propane tank June 18, 2020, 07:36:07 pm Hi Group;Does peeling paint, or whatever is used to cover the outside of the propane tank, mean that the tank is no good and will not pass inspection? The tank is obviously serviceable as I just returned from FL to NY and used propane all the way.. It was filled in FL at a propane dealer and I would hope that if there was a leak he would mention it (before an explosion). This is an important safety matter and I wonder if I need a new tank and where such a job can be done. The coach is 13 years old so maybe that is a factor?Any info or advice?Thanks. 1 Likes
Re: propane tank Reply #2 – June 18, 2020, 08:03:58 pm Common problem, as you can see from the entries Joan linked to.ASME certified tanks (vs DOT certified tanks) are what most of us have installed permanently in our coaches. While it might be a good idea, there is no periodic mandatory inspection for ASME tanks. Rich'03 MB in NC
Re: propane tank Reply #3 – June 18, 2020, 10:03:20 pm Peeling paint on the propane tank is common and another task for the maintenance list.The tank is coated in a tough, hard epoxy paint, it works great until it gets a chip, from road gravel.Once chipped, water travels under the paint and begins to rust the steel below, once started, there is no stopping it, the creeping rust can only be slowed. The rust usually starts at the bottom of the tank but any part can be rusted if impacted hard enough to break the surface of the brittle paint.I have seen eastern LDs where 80% of the paint is gone in five years.I have no idea what safety inspectors look for during your state's annual inspection, I do know serious rust damage is at the top of the list in most states in the snow belt, where salt is still used. A badly rusted propane tank might get the inspector's attention.You really don't know how bad the rusting it is until you start probing and scraping.Every year or so, I use a sharp, 1" putty knife and probe the edges of where the paint has previously been repaired, to see if the edge is still watertight or if the rust has progressed under the paint. Any other iffy spots are checked too.Any areas with loose paint are scraped, sanded and then treated with a rust dissolver. When dry, the repaired area is painted with a matching gray epoxy appliance paint. If concerned about inspection, refinish the entire accessible parts of the tank and give it a uniform appearance.After the paint cures, take rig for a drive and find some muddy puddles to drive through to give the tank a used look.No need to have a freshly painted tank stick out during inspection.Larry
Re: propane tank Reply #4 – June 19, 2020, 12:27:31 pm Thanks Larry;More maintenance which is why at age 80 I need to sell the coach. The Inspection was not a state obligation but a pre ownership inspection. Wish I lived closer to you Larry so perhaps you could service it... I will try scraping away and see what happens. The fellow will not pass the inspection though and claims a new tank is needed. Can a new tank be installed? As someone mentioned the horizontal manchester tanks are meant to be permanent. My coach is in storage so I cannot take a look but I think it is welded on as well as bolted. The fellow is asking high prices for the tank as well as other jobs. For example is $1000.00 a fair price for a back up camera with installation? He also claims that the roof neads treatment, cleaning and sealing...I do not go up on the roof any longer but have eyeballed from a ladder and it looks ok to me. I had added Eternabond tape years ago and fixed an area close to the top of the ladder a few months ago in FL. No leaks ever. The roof might be dirty but I do not think that is a problem.Anyone on the East Coast who can recommend a good mechanic? I live in Saugerties, NY.Thanks, Mike
Re: propane tank Reply #5 – June 19, 2020, 12:44:28 pm So Mike, is he asking you to do this work before he will buy, or negotiating a discounted purchase price? Either way, if you are asking a fair price, hold your ground - plenty of other potential buyers. Tell this one to take a hike...Steve 2 Likes
Re: propane tank Reply #6 – June 19, 2020, 01:38:19 pm Those tanks are really thick and will out last most of us. No inspection is required and a new one will get sand blasted just like that one.
