gp1 Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Kind of resigned myself to having no gas in my 2004 freestyle mh. But slightly confused as it did work a couple of weeks go before the gas ran out. Only thing i can think of is the liesure battery is on the cusp between green and yellow. Maybe the charge isnt enough to spark the igniters? (But could smell no gas after trying a while). New gas cylinder. Habitation check next week but if anyone has any ideas we can have vege sausages for breakfast and partner will be pleased. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pottypam Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 Might be a daft idea but did you turn the new gas cylinder on? Have you checked that the isolation valves are open? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp1 Posted July 4, 2018 Author Share Posted July 4, 2018 Thanks yes turned the cylinder on. Did the gas isolation switch in the gas compartment. Did the gas isolation switch for the oven just to the side of the oven. Nothing. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinP Posted July 4, 2018 Share Posted July 4, 2018 A friend of mine who is a very experienced camper having had motorhomes for 30+ years had a similar problem on his new van. He's not available to ask at present but I'm sure there was a "reset " button on either the regulator or the gas pipe between the regulator and the bottle. Suggest you look to see if there is anything that looks like a button and experiment by pressing it !! Sorry not to be more specific but it is second hand! Good luck... Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinP Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 I did a search of the forum and found a thread started by David Lloyd some years ago and it starts off... "The new motorhome had a red pigtail going from the gas locker mounted regulator to the cylinder and there was a push in valve at the cylinder end of the pigtail and similar valve on the underside of the regulator itself. At the handover I was told to open the cylinder valve and then simultaneously press in both valves on the pigtail and the regulator. They would stay open and allow gas to flow. I was also told that this was the 'new' european standard to allow the gas cylinder to be left open in transit because these one way valves are designed to shut off, preventing the flow of gas from the cylinders even though it is open, if the pigtail is damaged in an accident. The thread continued to an interesting exchange but I thought tis bit might give you a steer toward resolution Martin PS sorry not sure how to link to a previous thread but try to paste this into your browser?; http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/New-30-mbar-gas-regulator/4212/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry McG Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 blocked regulator? have you tried replacing the regulator? we carry a spare in case we have a problem as apparently blocked regulators are a common issue and result in many gas issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Either blocked regulator, or if it's the crash safe (or similar) safety buttons need pressing, first is the button on pigtail, second is button on regulator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp1 Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 Thanks for all help. The yellow button on gas regulator doesnt depress !! Still no gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry McG Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 gp1 - 2018-07-05 9:07 AM The yellow button on gas regulator doesnt depress !!. have you tried telling it it is fat? it usually depresses me! :) sorry (lol) what regulator do you have? Truma Crash safe? Cavigna? other? i don't think the Yellow button? is meant to depress. Is this not a valve for leak pressure testing? (mt Cavigna regulator has a hard red "button" on the side - and it is not a CS model... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 The buttons on Truma are green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Does the pig-tail between the regulator and the cylinder look like on of the following, and does the regulator resemble either of the two below? If so, you need to press in the green button on the pig tail after opening the cylinder valve, and then press the small, partially inset, green button visible on both regulators illustrated, before you try running any of the gas appliances in your van. I would suggest you commence by switching your fridge to gas, and then wait for that to ignite - it may take a while and several attempts - during which time you will need to check that both green buttons are still set. If you suddenly open the gas valve on one of the major consumers (water heater, hob, or oven), it is possible the sudden pressure drop on your system will be read as a leak and one, or both, of the green buttons will need re-setting again before you have a fully charged, usable, gas supply from cylinder to appliance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 A 2004 motorhome will (probably) have the gas-regulator directly attached to the gas bottle. The simplest check is to turn on the gas bottle, then turn on the hob burners. It should be very obvious if no gas is reaching the burners and, if that’s the case, then either there’s a problem with the bottle’s output valve (unlikely), or with the regulator, or On/Off valves in the gas system are not switched on. (About time you spent a few quid on John Wickersham’s book - then you’d be capable of trouble-shooting basic problems like this.