Propane connections

[fairweathercamper]

Bear with me I'm new at this pop-up thing.

I have a 1996 coleman laredo with one propane tank connected to a regulator then connected to tubing that runs under the box to a female quick connector sticking out of the frame on the (pass side) of the pop-up behind the door. I have a 2 burner stove top that mounts inside and outside that has a male quick connector.
What I want to do is run a small BBQ grill and a different camping 2 burner stove that both take the small disposible tanks.  At the same time. I've found a "Y" connector and tubing, but I can't find the quick connector ends.

[LimeJeeeep]

that line is a low pressure LP line .you would need to "T"into the high pressure side.the kit lets you use the LP from the main tank instead of the tanks(1lbs).
   Mr heater makes the kits (f273733 standard and f273734 deluxe kit)available at camping world.these kits will enable you to use your stove and any (1) appliance (stove,BBQ grill, light or heater )that uses the disposable cans.
  i think the name of the kit is a (stay a while).try this link  http://www.mrheater.com/productdetails.asp?catid=54

or you can use this and carry another 20lbs propane tank
http://www.amazon.com/Weber-41455-Pound-Adapter-Go-Anywhere/dp/B00025LR7S/ref=acc_glance_grdn_main_0_title/102-5617999-6879364

give me a call if need be

[AustinBoston]

Bear with me I'm new at this pop-up thing.

I have a 1996 coleman laredo with one propane tank connected to a regulator then connected to tubing that runs under the box to a female quick connector sticking out of the frame on the (pass side) of the pop-up behind the door. I have a 2 burner stove top that mounts inside and outside that has a male quick connector.
What I want to do is run a small BBQ grill and a different camping 2 burner stove that both take the small disposible tanks.  At the same time. I've found a "Y" connector and tubing, but I can't find the quick connector ends.

You can't connect a grill or stove that uses disposable bottles to a regulated gas line and actually expect it to work.  Depending on the equipment, the gas at the disconnect will be between 1/2 and 2 PSI, while the disposable bottles are in the 75-150 PSI range.  Like LimeJeep sid, you will need to connect a line from the bottle (before the regulator) to your grill.

Austin

[flyfisherman]

Bear with me I'm new at this pop-up thing.

I have a 1996 coleman laredo with one propane tank connected to a regulator then connected to tubing that runs under the box to a female quick connector sticking out of the frame on the (pass side) of the pop-up behind the door. I have a 2 burner stove top that mounts inside and outside that has a male quick connector.
What I want to do is run a small BBQ grill and a different camping 2 burner stove that both take the small disposible tanks.  At the same time. I've found a "Y" connector and tubing, but I can't find the quick connector ends.

Can't help you with the BBQ grill but I do have an older Coleman 2-burner L/P stove (bought I think in the early 80's), that has a short flexible hose that connects to the disposable 16oz tank. That stove flexible hose will also connect to a 5' or 12' "Mr.Buddy" flex hose which in turn will connect directly to a regular 20 lb L/P tank. The "regulator" for the direct connecting to the 20 lb tank is in the head connector of the short flex hose that came with the stove.  

I do exactly what your doing ... I keep the indoor/outdoor cook stove that came standard with the camper INSIDE and the Coleman 2-burner camp stove is my serious outdoor stove.



Fly

[Sitting Bull]

I'm wanting to do something similar to this, but I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem y'all are describing.

Right now, my PU has one large propane bottle in the front, and it connects through some piping and hosing to an outside nipple.  I'm suppose to take the oven out, mount it to the side of the camper.

My main problem is that bottle will last about 100 years for as often as we're going to use the stove.  I would still like to have the ability to use the stove, just not that often.  And on top of it, I like to put a weatherproof storage container where the tank is currently mounted.

So I'm looking to ditch the tank, and ditch the piping to the stove.  If possible, I'd like to hook the smaller "lantern size" tank directly to the stove.  Can I do that without a regulator?

[flyfisherman]

I'm wanting to do something similar to this, but I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem y'all are describing.

Right now, my PU has one large propane bottle in the front, and it connects through some piping and hosing to an outside nipple.  I'm suppose to take the oven out, mount it to the side of the camper.

My main problem is that bottle will last about 100 years for as often as we're going to use the stove.  I would still like to have the ability to use the stove, just not that often.  And on top of it, I like to put a weatherproof storage container where the tank is currently mounted.

So I'm looking to ditch the tank, and ditch the piping to the stove.  If possible, I'd like to hook the smaller "lantern size" tank directly to the stove.  Can I do that without a regulator?

