LP Quick Connect for Gas Grill

Mod-Streamer · 12-11-2005, 11:04 AM

I saw a dealer installed mod on an 30' Classic recently, a quick-connect valve for connecting a gas grill. Anyone done this? It was mounted at the rear on the curb side. It seems like a pretty simple plumbing job. Am I missing something here? Any special considerations?

Thanks,

Stuart

47WeeWind · 12-11-2005, 11:44 AM

Stuart:

On my 1964 Globe Trotter, I plumbed in an on/off valve and below it a propane quick disconnect fitting on the low pressure side of my propane line just beneath the propane tank regulator. Its located between my propane tanks and faces towards the front for easy access. I use it to quickly attach and detach (then turn on or off) a 12' hose that goes to my low pressure Magma propane cooking grille that mounts just aft of the curb side door. The Magma grill was purchased a few years ago from West Marine, and uses a fishing pole socket and arm to mount to the outside of the trailer.

Basically, I put a threaded "Tee" fitting in the low pressure line at the bottom of the regulator. I threaded a 90 degree ell ("L") into the horizontal opening on the "Tee". At the other downward facing end of the "L" I threaded in the on/off valve followed by the female quick disconnect fitting. The male quick disconnect fitting is on the 12' hose end. It all works quite well.

It was a conscious decision on my part to locate the quick disconnect outside the trailer and away from the body. I thought about locating it behind the refrigerator access door inside the trailer, "Tee"d into the refrigerator gas supply line. But I decided against that location just in case the quick disconnect ever leaked or seeped any propane, which then might collect inside the belly pan and eventually go "BOOM". With the quick disconnect up front by the hitch hand crank, if it does now leak or seep the propane will be outside and well away from the trailer.

Mod-Streamer · 12-12-2005, 10:38 PM

Fred,

Thanks so much for your detailed description. I appreciate and share your concern for safety. Very good point about location of the connection. This info will be very helpful to me when I make the modification to my rig.

Thanks,

Stuart

47WeeWind · 12-15-2005, 03:32 PM

Stuart:

Here's a photo of my propane on/off valve and the propane quick disconnect female fitting underneath. These are located at the front of my 1964 19' Globe Trotter, between the two propane tanks. The top of a 3 pole Pole-Ease flag pole holder bolted to my jack can be seen in the lower right hand corner of the photo. The whole affair is somewhat kludgey because the plumbing industry does not manufacture fittings in the configuration I need to make a cleaner installation. Nevertheless, enjoy it FWIW.

To repeat my earlier description: Basically, I put a threaded "Tee" fitting in the low pressure line at the bottom of the regulator. I threaded a 90 degree ell ("L") onto the horizontal outlet of the "Tee". At the other downward facing end of the "L" I threaded in the on/off valve followed by the female quick disconnect fitting. The male quick disconnect fitting is on the 12' hose end. It all works quite well.

**azflycaster** · 12-16-2005, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 47WeeWind

Stuart:

Here's a photo of my propane on/off valve and the propane quick disconnect female fitting underneath.

47WW, Nice job, it looks fine to me. My question is, since you came off of the low pressure side of the regulator, do you bypass the regulator on the devices you attach to? I have given thought to hooking up my Camping stove in this mannor. It is one of those two burner Canpmore(?) stoves with legs. I currently bring a 10 lb propane bottle with me for this. Since the line (in your setup) is low pressure, I would attach the line without the regulator from the stove?

Mod-Streamer · 12-16-2005, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 47WeeWind

Stuart:

Here's a photo of my propane on/off valve and the propane quick disconnect female fitting underneath. These are located at the front of my 1964 19' Globe Trotter, between the two propane tanks. The top of a 3 pole Pole-Ease flag pole holder bolted to my jack can be seen in the lower right hand corner of the photo. The whole affair is somewhat kludgey because the plumbing industry does not manufacture fittings in the configuration I need to make a cleaner installation. Nevertheless, enjoy it FWIW.

To repeat my earlier description: Basically, I put a threaded "Tee" fitting in the low pressure line at the bottom of the regulator. I threaded a 90 degree ell ("L") onto the horizontal outlet of the "Tee". At the other downward facing end of the "L" I threaded in the on/off valve followed by the female quick disconnect fitting. The male quick disconnect fitting is on the 12' hose end. It all works quite well.

47WW,

Thanks for the photo! It really helps me understand what you did. I'm new to Airstreaming and new to this forum, but I have to say I have been so impressed with the people I have met on the road and now on this forum. I didn't expect such support when I posted my request. Wonderful! Thanks so much.

Regards,

Mod-Streamer

47WeeWind · 12-16-2005, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

47WW, Nice job, it looks fine to me. My question is, since you came off of the low pressure side of the regulator, do you bypass the regulator on the devices you attach to? I have given thought to hooking up my Camping stove in this mannor. It is one of those two burner Canpmore(?) stoves with legs. I currently bring a 10 lb propane bottle with me for this. Since the line (in your setup) is low pressure, I would attach the line without the regulator from the stove?

Azflycaster:

All my propane devices (Bowen water heater, Magic Chef stove, Dometic refrigerator, Olympic catalytic heater inside the trailer and the Magna outdoor grille) operate on low pressure, downstream from the gas pressure regulator, which is why I put my quick disconnect connection below the regulator. Personally, I have no need to connect to the high pressure side of the propane line upstream from the regulator.

Does your 10 pound propane tank has a regulator on it between the tank and the connection to your 2 burner stove? If yes, then your stove should operate on low pressure (downstream from the gas regulator). If no, then maybe it is a high presure device??

