Truma 6000e heater cutting out

[Eggy]

New van 2011, Just spent 3mths in Spain bought a Spanish Butane bottle and had one Gaslow bottle. The Truma motion sensor regulator cut out on butane presumably too low a pressure (outside temp 8C), strapped the reset button up but the truma heater itself still cut out, swapped the butane for a Spanish propane and all ok, also gaslow filled in France was ok. Re-Filled my gaslow bottle with GLP in Spain but used the Spanish propane till it ran out at the Peterborough Show so went onto Gaslow but the Truma regulator and the heater would not function on the gaslow bottle filled in Spain? I have one rubber hose from the gaslow to the regulator which is routed up and drops downwards onto the regulator (for which I've bought a stainless replacement at the show but not fitted yet). Any Ideas? (The strap around the motion sensor was only used on site) I don't travel with the bottles switched on despite the motion censor system.

ps stuck in the mud at Peterborough waited 2hrs for a tow out (4 tractors running) intended to stay till Monday but with no heating and the rain departed Sun, wet weekend but so was the last week travelling up through France. You win some and lose some.

Eggy

[Derek Uzzell]

Assuming that your Truma gas-regulator is the "SecuMotion" type, this regulator has no motion sensor. (Truma does market regulators with a 'crash sensor' - the MonoControl/DuoControl CS products - but I doubt that's what your motorhome has.)

 

A description of the SecuMotion system can be found here:

 

http://www.truma.com/uk/en/gas-supply/overview-gas-pressure-regulators-drive.php

 

SecuMotion Installation/Operating instructions can be found here:

 

http://www.truma.com/downloadcenter/secumotion_installation_instruction_de_gb_it_fr_nl_dk_e.pdf

 

and the correct method of bringing the system into operation is described on Page 13. I don't know what effect (good or bad) your 'strapping' down the regulator's gas flow monitor reset-button will have, but the regulator is not designed to be treated in that manner.

 

There are several possibilities that might cause your heater to cut out:

 

1. A fault with the heater itself.

 

2. A fault with the regulator.

 

3. A fault with the gas bottle.

 

4. A fault with the gas.

 

I suspect it's your regulator that's the culprit. Truma bulkhead-mounted regulators have a long history of failures and - although such failures seem rarer nowadays - reports of them still occasionally appear. Also, the symptoms point to the heater ceasing working becaause its demand for gas cannot be satisfied due the flow of gas through the regulator being partially blocked.

 

Do all the gas-burners on your motorhome's hob operate simultaneously and at full output when switched to their maximum setting? If not, then it's likely that it's the regulator that's the problem (or possibly the Gaslow bottle or the gas in it). If so, then it's more likely to be something wrong with the heater.

 

Truma advises that Combi heaters should be run on propane to ensure that gas-pressure to the heater is maintained when the heater is running at high output, so you could try swapping to a Calor propane bottle to see if that makes a difference. I believe the propane:butane ratio for Spanish 'autogas' is 30%(propane): 70%(butane), so not ideal for very cold weather motorcaravanning if you have a Truma Combi.

 

There's Combi trouble-shooting advice on Page 15 of this .pdf file:

 

http://www.truma.com/downloadcenter/combi46_instruction_de_nl_fr_it_gb_dk_e.pdf

 

 

[Eggy]

Thanks for the info Derek, interesting the 70-30 mix. The Spanish filled Gaslow bottle certainly shows less pressure than my UK filled bottle (even though it is at max 80% full), both on slightly opening the valve without connection (in the open)! and on the gauge fastened to the regulator. Its definitely a "SecuMotion" regulator. I tried today putting all three hob burners on and the oven, first with the UK bottle then opened the Spaniish filled one and closed the uk filled bottle and the regulator button popped out shutting off the gas. As you indicate the regulator could be at fault so I'm going to have my dealer check it out, if the problem is the Spanish gas then next year I'll have some juggling to do swapping from bottle to bottle to either power the heater or cook.

Eggy