Propane Through-Deck Fitting

[nhschneider]

We prefer to keep our Magma kettle barbecue grill stowed when we're not using it. While we were cruising, the disposable propane canisters became impossible to find so we plumbed a connection to our 20-pound propane tanks. However, this meant having the propane locker open and the propane hose feeding our grill was lying on the deck as long as we were grilling which was not only inconvenient but potentially dangerous though we never had a problem. What I haven't been able to find is a small through-deck fitting with a quick disconnect that I could permanently install on my cap rail. Ideally, this fitting would have some sort of water-tight, weatherproof seal
or cover and would be small enough so that lines, etc wouldn't be likely to get snagged on it and robust enough so that if a line did get snagged on it, it would be unlikely to break.

I did get in touch with Magma but they referred me to the boat's builder.

Any ideas?

[Anders]

Get an external bbq connector designed for caravans/motorhomes.

[tkeithlu]

I'm having a hard time visualizing what you want, or matching Anders' suggestion to it.

The general rule is that all tees and other joints go in the propane box, which drains overboard. Then each appliance has its own hose, with no joints, coming through a gas-proof seal in the wall of the box. That would in turn mean either leaving the bbq attached to its hose permanently, or detaching the hose and coiling it up for storage. There isn't an allowance for mounting a quick connect in the wall of the box, convenient as that would be. ABYC also requires a way to shut off the bottle that is convenient to the appliance, however far from the bottle it might be, which really amounts to having a switch to a solenoid at the appliance.

We've approached the problem two ways: One is owning a lot of one pound disposable bottles, the problem you are trying to solve, and the other building a completely separate propane system for a cabin heater, with box, drain, and shut-off solenoid as required.