Quality Propane Tanks for Overlanding?

D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
I've always used the ones you swap out on the front of Home Depot...lol.
 

sargeek

Adventurer
1) Propane prices fluctuate just like fuel prices - “tank exchanges” offer a fixed price; they compensate by short filling tanks. If you go to a vendor who actually fills tanks, they sell propane by the gallon, and fill the tank until it’s full.
2) Craig’s list is the best deal in town for a 20# tank - often you can pick up a 20# tank foe $10.00.
3) Found a local vendor who is selling tanks with an actual gauge on it. The gauge is not a pressure gauge that will read differently depending on temperature. The gauge has an actual mechanical float that reads the level of liquid. $90 for 30# tank.
 

john61ct

Adventurer
Craig’s list is the best deal in town for a 20# tank - often you can pick up a 20# tank foe $10.00.
And the condition does not matter, since the one good thing about most swap outlets is you get a new one even if they throw yours out rather than reconditioning it.
 

direwolf82

Active member
1) Propane prices fluctuate just like fuel prices - “tank exchanges” offer a fixed price; they compensate by short filling tanks. If you go to a vendor who actually fills tanks, they sell propane by the gallon, and fill the tank until it’s full.
2) Craig’s list is the best deal in town for a 20# tank - often you can pick up a 20# tank foe $10.00.
3) Found a local vendor who is selling tanks with an actual gauge on it. The gauge is not a pressure gauge that will read differently depending on temperature. The gauge has an actual mechanical float that reads the level of liquid. $90 for 30# tank.

Propane tanks should only really be filled to 80 percent of the max as a safety cushion. Anyone filling to total capacity is not doing you a favor. Ever see a full full tank connected and used for the first time? Giant flames can occur as the propane gets pumped through the reg as a liquid then expand when it hits atmospheric pressure and temp. Huge fire ball. If you don't believe take a stove that's running and shake or flip the tank to get liquid through the reg but stand well away from it. I have seen water heaters erupt in flames before due to liquid getting into the reg and boiling off downstream thus increasing pressure uncontrollably.
And just for fun d.o.t. states propane cylinders must be carried vertically during transport and a cap if applicable.
Sorry for the rant but I deal with this at work a lot, once you've seen fireballs 10 foot around in someone's house and tanks transported sideways rocketing down the road after the valve breaks off it sticks in your head as a safety issue.

Sent from my SM-A516V using Tapatalk
 

TwinStick

Explorer
I have been told by a D.E.C. Officer, during a firewood checkpoint, that you can get a ticket in our wonderful state of NY, for not having your propane turned off on your camper while traveling ! Not sure if that is fact or not. Probably something that is rarely enforced - like having something hanging on your rearview mirror. Not really sure ?
 

4000lbsOfGoat

Well-known member
I have been told by a D.E.C. Officer, during a firewood checkpoint, that you can get a ticket in our wonderful state of NY, for not having your propane turned off on your camper while traveling ! Not sure if that is fact or not. Probably something that is rarely enforced - like having something hanging on your rearview mirror. Not really sure ?
Wait, a what? Firewood checkpoint? That's a thing?
 

perterra

Adventurer
Wait, a what? Firewood checkpoint? That's a thing?

 

4000lbsOfGoat

Well-known member
Wow. Nothing like that here in the west...certainly it is common knowledge that it is best to not move firewood but I've never seen a checkpoint. We only have those for watercraft! I passed 4 of them in one 120 mile stretch last week...
 

john61ct

Adventurer
Propane tanks should only really be filled to 80 percent of the max as a safety cushion. Anyone filling to total capacity is not doing you a favor.
Complete balderdash and poppycock, ridonculous fear-mongering if you are in the U.S. and really do know your stuff you should be ashamed.

It's been decades now since all consumer tanks require both OPD-compliant and overfill valves be used. On most bottles the OPD service fitting is

Type 1 QCC 1-5/16" ACME/FPOL

found on every BBQ tank in the country.

These **force** the limiting you're talking about.

No sane propane seller would ever consent to fill a tank so old it's not so equipped, nor allow say an industrial forklift tank filler port to be retrofitted for vapour service with a POL-only fitting (no OPD), rather than full QCC1as required.

IOW what you're talking about has not been an issue for a very long time in the US.

The tank swap vendors underfill (by a LOT) below that mandated 80% point.

They are a complete ripoff, other than when you need a shiny new tank in exchange for your rusty old one about to legally expire
 

john61ct

Adventurer
Not sure if that is fact or not.

There are a lot of tunnels and ferries where your propane tanks are not allowed at all.

Others you must stop for inspection show they are turned off and tagged.

Very likely to force you to stop your journey

big fines, can be detained (jailed)
 

john61ct

Adventurer
In many dry fragile ecosystems, any gathering of local firewood is forbidden, the wildlife food chain needs it to rot.

And bringing foreign firewood in can also import noxious non-native creepy crawlies.
 

perterra

Adventurer
Complete balderdash and poppycock, ridonculous fear-mongering if you are in the U.S. and really do know your stuff you should be ashamed.

It's been decades now since all consumer tanks require both OPD-compliant and overfill valves be used. On most bottles the OPD service fitting is

Type 1 QCC 1-5/16" ACME/FPOL

found on every BBQ tank in the country.

These **force** the limiting you're talking about.

No sane propane seller would ever consent to fill a tank so old it's not so equipped, nor allow say an industrial forklift tank filler port to be retrofitted for vapour service with a POL-only fitting (no OPD), rather than full QCC1as required.

IOW what you're talking about has not been an issue for a very long time in the US.

The tank swap vendors underfill (by a LOT) below that mandated 80% point.

They are a complete ripoff, other than when you need a shiny new tank in exchange for your rusty old one about to legally expire


They can fail, I have seen two over filled cylinders in the last year. It's why we fill to weight.
 

ripperj

Explorer
Manchester used to be the brand to buy.
I recently paid $200 shipped for a 20# horizontal Manchester tank( yes they are really that much more expensive)
The weld quality was poor on the horizontal feet, they aren’t even aligned so it sits flat, there was weld splatter on it and the paint sucked :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

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