| Propane tank location [message #103158] |
Sat, 16 October 2010 12:26  |
Fiveyellowhorse
Messages: 11
Registered: June 2010
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I have a 78 26' Royale. Before I got it I looked at a lot of different ones, this is the only one I have found that has the propane tank under the dinette bench, next to the door. Is this a factory location or did a PO do it?
Thanks, What a great site.
George
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| Re: Propane tank location [message #103169 is a reply to message #103158] |
Sat, 16 October 2010 15:56  |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
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| Fiveyellowhorse wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 10:26 |
I have a 78 26' Royale. ... the propane tank under the dinette bench, next to the door. Is this a factory location or did a PO do it?
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Coachman put a propane cabinet under the dinette in just about all of the Royale/Birchavens. I have even seen a Royale that had a propane tank in the rear (like the GM upfitted coaches) but they STILL cut the hole in the body and put the box under the dinette!
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: Propane tank location [message #103245 is a reply to message #103158] |
Sun, 17 October 2010 12:19 |
Larry C
Messages: 1168
Registered: July 2004
Location: NE Illinois by the Illino...
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Is this a factory location or did a PO do it?
_______________________________________________
When I was looking at a Royalle, the owner, a nice old guy, told me HE installed the propane tank under the Dining seat. It had a SEALED door and a box under the seat.
I have heard the manufacturers placed tanks here but the norm is to have LOTS OF VENTILATION in case there is a propane leak.
My SOB had the tank hanging from the frame, no bottom so the propane would just drop down and disperse.
Propane is heavier than air, if it leaks it will puddle and it moves very very slowly but remains highly explosive.
The other concern would be a failure ( crack or break ) between the tank and regulator. That would unleash all the propane in the tank at a very high volume in a very little amount of time.
This is the reason you need to be ventilated at the propane tank. Once Propane is pooling in the RV it just takes a spark.
Gatsbys' CRUISER  08-18-04
74 GLACIER X, 260/455-APC-4 Bagg'r
Remflex Manifold gaskets
CampGrounds needed, Add yours to "PLACES" />
http://www.gmceast.com/travel
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| Re: [GMCnet] Propane tank location [message #103272 is a reply to message #103255] |
Sun, 17 October 2010 14:52 |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
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I have a 78 Royale with a dinette and propane tank under the seat by the
door. The outside access door is louvered and the entire enclosure is lined
with metal and sealed from the interior of the coach. IIRC the bottom of the
enclosure is drilled to vent out the bottom also. It doesn't make much
difference where the propane tank is located, the same precautions are
necessary. No leak, no matter how small, should be left unrepaired. These
things flex and twist, expand and contract and are all getting quite old.
Higher maintenence is the order of the day.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or
78 Royale 403
On Sun, Oct 17, 2010 at 11:12 AM, Emery Stora <emerystora@mac.com> wrote:
>
> On Oct 17, 2010, at 11:19 AM, Larry wrote:
>
> >
> > Is this a factory location or did a PO do it?
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > When I was looking at a Royalle, the owner, a nice old guy, told me HE
> installed the propane tank under the Dining seat. It had a SEALED door and
> a box under the seat.
> >
> > I have heard the manufacturers placed tanks here but the norm is to have
> LOTS OF VENTILATION in case there is a propane leak.
> >
> > My SOB had the tank hanging from the frame, no bottom so the propane
> would just drop down and disperse.
> >
> > Propane is heavier than air, if it leaks it will puddle and it moves very
> very slowly but remains highly explosive.
> >
> > The other concern would be a failure ( crack or break ) between the tank
> and regulator. That would unleash all the propane in the tank at a very
> high volume in a very little amount of time.
> >
> > This is the reason you need to be ventilated at the propane tank. Once
> Propane is pooling in the RV it just takes a spark.
>
> Not necessarily although it is a strong possibility.
> Propane is actually quite safe. It must have a concentration of between 2%
> and 10% oxygen to burn. So a small leak is usually diluted quickly below 2%
> and a very large leak will probably exceed 10%. In which cases it will not
> burn.
>
> The compartments that I have seen under the dinette seats in the Royales
> were not sealed to the outside. They were ventilated to the outside but
> sealed to the inside.
>
> Emery Stora
>
>
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| Re: [GMCnet] Propane tank location [message #103344 is a reply to message #103272] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 04:38 |
Larry C
Messages: 1168
Registered: July 2004
Location: NE Illinois by the Illino...
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No leak, no matter how small, should be left unrepaired. These
things flex and twist, expand and contract and are all getting quite old.
Higher maintenence is the order of the day.
___________________________________
Yes ventilation was my point.
Off target but.........
The frig cubical is one spot that commonly ends up with a big bowl where the frig sits. The flame is in that bowl ( area below the vented door, usually below the belt line about 6 to 9".
