Hi all you techies out there. Still an amateur and wondering why I can't get any gas to the appliances - checked the taps are on, theres gas in the bottle but nothing coming out. The regulator isn't that old but it seems impossible its the cause, it will be the third one Ive had to change in 6 months. I swapped it with the one on the BBQ and it still won't work. Any ideas? I so want to take off tomorrow but there's always a Murphy in the crowd.
Yuglamron said
06:05 AM Jul 9, 2012
Hi Wild1,
Not sure what your set up is but when I got my Motorhome I could not get the gas stove to work.
I found out that I had to have the gas leak detector switched on before it would allow the gas to flow.
It has a solenoid that is off unless the detector is switched on.
Yours might have a similar setup.
Wild1 said
02:43 PM Jul 9, 2012
Hi Trevor, thanks for your reply. Don't think I have a gas detector - but if I did, where would it be?
Yuglamron said
03:55 PM Jul 9, 2012
Hi Wild1,
You would have to check the gas line from the bottle to the stove.If there is one it will have some electrical wiring leading to it from the gas detector.If you do have one it will be low down as gas is heavier than air and the detector would be at a low point in your rig.
If not I don't know what to suggest unless there is a gas savvy Grey Nomad who can help further.
Good luck
Trevor
trouto said
01:23 AM Jul 10, 2012
i am living in my van at the moment and had the same problem
if the cook top has a lid on it [ glass] make sure you lift it all the way up as it has a switch on it
worked for me
Wild1 said
02:02 AM Jul 10, 2012
G'day guys - well you won't believe this, I took my regulator back to Bunnings and of course they tried to tell me to just buy another one. I then went to BBQs Galore (no great shakes there either and twice the price) and a nice man asked me if I had pumped/pushed the gauge down. 'No' says I, 'Ive turned it both ways but didn't know you had to push it down'. And sure as my A ... points to the ground, that's exactly what it was! Unwucking believable, I have spent hours swapping, returning, connecting, unconnecting, connecting again, and finally someone says 'did you push down the gauge down!' *#*@!! ): bleep, bleep*#@!
So FYI squeeze your gauge down before you do anything!!!
Yuglamron said
02:26 AM Jul 10, 2012
Well there you go we all learn something new everyday.
Glad you are finally sorted out.
Cropper said
05:47 PM Jul 10, 2012
Hi Wild one, could you tell me what a gas gauge is please?
Just learning and not to sure what you mean, also where is this gas gauge situated?
In regards to the regulator is that the round thing just above the gas bottle?
I did read somewhere that your not supposed to use one off a BBQ, get a proper RV one, not sure why though, what difference would it make?
PeterD said
11:14 PM Jul 10, 2012
I think he means this one http://caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=640 - you disconnect the gas line from the bottle, screw the gas fuse into the POL thread and then reconnect the gas line. The main function for this device is to cut off the gas flow if there is a serious leak in the gas supply line and the gas flow is above what would be considered normal maximum. The main use for the gauge is to test for system leaks (see the instructions on the link.) The pressure in an LPG gas cylinder remains relatively constant until the last dying throws (ie virtual all the liquid is used) so the gauge is virtually useless in telling you how much gas is in the bottle.
The regulator is normally mounted away from the bottle/s on a van. It is connected to the bottle by a small bore copper line (pig tail) or a flexible hose. You are right about a regulator from a barbecue not being used on a van. The one from a barbecue is a single chamber unit, vans are supposed to have two chamber ones fitted.
Cropper said
01:18 AM Jul 11, 2012
Thanks Peter D, much appreciated !
Wild1 said
03:51 AM Jul 12, 2012
Hi cropper - just saw your message but you've been given good advice already. Just for the books, I'm not up with the technical jargon so I may have used the wrong terminology, but the hose from the gas bottle that supplies the bus has what I call a regulator which is a disc shaped sealed unit that regulates the flow from the bottle. You can also buy an attachment that screws onto the regulator that has a round face with coloured segments like a pie chart, and which shows how much gas is still in the bottle. Whether or not it is accurate is another matter but if the gauge pops up it stops the flow altogether and needs to be reset by pushing it back down. Mine seems to do this frequently maybe because of the jolts on the road. And my hose and regulator on the bus are identical to the one on my BBQ. Anyway, good luck and happy travels.
Hi all you techies out there. Still an amateur and wondering why I can't get any gas to the appliances - checked the taps are on, theres gas in the bottle but nothing coming out.
The regulator isn't that old but it seems impossible its the cause, it will be the third one Ive had to change in 6 months. I swapped it with the one on the BBQ and it still won't work. Any ideas? I so want to take off tomorrow but there's always a Murphy in the crowd. 
Hi Wild1,
Not sure what your set up is but when I got my Motorhome I could not get the gas stove to work.
I found out that I had to have the gas leak detector switched on before it would allow the gas to flow.
It has a solenoid that is off unless the detector is switched on.
Yours might have a similar setup.
Hi Trevor, thanks for your reply. Don't think I have a gas detector - but if I did, where would it be?
Hi Wild1,
You would have to check the gas line from the bottle to the stove.If there is one it will have some electrical wiring leading to it from the gas detector.If you do have one it will be low down as gas is heavier than air and the detector would be at a low point in your rig.
If not I don't know what to suggest unless there is a gas savvy Grey Nomad who can help further.
Good luck
Trevor
i am living in my van at the moment and had the same problem
if the cook top has a lid on it [ glass] make sure you lift it all the way up as it has a switch on it
worked for me
So FYI squeeze your gauge down before you do anything!!!
Well there you go we all learn something new everyday.
Glad you are finally sorted out.
Hi Wild one, could you tell me what a gas gauge is please?
Just learning and not to sure what you mean, also where is this gas gauge situated?
In regards to the regulator is that the round thing just above the gas bottle?
I did read somewhere that your not supposed to use one off a BBQ, get a proper RV one, not sure why though, what difference would it make?
The regulator is normally mounted away from the bottle/s on a van. It is connected to the bottle by a small bore copper line (pig tail) or a flexible hose. You are right about a regulator from a barbecue not being used on a van. The one from a barbecue is a single chamber unit, vans are supposed to have two chamber ones fitted.
Thanks Peter D, much appreciated !
Hi cropper - just saw your message but you've been given good advice already. Just for the books, I'm not up with the technical jargon so I may have used the wrong terminology, but the hose from the gas bottle that supplies the bus has what I call a regulator which is a disc shaped sealed unit that regulates the flow from the bottle. You can also buy an attachment that screws onto the regulator that has a round face with coloured segments like a pie chart, and which shows how much gas is still in the bottle. Whether or not it is accurate is another matter but if the gauge pops up it stops the flow altogether and needs to be reset by pushing it back down. Mine seems to do this frequently maybe because of the jolts on the road. And my hose and regulator on the bus are identical to the one on my BBQ. Anyway, good luck and happy travels.
Jennifer