Hooking BBQ and fire pit to trailer propane

[Letarae]

I did a search in the forum but I couldn't find the answer to my question, although it is probably there.

I'm ordering a propane extension hose that will go from my Rockwood 214HW to a propane fire pit--for those fire ban days. I'd like to connect a splitter so I can hook up my BBQ and fire pit at the same time so I don't have to connect and disconnect each one when I'm going to use one or the other. What would be a good splitter.

Can I use both at the same time or do I have to close one to use the other?

Thanks in advance. I appreciate it. I live in Washington state and am anticipating a fire ban early in the camping season. Not being able to have a fire is a sad situation so bought a propane fire pit.

Happy camping.

[5picker]

Are you connecting to a LP low pressure port or to the tank?

If low pressure port, as long as the regulator you have on your R/V is of the proper BTU rating to handle the combination of both devices, then connecting them and using them at the same time should be no issue. Remember, if connecting to the LP low pressure port, the device (fire pit/grill) cannot have a regulator on it. There are hundreds of threads here about converting these devices.

If you are going to tee from the tank, then the device regulator will need to stay intact and the R/Vs regulator doesn't come into play.

There are lots of LP low pressure disconnect/splitters similar to this...

[NJKris]

The Y-splitter can be used with only one side connected to something. It only opens when an appliance is connected. I use mine with an extra propane tank I take with me, lets me put stove/firepit wherever I want. Was the cheaper option than using the low pressure quick release on trailer, which as 5 Picker mentioned requires removal of regulators most appliances already have. I take my propane firepit and grill all sorts of places, not just rV'ing. Day trips, parties, picnics, etc. My Y has a male QCC to attach to propane tank, and two female QCC connections to thread appliances on.

[Letarae]

Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate it. I'll look into that.

[Letarae]

I was thinking of using the tee on the trailer hose and then having one hose go to the BBQ and another going to the fire pit. I'm not sure if that is going to work but that is my hope and plan.

I'll do a search for converting.

Thanks very much.

[NJKris]

You can use a splitter on the tank before the RV regulator, that would work. But like you said, would need hoses, they can add up.

[Letarae]

Thanks so much for your help. I'm going to look at a splitter. It seems the best solution for what I want to do.

Happy Trails.

[Letarae]

I'm thinking of using the port on the trailer, near the BBQ setup. Can I put a hose on that and then a splitter and then one hose to the BBQ and the other to the fire pit?

[Kcoulter]

Originally Posted by Letarae

I'm thinking of using the port on the trailer, near the BBQ setup. Can I put a hose on that and then a splitter and then one hose to the BBQ and the other to the fire pit?

Yes, but make sure the you remove any pressure regulators from the BBQ or firepit since you are already at low pressure at that port.

[TowPro]

search amazon for any of the following


count 1 = "propane Y-splitter tee solid brass with 1-male QCC and 2-female QCC.


depending on your device, you may need propane adapter hose 1lb to 20 lb
or you might need a qcc to qcc extension hose.


this way you can leave the build in regulator on your device so it still works with tanks of you need to take away from your RV. example, I can still use my Weber baby Q away from camper, or my fire pit at my home on the back porch.

[jimmoore13]

Barbeque yes. Firepit no.
Why?

A big barbeque will suck fuel at the rate of 20,000 to 30,000 BTU, but a fire pit inhales fuel at 58,000 BTU.
58,000 BTU is about ALL a propane tank can deliver...as witnessed by the fact that the tanks tend to ice up from the massive fuel draw. https://www.propanetankstore.com/blo...-propane-tank/ My firepit tank often freezes itself to the ground, and when I go to move it or replace it, a big chunk of dirt is frozen to the tank.

A free-standing 20# propane tank has one job...feed the appliance that's connected to it. In this case, the fire pit. The regulator and the tank deliver all they possibly can to feed the firepit while it's running on high...which is usually most of the time.

But if you connect to your RV's propane plumbing, your firepit can starve the furnace, stove, hot water heater and fridge of the propane they need to keep the rig running.

The barbeque will play nicely with the other RV appliances, and it's usually on for only a short period of time, but the firepit is a glutton for fuel, and everything will suffer as a result...and your propane tank may freeze up entirely from too much draw...and the flow will reduce or stop entirely.

One more reason to NOT do this. A 20# tank of propane contains about 4.5 gallons of propane. Propane contains 91,500 BTU per gallon. So a tank typically has 411,750 BTU. At 58,000 BTU, you get 7 hours of burn time on the fire pit. If you have two tanks on the tongue, you can safely go a couple days "sharing", but if you are out just 4 nights and you run the firepit 3.5 hours per evening...not that much...you've drained both tanks.

So, you need to carry spare propane anyway...if you run a firepit...so dedicate a tank (or several) to the firepit and leave well enough alone with the tanks on the tongue.

I've been running a propane firepit for about 5 years now. I calculate 1 tank for each two days I'm camping. When lakeside and we're doing lots of swimming and other watersports, I calculate more burn time (to warm up after a swim) so it's 1.5 days per tank.

Up against purchased firewood (required in most places), propane is a bargain, and it's far safer and cleaner burning than a wood fire. Just don't expect your onboard propane system to handle more than it's designed to.

[GFD47]

What jimmore13 said. I don't connect my fuel-hog propane fire bowl to my trailer system simply because I want the furnace and fridge to work that night and the water heater to work the next morning. Too easy to run out of trailer propane connecting a fire bowl.
I take a five-gallon tank for the fire bowl and a one-gallon refillable tank for the BBQ. The five-gallon tank lasts us about three nights and the one-gallon tank lasts for many BBQ's.
Whether using the fire bowl or the BBQ I'm never distance-limited from the trailer propane connection because of the length of my hoses, and whether or not I can use them both at the same time is not even a distant thought.

[TowPro]

my fire-pit is rated at 58,000 BTU per hour when on HIGH, and is made to run off a 20lb container.

91502 BTU per gallon of propane X 4.7 gallons in a tank = 430059 BTU per tank divided by 58,000 BTU per hour = 7.4 hours of run time per tank if you run it on high, which I never run much over low.

in real life I might run it over 2 or 3 weekends in the spring, for 2-3 hours per night, and never on high, using the same tank I use for my 2 burner cooking grill, and I have to fill that tank maybe once per year.


But my open range used to have Four 20lb tanks, plus my one grill tank so I always had spares around.

[HaulinMyHarley]

I use a splitter similar to the one shown in post #2 connected to the low pressure port at the rear of my rig, and feed a Blackstone griddle and a separate Olympian grill simultaneously. Both work fine.

[PodGeek]

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

...So, you need to carry spare propane anyway...if you run a firepit...so dedicate a tank (or several) to the firepit and leave well enough alone with the tanks on the tongue....

++++