Great place for propane lake to puddle and collect as it is sealed unless an owner has made an effort to vent to the wheel well ( in my case the WW is below the frig ).
Just a note
My opinion
Gatsbys' CRUISER 08-18-04
74 GLACIER X, 260/455-APC-4 Bagg'r
Remflex Manifold gaskets
CampGrounds needed, Add yours to "PLACES" />
http://www.gmceast.com/travel
_
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| Re: Propane tank location [message #103366 is a reply to message #103158] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 09:23 |
GeorgeRud
Messages: 1380
Registered: February 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
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I had also heard that the refer should have venting into the wheel well.
Are there any obstructions or can one just take a hole saw to the bottom and cut till you see daylight (or a tire!)? Any suggestions how much to vent? I'd assume openings similar to those found in the propane compartment should be more than adequate.
George Rudawsky
Chicago, IL
75 Palm Beach
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| Re: Propane tank location [message #103389 is a reply to message #103366] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 12:34 |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
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| GeorgeRud wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 07:23 |
I had also heard that the refer should have venting into the wheel well.
Are there any obstructions or can one just take a hole saw to the bottom and cut till you see daylight (or a tire!)? Any suggestions how much to vent? I'd assume openings similar to those found in the propane compartment should be more than adequate.
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Most GM upfitted coaches have engine coolant lines in that area to feed the engine pre-heat on the water heater. Just check for the location before cutting the holes. Most (all?) GM upfitted models had electric refers so propane pooling was not an issue and it wasn't addressed when the refer was converted to propane.
On my 1973 xPainted Desert, I cut holes for a sink drain pipe and fixed it in place with "great stuff" spray in foam. The top of the pipe is level with the floor of the refer cabinet and comes down in the corner of the wheel well.
On a side note: Not long after I did this modification, the propane refer stopped working and was replaced with an all electric compressor model.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: Propane tank location [message #103436 is a reply to message #103431] |
Mon, 18 October 2010 21:18 |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
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| kingd wrote on Mon, 18 October 2010 17:48 |
And even outside in a completely open to the breezes, propane can STILLo BANG, even at 2:00 AM on a Sunday morning. I'm glad our bus division stopped parking at this place about 4-6 months before..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Toronto_propane_explosion
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Slight difference in volume.
For the most part propane is quite safe. You just have to respect the hazards. (Kind of like electricity.)
Keep in mind, propane also has other hazards besides flammability and explosion. My uncle was in a trench when they had a large propane leak. It never exploded or anything, but it messed up his lungs. It took a few years but he died from complications.
I do not know the particulars of the accident, but they did have a larger volume of propane than is carried on the average GMC.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: Propane tank location [message #103457 is a reply to message #103436] |
Tue, 19 October 2010 09:38 |
stick miller
Messages: 1036
Registered: March 2010
Location: Americus, Georgia
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This might be a bit simplistic, but I like the fact that my propane tank is located on the opposite side of the coach (under the dinette seat on the passenger side adjacent to the door) from the furnace, the frig, the stove top and the water heater. Just the thought of being 8 feet from the spark makes me feel a little better.
I also have a "sniffer" for propane, hardwired in the coach.
We had this discussion when Rob Mueller was in Americus. What I thought was a propane odor was actually a dead mouse?? We never found the mouse, but the smell has gone away with some powerful chemical cleaners made for "death scene" cleanups.
Stick Miller
'78 Royale - "White Trash" - she left me for another man
'76 Eleganza - "Cousin Eddie" Sold
'84 Bluebird Wanderlodge - "Past Tents"
Americus, GA
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| Re: [GMCnet] Propane tank location [message #103470 is a reply to message #103457] |
Tue, 19 October 2010 12:12 |
k2gkk
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
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Probably similar to the smell of dead birds/squirrels
in the attic (rent house in Ocean Springs, MS - 1967).
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* D C "Mac" Macdonald *
* Amateur Radio K2GKK *
* USAF & FAA, Retired *
** Oklahoma City, OK **
* * * "Money Pit" * * *
* * ex-Palm Beach, 76 *
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> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> From: stickmiller@gmail.com
> Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:38:24 -0500
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Propane tank location
>
>
>
> This might be a bit simplistic, but I like the fact that my propane tank is located on the opposite side of the coach (under the dinette seat on the passenger side adjacent to the door) from the furnace, the frig, the stove top and the water heater. Just the thought of being 8 feet from the spark makes me feel a little better.
>
> I also have a "sniffer" for propane, hardwired in the coach.
>
> We had this discussion when Rob Mueller was in Americus. What I thought was a propane odor was actually a dead mouse?? We never found the mouse, but the smell has gone away with some powerful chemical cleaners made for "death scene" cleanups.
> --
> Stick (I used to be skinny) Miller
> '78 Royale
> Americus, Georgia
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=35133
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> List Information and Subscription Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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