1952 Propane Tank Questions

[star kitty]

I have been busy renovating a 1967 Globetrotter and went to address the old propane bottles that came with the trailer. Realized they were stamped 1952 - kinda old ha? These are steel (I believe) 20# tanks with new ODP valves. Here are my questions:

1. I have heard I can take these to any retailer that sells propane and exchange them for new tanks. Is this true?

2. If I can exchange them, will the store-bought 20# bottles fit properly on the tongue of the trailer? It appears someone had modified these tanks at the neck to allow them to fit better. You can see the "V" cut out at the top of the bottle in the photo. I don't want to spend money on two new tanks that may not fit my configuration.

3. Do I have to replace this set up with two 20# bottles or am I able to change the size of the tanks? If I purchase only one 20# propane bottle, will that throw off the "balance" on the tongue?

Thank you!

[easyride]

As long as they are not all rusty,you can exchange them.First I would figure out if the notches do serve a purpose.I don`t think 1 tank would make any difference,I run alot with 1 30# full and the other empty. Dave

[star kitty]

Forgot to attach this photo. Dave - they are real rusty!

[easyride]

Don`t think they will take them. Too much trouble to clean& paint,just chuck them,and buy some new ones. Dave

[eubank]

Those are very rusty. And those notches in collar in the one pic won't do you many favors at the propane trade-in place. I'd think trading them in will be hit-or-miss.

Do a lot of telephone shopping before purchasing new ones. Price fluctuations from store to store on these kinds of cylinders can often be enormous.


Lynn

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by star kitty

I have been busy renovating a 1967 Globetrotter and went to address the old propane bottles that came with the trailer. Realized they were stamped 1952 - kinda old ha? These are steel (I believe) 20# tanks with new ODP valves. Here are my questions:

1. I have heard I can take these to any retailer that sells propane and exchange them for new tanks. Is this true?

If you pay the exchange fee you can get an exchange tank which will be newer but not necessarily new. However retailers inspect the incoming tanks to see if they are "exchange worthy" and some may not accept them due to the rust.

2. If I can exchange them, will the store-bought 20# bottles fit properly on the tongue of the trailer? It appears someone had modified these tanks at the neck to allow them to fit better. You can see the "V" cut out at the top of the bottle in the photo. I don't want to spend money on two new tanks that may not fit my configuration.

Are you sure they're both 20# tanks? They don't look like they're the same size in the photo.

In any case, you can get the dimensions here. Aluminum and steel tanks are the same size:

Vertical Aluminum Propane Tanks

3. Do I have to replace this set up with two 20# bottles or am I able to change the size of the tanks? If I purchase only one 20# propane bottle, will that throw off the "balance" on the tongue?

Thank you!

The 20# steel tanks are the cheapest. Smaller tanks won't fit without changing everything. Larger tanks will fit if you extend the rod and the propane plumbing. You can also change to aluminum which is lighter but more expensive. You can use just one bottle if you want. The second bottle was an option in 1967. The second tank is a convenience since you can then let one tank run completely out before refilling.