Auxiliary LP connection question

Jfrei

Seemed kind of like a plumbing question so ....

Anyway, when I connect a little gas grill to the rear LP port on our Tab 400 it does not seem to be flowing gas. The valve is open on the tank and the stove inside the camper works. And the little valve on the rear port is opened. Yet when I turn the knob on the grill I cannot smell or hear any gas. Any ideas?

bayernfan

It could be an issue with the rear LPG port or it could be an issue with the grill.

Have you checked to see if you get flow without the grill attached?  Also inspect it for blockage of any kind.

Use the appropriate safety measures when doing this.

AnOldUR

Does your gas grill have its own pressure regulator? The T@B connection passes through a regulator. You can't have two regulators.

Mickerly

The auxiliary propane port is regulated. If you are not bypassing the regulator on your grill, they may fight.

Jfrei

Ooohh yaaa! I forgot it was regulated down to like what the cook top needs. Dang, that must be the issue as my grill does have a built in regulator. Bummer

pthomas745

What item are you trying to use?  There are several threads in this search that help with the "two regulator" issue, various items that work, or how to make them work.

https://www.google.com/search?q=what+works+with+the+rear+propane+outlet+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&client=firefox-b-1-d&sca_esv=5422c522b7433249&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ADLYWIIvTGZu7x8yCyISGMVX25k2Ka82Uw:1726858310181&ei=RsTtZtzpCserur8PlIuouQw&ved=0ahUKEwjcpJ_BmNKIAxXHle4BHZQFKscQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=what+works+with+the+rear+propane+outlet+site:tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiSHdoYXQgd29ya3Mgd2l0aCB0aGUgcmVhciBwcm9wYW5lIG91dGxldCBzaXRlOnRhYi1ydi52YW5pbGxhY29tbXVuaXR5LmNvbUiXWlCHCViDVHADeACQAQCYAWOgAbIRqgECNTK4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgCgAgCYAwCIBgGSBwCgB6QS&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

Marceline

Jfrei said:

Ooohh yaaa! I forgot it was regulated down to like what the cook top needs. Dang, that must be the issue as my grill does have a built in regulator. Bummer

You could add a splitter on the top of your propane tank.

MPuyot

I have a very old Weber Q.  It does not have the traditionally shaped ROUND regulator, but when I tried to use it to the quick connect on the back of my TAB320, it had very low flame.  So low that I couldn't even boil water.   I've read lots of the articles on "just remove the regulator" of the Weber Q, but I dont have that round regulator.  What I suspect is happening is the VALVE on the Weber Q is also acting as a regulator and limiting how much gas goes to the burner.  Does that seem plausible?  If so, can one simply change that valve to one that does not limit the gas, and is it safe to do?  Any leads on a new valve would be greatly appreciated.  

jbajor

I have a fire pit that I plug into the Auxiliary connection.  I removed the regulator on the fire pit and run it direct as the entire line is already regulated.  Works GREAT!

SLJ

The quick release connection on the T@B is a low pressure connection. The burners in camping stoves are designed to use either a low pressure or high pressure propane feed. Most are designed for high pressure. It has nothing to do with their regulators. If your camp stove has high pressure burners it will not work properly on a low pressure feed even with it's regulator removed. Symptoms of a high pressure design on the low pressure T@B connection are no flame or low flame, not enough heat to properly cook with, and/or easy for wind to blow it out (dangerous). A stove with high pressure burners should only be connected with it's regulator directly to the propane tank before the T@B's regulator.  A low pressure stove will work on a high pressure connection using it's regulator connected direct to a tank before any other regulator. It should also work connected to the T@B's low pressure connection without the stoves regulator.
Unfortunately, stove/grill manufactures do not typically state what their stove is designed for. Camp Chief and Blackstone both have low pressure grills/stoves in their line.

MPuyot

So what is the pressure the TAB regulator is set to?   For my Weber Q100 grill, I can ask Weber what pressure it is designed for, so that I can quantitatively know if it will work or not.  We need to put numbers on the discussion, as "low pressure" and "high pressure" is too vague.  That's my two cents...

Gomers2

Indoor cook stoves are typically plus or minus 10 psi, some are lower. This is the same for the external fire pits, they are usually also low pressure so they will work if attached to the external auxiliary port. But you never want two regulators, only one. The vast majority of camping stoves like the very common Coleman or camp chef Everest are high pressure stoves. These are 15 to 17 PSI. This is any type of stove or device that runs on the small green disposable LP tanks. These stoves roar during use, unlike your inside stove which kind of wafts by comparison. So the auxiliary port will not drive the camp stove outside. You could reroute that auxiliary line so that it was connected to the main tank before the regulator but I am not sure that it's worth it. I will attach pictures that show a much simpler solution: purchase a tee and split a second high pressure line that is used for the external stove. This leaves the camper kitchen untouched and provides a threaded fitting that takes the place of the green bottle. The pressure regulator that came with the outside stove will convert it to 15 psi. Our outside kitchen sets up near the front and you simply connect the stove there 

Gomers2

I found the hose and the tee at the local fleet farm.