Propane Tank Mystery

[DavidsonOverlander]

There are 2 steel propane tanks that came with our 64 Overlander. I thought that one of them still had some propane in it because it's 8 pounds heavier than the other, but I can't get any gas out of it. I tried it connected to the regulator and by opening the valve with the tank disconnected, but nothing.

The two tanks appear to be the same in appearance and markings and I'm pretty sure they are original to the trailer.

Any ideas on this one? Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks,

Grant Davidson
Milton, ON, Canada

[TomW]

If one of your tanks has propane in it, you should be able to feel it slosh around.

If your tanks have the new OPD style valves installed, you will not be able to get gas out of it by merely opening the valve. And, with the OPD valve, if you open it too quick, the "protection" will not let any gas out even when you are hooked to a regulator.

Good luck!
Tom

[dscluchfc]

Or, maybe one of the tanks is steel painted silver, and the other is aluminum whiich is silver? Wouldn't that explain the weight difference?

[TomW]

Originally Posted by dscluchfc

Or, maybe one of the tanks is steel painted silver, and the other is aluminum whiich is silver? Wouldn't that explain the weight difference?

A magnet will reveal the truth.

Tom

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by tcwilliams

A magnet will reveal the truth.

Tom

Already tried the magnet, they're both steel. I can't hear anything sloshing around, and they don't have OPDs.

Thanks,

Grant

[dscluchfc]

I would probably buy new aluminum matching LP tanks. I know they are pricy, but it is only money that you can't take to the grave with you. Besides, if you were really concerned about cash, you wouldn't have a trailer anyway. There is hardly any way to economically justify owning one.

[LLB21]

airstreamdreams.com sells new aluminum tanks. The price is good.

[Stefrobrts]

Originally Posted by dscluchfc

I would probably buy new aluminum matching LP tanks. I know they are pricy, but it is only money that you can't take to the grave with you. Besides, if you were really concerned about cash, you wouldn't have a trailer anyway. There is hardly any way to economically justify owning one.

Hey hey hey! I spent months convincing my husband it was the most economical way to vacation before he would let me buy ours - don't let him hear you say that!

TCWilliams, I never heard about the protection and opening the valves too quick.

[dscluchfc]

Steph...let's assume that you paid $5000 for your trailer.....then there is maintenence, and tags, and insurance, and maintenence, and this and that's for it....how many motel rooms a year would that buy invested properly?
You can't put a price on having your home following you is the point of owning an Airstream, I think.
....just my 2 cents....

[Stefrobrts]

Oh no, I agree with you, I'm just saying don't spread it around - it's our little secret

Of course, after vacationing in my Airstream, you'd have to PAY me to stay in a hotel room, not the other way around...

[TomW]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

TCWilliams, I never heard about the protection and opening the valves too quick.

I have not personally experienced it, but read about it in another post. Some people appararently also have problems when the tank is less than full.

That being said, I do not know how widespread the problems are, but it is something to keep in mind if your tank does not deliver gas when you want it to.

Tom

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by tcwilliams

I have not personally experienced it, but read about it in another post. Some people appararently also have problems when the tank is less than full.

That being said, I do not know how widespread the problems are, but it is something to keep in mind if your tank does not deliver gas when you want it to.

Tom

My dad has had the Dometic refrigerator out of his SOB 4 times in the last month. Every time he bench tested it, it worked fine but when he put it back in his unit it would not work. In desperation he changed the regulator on the LP system and has not had a problem since.

[mcneon]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

TCWilliams, I never heard about the protection and opening the valves too quick.

Many modern propane systems use a safety device called an excess-flow POL. This is the fitting that attaches to the tank, usually right at the input to the regulator. It will typically have a very small hole in the end, as well as a spring-loaded plunger inside. The purpose of this device is to limit the maximum flow rate of propane from the tank.

If you open the propane tank valve too quickly, the plunger will cut the gas flow to a trickle. This limited flow will be maintained until the pressure equalizes up- and downstream of the POL and the plunger resets. If you have a major failure - say a gas line breaks off - the POL will keep the propane from gushing out and becoming a huge fire hazard.

Excess-flow POLs are sized in BTUs. If all the propane devices in your trailer add up to, say, 55,000 BTU, you might have a POL rated at 75,000 BTU.

This is a great safety device, although not all RV shops know about them. I once had a parts salesman tell me that there was no such thing. Coincidentally, he only carried a non-limited POL with about a 1/4" hole in it!

Useless trivia: the POL got its name from one of the early makers of gas-fired appliances, Prest-O-Lite.

Bob McKeown
Nashville

[markdoane]

Bob,
Great information!
Thanks.

[eubank]

Originally Posted by DavidsonOverlander

I thought that one of them still had some propane in it because it's 8 pounds heavier than the other

Grant, look at the markings around the collar of the tanks. One of the markings should have the letters TW followed by some numbers. TW stands for Tare Weight, which refers to the weight of the tank without propane. If you have an empty tank, it should weight at or near the TW.

If both tanks are the standard 7-gallon size, their TWs should be fairly close, though not necessarily identical. Our two tanks were bought side-by-side, same store, same manufacturer. They have different TWs.


Lynn

[DavidsonOverlander]

Originally Posted by eubank

Grant, look at the markings around the collar of the tanks. One of the markings should have the letters TW followed by some numbers. TW stands for Tare Weight, which refers to the weight of the tank without propane. If you have an empty tank, it should weight at or near the TW.

If both tanks are the standard 7-gallon size, their TWs should be fairly close, though not necessarily identical. Our two tanks were bought side-by-side, same store, same manufacturer. They have different TWs.


Lynn

Thanks Lynn, I guess the difference in weight is not due to propane. One tank has a TW of 24, the other is 30 1/2. They appear to be the same, but maybe were made by different manufacturers.
I've ordered 2 aluminum tanks from Airstream Dreams and I have a new regulator that I got from Inland RV, so hopefully I will soon be able to try out the stove, fridge, furnace and water heater.

Grant