THERE WAS A SMALL EXPLOSION IN OUR VAN

Okay. We are finishing this edit up late, and we're publishing it tomorrow morning. But after watching this video, I feel like I need to add a disclaimer, and that is, I made some really bad decisions in this video. Do not do what I did. If you ever find yourself with a propane leak, either get it diagnosed by a professional, or if you want to look at it yourself, use water and soap and look for bubbles. And that's a better way to detect a leak. Do not use fire.

We are Kara and Nate. We've spent the last four years traveling to 100 countries. But 2020 brought us back to the United States, where we purchased a converted sprinter van to spend the summer exploring our home country. After a few weeks of renovations and upgrades, we hit the road to discover that the state of Missouri likes building really big things. Kansas is home to the best barbecue sandw in the world and has a surprising amount of natural beauty. During our first week of full time van life, we drove over 1400 miles across the US to meet up with a couple of our best friends in Estes Park, Colorado. Once we arrived, we traded our van for a cabin and spent the week hiking in Rocky Mountain national park, fly fishing the Big Thompson river, and enjoying quality time with great humans who we don't get to see very often.

So I thought we were gonna make it an entire video without having to fix. This piece right here is loose, but it kind of seems like it's supposed to do that, you know? Yeah. Is the gas still on? No, I turned it off.

Can you smell it?

No, But I wonder if we turn the gas back on. If, like. Yeah, if I can smell it coming out there.

I can kind of smell it. All right. I think I'm gonna see if it this old.

It's leaky.

Oh, my gosh.

Wow. I thought, like, huh?

Did you get burned?

Oh, my gosh.

Look at your arm. Oh, my gosh. Turn it off. Turn off the propane.

It's still coming out.

I turn. I turned it off.

Oh, wow.

My gosh.

My arm hair smells so bad. Nay.

That could have been your face.

You okay?

Wow.

Do I have eyebrows?

Yeah.

Oh, that's good. How about my hair? Did it get singed?

No, you're good. Nate.

I did not think that was gonna happen.

I did not think that was gonna happen.

Oh, yeah, it comes off.

Oh, I can smell it when you do that.

It seriously stinks. Thanks.

I'm so glad. I'm so glad it didn't burn.

Maybe we should get rid of this van before it Kills us.

I'm so happy you're okay.

You smell so bad.

It's very hard.

What do we do?

So I don't think the stove's broken, which is the good part. I just think it needs to be.

This wasn't the plan for today, but it does seem like something that should be taken care of, like, as soon as possible. Should probably research and figure out what this thing is. So the good news is this pipe, this one right here, it doesn't feel loose. So I think it might have just been this connection. Yes. I'll take it off and put it back on. Maybe it was this thing. Maybe this thing is. Maybe this is what's broken.

I've learned that this is called a propane regulator. The first couple sentences of this article. Before you begin troubleshooting your faulty propane regulator, be sure you can do it safely. Be sure the grill is completely turned off. Close valve and propane tank. For your protection, you should wear gloves and safety goggles during all testing and repairs.

I do have the toilet gloves. No safety calls. I guess we go buy a new one of these and put it back together. All right, let's see. Ready? So since we think the issue is the propane regulator, we're. We're reviewing the game film to see where the fire actually started.

You had your face so close.

Wait, wait, wait.

Oh, my gosh.

Oh, my gosh.

All right, see if you can pause it right where it.

Oh, my gosh.

I thought, like, did you get burned?

You were so calm. You were so calm after it happened. My heart's racing again.

That pain.

It's like, have fully accepted that that had just happened and everything was fine.

Wow. I'll go back.

I can't tell. It almost looks like it came out of that connection right there.

It definitely looks like it's.

It doesn't look like it's the valve. It looks like it's in the oven as opposed to in the valve. Oh, my gosh.

Look at it. That. That's what sends your arm.

Yeah. That's much fire.

Oh.

Oh, wow. But get it all back there behind my arm.

