploring, replacing the auto switchover regulator and both pigtails to the tanks. Not only did I get propane flowing again, but the slight propane smell was gone. I never could find it, but it definitely was there and now isn't.

Ed, we have the same slight smell when we open our propane doors. I soaped the lines and checked and could find no leak. When we had our unit in for some work, the repair department took their snifter detector and went all over our unit and could find no leak. Something just does not seem right, but I have not used an over abundance of propane either.

[norty1]

This thread has a lot of the same info and may be helpful as a resource when troubleshooting.
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...aks-22098.html

A strong solution of dishwashing soap and a brush is a great tool for looking for leaks.

[us71na]

Originally Posted by namusmc65

Ed, we have the same slight smell when we open our propane doors. I soaped the lines and checked and could find no leak. When we had our unit in for some work, the repair department took their snifter detector and went all over our unit and could find no leak. Something just does not seem right, but I have not used an over abundance of propane either.

Put some soapy water on the breather hole of the regulator, you will likely see bubbles. You likely have a small leak in your regulator.

[TakerEasy]

Both of mine failed within the first year and they are protected from the sun. Mine weren't cracked, just poor crimps on the connector end.

Originally Posted by THE MEEKER

I have a 2015 Jayco 27RLS (manufactured February 2015). Today I noticed a strong odor of propane at the tanks. I took the cover off and upon inspection I found both lines from tanks to the regulator were leaking. The rubber hoses at the crimped fittings are cracked. You are all aware of the safety and fire hazard this is.

I am sick and tired of the cheap and shoddy components that are used in these things, especially when it comes to a safety item that should not fail within 6 months.

I replaced both lines at my own cost. I recommend all of you inspect your propane supply hoses on a regular basis.

Be safe and happy camping.

[THE MEEKER]

Well I did have to replace both hoses again this past summer. At least I got three years of service from them.

I have been to a couple of RV shows this year plus a good friend of mine bought a new TT last spring. I have come to the conclusion that I will try to keep my current TT for as long as possible. I am disgusted by the cheap components and shoddy workmanship of the newer units, even the high-end brands. I have seen a few model's MSRP be lower than just a few years ago.

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin.

[oldmanAZ]

'The fact that every part of this ... was built by the lowest bidder.'






[1966] Alan Shepard.

[2edgesword]

I haven't had this happen but will be keeping an eye and nose on it.

[North of 49°]

That happened to us too. The first clue was that we were going through propane a lot faster than we should have, so my troubleshooting lead me to cracked pigtails. Since the trailer was out of warranty, and our dealer was a good 250 miles away, it was just easier to go to a closer dealer for the parts, and do the work myself.

[SkyBound]

Are you guys finding that it's better to buy parts from your local dealer than it is to order them online? I always find that dealerships mark up products by a significant amount before they sell to the customer. Sometimes it's worth the extra money because you are paying for the convenience of them having it there, and you getting your part on the spot if time is critical. Otherwise it seems like a rip-off shop.

What always makes me laugh is when they say "oh, we don't have that but we can order it for you" and I reply with "yes, I also have the internet, and I can order it to my front door probably for cheaper."

[Camper_bob]

One of the pigtails on my TT died after about a year IIRC? No big deal, I just took the broken part to my dealer and he gave me a new one with the tape already applied. I was happy not to have to haul my trailer up there, and he was happy not to have it on his lot for repair. That was a good dealer.

About a year and a half later, the other one went. I just ordered that one online and replaced it. Both of them were leaking at a crimp.

The OEM pigtails were indeed pretty cheap, and low quality. Obviously I replaced with something better. But really, in the big scheme of things, a leaky propane pigtail is a very minor issue and not one I would get my undies in a twist over.

Alan Shepard was right on ... "lowest bidder"; if Jayco (or any of them really) can save a pair of pennies on any given part, you can bet they will use the cheaper component.

[North of 49°]

Originally Posted by SkyBound

Are you guys finding that it's better to buy parts from your local dealer than it is to order them online? I always find that dealerships mark up products by a significant amount before they sell to the customer. Sometimes it's worth the extra money because you are paying for the convenience of them having it there, and you getting your part on the spot if time is critical. Otherwise it seems like a rip-off shop.

What always makes me laugh is when they say "oh, we don't have that but we can order it for you" and I reply with "yes, I also have the internet, and I can order it to my front door probably for cheaper."

Exactly.

When I go to the dealer to buy a part, it’s usually because I need it right now, or else my repair grinds to a halt. I live literally 5 minutes from two medium sized dealers, one of them a Jayco dealer. I could potentially order what I need online, but them I’d have to shop around, look for the best price, then order it and wait for shipping.... just going down the street to the dealer will have me back at work in 20 minutes. So there’s a lot to be said paying the dealer a higher price for the convenience. Of course, if they don’t have what I need in stock and it has to be ordered in, I’d rather do it myself and not pay their markup.

Then there’s the ag/industrial supply place 10 minutes away, and a little past that is a trailer shop, both of which have served me well in the past. So chances are I can find what I need in short order.