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The RV Propane Regulator You Should Not Buy

So here's how this story started... I stored my trailer for about a month at Sam's Family Spa near Palm Springs, California.

(For your information, Sam's Family Spa has the cheapest RV storage in the area.) 

Eager to live again in my little home, I drove to pick it up. I unpacked my suitcase and brought in my groceries.  

I opened my RV propane valve on top of the propane tanks, aaaaand, as life can be a butthole sometimes, the red propane flow indicator did not turn to green.

Crap.

(I have an RV propane automatic changeover regulator. This shows when one tank is empty with a green or red indicator.)

Huh. So I switched to the other tank. Still red. This wasn't good.

The Diagnosis

Being alone at the time, I had no choice but to do my own RV propane regulator troubleshooting.

After investigating the issue and collecting information off the internet, I decided my RV propane regulator was bad.  

A new connection was needed. 

How Did I Investigate My Propane Issue?

Here's what I did to diagnose and investigate.

First, I tried switching over and using/opening both tanks. Neither one of them worked. Yes, both cylinders were full and they were also brand-new. No empty cylinder.

Next, I connected the regulator to the spare portable propane cylinder I use for my Buddy heater.

The new connection also didn't work for my propane tanks. Then I tried lighting my propane gas stove.

Nothing was passing through the gas lines. (When it's working properly, you can hear the gas coming through if you listen closely.) 

If no air/gas is passing through, you either don't have your connector hooked up to your propane tanks properly, your propane valve isn't open, or your RV propane regulator is bad. 

The First Propane Regulator Fix

As soon as I could, I bopped down the road to get a new, albeit very overpriced RV two stage propane regulator replacement for my two tanks.

I needed my propane tanks working that day, as I had groceries to chill and I was headed out to boondock. (Naturally) 

Amazon wasn't going to ship a camper propane regulator fast enough for my needs.

After buying one locally that was about $40 over what it would have cost on Amazon, I INSTALLED THE CONNECTION MYSELF!

Camco propane regulator box

This is the actual box. Yes, $63.98 before tax. RRR!

Shocking, yes. Desperate times call for desperate measures... 

This made it especially annoying when I went back inside to try my stove, and...

...still no propane gas coming through. 

Another indicator that the line is pressured is that you can USUALLY hear the propane gas flow a little into the line when you open the propane valve on top of the propane bottle. In my case, this was not happening, either.

Super annoyed that I had just wasted my time replacing it, I knew there must be another problem.

And it was beyond my 'expertise'.

The Second Propane Regulator Fix

I hopped on the internet- looking for someone to fix it before the end of the day.

I finally found Benlo RV/motorhome repair in Irwindale, Ca.

They were on my way to Borrego Springs, and they were quite helpful on the phone.

I would just barely get there towing my house before they closed! Off I went. 

Install Per Manufacturer's Instructions

When installing a propane regulator to your propane gas tanks, make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Most likely they will tell you to install the regulator above, or very close to, the top of your propane gas tanks.

You want the regulator to be above the level of propane, keeping in mind that when full, a propane tank isn't completely full.

They only fill to about 80% capacity or so, allowing for expansion of the gas pressure if the bottle heats up due to being in the sun, etc.

You will also most likely be told to install the regulator's vent pointing down.

And The Problem Was... (Drumroll please)

The technician I spoke to on the phone took ONE LOOK at my RV propane regulator and knew what the problem was.

Him: "Yeah, that's a bad RV propane regulator". 

Me: 'WHAT? How can you tell? No, it's brand new, it can't be bad!'

Him: "Yep- we've seen this with this brand time and time again"

How could a brand new product be bad?

But because they were so sure of it, and because I was out of other options, I agreed to try a new one. 

They didn't have an RV dual-tank propane regulator, but they had a single one, which would hold me over.

So I said go for it.

I wish they would have allowed me to install it because I ended up paying them about $50 for installation, which I could have easily done.

But I was so happy to just have it remedied, I didn't complain. 

The cost for this RV gas regulator plus installation was the same price as the dud regulator part I purchased.

