Are you concerned about your propane refrigerator?

[peteco]

Originally Posted by booster

I looked at them and couldn't find our model number in their conversion lists or I might have done that. I really didn't have the time to dig into it right now.



If you know if they would work, it would be interesting to try, I think.


I wanted to get it all back together quickly and move on to other stuff I need to do around here, so just ordered a quick delivery one from Amazon that is the one size fits all Suburban board. I hope I can repair the old on to with a $2 relay replacement.

The heater dinosaur board has worked well for the past 6 years. I got one for the Dometic fridge when it was acting flaky too. The fridge controls do something odd occasionally, like shut off the gas when it should be on. Not sure if it is the board or something else.

[GallenH]

Suburban SW6D (probably much older than yours). Circuit board replacement 3-4yrs ago with Dinosaur UIB S.

The furnace on the PW wasn't operable when we got it from my father-in-law. It needed a new circuit board and the tech who looked at it put the above in. Has worked fine for the past 3+ years.

[NFRicaS]

Can anyone add to the advice about getting rid of the propane in my Class B?
Still want to dump the propane out before I hit the road...Thanks

[mikeehlert]

Originally Posted by NFRicaS

Can anyone add to the advice about getting rid of the propane in my Class B?

Still want to dump the propane out before I hit the road...Thanks

Safest option is listed above with the 15 foot hose.

I would find a empty parking lot or a piece of desert with a little breeze. Make sure the rig is off, off , and, off. Loosen a fitting, open the main valve and walk up wind. It’s not that big a deal to me.

[Van_Dreams]

Originally Posted by mikeehlert

Safest option is listed above with the 15 foot hose.

I would find a empty parking lot or a piece of desert with a little breeze. Make sure the rig is off, off , and, off. Loosen a fitting, open the main valve and walk up wind. It’s not that big a deal to me.

What do you mean by “loosen a fitting” and why is that necessary?

[booster]

Originally Posted by mikeehlert

Safest option is listed above with the 15 foot hose.

I would find a empty parking lot or a piece of desert with a little breeze. Make sure the rig is off, off , and, off. Loosen a fitting, open the main valve and walk up wind. It’s not that big a deal to me.

Loosening fittings is not my first choice as it can be hard to control and if it pops off plus you can have issues with leaks when retightening any gas fitting that has been moved. Most folks would do the bleed down as described but with the spit valve instead of the fitting loosening as it is very controllable for leak rate and and made to reseal well.


As mentioned, only do it in a good wind blowing the gas away from the van, not under it, or have a big fan on it.


Or you could just open all the windows and doors, turn on the ceiling vent fan and run the furnace until the tank is nearly empty. The furnace will quit before the tank is totally gas free because of low pressure, but then you can vent the rest with spit valve slowly and it won't take forever or need to be very high flow, as there will be very little gas left.

[NFRicaS]

Originally Posted by booster

Loosening fittings is not my first choice as it can be hard to control and if it pops off plus you can have issues with leaks when retightening any gas fitting that has been moved. Most folks would do the bleed down as described but with the spit valve instead of the fitting loosening as it is very controllable for leak rate and and made to reseal well.


As mentioned, only do it in a good wind blowing the gas away from the van, not under it, or have a big fan on it.


Or you could just open all the windows and doors, turn on the ceiling vent fan and run the furnace until the tank is nearly empty. The furnace will quit before the tank is totally gas free because of low pressure, but then you can vent the rest with spit valve slowly and it won't take forever or need to be very high flow, as there will be very little gas left.

Booster, thanks for suggestions...have not used propane in the almost 4 years I have owned RV, so would not feel comfortable with trying to run/light furnace, have no clue how to even start it...probably will try to take it to the big parking lot at the beach and do it there, ocean breeze can whisk all away...hopefully..����

[wny-pat]

I have a compressor Dometic DC frig in my Honda Odyssey van. It runs all the time when the van is running. Works great. 12 vdc power from the rear voltage outlet. Has not killed my battery yet. It has a safety circuit which turns off the frig if the battery gets to low. The cord runs from the rear pillar to the frig between the two middle seats. Maybe I should check that cord's insulation. And then there is all the electical rats nest under the front dash and the side panels....

[mkguitar]

unrelated to the OP's concern- whatever that problem was...the wiring should have been routed away from any heat sources and should have had fuses to protect from overload/short circuit/fire.