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp1 Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 Thanks for all your help. There are no green buttons on my regulator. Will try and post pic if get chance. Will double check. Yes a crash safety reset button seemed the most likely but i dont think i have one. I will have one more look and see if there are any other buttons. But dont worrry this is our last day on site and weve had a nice time. Yes the book would be good. Think i have the sort of brain where everything is 20 times more difficult than with most normal people ill let you know if habitation people find anything wrong with regulator / valves. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Hi, almost certain that there will be a buttòn to press on or close to regulator. It is a safety measure to stop gas leak and trips gas off if you drive beforeturning bottle off. You migh have to press it several times to get gas flowing again. I assume that regulator is fixed to vehicle, not mounted on the bottle itself Tonyg3nwl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanb Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Hi, As Derek has pointed out, a 2004 motorhome is most likely to have a bottle mounted regulater.. Further unless it has been retrofitted it will be unlikely to have a gas safe or similar shut off valve. I find that when the gas has been shut off for sometime, it may be necessary to purge air from the system. With the gas turned on at the cylinder, again as suggested by Derek, try turning on the hob. Can you hear the hiss of gas coming from the jet.? If yes try igniting the gas every few seconds. You should be able to hear the clicking noise of the spark. It may take repeated attempts before gas reaches the hob burner and ignites Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Alanb - 2018-07-05 6:18 PM As Derek has pointed out, a 2004 motorhome is most likely to have a bottle mounted regulator.. Alan Sorry but have to disagree, our 2004 AT has a bulkhead mounted as standard. GP1 what has your MH got, cylinder or bulkhead mounted? Alanb - 2018-07-05 6:18 PM Further unless it has been retrofitted it will be unlikely to have a gas safe or similar shut off valve. Alan Agree, I don't believe many mainstream UK manufactured MH's had crash safe or the like. It seems to me to be a 'continental' thing. And agree it can take quite a long time to get new gas through. As suggested try igniting the hob for maybe two to three minutes. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 gp1 - 2018-07-05 12:41 PM Thanks for all your help. There are no green buttons on my regulator. Will try and post pic if get chance. Will double check. Yes a crash safety reset button seemed the most likely but i dont think i have one. I will have one more look and see if there are any other buttons. But dont worrry this is our last day on site and weve had a nice time. Yes the book would be good. Think i have the sort of brain where everything is 20 times more difficult than with most normal people ill let you know if habitation people find anything wrong with regulator / valves. Cheers! I’m with you, I find so called “simple” fixes almost impossible because folks assume some prior knowledge or its “intuitive” No they aren’t. If push comes to shove I would simply ( see I’m doing it now!) remove the bulkhead regulator and chuck it, and install a bottle top regulator, either with a rubber hose and jubilee clips or threaded hose. Stuff the fancy kit, keep it simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 if You suspect igniters aren't working use a match held beside ring thats all we ever do as no igniters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp1 Posted July 5, 2018 Author Share Posted July 5, 2018 Wow thankyou everyone amazed at how much help has been offered. I am so gratefull. Will have a look for any hidden buttons tomorrow but yes could be air trapped in there. The hose has been taken on and off a few times. Think i will have another go in the morningas someone said it takes a while for gas to get through. Might be more persistent. Anyway thanks again and a pot noodle every now and then doesnt hurt. Im staying an extra day on my own so will have more time to have a try of a few things. 28 pounds for one night. Seems a bit steep. Cheers. P.s. the two or three minuites thing is a suggestion i havent tried. It just might work. Ill try in the morning. P.p.s its bulkhead mounted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 Keithl - 2018-07-05 6:34 PM Alanb - 2018-07-05 6:18 PM As Derek has pointed out, a 2004 motorhome is most likely to have a bottle mounted regulator.. Alan Sorry but have to disagree, our 2004 AT has a bulkhead mounted as standard. GP1 what has your MH got, cylinder or bulkhead mounted? Alanb - 2018-07-05 6:18 PM Further unless it has been retrofitted it will be unlikely to have a gas safe or similar shut off valve. Alan Agree, I don't believe many mainstream UK manufactured MH's had crash safe or the like. It seems to me to be a 'continental' thing. And agree it can take quite a long time to get new gas through. As suggested try igniting the hob for maybe two to three minutes. Keith. August 2003 was when