LP Indicator "no lights" (2015 Travato 59G)

[JustusW]

Propane gage issue: We have a 2015G. The LP gage is was/is not accurate. Usually we get 2 more days when it hits the bottom red light indicator. Recently, we were out and changed campsites. The level indicator was on orange when we left. That evening, no lights showed possibly indicating very empty. We were able to cook on the stove and the next morning ran the heater for about 45 minutes. No indicator lights on. On crawling underneath I see that the sensor/gage needle is below empty. The heater and stove still produce flames after arriving home. I think that either the sensor is broken or we are nearly out of LP. I do not want to fill the tank again if the sensor needs to be replaced so any feedback on the "no lights" condition would be greatly appreciated. If empty, I do not understand how it could have emptied so quickly and still have gas but there could be other explanations. I doubt very much that there is a leak.

 

[creativepart]

Welcome!

The first thing we need to know is what RV you have. Winnebago makes hundreds of RVs. So, we have zero clue what a "2015G" is. Can you tell us?? It sure would help us help you. I looked at your registration and you did not enter any details there either.

As, to Propane gauges... they are all very inaccurate. Usually, the gauge on the tank is the closest to the true level.

As to the "lights" since we don't know what RV you have I can't offer any help on that. But if you need propane, it's better to fill the tank than to run out at night when you have few if any other alternatives.

 

[JustusW]

Its a Winne Travato 2015G

 

[creativepart]

Its a Winne Travato 2015G

Surely you mean a 2015 Travato 59G... Yes? No such thing as a 2015G.

 

[JustusW]

2015 Travato 59G

Yes, correct, Model 59G, year 2015

 

[Morich]

The big mystery to any problem is how to define the problem and cut down the number of places to look.
In the LP system there are lots of options and several are things we may have a hard time checking.
There is the tank and having gas enough to read, There is the sensor and that comes in two parts. One is the simple one kind of like a gas gauge that gives a needle to read, then there is also the electrical which lights the lights on the monitor panel.


One of the easy things to check is that the fuel cutoff switch is set right! Not at all sure how that might change the lights inside but easy to check! That switch also operates a gas solenoid to open and close the flow. If the switch looks good, I might test the solenoid for operation to make sure it is opening/closing correctly.

But a good well trained gas man might be able to look at things and tell you if the tank is actually empty as well as being able to spot anything obvious. Since the lights are out and the gauge shows empty, that kind of leans toward a problem at the tank. Maybe the gauge is broken in a way that let most of the gas leak out?
Or maybe a rock flew up and poked a tiny hole in the line at some point?

My first move would be making sure gas is there to read and that gauge is working as the simple one of the bunch!

 

[Morich]

Looking a bit further?
If you get past the basic look at having gas and what things look like there, you may then need to check the electrical
Since it seems both manual and electrical readings have failed, the common point seems like it might be at the tank. But that is a guess and there are times when we might get two items that are related in a way that make both appear to be a problem.

To get info on the electrical and wiring, there are two build dates and numerous other changes at maybe four different stages.
This is the basic wiring set to check but you will have to look at your serial number to sort down to the exact right info.
It starts with looking at the 7th digit of the serial number of the RV. NOT Vin! That info may be handy to check on the label near the driver's left side!

Once getting to the correct group for info, look at the section for "Holding Tank Monitor Panel".
I did a quick look and it appears, at first glance, to be common across different series. But if your RV looks like different, I may not have the right sheet and you need to sort further!
I marked up some points that may need to be checked but when we are dealing with integrated circuits and boards, we are often short on real info about how they work as they keep that info as "trade secrets"!
But we can check that battery and ground are getting to the right connections on the monitor panel as a start. Maybe just a loose ground?

Click this snip of the drawing to see it better!


What I would expect is that Ventline makes the panel with a pigtail soldered on running to a plug that is hanging down in the wall behind the panel. That plug is where the Ventline wiring meets the Winnebago wires. If you get to that point and pull the wiring up to find the plugs, perhaps a check of battery and ground and making sure the contacts of the plug are good is a good step?
Contacts on plugs like this are a special problem in RV as we build so much humidity and then let the RV set, making corrosion a bigger problem.
No way to know till you get there but it can be just simple corrosion on one pin!

Good luck on the chase as it has several items and which one is the big question!!

 

[dickb46]

There ae tape strips that you can put on your tank that will identify the fluid level. We've had 5 RV's and never relied on any of the gauges for an accurate reading. When in doubt we fill it.
dickb

 

[AlanO-WO]

Early on in owning my View I found out how inaccurate the propane gauge in the control center was. The simple fix was to add an electric fuel gauge in the control center with a separate bypass switch. The sweep hand on the new gauge is far more accurate than the factory installed one. After multiple fills I can very accurately predict how many gallons it will take to fill the tank when reading the new gauge.

