Propane stove not working @ high elevations

jeff57

We recently took our 2021 Tab 320 CS to Zion NP then to Fishlake Utah.  Fishlake is almost 9000 feet elevation and the temps were substantially cooler (lows in the 30s) compared to the high 90s in Zion NP.  Once we arrived to Fishlake our propane stove would not work.  We were getting propane to our heater and hot water heater but no propane to our propane cooktop.  I disconnected/reconnected the hose from the propane tank a couple of times but that did not help the propane stove.  It was not a problem with the stove ignition.   The propane stove was simply not getting any propane.
Once I returned home, temps in the 70s and lower elevation I tested the propane stove and it worked fine.
Any advice is appreciated. 

bergger

This has been brought up by others that have had that issue.  I'm not sure a fix or reason for it has yet to be discovered.  But here is a link to another discussion.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/168177#Comment_168177

It baffles me since I live at 10,200 feet and have never had any issues with propane stoves of any type up to over 12,000 feet.  We regularly use our stove in out 2021 400 at over 10,000 feet and it works like a charm. 

When at elevation are you actually getting propane coming out of the stove and it just won't lite or are you not getting any propane to the stove at all?

ChrisFix

I've also experienced the stove not working after a travel day, and then suddenly just working again. Nothing I have done fixes the issue, it just seems to self heal after a while.
Wish we knew what the actual root cause was.

burkeks

This subject has been discussed extensively elsewhere on the forum as previously noted. I was shocked when our stove failed to work on our very first trip. It worked fine when I got home to 850 ft. above sea level. It seems Dometic claims their stove that is not designed to work above 4,500 ft. Oddly, many stove are reported to work just fine at altitude. After many unsuccessful inquiries by myself and others, it was pointed out in the discussion link above that lower atmospheric pressure at higher elevations increases to propane delivery pressure. The newer Dometic stoves with the push-button igniter have a secondary pressure regulator under the stove that apparently can shut off even when the Alde is working ok. One post described how attaching a manometer to the auxiliary propane outlet and adjusting the regulator in the front tub allowed the pressure to be reset to normal. The safe bet here is to find a qualified propane tech at higher altitude and have the regulator pressure checked.  

jeff57

Helpful advice
Thanks