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Sheridan · 08-25-2008, 07:59 AM

I’m planning to buy new aluminum propane tanks for my 65 Caravel and I need some help on deciding whether to use 20lb. or 30lb. tanks. I intend to boondock more often than hookup and would use only the standard propane devices; water heater, fridge, stove, heater. I have no idea how long you can boondock in the desert with 2 – 20lb. tanks but I would like to be able to stay a maximum of 7 days.
Also, is the weight on the tongue that big of a difference between 2 - 20lb vs. 2 – 30lb. tanks? The spare tire will be riding on the tongue and I do have an equalizer hitch.
And finally, does anyone have an opinion on the aesthetics of two large tanks on a small trailer or two small tanks on a small trailer?

Boondocker · 08-25-2008, 08:21 AM

The biggest propane user is going to be the heater. Find out how many BTUs it consumes and estimate how much the heat will be on and then you will know how much propane you need. I have 2-30s on the Trade Wind, in the winter I go through a tank every 3-4 days. In June in Colorado I used one tank in about 3 weeks (cold nights as low as mid 20s), the rest of the summer I used another tank and a half maybe. If you are boondocking battery power will be an issue if you are using the furnace (the fan is a power hog) and you will want to think about a generator or solar panels.

Lumatic · 08-25-2008, 09:15 AM

The empty weight difference between aluminium 20s and 30s is only a couple of pounds. So the total extra tounge weight with 2 full tanks should be around 25#. I don't think that would be a problem. I agree with the General. The determining factor should be how much you plan on using the furnace, I think either 20s or 30s will look just fine.

Just in case you are not aware, You can have new valves put in the old tanks. There are also 40s and 10s available if you are a real hardcore boondocker, now that might be an aesthetic issue.