A leak can happen anywhere you have propane running to, like the stove, water heater, refrigerator, or heater. There are also connection points like the regulator and hose fittings that can leak or fail completely, and propane lines inside your RV can become damaged. You could have a rodent chew through a line, a tire blowout that damages or cuts a line, or even a propane line just rubbing up against an object while traveling. 

If your propane tanks are not located under a cover, the pigtail hoses coming from the propane tanks to the regulator are exposed to outside elements, and they can become worn or cracked from UV rays, freezing weather, road debris, and more.  We always recommend the GasGear 90-degree braided steel propane hoses for your exposed propane tanks in order to avoid this. When you think about the abuse your propane hose takes being exposed in the front of your RV, you can see why you need the highest quality hose available.

The GasGear hoses are also great when using a propane cover due to their patented 90-degree design which keeps your hoses from rubbing against the cover unnecessarily. The GasGear 90-degree rubber hoses are great in this situation since they are protected from outside elements, but still have the 90-degree turn to reduce friction on the tanks. 

Remember, the propane regulator reduces the pressure of the propane to your RV from the tank, so your pigtail hose is one of the only places where the propane is still at 125-200 PSI.  It is a critical point in the propane system and needs the highest quality hose that you can provide.

Checking for Minor Propane Leaks

In addition to shutting your propane off in the event of a major leak, the GasStop device can be used to check for minor leaks in your RV. It’s a simple process and takes only 5 minutes.  This is something you could do every time you set up your RV to ensure nothing happened within your propane system while traveling.  Some of the roads in this country are more like RV off-roading and our RVs feel it for sure! 

Some propane leaks are so small that they will not trigger the GasStop Propane Shutoff to shut the flow off immediately, but they could still exist in appliances which will increase your propane consumption unnecessarily.  At TechnoRV, we include a Learning Series with every GasStop which includes directions on how to do a minor leak test using the GasStop.

To learn more about the GasStop and what it does to not only check for leaks, but also protect you against major leaks, cut or ruptured lines, check out our latest article: GasStop Propane Shutoff Devices