Some devices use screw on small gas cylinders and can be adopted to larger gas tanks. These devices must (may??) have a built-in regulator so they can operate right off a small screw-on high pressure gas cylinder, but I don't know for sure. Or, maybe they use some type of orafice that operates off of high pressure?? I've never disassembled one to see how it works. Without seeing photos of how your stove and tank connect, I'm loathe to give you any advice because it might lead to a big KA-BOOM***

In any event, I dislike using disposable small screw-on cylinders, which is why I look for gas devices I can operate off the low pressure side of my two propane tanks on the trailer, which are refillable.

**azflycaster** · 12-16-2005, 10:11 AM

Fred,
My setup has a regulator at the connection to the Propane tank. It is the same setup as the Weber grill that I burn steaks on in my back yard. It is made by Camp Chief.

47WeeWind · 12-16-2005, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

47WW ... my question is, since you came off of the low pressure side of the regulator, do you bypass the regulator on the devices you attach to? I have given thought to hooking up my Camping stove in this mannor. It is one of those two burner Canpmore(?) stoves with legs. I currently bring a 10 lb propane bottle with me for this. Since the line (in your setup) is low pressure, I would attach the line without the regulator from the stove?

Azflycaster:

Having seen your stove and bottle, I now better understand your question. If your stove were mine and I wanted to use it with my trailer, I would unscrew the propane line from the stove to your propane tank at the bottom (or outside hose end) of your propane tank regulator. Then I'd add a male quick disconnect to that line by threading it on that just disconnected end of the line. That male quick disconnect end would then connect into the female quick disconnect fitting on my trailer to supply the stove with propane. In other words, you attach the gas line from your stove to the trailer's female quick disconnect and use the trailer's gas tanks and regulator as the gas tank and regulator for the stove. Does that answer your question?

Stated differently, the low pressure devices I attach to my quick disconnect do not need their own (separate and additional) low pressure regulator and tanks because they use the low pressure regulator that is on my trailer's propane tanks. I don't actually bypass the low pressure regulators on the low pressure devices I quick connect to (because low pressure propane devices do not have their own regulators), but I do "bypass" the regulator on the propane tanks the low pressure devices formerly were attached to. I think you and I have a small difference in semantics, as I see the regulators attached to supply tanks instead of to the low pressure devices themselves.

**azflycaster** · 12-16-2005, 11:52 AM

Fred,
I got it! Thanks for the info.

**Action** · 12-19-2005, 12:34 PM

47 WW,

Do you use your grille between a boat and your trailer? If so is there any handling issues when moving it? (Keeping parts together or ??)

And you stated the grille was socket mounted. What do you use for mounting on your trailer?

Lastly how long of a flexible propane line do you use when you are using it for the Airstream. (in other words, is there an issue with too long?)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

47WeeWind · 12-19-2005, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Action

47 WW, Do you use your grille between a boat and your trailer? If so is there any handling issues when moving it? (Keeping parts together or ??) And you stated the grille was socket mounted. What do you use for mounting on your trailer? Lastly how long of a flexible propane line do you use when you are using it for the Airstream. (in other words, is there an issue with too long?) >>>>>>>>>>>>>Action

Hi Action:

I don't own a boat but simply adopted a marine product to my "land yacht" trailer. During the past year, I've kept and used the propane grill in the back yard in my stackable appliance tower that I built for my 1948 Wee Wind. The tower is pictured on page 41 in the Fall 2004 issue of Airstream Life. The roof shown there raises up 15 inches on 4 posts to provide covered access for cooking in rain or snow. On sunny days I just take off the roof and put it aways away on the ground. The wood sides of the uppermost stackable cubicle keeps the wind from blowing out the grill cooking flame.

There are no read handling issues. The grill takes up a large space even when disassembled and layered for transport, but I have an accessory bag for it that keeps everything together and prevents the grill from dirtying the trailer.

The flat rectangular tempress mount with a bump-out that has the hole for the arm is permanently bolted to the side of my trailer and can be seen below. The angled arm on which the grill mounts drops into the socket and angles up and 45 degrees away from the trailer, so the 14-1/2" diameter grill is centered about 10 inches away from the trailer skin. I use a 12' long propane hose to run from the trailer propane tanks (attached via a male quick disconnent end) to the grill, where it just snaps in place.

The grill can be seen here:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...-1/10001/50317

and the flat tempress mount bolted to the side of my trailer is pictured here at "D":

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...001/465/430/15

but the angled arm is not pictured. My 12' hose attaches in place of the small blue propane tank in the illustration, into the "L" arm coming out from the bottom of the grill. It has an adjustable valve to control the cooking heat. There is no problem with the hose being too long, it works just fine.

Search around the West Marine web site for other Magma grill products and accessories, as they have different ways to mount and use their various grills. I like the convenience of and fact that their grills can be fueled by the refillable large propane tanks on our trailers, one less thing to remember to pack.

**Action** · 12-19-2005, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 47WeeWind

Hi Action:

The roof shown there raises up 15 inches on 4 posts to provide covered access for cooking in rain or snow. On sunny days I just take off the roof and put it on the ground.

LOL We put up covered protection when the sun is out!!!!! As far and rain and that other thing you talked about........ well what are you talking about.

I do have a boat and have the Magma grille pictured or at least one very close to that model. I have also thought about that table for my boat, however after measuring the space is not there. It's neat to know I maight be able to make a different application work with my existing equipment.

Thanks for sharing.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Action