Bang, Whoosh

[Dramfineday]

How coincidental, getting a knock back from Morrisons for gas, a week or so ago, and I'm standing filling my Gaslow system at Instal Oil's site in Edinburgh when there was a dull bang and a whoosh of gas escaping from the dropout out holes under the van. I was coming to the end of the fill and the internal hose from the fill point to the cylinders had raptured.

Now I'm aware that there have been discussions on the forum about where fill points should be positioned. This message is simply to give you a heads up.
Firstly I had the system installed from new in 2019. Two of the hoses were replaced at this year's hab check with the hose that burst being labelled "replace by 2029".

Now we get to the nub of the matter. The fill point is located in the door of the gas locker. Since, at the time of installation, motor homing was completely new to me, I just let the dealer / installer get on with it. Only since joining this site did I realise that there may be an issue.

Now hands up here, I use the locker for some additional storage, so am in and out probably more frequently than the flexi hose was designed for. So no reflection on Gaslow's kit, rather my use / misuse. Consequently, two conclusions for me if I continue as is: 1) replace this particular flex hose every 3/4 years or 2) reposition the fill point to the MH skirt, if possible, which I'll chat to the dealer about when I go in for the hose replacement

Quite a scary moment when it happened

 

[herald_400rl]

Basildog will like this one

 

[Lenny HB]

If you are keeping in door but that's a silly idea better to move it.
Anyway if keeping there fit a rubber hose they are much safer the ss ones should never be flexed and totally unsuitable for door mounting.

 

[PaulC70]

Can you get a rubber fill hose for gaslow though?

 

[Basildog]

Basildog will like this one

As I have said many times fitting filler points in doors isn’t something that we recommend
Normally done by dealers being lazy.
The hose will eventually fail or leak .
Yes we have fitted filler points in doors in the past when there is no alternative but we now try to avoid it completely and warn those with fillers in the door to either change it where possible or change the hose every couple of years.

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[VXman]

I don't know the set up of your motorhome in. terms of the gas cupboard and access to it but on mine fitting the fill point in the side skirt was easy peasy.

There are 2 ventilation holes in the floor of the gas locker (I believe this is a standard requirement as gas is heavier than air and will leak downwards.) So the fill hose goes down through one of the holes and out through the side skirt. Just needed a correct size hole saw to make the hole in the side skirt for the fill point. I'm useless at DIY but it was very straight forward.

 

[Purrfecttune]

We had gas low fitted early last year and it has a door fitting.

Had our hab check done a month ago by a highly recommended company (after losing confidence in the one we had been using previously). The guy advised the same; that it shouldn’t be fitted in the door, for reasons as above and that the pipe should be replaced regularly. He added that even better, it should be replaced asap with a stainless steel braided hose that would give a better lifespan.

Based on how impressed I was with the hab service and his work fitting fridge cooling fans, I will be booking it in for a timing belt next March and will get him to change the pipe at the same time.

 

[Minxy]

He added that even better, it should be replaced asap with a stainless steel braided hose that would give a better lifespan

Er, no, that's wrong, SS braided hoses shouldn't be fitted in an environment where they are flexed regularly, either use a flexible hose or move the filler to the skirt.

 

[B+W vanman]

How coincidental, getting a knock back from Morrisons for gas, a week or so ago, and I'm standing filling my Gaslow system at Instal Oil's site in Edinburgh when there was a dull bang and a whoosh of gas escaping from the dropout out holes under the van. I was coming to the end of the fill and the internal hose from the fill point to the cylinders had raptured.

Now I'm aware that there have been discussions on the forum about where fill points should be positioned. This message is simply to give you a heads up.
Firstly I had the system installed from new in 2019. Two of the hoses were replaced at this year's hab check with the hose that burst being labelled "replace by 2029".

Now we get to the nub of the matter. The fill point is located in the door of the gas locker. Since, at the time of installation, motor homing was completely new to me, I just let the dealer / installer get on with it. Only since joining this site did I realise that there may be an issue.

Now hands up here, I use the locker for some additional storage, so am in and out probably more frequently than the flexi hose was designed for. So no reflection on Gaslow's kit, rather my use / misuse. Consequently, two conclusions for me if I continue as is: 1) replace this particular flex hose every 3/4 years or 2) reposition the fill point to the MH skirt, if possible, which I'll chat to the dealer about when I go in for the hose replacement

Quite a scary moment when it happened

Aren’t you lucky Morrison’s refused you?
Or you might have released an explosive cloud of lpg across a busy forecourt, just ripe for igniting when it came into contact with a hot exhaust, or catalytic converter..?
You might have been the lead article in your local rag!
Fame at last!!

 

[Landy Andy]

Filler inside the gas locker is the safest option. You have the shortest hose, and are able to physically watch it as you fill. You are opening the locker to isolate gas anyway.

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[Lenny HB]

He added that even better, it should be replaced asap with a stainless steel braided hose that would give a better lifespan.

Obviously hasn't got a clue about gas hoses.
The SS ones should not be flexed, also it they rupture they got with a bang.

With a rubber hose there is an internal hose that carries the gas and a concentric hose around it that has very small holes on it so if the internal hose goes the gas filters out slowly.
No big whoosh bang like you get when a SS hose hose lets go.

 

[Lenny HB]

Can you get a rubber fill hose for gaslow though?

Yes.

