That old Truma regulator failure issue . . .

[TDub49]

So off we went for a couple of nights away down near Bradford-on-Avon (more on the site stayed at later in a review post). Rocked up Friday, mosied down to the pub in the marina and then back to the moho to cook up a chilli. All going swimmingly well but then it started to get a little chilly (no pun intended) so on with the heater. Only it wasn't on with the heater and the fridge had packed up as well so it was obvious that we had run out of gas. No problem, nip out and change the cylinders and Bob's your uncle. Only he wasn't. No gas getting through to anything inside.

The co-pilot looks me square between the eyes and says "idiot - why have we got two empty cylinders on board?" I say I could have sworn we had one full and one about a third full - just can't imagine why I would have let one run out and not replace it soon as.

Next day we search the Calor gas site to find someone local to our site where we can exchange a bottle, which we duly did, involving a taxi ride to add the the expense as we didn't want to uproot everything. Fit the bottle, tighten up the unions and bingo - no gas.

Finally did what I should have done to start with and looked on line, only to find numerous posts about the Truma bulkhead regulators failing (up to that point I had been saying "it can't be the regulator, there is nothing in them to go wrong and I haven't seen anything about it on the Fun forum since I joined up").

So the questions (audible sigh of relief from Funsters having to wade through the intro):

Are Truma regulators still failing or has the problem mysteriously gone away?

If they are still prone to randomly packing up[ (owing to gloop in the gas apparently), is there a better alternative? And

DIY or not DIY?

Plus a bonus question - do people carry spares or have a "Plan B" for when the regulator drowns in gassy gloop?

 

[Phill D]

Make sure ( if it's possible) that the regulator is above the bottle and the pigtail runs back down to the bottle.
Any lubrication in the bottle will then hopefully run back into the bottle and not clog the regulator.

 

[sallylillian]

When mine failed in warranty about 2017, Truma gave me a credit. They had no stock to replace as they had dumped all their stock with a dealer to dispose of without warranty. They had new models in production. All of this is what I was told.

 

[Nico]

We had a very similar situation with ours. Fridge was fine and gas cooker but constant fault with bbq point and boiler. Had it checked by Russell Hague (Broadland Caravan Services ) and our regulator had failed. They should be changed every 10 years max it turns out.

There are lubricants or heavy materials I think Russell said in LPG and it starts to degrade the inside of the regulator. Likewise gas pigtails should be changed and these have a 5 year life

 

[TDub49]

Make sure ( if it's possible) that the regulator is above the bottle and the pigtail runs back down to the bottle.
Any lubrication in the bottle will then hopefully run back into the bottle and not clog the regulator.

Thanks - the regulator is above the bottle(s) but from what I have read, it is still possible for the whole thing to gum up. I believe that Truma have now designed a filter trap to fit upstream of the regulator to help reduce the problem and I guess I'll be looking on to that as well as a new regulator.

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[andy63]

, it is still possible for the whole thing to gum up.

I've had one or two regulators to bits after failure, and and whilst they may have had a liquid residue present I've seen no evidence that that has blocked the drilling or jets in the regulators I've looked at..
What does appear to have happened is where there is a valve in the regulator they invariably have a rubber seat and it is this that appears to have been swolen to the point it blocks off..the valves only operate with very little movement and it takes not a lot to block them so as soon as the rubber deform the regulator passes less gas till it eventually fails..
Thats been my observations anyway..
Andy

 

[Landy Andy]

I binned the Truma valve and fitted an alternative brand. That way I don't need to carry a spare.

 

[TDub49]

I binned the Truma valve and fitted an alternative brand. That way I don't need to carry a spare.

And the alternative brand is . . . . ?

 

[Lenny HB]

I've fitted filters to mine. I had a different problem the pin that operates the change over indicator was sticking so not operating the switch so I didn't know the bottles had changed over as the C Remote was not telling me inside the van, got it changed under warranty.

Despite the problem having been about for many years the Truma metal bulkhead regulators still fail.

The new version that looks like it has a black plastic cover/body that has been around a couple of years, Truma offer a 5 year warranty providing you register on their site, so hopefully the new one will be better.

Likewise gas pigtails should be changed and these have a 5 year life

Truma says 10 years for the high pressure tails.

I carry a bottle top regulator and hose to bypass the bulkhead regulator in the event of a failure.

 

[peterc10]

Suggest you get back to basic checks before you splash the cash. Have you pushed in the crash sensor button on the Truma regulator and held it there for 10 seconds? If that does not work do you have the little green anti-rupture valves on the end of the pigtails next to the bottles. If you do press that down and hold for a few seconds.

Sorry if you have already done those checks.

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[Deep Owl]

I binned the Truma valve and fitted an alternative brand. That way I don't need to carry a spare.

Really embarrassing at a petrol station in the middle of France, with an apparently empty Gaslow tank and a Truma run-safe regulator. Tried to fill it about 4 times with the man coming out of his kiosk to reset the pump and getting more irritated each time. So we drove off and tried it at the next campsite; worked perfectly. This was only a couple of years old.

When we came home, I changed it for a Clesse, has worked fine for 7 years now! We never have the heating on as we drive anyway, as our Alde system works in minutes.

 

[TDub49]

Suggest you get back to basic checks before you splash the cash. Have you pushed in the crash sensor button on the Truma regulator and held it there for 10 seconds? If that does not work do you have the little green anti-rupture valves on the end of the pigtails next to the bottles. If you do press that down and hold for a few seconds.

Sorry if you have already done those checks.

I would press the crash sensor button if my regulator had one but it's old school and doesn't. Thanks anyway.

 

[Ingwe]

We had 2 Truma regulator fail on our 2012 van. Have now fitted a Cavagna regulator and carry a spare of the same brand. So far no issues. The truma did have the secure motion pigtail which allowed for driving with the gas turned on but we find it little hardship to turn it off and remember to turn it on again when we stop. Got ours from Autogas 2000 in Thirsk. They do mail order too. Found them to be exceptionally helpful and knowledgable.