Want to Trade my 30lb Propane Tanks for your 20lb Tanks

[AlanMcD]

Sent you a message this morning, Susan.

[new2trailer]

"Get a tow vehicle that won't need any "improvements". Improve the AS, Never mind, yours seems made-up."

I find the above advice short sighted. Buying a humongous truck, only good to drive when you are towing is, to me, shortsighted unless you live in your trailer.

Why saddle oneself with a fat piece of iron that is only used occasionally to tow a trailer. I liked towing with a Porsche Cayenne and I loved driving the Cayenne when not hitched up.

The only advantage, I can see, to having a pickup, is the amount of garp that can be put in the pickup bed. The biggest advantage of the bed, is a place to store gasoline and the generator. The rest of the advantages can be much more cheaply addressed by improving a current tow vehicle rather than buying a pickup truck which to me is the most expensive improvement one can make.

To the OP, enjoy your wonderful tow vehicle.

Mike

[blacklab]

I suppose it depends on the brand, but according to the Worthington tank website, there is a 6.3 lb difference in empty weights between the steel 30 lb (23.3 lbs) and the steel 20 lb (17 lbs).

Cheers,

Bryan

[avonroemer]

I have learned that the truck’s GVWR is the limiting factor for what I can tow/carry. I have plenty of tow weight available and extra axle load, but when I put the entire rig on a scale, the addition of the front axle weight and the rear axle weight, which includes the real truck weight, tongue load, and passengers/gear in the truck, I am bumping up against the GVWR limit shown on the door sticker.
Mine is a Tundra with a 7100 lb GVWR, and towing my 23D and the gear I take camping comes up to that number. That is not a big trailer, max weight 6000 lbs., and the truck has a tow capacity of 9900 lbs., but I am still at the limit of what the truck can handle safely. Most 1/2 ton trucks I have researched have a similar GVWR, or less.
So, the CAT scale is your friend, I use it often if I change what I carry on any specific trip.

[AldeanFan]

I think I started a similar thread asking if there was any reason not to change to 20lb tanks.

I have plenty of truck for my little trailer but it seems senseless to carry so much propane. I’ve filled one out of the two 30lb tanks in almost 10 years, so I’ve been carrying between 30 and 60 pounds of propane this whole time!

When my tanks get empty I’ll just buy two new 20lb tanks at Costco to replace them.

[syclone93]

At the risk of criticism I will state my personal opinion. I have never , not one time had a situation that required fine tuning such as reducing tongue weight by a relatively insignificant amount. Why not simply fill the tanks 1/2 full - zero cost- zero change and you accomplish your goal. And you still have the larger tanks should a long stay require more propane. You can usually fill close to most campgrounds. Beyond that I am baffled why people buy TV’s that are right on the ragged edge of what is needed. And then have to apply bandaids to solve the issue of towing too much with too little. There are such great tow vehicles on the market that easily work as everyday drivers. I’m old and have towed a very long time without worrying about WD hitches and sway controls just to make an inadequate vehicle get by. There is no sense in commenting on the tow vehicles that seem to require these bandaids because my opinion will certainly irritate quite a few people. If you can afford an AS you should be able to afford a TV that will safely get you there without heroics. Just my opinion

[AldeanFan]

It’s too bad that so many topics end up as criticisms of potential tow vehicles.

Guy asks if anyone wants to swap tanks, too bad we couldn’t just talk about swapping propane tanks.

[redthies]

Originally Posted by syclone93

At the risk of criticism I will state my personal opinion. I have never , not one time had a situation that required fine tuning. I am baffled why people buy TV’s that are right on the ragged edge of what is needed. I have towed a very long time without worrying about WD hitches and sway controls just to make an inadequate vehicle get by.

I’m paraphrasing you syclone, but I agree 100%. I tow with an appropriate vehicle and do not have a need to do weird adjustments to tow safely. I have a Class A (semi truck) license, am a product evaluator for one of the largest RV towing component manufacturers in North America, and build custom trailers for a living. But what do I know?

A word of caution to the OP... Can Am is notorious for selling everyone that comes through the door (or web portal) on the Hensley hitches. Keep in mind that these hitches weigh close to 200 lbs and that is weight directly on your hitch. Any weight savings you make by getting rid of things you actually need, will be brought right back with that hitch.

Flame away Hensley fans! I’m immune to your kool-aid!

[redthies]

Originally Posted by AldeanFan

It’s too bad that so many topics end up as criticisms of potential tow vehicles.

Guy asks if anyone wants to swap tanks, too bad we couldn’t just talk about swapping propane tanks.

That would have happened if they had just posted “I want to swap my 30 lb bottles for your 20s” and left it at that. The choice to get in to the whole tow rig and tongue weight debacle is on them.

[syclone93]

Originally Posted by redthies

That would have happened if they had just posted “I want to swap my 30 lb bottles for your 20s” and left it at that. The choice to get in to the whole tow rig and tongue weight debacle is on them.

