So... I just bought a motor home - it's a 1988 Allegro 24.5'... it's going to be my new home...

Still waiting to get the keys to it as it appears that the guys who were looking at it, while I was negotiating the sale with the owner, walked off with them... I'm, most likely, looking at getting the locks changed...

Anyhoo... It's built on a Chevy chassis (including a rebuilt 454 that has about 400 miles on it) so, I'll try to keep the questions about this beast as generic as possible, LOL... (I would have preferred a Ford chassis, but for what I paid for this beast, I can't complain...)

My question for today is regarding the propane connection...

I'm not used to seeing a frame mounted propane tank like this:
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Since it won't be feasibly possible for me to drive this thing downtown every time I need to get the tank filled, I was wondering if I could adapt the propane tank setup off my trailer to work on this...

It looks like all I would need to do is undo the connection on the far right of that horizontal line and connect it into the supply line for the regulator on my trailer (yeah, I'm using the trailer for parts for the motor home - I'm already looking at swapping the water heater and air conditioner.)

The trailer is a 1983 model, but the tanks and regulator were converted to OPD:
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Here's where the supply line connects to the trailer's main line:
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So, the question is: Would it be possible to use the setup off my trailer on the motor home so that I wouldn't have to worry about that frame mounted tank ( assuming it's empty, which I don't know if it is or not)?

 

Terry, just get the adapter for the fill, and make up a hose to your bottle.

 

Okay, I had not considered that option, but I will look into it, thanks...

Anyhoo, In the meantime, I've compiled some photos of my new home:

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It will still need some work before I can move into it, but for what I paid for it (which was far less than what it could have been sold for), I can't complain...

 

Isn't that the motor home from "Breaking Bad"?................You don't have a side business you ain't tellin' bout? LOL!

 

Nah, that was a 1986 Fleetwood Bounder: http://breakingbad.wikia.com/wiki/The_RV

 

Went by Walmart today, they do have that adapter for the fill on that tank.
I think it is also the fill for the tank for the fork lifts.
You can investigate for yourself next trip in there.

 

Before we go TOO far into this, I'd like everyone to please review THIS LINK:
OPD DEVICES (1998 and onward)

And Terry? I notice you have a double pressure regulator on your original trailer - this is good.

The Allegro you got is a 1988 - you follow me here? This means it was built prior to the above move by the RV industry. The trailer you have now has OPD tanks, because you can't get anything else, but another thing about your original rig is that it has a DUAL PRESSURE REGULATOR (two stage) - meaning that it has in effect, TWO pressure regulators in line with eachother.

The reason for that, is because older campers with a single regulator had a nasty tendency to not let you know the regulator failed until you turned on your cooktop and the flames reached the ceiling...

Which is a "Not good thing..."

What your new (to you) rig has is an installed pressure tank, and what I would want to know about first is the details of the filling arrangements, and also if it has a single or a dual stage pressure regulator.

If it has only a single stage, first of all it's kinda DANG dangerous, and in the second thought - you may have a hard time getting anyone who knows what they are looking at to fill it...

But as far as I know, a pre-OPD and pre-DUAL STAGE tank can be retro fitted with an up to date regulator (dual) so that you won't have to worry about a "House Fire" on wheels.

THIS is NOT kibitzing, NOR is it nit-picking. I'm telling you this to protect your ass, brother.

You're a smart kiddo, at least you always seemed that way to me. You have tool skills above and beyond some of the surprisingly moronic folks I have met that ACTUALLY WORKED IN RV SERVICE AREAS. It isn't that hard to modify something like that to bring it up to date. You just have to make sure it's leak proof.

If I had to, I could loan you a gauge to test your setup by mailing or FEDEXing it to you. In fact, that might be a terrific demonstration of the brotherhood and sisterhood here.

In fact - I WILL. I'll walk you through how to test your new home with it online here, PM me your address, I can't send it before next Wednesday, because I have blown most of my cash on a certain Rally car.

But yeah - what you have was plumbed before the new regulations. We need to look it over real good and make sure it meets todays spec.


HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, it looks great, the inside is beautiful!

~BUT~

GET UP ON THE ROOF AND LOOK IT OVER WITH A FINE TOOTHED COMB

I'd bet my last dime it has an EPDM roof, and by now it needs serious help. One leak, and water damage could turn it into crap in a matter of months...

Here's a NICE video about roof care, and my philosophy these days is not to re-video a story that is already told:


KUDOS to "RVGEEKS" for that, but also - from my own shop experience, you can reach a point where OLD dicor has to be peeled off, to do it over.

I will say this LOUD AND CLEAR! Don't skimp on the dicor, but also remember that it will lay flat over time, and a rotten looking job will level out.