The.

It's not funny.

I. The one thing I learned from this is that I'm lucky that that wasn't a lot worse. Yeah.

So today was just supposed to be.

Like, easy and relaxing.

All right, let's watch it again.

Catching up on stuff. Still on fire.

Look, it looks like it sucked right up against that.

It just goes up there so quickly.

So after reviewing the footage, it looks like the flame started at this joint right here. So I think what we're going to do is go down to the hardware store and get some more of this yellow tape and see if I can tighten the joint back up. And then also probably get another propane regulator just to be safe. And then I guess we'll test it again. There's got to be a better way than with fire.

All right, to the hardware store.

So I picked up this PTFE thread seal tape, because that's what the guy at the hardware store told me, that I need it. I think my plan is pull off all the old tape, put new tape on, put everything back together, and hopefully that fixes the problem. I really think it's just that one little joint that was leaking.

Let's hope so. That was very satisfying.

So there's a certain way that you're supposed to put this on. It's either clockwise or counterclockwise.

Oh, gosh.

Honestly, it looks just like the old stuff. So I'm also gonna put a piece here because I feel like there should be one. That's a good reason.

Okay. That's as tight as it'll go. I think that's it. Now I'm just gonna turn on the gas and see if we smell anything. But I'm gonna hold off on the lighter this time. All right. You want to come over here and help me? All right, so put your nose here.

I'm scared.

There's no. There's no fire. It's not gonna just spontaneously combust.

You promise?

No. All right, ready? No, you can't smell through your buff.

I need it for safety.

All right, here we go. I'm. Turn it on.

I heard it.

Yeah. Open the gas tank. You're scarred.

I just smell metal. Really? I mean, maybe a little.

I think I am scarred. Okay. I. Honestly, I'm really hopeful right now because we've cooked with this thing several times, and every time, the moment I turn on the propane tank, I can smell it big time.

Smells good on your hair.

So the fact that it's on and I'm putting my nose up to it and I can't smell anything, I feel like means it's been leaking this whole time, and we've gotten so lucky, I turned it off.

I think I'm gonna let all of that, like, get out of here and then turn the gas back on. I'll go ahead and have the lighter lit.

Okay.

That way there won't be a big explosion. There would just be, like, a little bit of.

Should I get the fire extinguisher?

That's a pretty good idea.

We do have a fire extinguisher.

Thank you.

Pull pin. Hold unit upright. Start back six feet. Aim at base of fire squeeze lever and sweep side to side.

All right. Why don't you get out of the van?

All right.

Is it on? Yeah, the gas is on.

You fixed it?

I mean, so far, Yeah, I think. I think I fixed it. I mean, I don't know that I'm ever gonna feel 100% comfortable using the.

Stove ever again, but I think I'm scarred for life.

I think it's fixed for now. I will say, I do think all of this was our fault. I think me moving it back and forth to be able to get in and work on the fridge, loosen that joint, maybe made that tape start kind of like falling apart, and. And that's why it was leaking.

I'm so proud of you. I feel like we have one more test, though.

What?

I think we need to put it in and actually ignite it.

Oh, yeah. We should see if it actually works, huh? I'm gonna try to be really gentle with it.

All right. Turn the coat back on. Secondary smell test. Smells good. All right, let's see if this just might.

Ew. All right.

Let's see if these candles aren't on fire yet.

Yeah, that's how I caught it on fire this morning.

I do think that's what was happening. I think it was just, like, leaking from that joint into the stove, and that's why it was catching fire right here.

Oh, my gosh. I am so proud of us. Really. I'm just proud of Nate. I didn't do much. Way to go.

One more problem solved. I'm gonna know how every single thing in this van works before this is all over for sure. Like, I will have fixed everything at least once, I think.

I feel like I already smell it.

No, you can't already smell it. It's not even on. I guess we can just eat smoothies for the rest of our lives. I think we might just need to buy new stuff.