Sanctuary 19L - Propane switch issue

paul_rvlife · 09-27-2023, 09:43 PM

Had an issue on the road where the propane switch became intermittently fussy. One would flip the switch and it would work sometimes, then not others. No solenoid click noise and the light on the switch would not come on. I suspected coach battery voltage initially as this has been the cause of this same issue in the past. With a full coach battery, this was not the problem. Opened the casing around the switch/filling ports and the center connection wired was fully disconnected. See the pictures below. As seen in the other pictures, the stellar placement of this system resides in the direct line of fire of the driver rear tire. All things road have a solid chance of inundating this not so sealed enclosure with grime, road salt, gravel, etc. The switch itself does not look outdoor weather rated either, compounding the problem. Needless to say, the middle paddle of the switch connection point rotted off in 2 years of ownership.

My road hack was to connect the two orange wires when I needed the propane on.

I am writing this for all to check this system. Clean the enclosure, ensure switch connections are clean, possibly apply di-electric grease or spray with PlastiDip or possibly seal the enclosure better. I chose to relocate the switch to a more protected area still accessible when filling.

Best of luck.

Mark54 · 09-27-2023, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul_rvlife

Had an issue on the road where the propane switch became intermittently fussy. One would flip the switch and it would work sometimes, then not others. No solenoid click noise and the light on the switch would not come on. I suspected coach battery voltage initially as this has been the cause of this same issue in the past. With a full coach battery, this was not the problem. Opened the casing around the switch/filling ports and the center connection wired was fully disconnected. See the pictures below. As seen in the other pictures, the stellar placement of this system resides in the direct line of fire of the driver rear tire. All things road have a solid chance of inundating this not so sealed enclosure with grime, road salt, gravel, etc. The switch itself does not look outdoor weather rated either, compounding the problem. Needless to say, the middle paddle of the switch connection point rotted off in 2 years of ownership.

My road hack was to connect the two orange wires when I needed the propane on.

I am writing this for all to check this system. Clean the enclosure, ensure switch connections are clean, possibly apply di-electric grease or spray with PlastiDip or possibly seal the enclosure better. I chose to relocate the switch to a more protected area still accessible when filling.

Best of luck.

That's it- moving mine inside. I knew that was a bad location. Thanks for posting to prompt me to take action!

paul_rvlife · 09-28-2023, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark54

That's it- moving mine inside. I knew that was a bad location. Thanks for posting to prompt me to take action!

Just one consideration, I am just surmising and have no documentation or have not seen any regarding placement of this switch but it could be a safety issue for the person filling the propane tank if there is no clear indication close by to the filling point that the propane is off. My other thought was if there was an accident and the switch was damaged in the same area as the tank/filling points, it would fail "closed", i.e. the solenoid would remain or move to closed.

I chose to locate mine very close to the location, just more protected and covered with a proper enclosure. Just some thoughts to ponder.

fourthgear · 09-28-2023, 08:24 AM

Road salt or what ever is used on wintery roads really destroyed that switch . Thanks ,just another thing to inspect & seal .

Mark54 · 09-28-2023, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul_rvlife

Just one consideration, I am just surmising and have no documentation or have not seen any regarding placement of this switch but it could be a safety issue for the person filling the propane tank if there is no clear indication close by to the filling point that the propane is off. My other thought was if there was an accident and the switch was damaged in the same area as the tank/filling points, it would fail "closed", i.e. the solenoid would remain or move to closed.

I chose to locate mine very close to the location, just more protected and covered with a proper enclosure. Just some thoughts to ponder.

Winnebago Travato has it inside, and some who have moved it, leave the outer one in place, and on all the time, control from inside. I think a lighted switch inside is as safe, esp. if in a very visible spot.

'Pre-fight' checklist is a must. I often forget to turn it off, so if it was inside- even at the dash, then I could do w/o getting out on a busy highway.

fourthgear · 09-28-2023, 02:23 PM

If this is a safety device & is required by some RV or motor vehicle law to have , I don't think I would be making it a dummy safety feature , it could make you liable if its willfully disabled & something happens . I will admit ,I have no idea of any laws or not , never thought of it till this thread .

**16ACE27** · 10-10-2023, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourthgear

If this is a safety device & is required by some RV or motor vehicle law to have , I don't think I would be making it a dummy safety feature , it could make you liable if its willfully disabled & something happens . I will admit ,I have no idea of any laws or not , never thought of it till this thread .