bulkhead-mounted regulators were standardised on newly-built UK motorhomes/caravans, but previous comments about gp1’s Swift suggest that it’s actual build-date may precede that. The two types of gas regulator ('on-bottle' or bulkhead-mounted) are referred to here https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/media/7832484/ccmseptechnical.pdf and there are photos that show examples of the two types. The bulkhead-mounted regulator that was most commonly fitted in 2003 and subsequently was a Truma/GOK 30mbar model (photo attached). This regulator had no ‘safety’ features (ie. no special gas hoses nor green buttons to press that were part of significantly later Truma SecuMotion/Drive Safe systems) and rapidly gained a reputation for failing prematurely preventing vaporised gas from passing through it. So, if gp1’s Swift has one of these regulators, it’s a prime suspect if there’s a gas-starvation problem. (Even if a hob’s gas-burners won’t light, as long as there’s a loud hissing noise when the burners are turned on, this will indicate that something is reaching the burners. And if gas is reaching the burners, even if the beggars are reluctant to light, there should soon be a VERY noticeable smell of gas proving that it’s gas that’s getting through.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 Has any one suggested that maybe the rubber pipe (Pig Tail) is the cause.? Some years ago when our van was only 2 years old, we had a gas problem while in France. By changing the rubber pipe to a SS one , that solved the problem , as apparently you can get a build up in the rubber. 10 years on still OK PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp1 Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 Thankyou very much yes that is the regulator ive got. No there was no hissing or smell of gas when i tried it yesterday. Have to move the van to another pitch now but later on will try again. I will try the three minuite thing. The regulator looks like a sturdy and simple device cant imagine much could go wrong with it. Thanks for the suggestions will let you know how i get on. Cheers. Whole carrot cake just before bed wish i hadnt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry McG Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 I still suspect your regulator is blocked - and they are non-servicable units - if it is blocked, there is no alternative but to replace - they are not dear (£20 or so) i have gone for Cavagna as they get good reliability reputation. Cleese are another make that seem to be good. Truma ones appear to have a reputation for being "fragile" as they are reported to block easily/ frequently) try https://www.gasit.co.uk/leisure-gas-refillable-products/7-regulators-change-over-valves.html https://www.gasit.co.uk/leisure-gas-refillable-products/8-regulators-change-over-valves/gas-it-/-cavagna-new-30mb-regulator-8mm-straight-outlet.html or http://www.gaslowdirect.com/epages/cyujrhdmmu67.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/cyujrhdmmu67/Categories/Gaslow_Products/Gaslow_300_Regulator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 gp1 - 2018-07-06 10:22 AM ...The regulator looks like a sturdy and simple device cant imagine much could go wrong with it... Assumining that your Swift has the Truma/GOK bulkhead-mounted regulator shown in the photo I attached to my last posting above, I can assure you that this device is far from simple and that (as history has shown and as highlighted in the “Gas Tasks” article I provided a link to) there is plenty to go wrong with it particularly if the regulator’s original installation does not conform with guidelines that were subsequently issued. Loosening the regulator’s outlet-fitting and turning on the gas-bottle’s valve should prove whether the regulator is blocked. Regulators cannot be repaired (as Gerry says) so if yours has failed it can either be replaced on an exact like-for-like basis (which should be the simplest approach) or an alternative like a Clesse or Cavagna regulator could be fitted instead. Given your lack of experience and the huge risks involved with gas systems, it would be best if this task were carried out by a professional. I hesitate to mention this, but (as will been seen from the photo I provided) the Truma/GOK regulator has a yellow ON/OFF ’tap’ that must be turned to its ON position (as in the photo). If your regulator’s tap were in its OFF position, (ie. crosswise not longways) ) this would prevent gas from entering the motorhome’s gas system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp1 Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 Yes thankyou so much for your brilliant help. I am very keen on upgrading my regulator to a more modern and reliable one. I am on my last night and quite missing partner and baby who have just left. We had a brilliant time and there was just rescue on the beach with a lifeguard helicopter which landed on the sand so we had a spectacular display of engineering. The person had an asthma attack in the water. Anyway it did occur to me i could possibly pop along to tescos and get one of those bbq tin foil things and cook with that but heels are a bit sore thru not wearing socks so may just get fish and chips. Thankyou all for your help ill get them to fit something if its blocked in habitation next week. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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