 

[Morich]

When thinking of refills, we can get a bit more value out of the money if we do some shopping. In different areas and when we do it on the road, we often don't get the best value but if we do it before leaving home area, we look first at how they may charge on refills.
We try to avoid the places where they have a set fee for a specific size tank as we don't get charged for the real amount of gas we get! Often we refill way before empty, so in those case we only get a half tank but pay for a full one.

We rarely filled at the campground but looked for the real propane folks who haul it out to houses as they tend to charge by the amount they pump, not by the size tank you have brought in!

 

[Pointyears]

We rarely filled at the campground but looked for the real propane folks who haul it out to houses as they tend to charge by the amount they pump, not by the size tank you have brought in!

Funny you should mention that. I was going to ask my regular propane delivery person if he could top off my tank (at about half now) when he comes next for precisely that reason. The gallonage would just be added to my regular delivery; I just don't know if he'd be allowed to or not.

 

[Morich]

Funny you should mention that. I was going to ask my regular propane delivery person if he could top off my tank (at about half now) when he comes next for precisely that reason. The gallonage would just be added to my regular delivery; I just don't know if he'd be allowed to or not.

Not sure on that either as not tried. We have a propane supply nearby, so drive an RV in or take smaller tanks in for refill.
Due to the poor service on electrical in this area, we no longer trust them to keep things running as there is no real reason for an unregulated provider to do better. We just got an e-mail from the electrical provider asking us to conserve!
We are just outside the Austin Energy service area which may be part of the issue but the last couple winters have not been reassuring with them either!
This is the first place we have ever lived where they tell you they may run short and cut off the power and may do it BEFORE the storm starts!
What they going to do if it actually gets COLD?

We now keep a generator and six 20 pound tanks on hand as we know what happens when power is out! Having that many on hand, makes it possible to run one totally flat and take it in for easy refill. Larger tanks would be empty less often but the 20 pound is easier to handle in a car. :whistling:

 

[JustusW]

Progress maybe solved

I removed the indicator panel and checked the voltage of all the inputs with the "Read" button bypassed. The LP read 0. The Black and Gray read 5 V and are on the lowest reading.
I finally got under the Travato with my glasses on and a flashlight. The manual gauge indicator read somewhat below E. I do believe we were low but the gas still comes when the heater is on or the stove. I banged on the gauge a few times with the metal handle on the wrench that I had in hand. The gauge rose over E slightly. I checked the indicator lights and the lower LP light is now lit. So, it appears that when you are just about to run out. We were on some very rough gravel before this happened and I think that the tank was about half full. Must be that the sloshing caused the gauge or float if it uses one to bounce to the point where it stuck in the below empty end of travel. We have not filled it yet but expect that all will be ok. However, I might still have to replace the gauge and will add that here if so. Next time I will go under and bang more sharply on the gauge.

 

[RayIN]

Funny you should mention that. I was going to ask my regular propane delivery person if he could top off my tank (at about half now) when he comes next for precisely that reason. The gallonage would just be added to my regular delivery; I just don't know if he'd be allowed to or not.

The home LP ASME tanks have a different fill valve than RV ASME tanks. My home delivery LP service fills my MH LP tank but I have to tell when I call to bring the adapter valve for the MH tank, as they only have one for the mobile delivery trucks.

 

[JustusW]

I added lower in the thread that I finally got under the van with both my glasses on and a flashlight. The gauge needle was apparently stuck below empty, likely from sloshing on bumpy dirt roads. Rapping on it a few times with the handle of my wrench caused it to rise and now the lower red indicator is on. There is still propane in the tank as the heater comes on fine.

 

[Morich]

Some thoughts on the reading?
Since the gauges are to test the liquid propane left, the gas portion is not going to show on the gauges and there will be a period where things like the stove may work as they only need the gas but the levels may not show any liquid left.

But that idea is based on it being a mechanical problem, so it may/may not apply!!!

 

[JustusW]

Thanks, the gauge light was off and the heater ran for over an hour. When I tapped on the gauge recently, the needle rose to slightly above empty and the red light at the bottom came on. Yes, what you say could be but the volume of propane gas alone is not enough to to run the heater for any length of time.

 

[Jkh-WO]

I have a Travato 59G and noticed the gauge was not accurate. I also found a little leak at the tank where the vapor valve is attached to the propane tank. It was leaking more when tank was full and it slowed down when the level dropped to half. This made the tank reading seem wrong when it dropped to half just in three days.
I had to take the valve body out, clean and resealed it with good quality propane rated tape. I also noticed that the valve body was not screwed in the tank all the way (only four revolutions). It felt very lose taking it out. Once I put everything back, it went in more like 5 and 3/4 turns and no leaks. Get a good gas leak detector and see if there is a small leak somewhere.
Good luck.
J.