RT62 What you need to know about propane and driving your RV

Should you turn your RV's propane system off every time you drive? Or is it okay to keep it on as you travel down the road? In this episode, we answer the questions, brought about after an RVer got involved in an accident. Afterwards, he got to "what iffing," wondering about his propane issues. We tell the story of his accident and get some great expert help on the answer. Plus, Jennifer's Tip of the Week, a Reader question about restoring a vintage RV, apps to make traveling better, a bucket list destination of the week and a fun interview with a mystery writer whose hero travels the country in an RV. Ever thought about writing a book? You'll enjoy this interview. [spp-player] Shownotes for Episode 62 of the Roadtreking RV Podcast, released Nov. 18, 2015 JENNIFER'S TIP OF THE WEEK - A retractable Clothes Line for the RV Jen's tip is a response to an email she received from a reader named Jean Boyle, who asks: "Jennifer, Did you ever get the pull out clothes line you mentioned in one of the videos? If so, what did you get and do you like it? Thank you!" [spp-timestamp time="6:01"] Well, Jean, and anyone else who may be interested…. Yes, she did get one It’s a very handy retractable 8-foot long clothesline we found on Amazon for around $16. (http://amzn.to/1WXei4z). We have it mounted in the bathroom of our Roadtrek CS Adventurous XL. It mounted inside the shower enclosure and we use it to dry towels and the like as we travel. Something else we added was a magnifying mirror we also found on Amazon for about $25 (http://amzn.to/1QswnmF) [spp-tweet tweet="Two accessories every RV bathroom should have"] Propane: On or Off while Driving? Don Bell from Texas got in a frightening accident in his RV a couple of weeks ago. We shared the story and video taken with his dash cam that caught the whole crash in a recent blog post. Lots of people wanted to know how it has gone fro Don since the accident. We can report that he is fine. His insurance is going to take care of it all and, thanks to his dash cam video, there is no doubt that he was not at fault and the ticket went to the driver of the pickup truck. This is the dash cam Don uses. But we also heard from Don after the accident. Don wanted to know what he should do about the propane on his RV while driving. [spp-timestamp time="9:12"] Asked Don: "The night before my Roadtrek was involved in a major roadway accident, I was using propane for the refrigerator, Alde water heating system and range. On the day of the accident my propane was turned off at the tank. If one or more of the propane lines had been breached amid sparks flying during the collision, how likely would it be that the residual propane would ignite? What additional pre-trip preparations should I undertake to minimize the risk, if one exists?" I reached out to some experts for their advice. First, Gary Bunzer, known as “The RV Doctor” (rvdoctor.com) and the technical expert for the Family Motorcoach Association (fmca.com) gave us a very helpful and detailed response. Gary Bunzer, the "RV Doctor" Gary says as a compressed fuel, propane is still relatively safe, even in the event of an RV collision. Obviously, if propane is leaking from a severed section of tubing and ignition sources are close by, that would present a problem. But on ASME tanks and DOT cylinders, multiple safeguards are present on every RV. With the ASME tank, more often found on motorhomes, inside the POL fitting that attaches directly to the tank service valve, is a square-looking device called an excess flow restrictor. This excess flow device protects the high pressure (tank pressure) from escaping to quickly should the regulator and/or the POL fitting be broken off. The POL fitting (courtesy RVIA) POL? I had to ask Gary about that one. And he notes that actually, the part has always been called “POL” and campfire wisdom says it stands for “Put On Left” since it’s always a left-hand threaded fitting. But it probably really stands for “Prest-O-Fit,” one of the first companies to produce gas fittings for RVs and mobile homes back when you and I were learning to tie our shoes. Prest-O-Fit used to stamp their initials into such specialty fittings and over time it became known simply as the POL fitting. Exciting stuff, this RV technical info, huh? Keep in mind, says Gary, it will not totally shut off the gas flow, but it will impede it greatly. Other safety devices include the backflow check valve (at the ASME fill valve) and a separate safety relief valve. Propane expands 24 to 1 in the atmosphere, meaning that as the gas escapes into the air, it will take 24 cubic feet of air to mix with 1 cubic foot of propane in order to support combustion. The fact that it expands so rapidly and literally combines with the air in an open atmosphere, that flammability is somewhat limited. It takes between 2.15% and 9.6% of gas in the air to even burn. That’s why a propane leak on the exterior of the RV is not as dangerous as a propane