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Date:         Wed, 26 Jul 2000 13:44:35 EDT
Reply-To:     EVEHART33@aol.com
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ken Hunter <EVEHART33@aol.com>
Subject:      Propane regulator WARNING
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

David Beierl set me straight on this and with his permission I'm passing this on to the list. My propane regulator developed a leak shortly after I bought it in CA. I went to a RV supply store that also sold propane and brought my old square type regulator with me. The salesman I talked to showed me a round type replacement for about $8. It looked like a standard BBQ type regulator that I had recently picked up at a swap meet for $1 so I thought great and just installed it. Since then we moved to NM and I recently started to work on the fridge because it wouldn't stay lit and I thought it was an air leak or regulator adjustment because of the altitude change. I had seen the list recommend to other people with leaking regulators to just go to KMart or WalMart and pick up a replacement for about $8 and since this is what the (obviously new) guy at the RV store told me I didn't think anything about it and passed on the same mis information. The following is the straight story from David:

Marshall Brass 290 is the replacement for the no-longer-made Marshall Brass 260 (square) regulator. It looks like a small circle stuck to a big one, and it's a couple inches longer than the 260, so you have to bend the tubing going up into the van somewhat. Costs about $25 with installed POL fitting, plus a few bucks for the weather covers.

...and when I asked him what the difference was:

1) Illegal as hell 2) Doesn't have "excess-flow" POL fitting that shuts off propane if a big leak happens. 3) Doesn't regulate closely enough to run the fridge properly 4) Wickedly illegal 5) BOOM if you have an accident (see number 2) 6) Not approved for RV use (see 1, 2, 5)

You WILL NOT find the correct regulator at KMart, WalMart, or your local hardware store most likely. Hope this helps,

Ken Hunter 82 Westy 1.9D 84 Jetta 1.5D 89 Mitsubishi van


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