Gas leak.

I filled my underslung LPG tank about 6 weeks ago, I have not been using the van but found the tank to be empty when I checked it yesterday. I did not shut the valve on the tank as I have a bad knee and find it difficult to get under the van. Anybody else experienced this. Also the tank blanket has become detatched where the wire connection is located, looks like the adhesive is not holding. The last thing is the carpet trim around the windows has also become detatched, failure of the adhesive to hold it in place. Are these isolated problems or have other members experienced these failures.

Whilst it's possible to have a gas leak are you sure? Got in ours yesterday and drove it at first the gas was reading low but a few hundred yards down the road back to almost full.
Ref tank blankets, no probs here, but was hoping someone could explain there use? Should you use them when driving? Or do they auto shut off when the engine is started, can you use them when not plugged into mains? Or are they mains only. If I switch them on now, will they work or is there a thermostat so they only work below a certain temp?. Dealer told me to use them when temp down to 6 or 7c to prevent the auto drain down valve operating. What do you do ?

Hi Greycaster,
I've had no problem with gas leaking although I do turn off the gas at the manifold taps in between using the van.
As for the tank heater pads mine peeled away at about six months old and so did the carpet type trim around the windows. My dealer, Motor Plus, Derby, replaced the pads and re stuck the trim under warranty.
Twiggy

Hi Greycaster

Check your fridge!!

Yours will be a Thetford I guess, with the automatic function - which proved to be a trap for the unwary!!    After our first trip I made the mistake of not switching off the fridge completely. When we got home it would have switched itself on using gas, and ran for a week before I noticed.

I have since had a gas isolation valve fitted just under the skirt where I can easily reach it (I also have a bad knee!). Very useful for the tunnel or ferries, easy to turn off when travelling which has to be safer, and no more fridges springing back to life and wasting gas.



This may be of interest even if it was not your problem.

Dave

The fridge scenario has also happened to me so I am careful to ensure it is switched off. The additional gas isolation valve looks like a good idea that I might pursue. I am just worried about the consequences of not isolating at the tank should we be involved in a collision. In the meantime I will close of the isolation valves at the manifold and see if that makes any difference. Thanks for the feedback.

greycaster wrote:The additional gas isolation valve looks like a good idea that I might pursue. I am just worried about the consequences of not isolating at the tank should we be involved in a collision. 

Your van will have a safety device fitted to the underslung tank so that in the event of a serious collision which fractures the piping, gas will escape at low pressure only. It will not whoosh out at tank pressure.

You have already said your knee is bad, and even if it wasn't I can't believe you would crawl under the van to switch off at the tank before every journey. It's just not a practical proposition, specially on a filthy wet and muddy field in the middle of a torrential rain storm.

With my isolating tap I can now turn off the gas for every journey with consummate ease, and if ever we had a flare up on the hob I could shut down immediately with negligible risk to myself - unlike having to crawl under the van.

If we ever have a collision severe enough to rupture a gas pipe, I think we will be pretty deep in the mire anyway, and probably past caring about the gas - or anything else!!!  

Dave

We had a gas leak on our Warwick XL which we noticed on the first night "test run", having bought the van brand new. We were sat outside enjoying a glass of wine, chuffed at our new acquisition when we noticed the whiffs of gas. By they morning, the tank had emptied from full! We took the van straight back to the supplier but had to wait 5 days before the problem was fixed. The joint on one of the pipes coming from the tank hadn't been tightened enough.
It cost me about £50 to travel back and fore the suppliers. I wasn't even reimbursed for the lost gas.
We also had a problem with the tank blanket hanging down. I just used some spray contact adhesive and used a window cleaning blade to "iron" the blanket back on.

Angel6855 wrote:
It cost me about £50 to travel back and fore the suppliers. I wasn't even reimbursed for the lost gas.

That was a bit mean David.

How did they test it to ensure the leak was fixed? If they only put in a litre or two of gas they must quality for skinflint of the year.  

I can understand that dealers won't reimburse fuel costs when some people who live in Devon go to a show, and buy from a dealer in Scapa Flow because they haggled him down to fourpence less than their local chap!! Reimburse one and everyone will demand the same!! (I exaggerate a little, but you know what I mean. )

I'm amazed that yours didn't fill up your tank for you. We're only talking about a tenner after all!

Dave