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Old 04-15-2010, 09:47 AM   #18
ShrimpBurrito
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Sunny Beaches of Los Angeles
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While many folks seem to recognize the risk of running propane down the road in the form of a fire hazard while refueling, I seldom see anything mentioned about what might happen if a propane line was cut while traveling.

I vividly recall traveling from Gainesville to Jacksonville, FL several years ago on a divided 4-lane state road. Coming towards us in the opposite direction was a vehicle towing what appeared to be travel trailer of some sort. It was hard to tell exactly what kind it was because it was literally engulfed in flames. I'm not talking about a fire coming out the window -- I'm talking about this guy towing a ball of fire. I'm not sure if maybe he didn't realize it, or maybe he did and didn't know what to do, but he was driving down the road with wild abandon at 55 mph. I will never forget that sight, and can only presume the fire was being fueled by propane.

Of course, if a propane line is going to get cut, it's going to happen whether the propane is on or off. And if it doesn't leak while you're on the road, it will leak when you turn the propane on when setting up camp. The Acme nuts are supposed to close when flow exceeds a specified value (I think 75,000 BTU), which is better than nothing, but still.....

Dave
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