Our panel of motorhome-owning experts are here to help you solve your motorhoming problems, however small
Q Do the gas hoses in my coachbuilt motorhome need changing?
Since changing my gas bottles recently, I have noticed a smell of gas from the locker. Having checked the connections, I assume that the pipes have perished.
Our Rapido 640F motorhome is now eight years old and I note in the manual that the connection hoses should be replaced every five years. The motorhome is fitted with a Truma automatic changeover system.
Is it necessary for replacement hoses to incorporate the safety device, which I assume is just a pressure release valve? This makes them far more expensive to replace and I am hoping it is an unnecessary expense.
Bob Bissell
A Normally, the smell of gas would point me to check the tightness of the hose connections. I suspect the problem is a bit of dirt or damage to the brass seat on one of the recent gas cylinders. It’s a left-hand thread on the cylinders, don’t forget.
Remove the new cylinders and have a close look at the seating points for the hose connection.
You can purchase gas detection fluid to squirt around all the connections to see if any bubbles appear. Don’t use washing-up liquid as this can corrode the fittings.
Any safety device fitted to these high-pressure hoses would possibly be a burst check valve which will shut off the gas flow should the motorhome end of the hose came adrift, thus releasing much gas. Mostly these hoses are simple with no extra features.
The burst check feature is normally incorporated into the Truma MonoControl CS gas regulator to shut off the gas supply should the flow become excessive or in the event of a crash. It has a yellow reset button to restore the gas supply if triggered.
Also, the Truma part 51611-01 will automatically change over the bottle and includes the yellow button and crash-detect feature.
Inspect the hoses and, if the outside has no indication of perishing or degradation of the material, I would not expect the hose to be the problem. However, at eight years old it is a good idea to fit new hoses – I believe you need the simple hoses.
Clive Mott
QDo I need to replace my Ducato’s glow plugs?
We have a 2014 Vantage Sol campervan based on a Fiat Ducato; the glow plug warning light is showing and the engine sometimes fails to start on the first turn of the key, which is, I am told, due to glow plug failure.
My local garage was unable to remove the p