It's not, otherwise it would be required on all RVs. It is a gizmo.

Mark54 · 10-10-2023, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourthgear

If this is a safety device & is required by some RV or motor vehicle law to have , I don't think I would be making it a dummy safety feature , it could make you liable if its willfully disabled & something happens . I will admit ,I have no idea of any laws or not , never thought of it till this thread .

We are all on our own- no liability or warranty by dealers exists in real life with these things as soon as you start modding, or for that matter in many cases, before, b/c dealers have no clue for the most part. (some are ok I'm sure, but I have yet to meet one)
Also think about carrying a propane filled cylinder underneath a vehicle- what could go wrong?
How many here have driven off with that switch open? What liability is there if you run over a stump, or rock and open that line?

Rv's have some inherent hazards and everyone should be aware of them, but we are humans after all...

I'll be adding that switch inside as as soon as I can. It will make my rig safer from myself at least. Everyone stay safe!

Chateau_Nomad · 10-10-2023, 01:46 PM

I can't even visualize a convenience in this setup. WHY is a 12volt solenoid even needed?

You need propane? Open the tank valve.

Want propane off? Close the tank valve.

A new weekend project would be to locate that solenoid valve, remove it and replace with rubber propane line.

Mark54 · 10-10-2023, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

I can't even visualize a convenience in this setup. WHY is a 12volt solenoid even needed?

You need propane? Open the tank valve.

Want propane off? Close the tank valve.

A new weekend project would be to locate that solenoid valve, remove it and replace with rubber propane line.

If you can get at the valve, then yes, that would be "safer". But Thor puts that valve out of reach for most people, like me with a bad back.
So anyone who would rather use the manual valve, better be small and agile, and willing to crawl in the dirt.

If you have a class C with propane in a basement, then you could easily use the manual valve instead. The Class B's are impossible.
If you add a rubber line, you better be 100% sure it cannot ever get damaged- and better know the LP gas codes and regulations for RV's. As I have always said- you're on your own with these things.

If you ever sell it that way, you could be liable if the new owner gets hurt b/c of your work. So I would un-do any mod like that before hand.

I moved my LFP batteries up b/c of the stupid location underneath, but propane is not moveable to inside for obvious reasons.

My Rialta had a tank in a compartment that was easy to reach, and you would do just that- use the manual valve, from a door, on the side of the rig. The tank was covered by a steel housing inside the coach.

Chateau_Nomad · 10-10-2023, 06:10 PM

If anything, not being able to reach the tank shutoff handle is a safety breach in itself.

I have ran an extension propane hose from a low pressure manifold to a quick connect for an external grill/griddle connection. As has been stated ad nauseum on this forum, motorhomes are basically kits waiting to be modified and customized to the end user's delight.

Maybe someone down the custody chain will sue me for providing a custom solar and lithium setup...

Mark54 · 10-10-2023, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

If anything, not being able to reach the tank shutoff handle is a safety breach in itself.

I have ran an extension propane hose from a low pressure manifold to a quick connect for an external grill/griddle connection. As has been stated ad nauseum on this forum, motorhomes are basically kits waiting to be modified and customized to the end user's delight.

Maybe someone down the custody chain will sue me for providing a custom solar and lithium setup...

Absolutely ok to do that with the grill, and Lithium/solar can't "explode". I trust you wouldn't drive and grill at the same time...

Chateau_Nomad · 10-11-2023, 01:40 AM

I must admit I installed a photovoltaic switch to disconnect the solar panels... just in case those frisky electrons start getting out of control.

Mark54 · 10-11-2023, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

I must admit I installed a photovoltaic switch to disconnect the solar panels... just in case those frisky electrons start getting out of control.

I did that long ago for shutdowns and working on system, as well as winterizing. I used 30A breakers instead of switches.

Broke the B+ feed from battery and PV+ feed from panels, both to PV controller. Now I can shut down and not worry about the sun being out and/or system energised...

Chateau_Nomad · 10-11-2023, 01:52 PM

Since the OP's post is about propane, I don't want to go completely off the rails on a different subject. But briefly, you should use a specific type switch which disconnects BOTH positive AND negative leads from your solar bank.

Skip forward to 5:03 in this video for an explanation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOXnWXvLXko

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