About $70. This turned into a $140 repair.

Should have been about $35, if I had had time to order from Amazon, AND didn't receive a dud. 

BIG DEBATE! Propane On Or Off When Driving?

This is a greatly debated topic among RVers.

Do you turn the propane gas off at the bottle(s) when traveling, or do you keep it on so that your propane refrigerator can stay cool?

Bottom line is for safety's sake, and to keep your propane regulator happy, turn your propane tank(s) off.

Having said that, many people travel with the propane gas on.

A few things to consider when leaving it on:

Refrigeration Considerations: Are you traveling far/long enough to justify the risk involved with driving with propane turned on? Or will your fridge maintain its cold temperature while you are on the road?

Short distances/times generally don't require the fridge to be on as they can maintain cool enough temps for a period. Use a fridge temp gauge to learn how well your fridge keeps cool in situations like this.

Propane Line Damage: Know where your propane lines run down the length of your RV. One of the concerns of traveling with propane on is that the propane lines can be damaged by road debris being kicked up or if you experience a tire blowout.

If your propane lines are tucked up inside the chassis or frame and are protected from such occurrences, then these types of risks are minimized (but may never be eliminated).

Regulator Failure: Driving causes propane tank movement. This can cause liquid propane to enter the lines that feed the propane gas regulator. Propane regulators are only supposed to 'accept' propane in a gas state. Liquid propane entry can eventually destroy the regulator.

Camp Addict Marshall has been driving with his propane on for close to 5 years and is still on his original propane gas regulator. Camp Addict Kelly had a propane gas regulator that needed replacing in less than a year due to liquid propane finding its way inside. Your mileage will vary.

What's The Verdict?

If you are confident that your propane gas lines are protected from potential damage they might be subjected to while driving your RV, you could consider leaving them on.

(Just remember that most propane lines will never be 100% protected from all possible causes of damage.)

Your regulator still may suffer if liquid propane gets into them.

If you are unsure and/or just like to err on the side of caution, drive with your propane off.

This is truly the smartest thing to do. When in doubt, just travel with your propane off!

The Offending RV Propane Regulator

So what's the offending bad quality RV regulator brand? It's the:

 Camco double-stage auto-changeover regulator, part number 59005.

Camco 59005 RV propane regulator

(Part number only comes on the packaging, not on the item itself.)

The back of this particular gas regulator says model AC201.

I called Camco, and the representative didn't have much to say/didn't know about the reason for the number on the back.)

Its reviews on Amazon have good quality, and the 'fake spot' detector gives the page an A rating.

Still, this shop worker knew right off the bat that the regulator was bad because he's seen the same issue before with this brand.

He was right. We replaced it with a quality gas regulator and it worked just fine. 

The Regulators Kelly Installed

While we have yet to review propane regulators on Camp Addict, we can tell you what regulators ended up being installed on Kelly's rig.

The RV shop that helped Kelly out didn't have a dual-bottle regulator in stock.

They ended up installing a Marshall Excelsior MEGR-230 single-stage propane pressure regulator that takes the input from a single propane bottle at a time.

This meant having to unscrew the pigtail from the empty bottle and screw it into the full bottle every time a bottle needed to be switched.

In other words, there was no automatic switchover of bottles.

Problem is that this particular model of Marshall Excelsior propane regulator isn't approved for RV use.

It's a single-stage regulator while RVs require 2-stage regulators. 

The high quality single bottle regulator we list below is a 2-stage Marshall Excelsior regulator (part number MEGR-291H, the 'H' stands for high capacity) is approved for RV use.

Marshall had purchased the exact same high quality unit that came on his rig from the Lance RV factory: a Fairview 2-stage propane regulator, as a spare.

He opted to purchase the one that came with two new pigtails (the parts that screw into the propane bottles) because having new propane hoses is a good thing.

This Fairview RV propane regulator features auto changeover capability.

This means when one RV tank is empty, it will automatically switch over to the other tank (assuming the other tank has propane in it).

