GasStop Propane Shutoff Devices for RVs

Mar 13, 2023

When I began RVing with propane onboard, I was very aware of my propane system…painfully aware. After all, I was in 250 sq ft. and had highly flammable gas onboard. I was used to propane tanks being stored outdoors for my BBQ grill, and that was about it. While I knew propane was a great method to power my appliances, I honestly felt a bit uneasy about having propane onboard. Even when I’ve had gas appliances in a house, I was never the one to connect or monitor the supply, which is what we have to do as RVers. If I ever had a problem with a gas appliance in my house, I would just call the local gas company to come deal with it.

Several years after I started RVing, I came upon a device that I could easily attach to my propane tank that would ensure that if I had a propane line cut or rupture that the propane system would instantly and automatically cut off. With the GasStop, I felt 100% peace of mind with my propane system.

GasStop is a patented technology developed 15 years ago in Europe and was introduced to the US in 2019. GasStop is a propane shutoff device that will instantly and automatically cut off the propane flow to your RV if there is a major leak, cut, or rupture in your propane system. It can also be used to test for minor leaks in your propane system in only 5 minutes.

There are two different GasStop styles, the ACME and the POL, and they are designed to fit the two different types of propane tanks that we have already discussed. RVs with the DOT tanks will have the standard ACME style propane connection. Motorized RVs with the ASME tank will have a POL style connection on the tank.

Installation on a DOT tank is as easy as screwing the GasStop device onto your propane tank, then attaching your RV propane line or GasGear to the GasStop device. Once you have the unit physically attached, then you simply prime the GasStop Device by pumping the gauge at least 5 times, and you are ready to go. If you have two DOT tanks, you will need a GasStop device for each one in order to be protected. Installation on an ASME tank will require a wrench to install the GasStop POL between the regulator and the tank. Once installed, you would still prime the GasStop by pumping the gauge at least 5 times before the device is ready to go.

The GasStop may look like a propane gauge that you can find in your local RV supply store, but it is much more than that. The higher quality of the GasStop is painfully obvious in the images above. Remember, any device you use between your propane tank and regulator receives the full 200 PSI from the tank, so putting a cheap propane gauge in this place could end up being a weak link in your propane system.

In addition to the lower quality in some gauges, a propane gauge simply measures the pressure from your tank and indicates the approximate level of propane remaining in your tank. The GasStop does the same, but it also recognizes when your flow exceeds a certain level of flow which would indicate a leak, and more importantly, it shuts the propane off instantly when it reaches this level. It also provides an easy way to test for leaks within your RV. We will go more into how to check for leaks later.

How Does the GasStop Work?

While the GasStop device looks like a simple propane gauge, it is a much more sophisticated piece of technology than that. The GasStop allows propane to flow through it, but it will cut you off from propane if the level gets too high which indicates a problem in your propane system, like a leak, puncture, or appliance issue.

The GasStop device obviously needs to let a certain level of propane flow freely through it so that you can operate your appliances. The maximum level of propane flow that an RV needs is very predictable when you look at the typical appliances in an RV that use propane. GasStop is designed to allow that level of propane flow in without any issues, so it won’t cut you off during normal propane use in your RV. If your flow of propane goes above normal use which is approximately 90,000-100,000 BTUs/hr., it would indicate that you have a major leak, cut, or rupture in your RV system somewhere, and the GasStop would shut the flow of propane to your RV instantly and automatically.

Inside the GasStop is a small ball bearing calibrated for excess propane flow. If propane flow exceeds the maximum needed flow for your RV, the small ball bearing inside the GasStop catches the excess flow and seats itself against an O-ring. Once the ball bearing seats itself to the O-ring, the propane cannot flow any longer. It seems so simple, but this patented technology results in an instant and automatic propane shut off should you exceed normal flow levels. Watch the video below for a demonstration of how the GasStop works.