I see Truma are still trying to stop their regulators failing. The latest idea is an oil trap to catch the oil residue and stop it reaching the regulator. This is going to cost us between £70 and £80 to cure a problem that is caused by something Truma should have got right before they put it on the market. Once again someone is trying to rip us off. Their problem ,so it should be free, why should we pay to put their error's right.
Truma oil trap
- Thread starter GrahamDerby
- Start date
Is that not blaming Goodyear (or what ever make tyre you have) every time you get a puncture!!!
I don't see how Truma are to blame for oil in someone else's product, as I wouldn't blame goodyear every time I got a puncture because of picking up a nail or a thorn from where farmer Fred cut his hedge.
I don't see how Truma are to blame for oil in someone else's product, as I wouldn't blame goodyear every time I got a puncture because of picking up a nail or a thorn from where farmer Fred cut his hedge.
I have had 3 bulkhead regulators fail, but never had the type that fit in the bottle fail, so whats that got to dowith tyres?,Martin_E said:
It's all to do with the way the regulators are installed - specifically the downward drain of any material leached from the HIGH pressure hose.
Cylinder-mounted regulators CANNOT have the problem because they have no high pressure hose.
As Martin says, it's not Truma's fault - rather your caravan manufacturers' fault.
Cylinder-mounted regulators CANNOT have the problem because they have no high pressure hose.
As Martin says, it's not Truma's fault - rather your caravan manufacturers' fault.
Damian
Moderator
The same old chestnut keeps cropping up, namely oil from the hose.
It is NOT the hose which causes the problem, there is far too much oliy residue in most cases and if it were the hose, it would be shrivelled like a prune and so hard it would break as soon as you touched it, but they are not, they are still flexible and in generally good condition.
Even completly stainless steel installations suffer the same blocking.
The problem lies in the GAS, or rather the oil in the gas.
Why didnt the cylinder mounted regs suffer, because they are single stage regulators with one diaphragm and the oily residue passes through, into the pipework and some is burnt off, some remains in the pipes and eventually blocks the pipework, and can cause quite a lot of damage to gas valves.
GOK (Truma) regulators are two stage regulators, having two diaphragms and it is this setup which is allowing the oily residue to condense on one of the diaphragms and block the unit.
As a regulator it is very good at its job but because of the contamination in the cylinders it suffers from the problems we all know about.
If you want to have a go at anyone, have a go at Calor etc and get them to clean up the gas.
As it is at the present time, cylinders are only cleaned out every 10 years, soon to increase to 15 years, so the problems are likely to be around for a long time.
The only alternative to refitting a GOK regulator is to fit a Clesse single stage bulkhead regulator, but that will not stop the oily residue, you just wont see it until some years down the road.
PS It is not the caravan manufacturers fault either, nor the orientation of the regulator.
It is NOT the hose which causes the problem, there is far too much oliy residue in most cases and if it were the hose, it would be shrivelled like a prune and so hard it would break as soon as you touched it, but they are not, they are still flexible and in generally good condition.
Even completly stainless steel installations suffer the same blocking.
The problem lies in the GAS, or rather the oil in the gas.
Why didnt the cylinder mounted regs suffer, because they are single stage regulators with one diaphragm and the oily residue passes through, into the pipework and some is burnt off, some remains in the pipes and eventually blocks the pipework, and can cause quite a lot of damage to gas valves.
GOK (Truma) regulators are two stage regulators, having two diaphragms and it is this setup which is allowing the oily residue to condense on one of the diaphragms and block the unit.
As a regulator it is very good at its job but because of the contamination in the cylinders it suffers from the problems we all know about.
If you want to have a go at anyone, have a go at Calor etc and get them to clean up the gas.
As it is at the present time, cylinders are only cleaned out every 10 years, soon to increase to 15 years, so the problems are likely to be around for a long time.
The only alternative to refitting a GOK regulator is to fit a Clesse single stage bulkhead regulator, but that will not stop the oily residue, you just wont see it until some years down the road.
PS It is not the caravan manufacturers fault either, nor the orientation of the regulator.
Damion. My point is that once again we are expected to pay another £70 to put it right. I am so fed up with all the faults in my £20k im thinking of giving up.
Damian
Moderator
Graham, I take your point, and agree that if they have at last got a usable oil trap that it should be provided free, but that is not likely to happen as I expect it has cost a few hundreds of thousands of pounds to get here.
It has already cost Truma in excess of half a million to prove that the regulator and hoses are not the culprits, but the Gas industry refuse to acknowledge there is a problem with their gas.
A bit like caravan manufacturers refusing to accept that balanced wheels are better than not balanced, or that there is a basic flaw in the design of the hub/wheel interface.
Everyone else knows these items to be true, but try convincing them!!!!!!
It has already cost Truma in excess of half a million to prove that the regulator and hoses are not the culprits, but the Gas industry refuse to acknowledge there is a problem with their gas.
A bit like caravan manufacturers refusing to accept that balanced wheels are better than not balanced, or that there is a basic flaw in the design of the hub/wheel interface.
Everyone else knows these items to be true, but try convincing them!!!!!!
And the UK caravan industry used to claim that dampers had no benefit for caravans - but they do fit them now, on most models anyway.Damian-Moderator said:
The regulator in my 18 month old Bailey Califoria was fitted high up on the bulkhead with stainless pipe and I used Camping Gaz bottles which are low down but it still failed
No warranty claim was accepted
No warranty claim was accepted
Truma are probably the largest supplier of gas heaters and fittings to the european caravan market. I know they have spent a lot of time and money investigating the problem. Whilst we know they claim the problem is not of their making, and they point the finger at conaminated gas supplies.
This is not a new phenomena, I know from my own experience that an oily substance does collect in gas pipes and in many cases it will collecet at low points in the caravan pipework and ultimatley can block appliance valves. The gut feeling I have is that it was related more to Butane than propane, but that could simply be that in those days butane was the fuel of choice for most caravanners.
I wonder if the problem is just related to the UK or is it found more widely? and is it related to one supplier of gas?
John Watson's last coment suggests the problem also arises with CampingGaz, so I wonder if the problem is also rife on the continent?
Does this problem arise with more than one type of gas (e.g. is it just Butane or Propane) and is their evidence to link it to one supplier.
This is not a new phenomena, I know from my own experience that an oily substance does collect in gas pipes and in many cases it will collecet at low points in the caravan pipework and ultimatley can block appliance valves. The gut feeling I have is that it was related more to Butane than propane, but that could simply be that in those days butane was the fuel of choice for most caravanners.
I wonder if the problem is just related to the UK or is it found more widely? and is it related to one supplier of gas?
John Watson's last coment suggests the problem also arises with CampingGaz, so I wonder if the problem is also rife on the continent?
Does this problem arise with more than one type of gas (e.g. is it just Butane or Propane) and is their evidence to link it to one supplier.
I allways use butane my neighbour uses propane,mine has not failed ,he has had 2.We both use calor.
We had a £6 regulator on the bottle itself and plus the bulkhead regulator and never had a problem. We removed the regulator on the bottle and within months, it failed. On Gary's advice we replaced it with a Cleese and never looked back.
In februaryt 2006 I bought the current van a 2005 delta 640EW , July that year visited the Highlands and when arrived the regulator was naff. Changed the regulator also got a stainless stell hose (long one) and used only Propane since . Problem has never returned (touchwood). Dont know what causes the problem but taking no chances.
Facebook
Twitter