Truma bulkhead mounted regulator replacement.

[Gabsgrandad]

Just completed 2 weeks holiday, on the 1st night of the holiday we succumbed to the blocked regulator syndrome. (thought we had escaped this as the van is a 2009 Sterling with regulator mounted fairly high and had assumed it was sorted!) However that was not the case. Despite very rarely using gas, and I don’t think there has been a bottle of gas through the regulator in the 2+ years we’ve had the van.
To get round the problem pig tails and regulator were removed and connected van up to gas via bottle top regulator (which have been good enough for us for 30+ years with no problems and still use for barbecues, etc)
Just enquiring really, has anyone else who has experienced these regulator problems (started 2004?) removed their bulkhead fitting and returned to the bottle top regulator? And if so any problems experienced? For I don’t particularly fancy spending £40+ on a replacement bulkhead fitting when I have several perfectly good bottle top regs available which are reliable. ( PS. I do know there is a marginal difference in pressure, between bottle top and bulkhead, but I can't think that'll bother anything).

 

[GrahamDerby]

I had the same problem , one failed and was replaced under warranty, then another and another , each cost me to replace . I took the bulk head one off and put a bottle regulater on as you have done , i no problem at all after that. According to Truma the bar pressure is ok as i called their tech support for advice.

 

[TD42]

the cleese single stage regulator is a better & cheaper option & I Beleive Bailey ae now fitting them
see here http://www.bes.co.uk/products/063.asp if you already have an angled take off then the cheaper version will suit

 

[Gabsgrandad]

As a follow up to my original posting, got home yesterday, thought this morning I’ll have a look at the regulator at my bench. When I took it off the van 2 weeks ago there was a yellow oily substance clogging the mesh filter and running out. (having followed the saga over the many previous postings on the subject I obviously knew what the problem was.) So I knew that the reg. would be not recoverable and I thought nothing to lose, so I filled the gauze filter with WD40 several times, after that it has remained loose in the front locker up to this mornings bench examination. There was no sign of the oily liquid now, so I thought I would connect it to a gas bottle and try it open ended. Gas came through, turned pressure on and off a few times, seemed OK. So connected it up to the van and lit the hobs. No problem hobs worked perfectly. So reinstated it back into system on the bulkhead, tested again and all hobs burning perfectly!!!!!!!!! So either Wd40 is a miracle elixir for this job, or a pure coincidence? Will find out as away for a week at the weekend. (I have bottle top ones at the ready.)

 

[TD42]

well! I hope it works out ok & thanks for the tip. In the early days of this problem I did read of some one getting good results using warm water & washing up liquid solution,but I do not think it was a permanant cure

 

[paul1103]

You would be well advised not to try what you are suggesting. The regulator is there to reduce the operating pressure from 8bar at the bottle to 30mB. Spraying anything into the regulator may well cause damage to the diaphram which may not show up immediately. You seriously risk an explosion if you tried to light any appliance at this pressure.