Yes, you can over-do it. But it's always better to have too much, than not enough. And if it looks like there is a built up layer of rotten crap - go for the STRIP IT option, and do it over....

What you use for that is a sharp knife, and common sense. DICOR can be peeled up with a little lift at the edges, and some time. It is best replaced by the owner - someone who cares about what they are working on. The best blade is not a razor knife - but a stainless steel sheath knife with a bit of a curve to the blade, so that you can avoid nicking the rubber roof you are working with.

Peel - rather than carve.

Even OLD dicor is a rubbery stuff, that is kind of like silicon gasket sealer, but tougher

What you want is an impervious seal that closes in around ANYTHING THAT CAN LET WATER IN - because water is the ultimate ruination of an otherwise excellent coach.

Water that leaks in from the roof (and I can't stress this enough) will rot out the wood and other materials, it will flow into the worst place it could possibly go to - and destroy your investment if it is unchecked.

YOUR ROOF is the most critical part of your motor home.

~ Protect it at any cost


Wolf out


PS: Take a look at the LPG thread - THAT is the gauge I want to loan you.
https://www.fordtruckzone.com/threads/propane-lpg-systems.659138/

 

I've no idea, but I did take some more pics of the motor home setup:

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...29_110830995_zpse9bhdgl5.jpg.html?sort=3&o=15
http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...29_110845636_zpsbiuufmpp.jpg.html?sort=3&o=14
http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...29_110856943_zpsgxa1fpje.jpg.html?sort=3&o=13
http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...29_110906440_zpspupw4kzc.jpg.html?sort=3&o=12

Also, while the monitor panel inside the motor home tells me the LPG tank is 1/2 full, I'm not getting any output out of it - I figured the stovetop would be the best indicator, but nothing... Nothing on the fridge, either... I can't get any of the LPG appliances to ignite off the LPG...

All I really need to run off the LPG is the water heater so, if I have to, I'll just run the regulator/tank setup off the trailer directly to the water heater (which will also be swapped out from the trailer)...

I'll send the PM after I post this update...

You would've maybe lost that bet... It has a single, unbroken, sheet of aluminum running from the front to the back and sealed down around all the edges - I have the same thing on my trailer... The difference is, that while I've been keeping up on the roof of the trailer, nobody has done that with the motor home and, as a result, some of the perimeter seals have degraded - especially around the rear edge where the luggage rack and ladder mounts to the roof and also around the roof vents - you can see in the last pic below, where I've already started re-patching the seams (on the right-hand side of the pic whereas the left-hand side shows the original, seam - a lot of scraping and brushing involved to prep the seam for the new patch...) 2 of the roof vent covers were removed so that I could deal with the paper wasps who were building nests up inside the covers (more than 1 generation, from the looks of it...) I'm not using dicor on the patches, it rains a lot around here so, I have to use something that will hold up to the moisture while curing which is why I'm using a black tar-based roof sealant...

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...29_111408334_zpsninz5nxi.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10
http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...111528637_HDR_zpsvlpsnoj5.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6
http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...529_111610404_zpsufx2dnux.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5

The solar panel array is an interesting tidbit... I'm not sure if it works anymore as it was intended to at one time... I have a pair of 12V deep-cycle batteries in the rear that this array is tied in to as a charging circuit... The last pic is of what I call the "blue panel" as it's bluish in color and uniquely different from the others - it's kind of hard to see in this pic, but it appears as if the reflector material is "flaking", yet there's nothing underneath the panel to indicate that anything is flaking off... I don't know if this is "normal" for this particular panel or not... The other panels had a consistent 'background' while the blue panel has this weird fragmented; flaked background...

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...529_111506065_zpsrtxfmsvw.jpg.html?sort=3&o=7
http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...529_111423227_zpspr3ng3v7.jpg.html?sort=3&o=9
http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...529_111445899_zps0b2p2qc5.jpg.html?sort=3&o=8

This panel monitors the condition of the solar panel array and the deep cycle batteries that are tied into it:

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...26_084440534_zpskpewohmm.jpg.html?sort=3&o=18

The 2 - 12V deep cycle batteries (which are wired in parallel) provide the power for all the 12V electrical inside the motor home - with 3 different methods of charging them - either by disabling the battery isolator via a dash switch while the engine is running to allow the alternator to charge them, along with the single battery mounted by the right-front wheel; or by shore power through the 120V AC and the converter; or by this bad boy right here:

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...26_084550946_zpsezbwpitw.jpg.html?sort=3&o=17

This generator does turn over, but it's not getting fuel - I gotta figure out where the fuel cutoff switch is and check it...

here's the dash switch for the generator:

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F150Ranger/media/IMG_20160526_132127843_zpso6gadzei.jpg.html

That circuit also has an inverter wired into it:

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F1...11043944_HDR_zpshrowlqzn.jpg.html?sort=3&o=11

Those two batteries have a bunch of different connectors tied into them for the above reasons... Makes it a pain in the ass to service them... They are on a slide-out tray, though, which helps...