I assume the "oven" your referring to is the indoor/outdoor cook stove ...?
If per chance it is, then that stove is low pressure, designed to be used inside the camper and will not produce the heat that my regular Coleman camp stove will produce.

Let me describe what I do so that it might give you a better mental picture: First off, the indoor/outdoor stove that came with the popup (a three-burner "Suburban" brand), I just simply leave inside the camper and use it for morning coffee and heating water inside. The good thing about doing this on a cool morning is that it will take the early morning chill out of the camper.  However, taking it ouside for use is not only a hassle, but NOT as effieicent as my old Coleman outdoor L/P cook stove ... it is not as restricted for recieving fuel. You see, that indoor cook stove is recieving it's fuel after it has passed through a gas regulator located on the front of the camper. When you connect the L/P hose from the 20 lb L/P tank on the front of the camper, it's connected to the gas regulator.  Now, when I use that same tank for the outdoor cookstove, I have a "T" that's connected first to the tank and one side of the "T" is connected to the camper's gas regulator for use inside. The other side of the "T" is where I connect other L/P appliances (such as the outdoor cook stove) that I don't want to be reduced in fuel coming to them. Rather than tearing out your exsisting system, why don't yo invest in a "T" for the tank (less than twenty bucks) and you can have the best of both worlds!


Fly

[Sitting Bull]

I assume the "oven" your referring to is the indoor/outdoor cook stove ...?
If per chance it is, then that stove is low pressure, designed to be used inside the camper and will not produce the heat that my regular Coleman camp stove will produce.

Let me describe what I do so that it might give you a better mental picture: First off, the indoor/outdoor stove that came with the popup (a three-burner "Suburban" brand), I just simply leave inside the camper and use it for morning coffee and heating water inside. The good thing about doing this on a cool morning is that it will take the early morning chill out of the camper.  However, taking it ouside for use is not only a hassle, but NOT as effieicent as my old Coleman outdoor L/P cook stove ... it is not as restricted for recieving fuel. You see, that indoor cook stove is recieving it's fuel after it has passed through a gas regulator located on the front of the camper. When you connect the L/P hose from the 20 lb L/P tank on the front of the camper, it's connected to the gas regulator.  Now, when I use that same tank for the outdoor cookstove, I have a "T" that's connected first to the tank and one side of the "T" is connected to the camper's gas regulator for use inside. The other side of the "T" is where I connect other L/P appliances (such as the outdoor cook stove) that I don't want to be reduced in fuel coming to them. Rather than tearing out your exsisting system, why don't yo invest in a "T" for the tank (less than twenty bucks) and you can have the best of both worlds!


Fly

Yeah, I probably should have described it a little better.  It's a 2 burner stovetop, similar to a Coleman camp stove type of thing.  It's only meant to be used outside - because there is no where to hook it up or mount it on the inside.  I'm not sure how I could tell if it's high pressure or low pressure - but since it's meant to run on a 20lb tank, does that make it low?

[flyfisherman]

- but since it's meant to run on a 20lb tank, does that make it low?

It would seem to me your popup either came with one cook stove which would serve as an indoor/outdoor stove, OR it came with two ... an indoor and an outdoor stove, the indoor being low pressure and the outdoor being high pressure.  Let me ask ... are you sure there's no indoor connector for your cook stove?  And ... what's the brand name (label) on that stove?

The propane inside refillable L/P tanks usually run anywhere from 8 to 220 psig (pounds per square gage) ... this is a method of measuring the L/P pressure inside the tank. However, after connected to the gas regulator and the L/P is coming out the other side of the regulator and heading for the interior of the camper, it will require a smaller method to gage the amount of L/P pressure - this is called "w.c." (inches of water column).
1.0 psig = 27.71 w.c.
Most interior camper appliances are designed to operate at (or around) 11 w.c. and that would be the pressure coming out of the gas regulator.  I'm not familar with your model camper even though I had a '96 Coleman "Yukon" which came with two stoves ... one indoor and the other outdoor. The gas regulator on that camper unit delivered two different L/P pressures, one for the indoor appliances and the other strickly for and to the outdoor cook stove.  So that they could not be confused, they (the stoves) had different couplers.

Me thinks ... if you can find that indoor conector for the L/P ... AND it's the same as the outdoor ... your one cook stove is intended to be used both indoor and outdoor, and it is a low pressure stove.

