Chrome Plated LP Tanks

[Killo1]

I want to change my 20lb tanks out for 30lb tanks. I've seen the very nice polished aluminum tanks but with the price of the tank (150 plush shipping x2) and the cost to have someone to polish them (about 125 x2) on top of the maintenance (I'm to lazy to give a value) it seemed inpractical.
I then started to think, CHROME.
I could get a $60 x2 for steel tanks, new, spend about 150-175 x2 for chrome and then all I have to do is whipe them down once in a while.

Anyone do this? Am I crazy? Any thoughts, good or bad?

[flyfshr]

Who on earth quoted you $125 each to polish 30# aluminum tanks? I'd seriously question their integrity and do it myself. Took just about an hour each with the compunder and two different grades of Nuvite. Granted, mine aren't the shiniest ones around but neither is my trailer. Do it yourself with the $ you'd save, you can by the compounder and the polish and use both later. I'm not so sure a shop will crome plate a propane tank anyway. Then you'd have to question whether it would still be certified. Just my $.02 worth.

Brad
FF

[InsideOut]

I agree...go for the aluminum and polish them yourself, it only took me a Saturday afternoon by hand. While I was at it, I did the ice bucket, aluminum serving tray & thermos...No biggie! That was two years ago, and they are still plenty shiny!

Shari

[scottanlily]

Yea,no chrome,

My experience with chrome plating is quite alot as Iv had all of the chrome parts ,bumpers ,trim ,mirrors ,etc on my 68 travelall and my 1950 chevy COE plated , the chrome will peel and flake over time and wheels I had done peeled the first week ,YES IT IS TRUE , just a poor job .Aluminum can corrode under the chrome plating ,seems unlikly ,but BMW and MERCEDES chromed aluminum wheels are known for that .Any way polish them yourself and save that money!!

Scott

[sigv]

Have you thought about perhaps powdercoating them is silver?

[Killo1]

Originally Posted by sigv

Have you thought about perhaps powdercoating them is silver?

Not a bad idea.

[InsideOut]

To powdercaot them, don't you have to either heat them or electrically charge them?
Not so sure that's a good idea...may set you up for a Darwin Award ~

Shari

[Killo1]

Originally Posted by InsideOut

To powdercaot them, don't you have to either heat them or electrically charge them?
Not so sure that's a good idea...may set you up for a Darwin Award ~

Shari

Won't matter. I will be using brand new tanks that have never been filled.

[volvophile]

Part of the 5 year recertification done on my old tanks involved wieghing them when empty and compairing it to their origional weight to determine how much corrosion they had suffered. It seems like this would be a pretty sensitive measurement.
Im not sure how much weight Chrome plating would add, but it might skew the results.

On the other hand, it would look pretty cool.