The converter/charger is a not a 'smart charger' though (Magnetek 7445) so, if I don't unplug the batteries while on 120V shore power, it will boil the batteries dry - unless I swap that converter with a different one - which won't be cheap...

Oh well, a day at a time... One issue at a time...

 

***UPDATE***

The motor home has a 2-STAGE regulator...

While I was waiting for the fridge and freezer to dry out after having been cleaned, I went digging back through the paperwork and found this:

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F150Ranger/media/IMG_20160530_195522922_zps4eghlvhv.jpg.html

So, I pulled off that cover that was in between the 'vapor' valve and the white doo-dad (I thought it was a regulator, but it's something else?) and, what d'ya know?

http://s990.photobucket.com/user/F150Ranger/media/IMG_20160530_195437167_zpsfk4gv5he.jpg.html

 

So - is the valve handle turned to the on position? Or was it turned off to prevent leak-down?



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Something else I know from beating my head against it in the past:
Most gas appliances in an RV have electric gas solenoids that run on 12VDC. I know for a fact that if the voltage drops below 10VDC, they won't open like they should.

The fridge and furnace each have their own separate solenoids. I don't remember if furnaces and water heaters do, it's been quite a few years. They are intended as a fail-safe.

*The dinguss on the right looks like a water trap

 

It's closed now, but it was open when I started this thread... I don't know if someone turned it on for testing purposes (as there had been other people looking at this thing) or if it had been sitting there open the entire time...

When I press the "LPG" button on the panel inside the beast, I see this:

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It's telling me the tank is 1/2 full but, that doesn't mean the float and related connection to the panel is working properly...

After digging through all the paperwork I have on this beast (the previous owner kept every manual and some pertinent receipts) I found out that the white "dinguss" is a leak detector - if it's triggered, there's a leak somewhere downstream from it as it connects in between the regulator and the feed line running to the RV... Looks to be "normal" based on what I've read on it...

Also, the frame mounted LPG tank has an overflow prevention valve built into it...

Oh! I think I found out why I can't get the generator started... It doesn't feed fuel from the bottom of the RV's fuel tank - this is so the generator won't suck the tank dry... So, if the fuel level is low enough (which it's almost sitting on "E" right now), the generator won't be able to get fuel to run...

These are the manuals I have for the generator:

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The rule on Generators that feed from the main fuel tank is that any time the level drops below 1/4 tank, the pickup tube for the generator is out of the fuel.
So you'll need to have more than a quarter tank of gas to run it. It may or may not be a bitch to prime the fuel line to the generator too - I dunno if yours has a fuel pump, or a priming pump of some kind. Onan is the best you can get though.

If the leak detector is an automatic shutoff device, I wonder if there is a reset button on it somewhere, maybe on or under that red top piece.

 

The test set is on it's way to you - my thinking is that if you can get gas flow, you will need it to check the regulators, and also for leakage.

Keep it for as long as you need it - I have not done anything with it for a long time, and you need it now.

The method is to use the cook top to test for maximum pressure, and then check for leak-down.

Disconnect one of the burners and hook up the gauge to it. Get a reading on how much pressure is delivered. This is your maximum pressure reading.

*THIS tests your pressure regulator

The next step is to TURN OFF your gas supply and then let off some pressure so that the gauge reading is lower, you do this by releasing some pressure by turning on one of the other burners so that the reading drops - then cut off the burner you turned on, and then wait about five or ten minutes to see if the reading drops - if it does, you have a leak.

But again - you won't need to do this until you have figured out why the gas flow is stopped. BUT once you have that solved - you will still need to check the regulator and see if you have a leak somewhere

THAT is why I sent the gauge to you

*You can check your original camper with it too.

I care about you brother - make no mistake. I don't want you to "BLOW UP" some night because you lit a smoke in a gas filled environment...




"If I ask myself why I care - I have to ask why GOD cares. Can I be so selfish that I don't want to give some of that back?"
It's in the mail...

 

Let me / us know what is happening, and when the gauge gets there. I sent it priority mail - the tracking number is:
9114 9999 4431 4801 5031 70

~I Hope all of the tape on it doesn't turn out to be a bitch. The case looked strong enough that I just strapped it all around and stuck a label on it! You will see that when it gets there...

 

Got the gauge today...

Lovely wrapping job, LOL...

On my way out now to try that cook top test...