 

[InvictaMoto]

Both my previous Elddis motorhomes, the 115 and 175, had the Gaslow bottles in the locker and the filler in the hatch/door. Never saw or had a problem. Had two bottles in each and no room for anything else.

The Malibu PVC has the filler in the bumper on the left side of the rear door. It's a bit low to bend over to fit the nozzle on but seems to work okay. I have two bottles nor and there's enough room for the gas sniffer tool I bought while back.

 

[Dramfineday]

Aren’t you lucky Morrison’s refused you?
Or you might have released an explosive cloud of lpg across a busy forecourt, just ripe for igniting when it came into contact with a hot exhaust, or catalytic converter..?
You might have been the lead article in your local rag!
Fame at last!!

Indeed, Morrisons probability did us both a favour. I had just run 20 miles or thereby to get to the gas station, so the exhaust/ dpf etc was running pretty hot when the pipe went. And there was no 'might have' about it...it did release a cloud of explosive gas . Fortunately, thankfully, I still remain famous in my own lunch time (as they used to say back in the day)

 

[Gellyneck]

.......... I still remain famous in my own lunch time (as they used to say back in the day)

Or as the boss would say, "another extended lunch break"!

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[Purrfecttune]

Obviously hasn't got a clue about gas hoses.
The SS ones should not be flexed, also it they rupture they got with a bang.

With a rubber hose there is an internal hose that carries the gas and a concentric hose around it that has very small holes on it so if the internal hose goes the gas filters out slowly.
No big whoosh bang like you get when a SS hose hose lets go.

I may have remembered what he said wrongly. I just remember that he said something about a reinforced hose that would not need replacing as regularly as the one I’ve already got
However, I will probably get him to reroute it to the bodywork anyway as it looks to be a straight forward job

 

[Howard B]

My MH has a filler point in the door & has S/S filling hose. Reading this thread and the fact that mine will be 5 years old next year I'll look at sourcing a replacement. Looking on the Gaslow site, their filler hoses all appear to the be braided S/S type. As they dont seem to be recommended for doors are there any other suppliers that can provide a suitable rubber hose?

 

[B+W vanman]

My MH has a filler point in the door & has S/S filling hose. Reading this thread and the fact that mine will be 5 years old next year I'll look at sourcing a replacement. Looking on the Gaslow site, their filler hoses all appear to the be braided S/S type. As they dont seem to be recommended for doors are there any other suppliers that can provide a suitable rubber hose?

Could you tell us which lpg refill stations you routinely use, please?
As I would like to avoid refuelling there, if possible

 

[Minxy]

My MH has a filler point in the door & has S/S filling hose. Reading this thread and the fact that mine will be 5 years old next year I'll look at sourcing a replacement. Looking on the Gaslow site, their filler hoses all appear to the be braided S/S type. As they dont seem to be recommended for doors are there any other suppliers that can provide a suitable rubber hose?

I think Gas it do a rubberised one (not the basic type of hose).

 

[Lenny HB]

My MH has a filler point in the door & has S/S filling hose. Reading this thread and the fact that mine will be 5 years old next year I'll look at sourcing a replacement. Looking on the Gaslow site, their filler hoses all appear to the be braided S/S type. As they dont seem to be recommended for doors are there any other suppliers that can provide a suitable rubber hose?

Our own Basildog Autogas 2000

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[Helen Ariel]

Oh this is making me nervous. We have ours in the door. Fitted by dealer with SS hose. We don't store anything in there though and very rarely open and close it. Will be 5 years old soon though.

 

[noni]

I have my filler point inside the locker mounted on a large mounting bracket supplied by Gaslow gets around pipe fracturing and putting unsightly holes in the bodywork. in fact I have done this on my last 3 motorhomes and never had any problems filling both here and Spain.

 

[Tony and Andree]

Mine is the same
Tony

 

[Minxy]

I have my filler point inside the locker mounted on a large mounting bracket supplied by Gaslow gets around pipe fracturing and putting unsightly holes in the bodywork. in fact I have done this on my last 3 motorhomes and never had any problems filling both here and Spain.

Due to the 'ban' on filling cylinders at Morrisons branded fuel stations if you use them you might need to mount the filler externally otherwise you're almost certain to be refused.

 

[nicholsong]

I have my filler point inside the locker mounted on a large mounting bracket supplied by Gaslow gets around pipe fracturing and putting unsightly holes in the bodywork. in fact I have done this on my last 3 motorhomes and never had any problems filling both here and Spain.

Our external filler is in the skirt, which itself bends downwards so is hardly visible, especially since the filler and skirt are both black. Much less unsightly than the diesel filler, but I would not recommend putting that in a locker door for cosmetic reasons.

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[PaulC70]

Our own Basildog Autogas 2000

Excellent! Couldn't see them for looking the other day but heres a link for anyone that needs it.

Rubber Filler Hoses Archives

autogasshop.co.uk

Last 2 MHs I put the filler in the skirt, this new one though, my back couldn't take it so I was lazy and put it in the door. Problem is the SS braided hose is a long one for the skirt so its too long and windy in the locker and I even bought the rightangle adaptor but im not happy hence looking for a suitable rubber hose.

 

[noni]

THE SAME REASON WHY I FITTED IT INSIDE.

 

[stewartwebr]

We have a filling point on the side skirt, one on each side which is a great benefit, we don’t have to worry about which side the pump is on which is very convenient on some filling locations with only one pump