Now, you have tapped all that I know about camper cook stoves. You now know as much as I do.

Good luck!


Fly

[Tim5055]

Yeah, I probably should have described it a little better.  It's a 2 burner stovetop, similar to a Coleman camp stove type of thing.  It's only meant to be used outside - because there is no where to hook it up or mount it on the inside.  I'm not sure how I could tell if it's high pressure or low pressure - but since it's meant to run on a 20lb tank, does that make it low?

There are three LP gas pressures available:

    *      Tank pressure...several hundred psi
    *      High pressure...approx 13 psi
    *      Low pressure....less than 1 psi, (approx 11 inches of water column)

Any propane device designed for using in inhabitable enclosed space has to be low pressure. High pressure is used for "outside devices" mainly barbeques and outdoor gas grills. Tank pressure is what is inside any propane container, be it a 20 pound cylinder, a 1 pound or 14 ounce cylinder. All the same and need some kind of regulation before using.

The easiest way to tell what available for use on your trailer is to look at the regulator on your tongue mounted propane cylinder. If there is only one line coming off the regulator you have only low pressure available whether it's inside or outside. Common with in/out stoves. If there are tow separate lines coming off different sections of the regulator, then the low pressure side goes into the trailer and the high pressure line goes to an outside connection.

Heaters, since they normally run off a 14 ounce or 1 pound cylinder have a built in regulator inside the unit. While the vast majority of heaters use low pressure, there are a few designed for strictly outdoor use that will use high pressure, but they are few and far between. The problem comes in with using double regulation. The low pressure regulator on the trailer and the internal regulator on the heater. Some units will not work with double regulation and others will. It's not by brand, more likely by the regulator. We seen some of every brand not work this way. Note that most of the manufacturers recommend when using an add-on connector to connect to a large cylinder like our normal 20 pounders that a T be placed in the line ahead of the tank regulator and a true tank pressure hose run to the heater. Also with outside gas grill using the small bottles and a high pressure connection will sometimes fail to operate again due to double regulation.

[Sitting Bull]

Thanks for the help fellas.  I'll check for a T tonight when I get home - though I doubt it is there.  Maybe there are some nubbies to mount the stove inside, but I just never noticed them before.  I guess I'll find out next time I'm out camping.

I appreciate the education.  All of my grilling experience has been with my ole charcoal weber and brinkman smoker.  But Tim, you can swing by Woodstock and try my BBQ the old fashion way.  The City of Woodstock's BBQ competition is coming up in a few months...guess who won it last year???  :-()

[mkcom1]

I have an 02 Niagara with the outside stove that connects via a small hose on the stove to a threaded connect on the frame of the camper.  I also have a small BBq, table top type that I connect via a threaded 8FT hose to the same frame connect and have no problems. I don't know if this connection on the frame is high or low psi but suspect that it is high and that both the stove and BBq have internal regulators as the BBq is made to use disposable tanks.  
     Additionally I to would like to tee the frame connect so I could use both the BBq and outside Stove at the same time. Anyone know where I can get such a tee.  I believe that the frame connect is a male threaded connect and the hoses female connect to that.  So it would be a female threaded to two male threaded connects.  Sounds confusing.  Any help?  Ken

[flyfisherman]

I have an 02 Niagara with the outside stove that connects via a small hose on the stove to a threaded connect on the frame of the camper.  I also have a small BBq, table top type that I connect via a threaded 8FT hose to the same frame connect and have no problems. I don't know if this connection on the frame is high or low psi but suspect that it is high and that both the stove and BBq have internal regulators as the BBq is made to use disposable tanks.  
     Additionally I to would like to tee the frame connect so I could use both the BBq and outside Stove at the same time. Anyone know where I can get such a tee.  I believe that the frame connect is a male threaded connect and the hoses female connect to that.  So it would be a female threaded to two male threaded connects.  Sounds confusing.  Any help?  Ken

We have a propane supplier/dealer in town that not only is the supplier of propane but also has a little showroom for appliances, plus a parts department for about any kind of paraphernalia related to L/P.  Certainly his counterpart must exist in other towns around the country, so I'd suggest looking up propane dealers and see what they might have in their inventory.


Fly

[fairweathercamper]

Thanks for all the replies.

Can you tell this is my first pop-up camper.
I learned now about high and low pressure systems. And from what I've found it would cost more to change the system then to use the disposible tanks for a year. We'll probably use it the way it is for now until it becomes annoyingly worth the change.  I've got other projects I'm working on right now anyway.