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Old 09-24-2012, 09:44 AM   #1
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04 Surveyor 261T thirsty for LP.

I've got a fairly new to me Surveyor 261T expandable with a gas only 6gal water heater and Dometic fridge. I've had it out a total of 3 nights, all in warm weather and sucked two 30# LP bottle dry. I run the fridge on gas when traveling and turn the water heat on when I get to my destination and make sure the tank is full. This past weekend I had one 100% full 30# tank, I ran the fridge on it for about 7 hours between travel and in between generator use as we were boondocking. The water heater was on about 8 hours as well. sucked the tank dry, check all connectors and can't find a leak, are these two appliance just his thirsty? Do I need to run the fridge on gas when traveling or will the camper batter and truck alternator run it?

Thanks for any info, I don't want to keep spending $55-60 on LP fill up for weekends and I need to get this figured out before my week long trip in November.
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Old 09-24-2012, 10:11 AM   #2
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Sounds like a leak. Wife and I spent over 70 nights on 2 bottles in ours. Would have been more but we had to run the furnace the last couple of nights.

As for the refer, either 110 volt or gas, not an option for 12 volts only, but must have 12 volts to run the control board.

Did you check the connections at the refer, back side, and the furnace, back side, for leaks? There are also connections under the trailer. Sounds like you need need a pressure test. Sorry, not much help.
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Old 09-24-2012, 10:16 AM   #3
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I agree with windrider. No way should you be using that amount of propane. I have only filled my propane tanks 7 times in the last 4 years, and I dry camp quite a bit, run my fridge on the road, along with running the furnace some.
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Old 09-24-2012, 10:20 AM   #4
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Sounds like I'm headed to the dealer in the near future... Thanks for the replies!
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Old 09-26-2012, 07:10 AM   #5
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Update. Called my dealer, three way campers in Marietta, GA, to my surprise they told me to replace the regulator on the bottles that it was most likely clogging after turning it on. Turns out my bottles were still full of gas, just not getting to the appliances. Ordered a new duel stage lp regulator with auto switchover from camping world, hopefully that will fix my LP issue.
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Old 09-26-2012, 09:25 AM   #6
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before you do that, try the tanks again but open the valve SLOWLY.

and always weigh the tanks before you consider them empty.
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Old 09-28-2012, 08:12 AM   #7
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Great news! Hope that works out for you.
I also have an '04 261T. We went on a 2-week trip around Michigan's Upper Peninsula (awesome trip!), staying at 7 differnet places. So we were running the fridge on gas a lot. 1700 miles over the 2 weeks. But we always keep the fridge on "Auto", so it automatically switches to AC power as soon as you plug it in. If you are plugged into AC shorepower, but still forcing it to run on gas (while camping) you are wasting propane. The only time I force it on gas is when the DW put stuff in the freezer that isn't already frozen solid.

As for the water heater, those thing use very little gas. Just be sure you don't have the outside lever turned all the way up, making the water hotter than it needs to be. I keep mine right in the middle.

For that trip, between finishing off a partial tank, and using part of the 2nd, we probably use about the equivilent of 1 30 lb tank, or maybe a bit more.
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Old 09-28-2012, 10:01 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thebrakeman View Post
As for the water heater, those thing use very little gas. Just be sure you don't have the outside lever turned all the way up, making the water hotter than it needs to be. I keep mine right in the middle.
You got a photo of that lever ??
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Old 09-28-2012, 11:40 AM   #9
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I shut the water heater off once it is heated up. There is enough hot water for 2 showers & luke warm water in the morning.
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Old 09-28-2012, 01:08 PM   #10
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I looked and I can't find any kind of lever to adjust the thermostat on the water heater or a way to cut the gas or otherwise turn the water heater off, other than killing the gas at the regulator where the bottles connect.
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Old 09-28-2012, 03:44 PM   #11
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I looked and I can't find any kind of lever to adjust the thermostat on the water heater or a way to cut the gas or otherwise turn the water heater off, other than killing the gas at the regulator where the bottles connect.
I don't know of such lever either. That is why I asked thebrakeman for a photo. If there is such a puppy, I want to know about it.
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Old 09-28-2012, 03:56 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thebrakeman
Great news! Hope that works out for you.
I also have an '04 261T. We went on a 2-week trip around Michigan's Upper Peninsula (awesome trip!), staying at 7 differnet places. So we were running the fridge on gas a lot. 1700 miles over the 2 weeks. But we always keep the fridge on "Auto", so it automatically switches to AC power as soon as you plug it in. If you are plugged into AC shorepower, but still forcing it to run on gas (while camping) you are wasting propane. The only time I force it on gas is when the DW put stuff in the freezer that isn't already frozen solid.

As for the water heater, those thing use very little gas. Just be sure you don't have the outside lever turned all the way up, making the water hotter than it needs to be. I keep mine right in the middle.

For that trip, between finishing off a partial tank, and using part of the 2nd, we probably use about the equivilent of 1 30 lb tank, or maybe a bit more.
What lever ?
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Old 09-28-2012, 06:02 PM   #13
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I would recommend against the auto-switchover regulator. It's a good way to find out you are out of gas on a cold night.
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