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Voytek · 12-13-2018, 12:55 PM

I did visit a local U-haul location to refill propane in my 2018 AI. The technician there was asking me for plate with propane tank info such us model #, size, etc.
I could not help him (this was my first time.....).
Is there somewhere such plate in AI located? Is this normal that U-haul asking for this info in order to fill the tank?

jmh2015 · 12-13-2018, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voytek

I did visit a local U-haul location to refill propane in my 2018 AI. The technician there was asking me for plate with propane tank info such us model #, size, etc.
I could not help him (this was my first time.....).
Is there somewhere such plate in AI located? Is this normal that U-haul asking for this info in order to fill the tank?

No, that has never occurred during my refills.

InterBlog · 12-13-2018, 01:05 PM

YES - going forward, there will be increased scrutiny at many propane filling stations. A Class B Forum thread (here) began a discussion of the U-Haul protocol three days ago.

Right now the reports seem to be centering on U-Haul, due to the lawsuit that they reportedly settled. But what one retail outlet does, the others will soon follow in doing.

The plate on the face of your tank will show the year and spec. You can see pics of my tank here. We replaced ours because it was leaking at the connection threads.

IIRC, it was Protag who offered the great suggestion to carry a selfie stick in the van so that if someone needed to view the tank plate, they could shove the stick under there and see it / photograph it / whatever without having to crawl on the ground.

Voytek · 12-13-2018, 03:06 PM

Thanks for your info. That's what tech at the u-haul said that they need to record all tanks because of the lawsuit (I did hear about the explosion couple of years ago in Philadelphia).
A selfie stick is a good idea (the guy at the station was not happy to crawl under the vehicle....)
Thanks again for the input.

NoResults · 12-13-2018, 03:13 PM

What do you do if you are over 30 and don't have a selfie stick?

vswingfield · 12-13-2018, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoResults

What do you do if you are over 30 and don't have a selfie stick?

Wow. I thought if you were over 30 you didn't take selfies.

Perhaps I was thinking of over 60.

However, I may have to get one. A large number of the photos on my iPhone were taken because it was too awkward to get my DSLR into position. For example, photos of all the labels on the components making up the new roof AC; both blower motors, condensers, compressor, etc...

A selfie stick would come in handy.

Lily&Me · 12-13-2018, 03:38 PM

I try to avoid using UHaul for propane, whenever possible.

They are usually the most expensive around, and sometimes have a minimum charge that doesn’t come close to the cost of our little tanks.

Maggie

Alex AVI · 12-13-2018, 04:03 PM

Are these the labels they want? I see 2 on mine.

Ryoungca · 12-13-2018, 11:38 PM

Regarding pricing, my local U-Haul has lately been selling to me at the reduced price for propane fueled vehicles. The employee said that they could honor the lower price because it's a propane tank versus a removable propane cylinder. As always, your mileage may vary.

Alex AVI · 12-14-2018, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryoungca

Regarding pricing, my local U-Haul has lately been selling to me at the reduced price for propane fueled vehicles. The employee said that they could honor the lower price because it's a propane tank versus a removable propane cylinder. As always, your mileage may vary.

RYOUNGCA - Good tip, will try that next time. Can't hurt to ask

InterBlog · 12-14-2018, 04:52 AM

Around here, U-Haul is the cheapest, not the most expensive. The issue is that many others have minimum purchase quantities that exceed the size of the Interstate's tank. If you don't buy the minimum, they charge you for it anyway.

Alex, it's a metal-engraved plate welded onto the tank. It looks like this, only not rusted (this is the tank we removed). Photo right, approx. middle, you can see the birth year 2006 - that's what they'll be looking to confirm (that it's less than 10 years old):

I bought a selfie stick specifically for this task. The only other time I've used that stick is to demonstrate the roomy girth of the NEMO Disco sleeping bag. This is literally the one selfie stick pic that I have:

Alex AVI · 12-14-2018, 07:49 AM

INTERBLOG - Thanks. Will look further. That pic was just an archive I had from 1 angle. Plate you mention probably at a different angle, how much you wanna bet I will need my selfie stick to find it

eubank · 12-14-2018, 07:49 AM

This is pretty odd. Why would UHaul require specs on a fixed-mount cylinder?