You make a valid point- it was a simple question that could have a simple answer. However, the forums are tools to try and help each other. Silly me but I have no idea who is asking a question and what the reason may be. I also don’t know the person asking the question or their level of expertise in the area we are talking about. I certainly am not the sharpest tool in the shed. But I have towed a bit over the past 40/50 years. My comments are only to try and help. Common sense from the question would indicate there is a problem with tongue weight, if that is the case and changing propane bottles will help it’s my opinion the issue needs more attention. If this is reading too much into the question I apologize. I only comment to help. Towing is a very touchy subject and I respond only when I think a slightly different point of view may help.

[redthies]

Tow set up is THE touchy subject around here. I seldom weigh in (pun intended) on it as well, but as I get older, I care less and less what people think of me, and try to impart some of the knowledge I’ve gained to those that haven’t towed regularly for 30+ years. It’s up to the reader to decide how they want to use that info.

For the record, I tow my 29’ trailer with the same thing I tow my boat, car trailer etc. A single rear wheel longbox diesel 3500 4x4. 8” forged drop hitch with no WD or sway do-dad’s. My theory is like yours syclone... have enough vehicle up front to control what’s out back.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by new2trailer

"Get a tow vehicle that won't need any "improvements". Improve the AS, Never mind, yours seems made-up."

I find the above advice short sighted. Buying a humongous truck, only good to drive when you are towing is, to me, shortsighted unless you live in your trailer.
To the OP, enjoy your wonderful tow vehicle.

Mike

That's my quote, and neither the word humongous nor truck is in it.🤔
If a persons mind is made up about leaving 'stuff' behind just so a marginal TV will work...so be it.👍

Bob
🇺🇸

[Steamy1]

by my calculations:

per tank/two tanks

weight diff 30 lb steel to 20 lb steel full: -27.8/-55.6
weight diff 30 lb alum to 20 lb alum full: -21.8/-43.6
weight diff 30 lb steel to 20 lb alum full: -30.6/-61.2

Obviously the biggest weight saving gain is by converting two (2) 30 lb. steel tanks to two (2) 20 lb. aluminum tanks.

A total of 39.6 lbs for two tanks could be saved by just filling 30 lb steel tanks (2) with 4.7 gal of propane instead of the 9.4 to full capacity at 4.2 lbs per gallon.

[B. Cole]

Originally Posted by redthies

I’m paraphrasing you syclone, but I agree 100%. I tow with an appropriate vehicle and do not have a need to do weird adjustments to tow safely. I have a Class A (semi truck) license, am a product evaluator for one of the largest RV towing component manufacturers in North America, and build custom trailers for a living. But what do I know?

A word of caution to the OP... Can Am is notorious for selling everyone that comes through the door (or web portal) on the Hensley hitches. Keep in mind that these hitches weigh close to 200 lbs and that is weight directly on your hitch. Any weight savings you make by getting rid of things you actually need, will be brought right back with that hitch.

Flame away Hensley fans! I’m immune to your kool-aid!

I'm in total agreement.
Those Canadians,specialize in luxury foreign made underpowered tow vehicle owners, like Porsche owners, who want to look cool towing a big trailer with a underpowered tow vehicle.
As with towing anything, things that look good on paper, are ok, until they hit real world road towing issues, and suddenly the rig is upside down.

[AldeanFan]

You’re suggesting that a Porsche is underpowered?

[Shiny16]

Originally Posted by WEBOPS

I'm consulting with CanAm regarding the towing setup. I'm pairing the new Land Rover Defender 110 HSE with a Globetrotter 27FBT. The Defender has a towing capacity of 8201 lbs, but a max tongue weight of 771 lbs. The Globetrotter's GVWR is 7600. I can shave off about 200lbs from the current tongue weight between the batteries, propane tanks, and spare wheels and tires. I'm also having the factory hitch professionally reinforced.

So once the hitch is professionally reinforced what will the new limits be on the the Range Rover?

[syclone93]

So - I guess this thread has run its course. I so enjoy following threads like this. There are so many opinions. Some of the comments are absolutely outstanding and spot on. Some should not tow and possibly not drive. Just my opinion.

[redthies]

Originally Posted by B. Cole

I'm in total agreement.
Those GUYS specialize in luxury foreign made underpowered tow vehicle owners, like Porsche owners, who want to look cool towing a big trailer with a underpowered tow vehicle.
As with towing anything, things that look good on paper, are ok, until they hit real world road towing issues, and suddenly the rig is upside down.

Fixed it for you. The nationality of the shop has nothing to do with anything.

[B. Cole]

Originally Posted by redthies

Fixed it for you. The nationality of the shop has nothing to do with anything.

Thanks for your virtue signaling edit of my post Karen, but those Canadians would be in violation of American DOT regulations, in some of their "expert" setups.
Hopefully, youll be heading up a American mountain, when one of their clients ( with more $$ $ than brains) ��has their under powered little Porsche being driven your way,by a too large Airstream!
Always fun to hear from their fan boys+girls though lol

[AldeanFan]

I’m offended by the term “those Canadians” and the implication that we are irresponsible as a result of our nationality.