Re: propane tank Reply #7 – June 19, 2020, 01:47:28 pm Quote from: Steve - June 19, 2020, 12:44:28 pmSo Mike, is he asking you to do this work before he will buy, or negotiating a discounted purchase price? Either way, if you are asking a fair price, hold your ground - plenty of other potential buyers. Tell this one to take a hike...Total agreement with Steve, it's a seller's market, let the next owner take care of any needed repairs, sell it "as is".The propane tank has no expiration date or requirement for testing. It is bolted in and can be replaced, at a cost. It could also be dropped, refinished and re-installed.A new backup camera could cost a $1000 or more, depending on what is installed. it also could be just around $100 if an inexpensive, wireless camera system is used.Larry
Re: propane tank Reply #8 – June 19, 2020, 03:34:38 pm From the original post, I'm not sure if "the fellow" referred to is a potential buyer or an official "inspector"? If a potential buyer, I agree with telling him to find another rig, but if ithe issue is a legally-required inspection process before selling a vehicle (I have no idea how NY vehicle laws work), I'd suggest consulting a local propane dealer/supplier for advice.
Re: propane tank and other issues Reply #9 – June 20, 2020, 08:57:13 am Thanks for all the advice about the propane tank. The inspector is a licensed Mechanic and not the purchaser. I am registered in South Dakota and the prospective buyer is in AZ. So NYs is not a concern. But safety is the important subject.Another issue. I am the original purchaser of this LD and I have to assume that LD had to meet regulations, especially in CA. The plug in the frig compartment is a regular outlet. The Inspector claims that this has to be a GFI outlet as water could get into that compartment. Is he correct and has LD cut some corners???Maybe Steve crawls under his coach yearly for maintenance issues but I have not done even oil changes for 20 years now or since i retired in 2000 and sold our house. At 13 years of age one has to suspect surface rust. I may be from NYS but I have only spent two winters in NY due to surgeries. The inspector also claims that part of the drive shaft is bad. I had had the front end checked out at a Ford dealer and at a diesel repair shop last week and all was "ok". I would have expected both places to claim work needed...I am not sure if the drive train was checked but the diesel mechanic did grease the front and i hope followed the shaft rearward as there are grease fittings in the back (as I remember). SO: if the shaft does not wobble or vibrate but does show surface rust does it need replacement? The Inspector seemed a nice guy. I had him service the genset as I have had it after doing that chore every summer up in Nova Scotia. I also wanted to change the spark plug but was uneasy to try it. I tried to tell him what 3 specific tools were needed but he brushed me off. When I mentioned the spark arrester he looked at me blankly and ordered me out of the service area...I will do the spark arrester myself and there are only two bolts but difficult to reach...Happily the new spark plug works like a charm and the genset starts immediately now. It was getting a trifle slow at 411 hours and 13 years.Thanks for letting me rant. I took TLC of my coach for 13 years, although an amateur, and feel disappointed with his report. All I can say is that if my wife and I were healthy I would head off to the Western states tomorrow!Thanks, Mike
Re: propane tank and other issues Reply #10 – June 20, 2020, 09:39:38 am Quote from: Mike Lewis - June 20, 2020, 08:57:13 amAnother issue. I am the original purchaser of this LD and I have to assume that LD had to meet regulations, especially in CA. The plug in the frig compartment is a regular outlet. The Inspector claims that this has to be a GFI outlet as water could get into that compartment. Is he correct and has LD cut some corners???Thanks, MikeRV's and Houses have different building code requirements. Standards Compliance | RVIAI will not state my opinion but it is not praise worthy. This group is NOT consumer friendly. glen
Re: propane tank Reply #11 – June 20, 2020, 10:03:17 am "The Inspector claims that this has to be a GFI outlet as water could get into that compartment."The outlet should be GFCI-protected, but that doesn't mean the outlet itself must be a GFCI outlet. If it is wired downstream from a GFCI outlet or circuit breaker--as I'm pretty sure it is--then it's protected.You can easily verify this with an under-$10 outlet tester. Press the GFCI test button, and if the outlet goes dead then you know it's protected. You'll then need to reset the actual GFCI, which may be an inside outlet, or an AC circuit breaker in your power center. As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: propane tank Reply #12 – June 20, 2020, 11:38:35 am I am sorry but I get the feeling that this inspector is not reputable. Inspectors that are honest do not ask to get paid to do thousands of dollars worth of work. I agree this is a seller's market for LD. Let this buyer go. Do nothing that this inspector is suggesting. Another buyer will be just around the corner. 1 Likes