If your dometic has a cord system which doesn't overload the rating on your lighter outlet then carry on. make sure the cord doesn't get bent over, tangled, or nicked


Mike

[NFRicaS]

Originally Posted by NFRicaS

Booster, thanks for suggestions...have not used propane in the almost 4 years I have owned RV, so would not feel comfortable with trying to run/light furnace, have no clue how to even start it...probably will try to take it to the big parking lot at the beach and do it there, ocean breeze can whisk all away...hopefully..����

Can some send a pic of the “spit valve”?

[NFRicaS]

Still trying to get rid of the propane in my Class B....suggestion given to release on a windy day in an open area Opening spit valve?...figure beach parking lot is good...(on a NOT nice beach day)...But can someone send a pic...do not know about propane, but tank is looking a bit rusty and I am still petrified of flammable things on/in RV!! Thanks!!

[booster]

Originally Posted by NFRicaS

Still trying to get rid of the propane in my Class B....suggestion given to release on a windy day in an open area Opening spit valve?...figure beach parking lot is good...(on a NOT nice beach day)...But can someone send a pic...do not know about propane, but tank is looking a bit rusty and I am still petrified of flammable things on/in RV!! Thanks!!

Does your van have a gas grille connection you could use to run a gas grille of propane torch head to use up the propane with the risk of unburned gas?

[mkguitar]

rather than release hydrocarbons, can you burn it off ?


running appliances will greatly reduce the raw HC released


mike

[NFRicaS]

Originally Posted by booster

Does your van have a gas grille connection you could use to run a gas grille of propane torch head to use up the propane with the risk of unburned gas?

Nope, it does not...

[NFRicaS]

Originally Posted by mkguitar

rather than release hydrocarbons, can you burn it off ?


running appliances will greatly reduce the raw HC released


mike

I have never had the Propane on, so am very leery of even trying it...

[rvsprinterguy]

Originally Posted by NFRicaS

I have never had the Propane on, so am very leery of even trying it...

Knowing nothing about your van, or the condition of the propane system in it, I'm going to suggest you take your rig to a propane dealer, or an RV repair place and get an expert opinion on the condition of that system.

Sure, there have been some spectacular fires caused by propane tanks. However, hundreds of thousands of people use the propane appliances in their RVs safely all the time.

[themexicandoctor]

RVSPRINTERGUY is correct.

I can do a lot of stuff but what I do NOT try is Propane & Elecricity.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!

[NFRicaS]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

RVSPRINTERGUY is correct.

I can do a lot of stuff but what I do NOT try is Propane & Elecricity.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!

I have tried, they do not want to deal w/ it either! But, I’ll figure it out, thanks everyone for your help!!

[rvsprinterguy]

Originally Posted by NFRicaS

Still trying to get rid of the propane in my Class B....suggestion given to release on a windy day in an open area Opening spit valve?...figure beach parking lot is good...(on a NOT nice beach day)...But can someone send a pic...do not know about propane, but tank is looking a bit rusty and I am still petrified of flammable things on/in RV!! Thanks!!

There is a raft of information about propane tanks available elsewhere. There you can learn the differences between the two types of tanks in use in the US: DOT, and ASME. Tanks permanently mounted in RVs are of the latter type.

Look for a website that displays the various valves and ports on a typical ASME tank. Every one has to have a provision to fill it, and a way to deliver propane to the coach appliances.

Adjacent to the fill port will be a small valve that is opened by the person doing the filling in order to get an idea of when the tank is full. When it is approaching being full, liquid propane will start to "spit" out this valve. This is the spit valve.

Instead of one of us sending pictures of our systems, please post close-up pictures of yours. Then maybe someone will be able to give you concrete advice.

I encourage you to educate yourself about your propane system and become less afraid of it.

[wny-pat]

Originally Posted by themexicandoctor

RVSPRINTERGUY is correct.

I can do a lot of stuff but what I do NOT try is Propane & Elecricity.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!

I spent my working life hauling gasoline and other petroleum products, some much worse that gasoline. I so agree with RVSPRINTERGUY! Do not mess with it or try to bleed it off into the air. You may end up hurting yourself or someone else!!! I've lost friends who were professionals who worked on this stuff. That is why you are having difficulty finding someone!!