Propane manual and solenoid valves

[DavidM]

I am in the process of transitioning from a fairly simple travel trailer (systems wise) to a more complex Class A or Class C motor home.

The propane system on my trailer is simple: one manual valve on top of the LPG tank controls it all. I keep it off when I am not using the trailer and turn it on just before we head out camping or maybe the night before to start and cool down the fridge. Simple and doesn't draw any DC power.

But RVs with internal propane tanks are more complex. Class C (Mercedes Sprinter based ones that I am considering such as the View) put their LPG tank inside the frame. It is not accessible from the outside of the coach. So they have a switch at the fill point that the LPG guy turns off while filling for safety. It controls a solenoid valve at the tank. They also have another propane switch inside the coach on the control panel that is in series with the outside switch so both have to be on to use propane. Turn either switch off and the propane solenoid valve shuts off.

That propane solenoid draws a fair bit of current, as much as an amp I am told. No problem with shore power hookup but if dry camping it will use up 1/4-1/3 of your DC usable capacity each day. And you have to leave it on all day to run the propane absorption fridge. You can't just turn it on when you want to heat water or use the stove, or at least not unless you have a DC compressor fridge which has its own high DC draw issues.

Class A coaches have more room- even the Sprinter based coaches such the Winnebago Via mount their LPG tank on the outside which lets them use a manual valve for the fill guy. But there must be another solenoid valve downstream of the manual valve that is operated by the internal propane switch on the coach's control panel. So like the Class C Sprinter coaches it will also use about an amp DC.

So why can't I do away with that solenoid valve and plumb the propane straight through and operate the Via's propane system like I do my travel trailer?

That would at least eliminate one source of parasitic DC loads which should let me dry camp longer without recharging the batteries.

David

[Morich]

I'm always open to admitting I'm behind but the solenoid mentioned is one that I have not run into yet. Maybe I have one and don't know it as it has never given any trouble but it is news to me that there is one! As far as I know the Class A and C's I've used did not have a gas solenoid. But those also do have access from the side to turn a valve off.
Quote:
So why can't I do away with that solenoid valve and plumb the propane straight through and operate the Via's propane system like I do my travel trailer?
How does it differ other than you can't access a valve on the tank? Old RV times, the guy would come inside and verify that the frig, furnace etc did not have standing pilots, etc that would be a fire hazard when filling, so that might come into play but that seems a pretty easy thing to deal with---unless I'm missing something. More a case of them not wanting fire around while they were pumping and I was all in favor of that!

[Seymour2Lane]

Here is a thread that addresses the propane solenoid draw. I bought one of the buck converter kits mentioned and installed it a year ago. It works fine. Regards, Mike

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/68288/page-2