Posted 2016-06-03 9:45 AM (#167223) Subject: Propane tanks Not emptying......
Member
Posts: 19
Location: Bend, Oregon
I have a 2016 Exiss 8312, and took it for a three day trip where I wouldn't have any hookups and would have to rely on my Onan generator. Propane tanks were filled a few weeks earlier, and had been used very little before this trip. I thought I ran out of propane early morning of day 3, couldn't start the generator to charge the batteries, so couldn't use the hydraulics to raise the trailer to get it hooked back up to truck. Called hubby, he had me switch the tanks, thinking one of the hoses might be clogged. No go. I tried idling the truck with the trail plugged in to try to charge the batteries enough to run the generator or hydraulics. Ended up having someone jump the trailer batteries to get hooked up. Took the propane tanks in to be filled, and one was completely full, and the other one only took 4 gallons (7 gallon tanks). The guage had always said there was propane, never turned red, and once the tanks were hooked back up after being filled, everything seems to work fine. It has been hooked to power since I got home, so batteries are fully charged now also. So finally to my question - how do I prevent this from happening again? Did I let the batteries get too low, so the propane tanks wouldn't work? If I could have started the generator, I should have been able to charge the batteries and solve the problem. I guess I don't know what all relies on the batteries - the generator must need some charge to actually start, right? Sorry to sound so ignorant, but if I did something wrong, I would like to avoid making that mistake again :). So, after typing all of this, it seems obvious that I must have let the batteries get too low, and the generator couldn't start, and it wasn't related to propane at all..............the gauges are hard to read, and unless you are at the correct angle, it appears the battery/water/tanks are fuller than they really are. If someone has another hypothesis, please let me know. Otherwise, maybe this will help someone else to avoid the same problem :)
Posted 2016-06-03 1:00 PM (#167225 - in reply to #167223) Subject: RE: Propane tanks Not emptying......
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 350 Location: Penrose, Colorado
no power has nothing to do with the propane tanks not working. My guess is you ran the battery's to low to have enough amps to start the generator and that should have solved your problem, in the future run the generator for an hour or so to keep things better charged.
Posted 2016-06-03 2:15 PM (#167226 - in reply to #167223) Subject: RE: Propane tanks Not emptying......
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Just try turning on the valve slowly. There are valves in the line that close when there is a surge. Turn it on slow, no surge, no problem. If it happens, turn off the valve at the bottle. wait a minute for the pressure to drop, turn the valve on slowly........
Propane tanks Not emptying......