Just for clarification, US-based RVs use two types of cylinders, *DOT and **ASME. DOT cylinders are the usual ones on sees on tow-behind RVs: They are removable. And they require recertification from time to time; hence the requirement that fillers check the recertification date. ASME cylinders, by contrast, are fixed mount. They are generally found on motorhomes, including the Interstate. And they do not require periodic recertification. There is no stamped date that would prevent a refill.

That said, fillers are free and encouraged not to fill ANY cylinder, DOT or ASME, that appears very rusty, dented, or otherwise damaged.

Lynn

*DOT = Department of Transportation

**AMerican Society of Mechanical Engineers

InterBlog · 12-14-2018, 01:51 PM

I mentioned as well on the Class B Forum that our Texas U-Haul staff must take a phone picture of the propane fill port and upload it to an internet site before they can complete the sales transaction (this from my own direct experience on my last fill-up). They want proof of the config / condition of the fill port for their records. The shut-off switch is right next to our fill port so presumably they want a pic to prove that the tank was shut off while being filled.

If any given tank type has no inspection or recert protocol or calendar, then it has to be either an accidental omission at either the regulatory or the engineering standards level. That food truck explosion in Philadelphia that killed the mother and daughter... their propane tank was reportedly manufactured in 1948. Nobody in their right mind would knowingly use a tank that old, on general principle - recert schedules be damned. The deceased must not have been aware of where their tank had originated.

For cross-reference, we also had a propane discussion along these lines at a previous thread called Sprinter fire and explosion. There was a Roadtrek last year that was engulfed in a massive fire at a California propane filling station. I'm a bit surprised it took U-Haul to get the ball rolling on more stringent filling requirements because U-Haul's was by no means the only recent propane disaster.

eubank · 12-14-2018, 04:55 PM

I can add this: Regulations regarding FILLING are all over the map. They are state based and range from training and testing/licensing to no training and no license at all.

My elderly dad and mom, both RIP, used to spend their winters in their RV in the warm south. In a state that required no license at all to fill. He kept telling me about the fellow down the highway whose prices for propane were great, but who smoked while filling cylinders. Agh!

Lynn

Titus · 12-14-2018, 05:40 PM

Have not experienced the need to see the plate. Wonder if a picture of it kept in the glove box would suffice. The filler may be more than happy to see a picture if the alternative is to crawl underneath.

Alex AVI · 12-14-2018, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus

Have not experienced the need to see the plate. Wonder if a picture of it kept in the glove box would suffice. The filler may be more than happy to see a picture if the alternative is to crawl underneath.

TITUS - I hope picture is sufficient. Coz even I would not want crawl near the tank & macerator area in my clean clothes

waninae39 · 12-14-2018, 08:30 PM

To refill your propane , it most me less the 10 years old.

many states/Provinces will not let you to refill them is they are too old

Titus · 12-15-2018, 06:26 AM

waninae39
I assume that you have the removable propane storage containers mounted on the hitch. Those type of containers are called cylinders. They must be recertified when the are 12 years old and every 5 years thereafter. The kind of storage container that we have on the Interstate is called a propane tank. Tanks are not allowed to be refilled unless they contain a tank manufacturers nameplate. That nameplate is the subject of this thread. If that nameplate is not present then it is not a propane tank, and cannot be refilled with propane. From what I can tell there are no rules about the condition of the tank other than the label being present and readable. Weird...

eubank · 12-15-2018, 06:51 AM

waninae39 is in Canada, which has different laws governing propane. Kind of like in the US, part of it is federal and part is provincial, from my limited understanding.

Lynn

Quote:

Originally Posted by Titus

waninae39
I assume that you have the removable propane storage containers mounted on the hitch. Those type of containers are called cylinders. They must be recertified when the are 12 years old and every 5 years thereafter. The kind of storage container that we have on the Interstate is called a propane tank. Tanks are not allowed to be refilled unless they contain a tank manufacturers nameplate. That nameplate is the subject of this thread. If that nameplate is not present then it is not a propane tank, and cannot be refilled with propane. From what I can tell there are no rules about the condition of the tank other than the label being present and readable. Weird...