Welcome to the fourth entry in May’s Medium Mod Contest. One Medium Mod will be published in every Email Alert in May. At the end of the month, we’ll hold a reader vote to determine May’s winner. Click here for information about the 2021 Mod Contest, including how to enter.
Neil and Yoly Mullen, Dawsonville, Georgia
Stainless Steel Braided Propane Hose Upgrade
2016 Ram 2500HD
2018 Travel Lite 840 SBRX
The original installation of the propane tank, regulator, and hoses created a possible issue. The regulator was mounted close to the door’s opening causing the inlet hose to the regulator to make a sharp bend that extended beyond the door opening.
When I closed the door it would contact the hose. By fully closing the door it would compress and bend the hose more causing the hose to crack.
When we had the camper at the factory for unrelated repairs, I asked them to move the regulator back to allow for a decreased bend radius that didn’t force the hose outside the compartment opening. I also asked them to replace the cracked hose.
They had moved the regulator back about three inches and replaced the inlet hose. The hose now took a more gradual bend and did not make contact with the inside of the door as it did before.
Last fall, on our first outing in fifteen months, we just happened to run out of propane. When I got home I removed the tank for the first time and discovered another situation. The outlet hose was 18-inches long (10-inches longer than needed) and stuffed into a small space behind the tank. It still allowed gas flow, but the wall of the hose was cracked in a couple of places where it was folded over on itself.
I removed the entire assembly and had a hose shop remove the damaged portion of the outlet hose. Then the hose was cut to the required 8-inch length and a new 3/8-inch flare fitting was installed. I also purchased a 15-inch stainless steel braided inlet hose. This would allow the additional length to facilitate a volume gauge.
Using the yellow gas Teflon tape, I installed this new inlet hose to a brass 90-degree elbow that would allow the hose to come into the regulator from below and to the side instead of directly from the front. This greatly reduced the amount of bend in the hose.
Above: Modified Propane Outlet Hose from 18-inches to 8-inches
I installed the new assembly which now has no wasted hose or compromised installation. I used a cable clamp to secure the rubber hose to the copper tube joint.
After installing the tank and volume gauge, you can see in the picture how nicely all the hoses flow into their required places with no compromises anywhere.
I didn’t like that the upper portion of the tank was in such close proximity to the regular so I also added a vertical wooden spacer to keep the tank away from the regulator.
If anyone would like to see my step by step detailed video of this upgrade, here is a link to my Stainless Steel Braided Propane Hose Upgrade video:
The hose mod and brass fitting at a local hose and fitting shop was $10. The stainless braided inlet hose was $21 on Amazon ($21), but only in pairs as they are designed for dual tank installations. I now carry a spare if I or a fellow truck camper ever needs one.
The volume gauge was purchased at Home Depot for $15 and the wooden spacer was a piece of scrap wood that I had on hand. The total cost was $46.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
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