Camco 59312 Two-Stage RV Propane Regulator

The Camco 59312 is a two-stage propane regulator built for RV LP systems, and it's the part that quietly does the hard work every time you light a burner. Raw tank pressure is high and it swings with temperature and tank level. This regulator steps that pressure down in two stages and hands your appliances a steady 11 inches of water column, which is the standard delivery pressure propane stoves, ovens, furnaces, and water heaters expect.

Here's why two-stage matters. A single-stage regulator drops tank pressure to appliance pressure in one shot, so output can wander as the tank gets low or the weather turns cold. A two-stage unit does it in two steps. The first stage knocks high tank pressure down to an intermediate pressure, and the second stage trims that to the final 11 inches WC. The payoff is a flame that stays even from a nearly full tank down to a low one, and fewer nuisance pressure dips on cold mornings.

Capacity is rated at 160,000 BTU per hour. That's the ceiling for everything downstream added together. Add up what you run. A furnace might pull 30,000 to 40,000, a water heater around 10,000, each cooktop burner 7,000 to 9,000, an oven near 9,000, and an absorption fridge a couple thousand. As long as your total stays comfortably under 160,000, this regulator has the headroom to feed it all at once without starving a burner.

The plumbing is straightforward. Inlet is 1/4 inch NPT, outlet is 3/8 inch NPT. NPT is a tapered pipe thread, so you'll want a gas-rated thread sealant, either pipe dope or the yellow gas-rated PTFE tape, on the male threads before you snug the joints. The larger 3/8 inch outlet helps keep pressure drop low on the run out to your manifold. This is a vertical-mount design, which means it installs with the regulator body upright and the vent cap pointing down. Keep that vent facing down and unobstructed so water and debris can't collect in it and choke the diaphragm.

Two things this unit does not include, and both are by design. There's no integral shut-off valve, so you'll add your own shut-off in a spot you can reach. And it ships without a hose or pigtail, so you supply the connection from your tank. That keeps the regulator flexible for whatever your rig already uses. It arrives in bulk packaging, no retail box, which is part of why it's priced the way it is.

This one is approved for RV use, and that's where most of these go, mounted in a vented LP compartment on a travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome. The same 1/4 and 3/8 inch NPT fittings and 11 inch WC output show up on plenty of marine and camp propane setups too, so if your galley system uses the same connections and stays under the BTU rating, it can work there as well. Check your own fittings and load before you commit.

Cold weather is where a two-stage regulator earns its keep. As temperatures drop, tank pressure falls, and a single-stage unit can sag right when your furnace is working hardest. The second stage here holds the output line steady, so the furnace and stove keep a clean flame overnight. Give the vent screen a look now and then, and clear any bug nests, ice, or road grime so the diaphragm can breathe.

A quick word on install and safety. Mount it inside a ventilated compartment, never sealed up tight. Use gas-rated sealant on the NPT threads, then leak-check every joint with soapy water and watch for bubbles. Never check for leaks with a flame. And if you're pulling an old regulator to fit this one, that's usually a good sign the old one earned its retirement. Propane regulators don't last forever, and a fresh two-stage unit is cheap insurance against yellow flames, sooting, and the pressure gremlins that come with an aging diaphragm.