Propane Pigtail

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   RPod Community,Please excuse the following butchering of whatever the following parts are really called.  
I'm on my second propane pigtail in 1.5 years.  The last pigtail only lasted 4 months.  The problem exists at the connection just in front of where the big valve screws onto the tank.  It also fails just after the previous mentioned point and were the brass collar meets the rubber hose.  Both of these points leak. I can smell propane whenI turn on the knob and if I bend the hose a certain way, you can hear the propane hissing out.  My 179 came with the black hard cover that goes over the tank and regulator.  The tight interior space make the hose coming off the valve that attaches to the tank to strain and bend just after the tank connection.  I think over time, it just wears out.  Has anyone else had a similar problem?  What was a solution that worked.  

I replaced the last one with a 32 inch hose hoping to give it more slack so that it wouldn't pull so much, but that didn't work.  What I think I need is a 90 degree connection right after the tank connection.  Or a higher quality hose.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  
Thanks
Jeff

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Wood River Pod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 Sep 2016 Location: Wood River, ID Online Status: Offline Posts: 153	Topic: Propane Pigtail Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 12:06am
	RPod Community, Please excuse the following butchering of whatever the following parts are really called. I'm on my second propane pigtail in 1.5 years. The last pigtail only lasted 4 months. The problem exists at the connection just in front of where the big valve screws onto the tank. It also fails just after the previous mentioned point and were the brass collar meets the rubber hose. Both of these points leak. I can smell propane whenI turn on the knob and if I bend the hose a certain way, you can hear the propane hissing out. My 179 came with the black hard cover that goes over the tank and regulator. The tight interior space make the hose coming off the valve that attaches to the tank to strain and bend just after the tank connection. I think over time, it just wears out. Has anyone else had a similar problem? What was a solution that worked. I replaced the last one with a 32 inch hose hoping to give it more slack so that it wouldn't pull so much, but that didn't work. What I think I need is a 90 degree connection right after the tank connection. Or a higher quality hose. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Jeff
	Smith's in Hailey Early 2017 179 HRE Wood River Mods

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 7:48am
	I wonder whether a heavy spring around the hose at the compression fitting, as is often used on garden hoses, would help? I had the same thing happen to a Benzomatic extension hose for small disposable gas cylinders. I use it to light the charcoal in the Weber. I'm going to pick up a couple springs, one for each end, when I get around to it.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288	Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 8:36am
	I turn the tank a little to that the hose is aimed toward a wider part of the cover. Mine originally came with the soft cover, but I changed for the hard cover. On mine, the cover still sits between the tank and the regulator. I had to get a hose long enough to reach the tank valve, under the cover, then up to the regulator. I also have had them go bad. The most recent one I got is the one with the braided metal cover. It seems to be holding up well.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3223	Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 8:26pm
	We do as StephenH, turn the tank a bit so that the hose doesn't strain to reach the connection. I guess we are fortunate as we are on the same hose that came on the 177. Production date of our pod was January 2011.
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288	Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 9:12pm
	The original one we had started leaking at the fitting where it goes into the regulator. I had one fail internally where it would not let sufficient gas flow. It was bitterly cold. When the furnace kicked on, the stove flames almost died out. I thought it was the regulator, not thinking a hose could fail but a new regulator did not fix the problem. Then I replaced that hose and all was back to normal. I got that one replaced under warranty, but could only get it with the old style connection that had the left-hand threads and needed a wrench. Now I have the one with the stainless steel braided cover. Hopefully, I won't have any more problems.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

jimandclare Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Erie, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 96	Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 5:51am
	I swapped out the original fabric cover with the black plastic cover and saw the same problem with attaching the hose. So I used a hole saw to cut a hole in the cover at the level of the valve. The hose now is routed straight to the valve eliminated any possible kinking of the gas hose.
	Jim & Clare 2016 R-pod 178 2014 Ford Edge

Ghosthawk Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 01 Apr 2018 Location: Fargo ND Online Status: Offline Posts: 128	Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 9:37am
	There is a very good reason they bury propane tanks and lines. Stored as a liquid under pressure if it is cold enough it does not turn into gas fast enough to sustain a flame. If it was me either a Street L fitting or a hole bored in the cover should put a permanent fix on it. Considering that you had a prior problem there I'd take it all apart. Make sure you don't have a partially plugged fitting or connection.

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288	Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 10:30am
	It was not that it was too cold. After I changed the hose, the propane supply was adequate. Propane's boiling point of about -44F or about -42C (various web sites agree on these numbers) means that single-digit temps should not have caused the problem I experienced. The hose's internal valve somehow stuck and was not allowing sufficient propane to flow. There was no way to get the valve unstuck, even after I had it in warm temperatures. One caveat to the above is that a tank that is nearly empty and is drawing fast enough to frost over might get too cold. However, my experience was that even a nearly empty tank in single-digit weather still supplied enough propane to run the furnace and stove simultaneously.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Wood River Pod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 Sep 2016 Location: Wood River, ID Online Status: Offline Posts: 153	Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 11:47am
	Thanks everyone. I appreciate the ideas.
	Smith's in Hailey Early 2017 179 HRE Wood River Mods