Marshall Excelsior MEGR-291H RV propane regulator

Single Tank Marshall Excelsior Regulator

Fairview GR-9984 RV propane regulator

2-Tank Fairview Regulator

Because he is such a nice guy (says Marshall... ), Marshall installed his newly purchased spare propane regulator on Kelly's rig.

This way she could have her two propane bottles hooked up at one time, and take advantage of the automatic switchover feature.  

Fingers crossed that this newly installed quality regulator is trouble-free for years to come. *We will keep you updated if otherwise.

*UPDATE 2/7/19- The Fairview regulator failed to show proper changeover in January.

It was stuck in between green and red.  Why? 

Well, Kelly often travels without turning off her RV propane tanks. Why is this bad?

According to the manufacturer, the jostling that happens when driving can cause LIQUID propane to get up into the propane lines of the regulator if left open.

The regulator is not designed to receive liquid propane, only gas propane. 

We could see what we thought was condensation inside the switchover green/red section and thought water was inside. Instead, it was propane.

Liquid propane in propane regulator

 This is another good reason to turn off your RV propane tank valves when traveling.

 We sent the failed regulator back and we were happy that they sent us a new one after inspecting the failed regulator. Lesson learned! We still consider this one of the best RV propane regulators out there. 

Conclusion

So that's my personal story about this particular RV propane regulator.

I won't buy the same Camco propane regulator ever again.

Will it work for you? Possibly.

Still, I got a reportedly 'known' bum product, and don't want to make the same mistake again.

I thought I would share my misfortune with you. 

Replacement Propane Regulator

It's not pretty, but it works!

What is the best RV propane regulator replacement?

Unfortunately, we can't tell you just yet as we haven't reviewed any RV regulators.

Still, what we CAN tell you is that we had one not work, and an RV shop told us that they have seen this issue more than once with the Camco double-stage auto-changeover propane regulator, model 59005.

At this point, you will have to decide for yourself if you want to purchase this RV gas regulator or not. 

One Last Propane Regulator Tip...

If you have an RV propane regulator in your RV that runs your refrigerator or your furnace, it's a good idea to carry around a spare propane regulator for RV if you camp in rural areas.

This way, if yours dies, you have something on hand to replace it with so you don't lose all your groceries! 

Or avoid freezing your butt off on a cold night. 

Thanks for reading, and Camp On, Addicts!

Kelly Headshot

He-llllo. I'm the co-founder of Camp Addict, which my biz partner and I launched in 2017. I frigging love the RVing lifestyle but in December of 2020, I converted to part-time RV life. Heck, I lived in my travel trailer for over 5.5 years, STRICTLY boondocking for pretty much all of it. Boondocking is a GREAT way to live, but it's not easy. Anyway, I'm passionate about animals, can't stand campgrounds, I hardly ever cook, and I love a good dance party. Currently, I can be found plotting and scheming whether or not to start collecting farm animals (or plotting my next RV trip!) at my beautiful new 'ranch' named 'Hotel Kellyfornia', in Southern Arizona. 

  • This was insightful and really taught me a thing or two on the Propane regulator and traveling with it off is beneficial. I can see how the jolting and road conditions can cause liquid to spill up into the regulator. Just wish the engineers could design a valve to prevent liquid entering the regulator but keeping propane gas to flow for long trips. I guess we will do those long trips with a block of dry ice instead.

    • Yes, that would be nice! But at least you can try to keep the regulator above the level where the hose inserts. We used on my travel trailer, a Gas Stop. It stops the flow of propane in the event of a fast leak, usually what happens if one is in an accident. That way you can leave the propane on safely in areas where it’s allowed to travel with it on. Still won’t stop the possible back flow of propane into the regulator, I don’t believe.

  • Hello I have an RV. I need change gas regulators. Marshall model 250. What is the equivalence model ?

    • Hi Carlos,

      Unfortunately we aren’t propane regulator experts. We are only familiar with the two propane regulators listed on this page. One might work for you, depending on if you need a single tank, or a dual tank regulator.

      Regarding the Marshall Model 250 replacement, if one of the regulators on this page won’t work for you, then I suggest you contact Marshall Exelsior directly and ask them what you should replace it with.

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