Adding propane quick connect - iRV2 Forums (2024)

Karlos

Tiffin Owners Club

Join Date: Sep 2012

Location: Monterey Bay, CA

Posts: 206

Hello all,

New to the Tiffin Forum. Sold my 2007 Dolphin about a month ago and just bought a 2018 Tiffin Open Road 32SA. I've been spending the past week learning the systems and personalizing it.

I carry a propane grill and propane firepit. With the Dolphin, I fueled these from a 5 gallon cylinder. On the Tiffin, I'd like to add connection port to the on-board 20 gallon propane tank and eliminate the 5 gallon tank. I've seen accessories available to do this and realize there can only be a single regulator between the tank and the grill/firepit appliance.

What I'd like to ask this group is where did people insert this hardware in the system.

Did you tap in before the regulator at the tank? That would require you to distribute high pressure to the grill/firepit and have a regulator at each appliance? Did you tap in after the regulator? That would require you to remove any secondary regulators on the appliances. My rig has a residential refrigerator, so I wonder if there is an unused propane line terminated behind it.

Thanks for your ideas.

cheers,
Karl

ernieh

Join Date: Jul 2009

Posts: 1,978

I think that you answered your own question. If your grill has a regulator, it is most likely designed to be connected to a high pressure source. Most use something like the items in the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Conn...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

dssl

Join Date: May 2018

Posts: 890

There are a few issues with a propane tap that are not immediately apparent that are relevant to short and long-term success that I will try to describe

The output of the extenda stay is full propane tank pressure which is about 200psi. The output of your RV regulator is about .5 PSI. Your grill regulator output is likely around 1 PSI. If you hook up the output of the extenda stay to your grill it will work for a while but an acidic oil will build up in your high pressure propane line which will eventually destroy your grill regulator. The solution to this problem is to add a 15-20 psi regulator at the extenda stay and then hook up your grill hose to the regulator output. At that point you will be "double regulated' but since a regulator adjusts to the output pressure and each regulator is dropping the pressure your grill regulator will work perfectly.

Here is a video from the RV geeks that somewhat explains it.

https://youtu.be/Kbp4LiOjXbI

Here is a list of amazon links for what I purchased for my setup.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007P...KIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003N...KIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01M4...J9SQ9XAN&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06Y3...8HYXC74B&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000B...KIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000F...2EJTZY9V&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N9...56HIHPI8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000B...KIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07R3...CCF429DL&psc=1

For my fire pit I removed the bottle fitting on that regulator and installed one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B074W...b_b_asin_title

Karlos

Tiffin Owners Club

Join Date: Sep 2012

Location: Monterey Bay, CA

Posts: 206

Thanks dssl,

Great info on your set-up.

I really like the idea of putting a first stage regulator on the new outlet and then leaving the firepit and grill regulators as second stage regulators. That lets me deliver relatively low pressure to the appliance, and gives me the correct input pressure at each. Since I already have long hoses for each of the appliances, I just need to convert the ends to quick connect.

I did have a question of why you chose to attach your regulator and quick connect fitting to the 1"x20 thread throw-away cylinder port. Wouldn't coming off the 1/4" flare port be simpler?

If I were to stay long periods at one spot, I may want that 1/4" flare port for hooking up another propane tank. We don't stay extended periods in one place, so that port is available. Looks like the flare fitting unscrews, leaving a 1/4" FMPT to attach the regulator and quick connect. Am I missing something?

cheers,
Karl

dssl

Join Date: May 2018

Posts: 890

There are 2 connections, one for propane appliances and one for the external tank. So far I have not used the connection for the external tank.

The propane output on the extenda stay is throw away. I believe the fitting is brazed on(I didn't try to get it off). So you need to convert from a throw away fitting to the npt.

BTW we really love our 32SA.

dssl

Join Date: May 2018

Posts: 890

Not related, but one mod we really like is the shower miser. Here is a thread on how I added it to our 32SA.

https://www.irv2.com/forums/f106/ins...sa-591208.html

Karlos

Tiffin Owners Club

Join Date: Sep 2012

Location: Monterey Bay, CA

Posts: 206

Our dry camping is usually limited by how long it takes to fill the gray tank. Most of our water wastage comes from waiting for the hot water to arrive at a faucet. The shower miser looks like a great way to fix that for the shower. I assume you would need to place another on at the kitchen sink if you wanted to reduce usage there.

Karl

dssl

Join Date: May 2018

Posts: 890

The way the plumbing works is it goes from the water heater to a manifold in the bathroom, then from the manifold to all of the hot water sources. So when you get hot water to the shower you get instant hot water to the bathroom sink, and I'd say 75% or 80% faster to the kitchen sink. So adding a sink miser at the kitchen sink isn't going to save you all that much.

Doc007

Join Date: Apr 2022

Posts: 142

Is the second regulator needed if you don't have an extenda stay to keep hte acidic oil from forming? IOW just tapping into the coach's large tank before the attached regulator and going directly to the Weber gas grill.

dssl

Join Date: May 2018

Posts: 890

The extenda stay is just a tee with the appropriate fittings and isn't the cause of the issue. Watch the referenced rv geeks video. The thing that causes the acidic build up is high pressure propane in a hose over any distance.

Also most of the longer hoses aren't designed for high pressure, so are prone to rupturing if subjected to full unregulated liquid propane pressure.

swduns

Join Date: Aug 2017

Location: St. Louis, MO

Posts: 768

2usaretired

Join Date: Mar 2014

Posts: 40

Go to rvgeeks.com and search for
How To Connect a BBQ Grill to an RV’s Onboard Propane Tank

They have a video and parts list.