Propane Pigtails - Failure and Question

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Old Blevins

Old Blevins

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 14, 2012
Posts
542
Location
Brier, WA
On my last camping trip, when I ran out of propane on one bottle and switched to the other, I got an immediate leak from the pigtail where it connects through the green Acme nut to the tank.  I swapped bottle positions to use the other pigtail and ran into the same problem.  I thought at first I maybe had an overcharged bottle (though it's a newer one with overfill protection).  I mean, what are the odds of both pigtails failing at the same time?  Pretty good, it seems.  Both are about four years old and research indicates this is not an uncommon failure.  My tanks and hoses are protected from weather exposure with a standard cover.

So the Big Question - are there better quality pigtails out there?  The only reviews I can find are from manufacturers.  I see some that have woven metal cladding, but that appears to be only to protect them from abrasion and may not be an indicator of better construction.  I'd appreciate any suggestions.  Propane is something I like to have working right all the time.
 
I recently bought a 12' extension hose to be able to hook up to the propane tank on one end, and the other end has the portable appliance type fitting (the same fitting as you have on the 16 oz. throwaway cans of propane.  On the third use of the extension hose, the ACME fitting retainer clip and plastic broke, rendering the hose useless.  I returned it through Amazon and received a refund and bought another 12' adapter hose, only this time, I bought the type that has the POL fitting on the tank end.  Everything about that one is metal and should last a lot longer.
 
Did the leak begin when you turned the tank on? (manual transfer setup)

My son recently bought a house, and they left a nice gas BBQ grill.  I connected the tank - LEAK!!  Turns out the nut did not seal to the tank due to a tank valve issue.  Swapped the defective full tank for a good full tank at HD and it runs flawlessly.
 
Thanks, all.  I'll check the tank more carefully. It does seem more likely it's the tank rather than two hoses failing at the same time.
 
The seals are pretty much a one use item. They are cheap though so I keep a few on hand. Some refill places just include them with the fill.
 
I think the problem is solved.  Here's what I found:

1. I did a visual inspection of the seals for both tanks and they look like they're in good shape.

2. That's a good thing, because those seals are hard to find and a lot of people have had trouble replacing them.

3. Replacing the whole valve is best done by professionals and costs nearly as much as buying a new tank.

4. I appear to be the only person with an RV who has not heard of "Back seating" a propane seal by opening the valve all the way.  It appears they have double seals that engage when the valve is all the way open or all the way closed, and it's not advisable to operate tanks with them partly open.

One of the things I like about having a TT is I'm always learning something new.  One of the things I don't like about having a TT is how often that occurs.  ::)
 
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