Re: propane tank and other issues Reply #13 – June 20, 2020, 12:03:38 pm Quote from: Mike Lewis - June 20, 2020, 08:57:13 amAnother issue. I am the original purchaser of this LD and I have to assume that LD had to meet regulations, especially in CA. The plug in the frig compartment is a regular outlet. The Inspector claims that this has to be a GFI outlet as water could get into that compartment. Is he correct and has LD cut some corners??? The inspector also claims that part of the dr SO: if the shaft does not wobble or vibrate but does show surface rust does it need replacement? Your LD's refrigerator is power through a GFI breaker, in the Power Center. It doesn't need a GFI receptacle.Normally, when a mechanic is asked to check out something, that is what is looked at. Asking to have the front end checked is very different from inspecting the driveshaft and would not be part of the same inspection unless you had asked specifically to have the driveshaft or the whole rig checked out.At the age and mileage of your rig, the driveshaft center bearing is likely worn and its rubber mounting ring is probably worn out too. When loose or worn, they allow the driveshaft to move up and down, sometimes making noise. If your u-joints have grease fittings, then they have been replaced in the past.All LD driveshaft's get a thin coating of rust, within a year or two of being new. It's the nature of the steel alloy they use.Normally, unless a driveshaft is bent or the slip-joint is worn out, they last the life of the vehicle, They do have parts that wear and need replacement, such as u-joints and center bearing.Larry
Re: propane tank Reply #14 – June 20, 2020, 12:09:41 pm Many buyers read about the reputation of LazyDaze for quality and assume that a 13 year old coach will still be like new. That's just not reasonable. Even poorly built RVs are selling like hotcakes these days. Someone will show up who is willing to deal with a 13 year old vehicle that still has tons of useful life left.Anyone who will be disappointed with less than new condition should get on the factory waiting list and write the check!Rich'03 MB in NC 1 Likes
Re: propane tank Reply #15 – June 20, 2020, 03:12:19 pm "Many buyers read about the reputation of LazyDaze for quality and assume that a 13 year old coach will still be like new."I once met a woman in a campground who admired my rig, and commented that she'd been told Lazy Daze was the only RV brand that never leaked. I had to gently explain how wrong that was. 1 Likes
Re: propane tank Reply #16 – June 21, 2020, 01:42:35 pm Refrigerator outlet - if there is a GFCI outlet at the refrigerator OR on the same electric line (eg works when that breaker is on and doesn’t when the refrigerator breaker is off) OR a GFCI breaker in the electrical panel for that line, you are GFCI protected,I would never use an inspector that also does work (on an RV or a house), they have a conflict of interest (they want the job of fixing issues which can bias their inspection). As you pointed out if a dealer and a mechanical repair place say nothing is wrong when they could easily use the work, I would not believe the inspector. Which means I would not have faith that anything else the inspector said was accurate.Same goes with him not doing work on the generator that you knew needed to be done.I have seen enough poor mechanic and house contractors that don’t know what they are doing (want to replace things that do. not need replacing, or do not correctly repair something that does need repairing) that I have learned to set high standards for people I hire.I have worked more with housing inspectors (the guys you hire when you are going to buy a house),Some are absolutely worthless (IMO) some are ok but not good, and a few are very good.Same seems true for RV inspectors (from reading what people have said about their inspectors).If you are hiring the inspector yourself to make sure the RV is in good condition before selling it, I would find another inspector that does not work on RVs. If a buyer hired the inspector I would inform them of what you learned from the dealer and mechanic and from his generator work and suggest the buyer find a better inspector.Jane 1 Likes
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