Newbie Propane Question

[mattRox]

How do folks refill their propane? (We haven't picked up the trailer yet)

Do you remove the tank and swap it out somewhere or do you have to find a propane bottle refiller??

I know it's a rookie question, but I have no idea...

[daleyocum]

Your trailer will have two 30 gal tanks that are designed to be removed and refilled. Smaller tanks COULD be swapped out but the bigger ones usually aren’t. Unless you are running the gas heater a lot you’ll find these last a long time. We just use and refill one of the tanks and keep the other one in reserve. In the summer, with minimal heater use, we can go multiple weeks on one tank.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Remove & fill...it wouldn't be a fair swap for us, aluminum for steel. Plus I don't believe any place has 30 or 40 pound swappers, only BQ size.
🇺🇸
Bob

[AirMiles]

I replaced my 30# propane tanks with 20# swap tanks from Walmart. First, I find its much easier find swap tanks than to find a place that refills them. Second, I wanted the 40# weight savings for my payload challenged truck.

Weight Savings: The 20# tanks hold 10# less gas, are 7# lighter due to the smaller tank size, and then are short filled by 3# (for extra profit?). Therefore, you save 20# per tank for a total tongue weight savings of 40#.

I do keep my 30# tanks filled and in my garage for hurricane preparedness and typically carry an extra 20# tank in the truck bed for cooking with the camp stove and gas grill. (there goes the extra weight savings).

[SeeMore]

Tank removal happens every time as re-fillers measure propane added by weight on a scale. I have had many service locations offer to remove my tank from the rack after I removed the cover and connections. It may be a factor of all the grey hair ;-)

You can get propane in a variety of places. My nearest source at home is the U-Haul dealer and it happens they have the most competitive price/lb in a 10 mile radius. On the road, you will find sources at truck stops, campgrounds, and many highway fuel centers (especially out West).

[TR Anderson]

Originally Posted by AirMiles

The 20# tanks hold 10# less gas, are 7# lighter due to the smaller tank size, and then are short filled by 3# (for extra profit?). Therefore, you save 20# per tank for a total tongue weight savings of 40#.

Propane in the tank is pressurized. When the pressure inside the tank is equal to the atmospheric pressure, no more gas is being forced out and we call it "empty". However, there is still 3 pounds of Liquid Propane in the tank. The tanks are never really empty.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

One can never say "always" with any part of a travel trailer. I've seen tanks filled in place with the overpressure valve being used to detect the "full" state. Yes I find that scary. I've also watched off trailer refills being done the same way. Seems like a good way to destroy the neighborhood .....

The "right" way to do it is to pull the tank and run it over to someplace that uses a scale to fill it. There is an empty weight number stamped into the tank. Since it's aluminum, they need to look at the tank. Most of what they fill are steel tanks. The tank then goes back on the trailer and gets bolted in place. Last step is to hook up the electronic gizmo that reads tank level (if so equipped).

Swap out is a really bad idea on an AS tank. They are aluminum and *expensive*. You very much do not want to trade yours on a beat up old one. Some people go as far as to lock their tanks down to prevent theft (they are that expensive ...).

One cute way to get a refill done is to do it at a campground. All of the "Airstream only" places we have stayed offer this. It's not free, but it's drop dead simple. Pull the tank, put it on the golf cart and they fill it. Back it comes and you put it on the trailer.

We're sitting here towards the end of our season. Right now one tank reads about 60% full. The other is MIA (flakey sensor) but was full yesterday. That's not a lot of propane for camping out 16 or so weeks. Yes, a lot of that was on shore power. There was a lot of driving ....

Bob

[AirMiles]

This is also why there are no absolutes on Airforums. Most campgrounds I stay at have no electricity or water, much less propane. Due to no electricity, I typically go through one 20# exchange tank each week.

[Overstreet]

Some camp sites charge too much. I find U-Haul stores have the best prices. Not the little places the big store. Hardware stores in the country also seem to have good prices.

Most places don't have a place I want to bring the trailer. So I bring a bottle to the service location.

In Houston the park was orientated to "workers" the propane price was competitive. You'd mark your name and site on the tank and leave it at the fill station. During the day the park would fill them, mark your account, and leave the tank in the "filled" section. Then in the afternoon after work you'd pick it up on the way home. Sweet system...…...