Snoozy Propex cold weather hack

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by computerspook

The fact you can't figure out how the 11 lb tank came into it says an awful lot here ...
... But I'm sure you're smarter than the engineers at the propane organizations..

We want this to be a friendly forum, please. Can we limit the abrasives to the sandpaper?

[computerspook]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

We want this to be a friendly forum, please. Can we limit the abrasives to the sandpaper?

Will try, but there's a lot of time sandpaper soon awfully good tool. ;-)

[Air Doug]

Yikes, I quit looking at the forum for a day!

Again, good input from all -- thanks. I will plow through the referenced material.

To elaborate on what I said before, I will install a T and test the pressure from the regulator with a manometer as a baseline so I can learn from this. I will then replace the regulator and test again. I had planned to do so anyway as the vent is on the side instead of bottom and has a temporary cap. That may be part of my problem if it has contamination or moisture. I will probably defy Propex and install an adjustable regulator.

After thinking about all the input, its possible that I will convert to a single 20 pound tank when I replace the regulator and modify the supply line. I was thinking of doing it anyway for ease of replacement when refilling is not available.

And to clarify, we like to head south in the winter. Cold weather is something we are running from, so I really don't need to plan for days of sub-freezing weather. And I like to keep and eye on weight and don't want to carry (nor do I have room for) two 20 pound tanks. And finally, for those not familiar with Snoozy's, they don't come with propane, I installed it myself. The Propex furnace is the only appliance running on propane, everything else is electric.

[Air Doug]

Problem solved (sorry to be slow to post).

Our Propex problems went from bad to worse on a January and February trip through the south, to NM and AZ. We were scurrying ahead of that horrible artic blast in early January and had a lot of days around freezing. We had been having a lot of difficulty starting the heater and many, many shutoff-restart cycles. Then, boondocking in the middle of nowhere in SE AZ, the hose from the regulator to the tank failed. Inspection showed the plastic washer inside the big hand nut on the tank side had disintegrated (the braided stainless steel hose's weak link). One very cold night in the trailer. Help desk at Vancafe suggested a failed regulator, or possibly contamination from the shattered washer (it was very brittle) in the furnace.

The only hose in Sierra Vista was at Harbor Freight, and it came with a cheap single stage regulator. I bypassed the regulator with a fitting from a plumbing store and all was fine. Propex started easily and had only occasional shutoff-restarts.

But wait, there's more!

In Quartzsite I bought a manometer at a swap meet, and "T" fittings, a new two stage Marshall Excelsior regulator, and new hose from a big RV repair shop. I stated that I needed 11.5 inches WC and they said no problem. They claimed that they quit testing these regulators years ago because they were so consistently between 11 and 12 WC, and have sold thousands. I did a quick installation of the new regulator just to test it, and the propane pressure was 15 WC inches. Too high, even for Euro spec of up to 14.8 WC for Propex. Back to the RV shop. They broke out their dusty manometer and tested the regulator: the same, 15. They gave me a replacement one. I installed and tested it: 13.5. At that point, I called it good and buttoned up the installation.

Later, on the way home, we camped at altitude and hit 22 degrees F. The Propex furnace started easily and ran all night with only one shutoff-restart cycle.

I call the problem solved - it was the regulator, possibly made worse by a disintegrating washer. By the way, Vancafe says that their website links to detailed YouTube videos that show how to take apart the Propex to clean out particulate contamination.

I kept the Harbor Freight single stage regulator and hose ($15) as a backup. Not a bad idea for you Propex users to do the same. I removed and retired my exhaust pipe hack.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

[tim42]

I'm glad you got it sorted out Air Doug.


I had nothing but problems with my propex. After to many cold nights and multiple regulators I ended up replacing it with a Chinese Diesel heater off Amazon. Three years of burning dino juice and I haven't had a cold night.