For my two propane tanks I can not tell how much gas is in each of the tanks. These are large/ heavy tanks, back inside a pull out tray on the side of the 5th wheel. Is this brand a good one, Astor Pressure Propane Tank Gauge? Don't want to have to unhook the tanks, pull them out and take them to be refilled if they a near full or run out in the middle of a trip.

I've not heard any good recommendations for pressure gauges to accomplish what you want to see. Propane cylinders will keep up the pressure just about all the way to "almost empty" ... pressure doesn't vary much with the LP level.2 methods that work for many of us are (singularly or combination of both):1. Auto change over valve - standard (?) in nearly all the RVs now, I think. I use a grease pencil on the tanks to indicate fill date and selection date when I put a full cylinder in, and the date I point the change over valve handle at the selected cylinder. I then check it with some regularity (daily or whenever I think about it?) and note when the flag goes red, switch the regulator handle to the other cylinder, mark the date and know I now need to fill the now empty cylinder sometime within or well before the "usage window" that the first bottle gave me.2. Pour a cup of hot water down the side of the cylinder and observe the frost line (or feel for the cold/hot demarcation line with my hand) to get an idea of how much LP remaining in that cylinder.

Only one is going to go empty at a time.When Indicator goes from GREEN to RED.....swap indicator lever to other cylinderThen remove the empty one and go get it refilled.TWO 30# cylinders (14 gallons) will last a long timeFTng we went 6 weeks on ONE 30#Pressure inside cyliders doesn't change a lot until almost emptyOverthinking the issue.

I have a buddy that has one of these, AND LOVES IT - Trauma gauge and it seams to be pretty accurate....

ford truck guy wrote:I have a buddy that has one of these, AND LOVES IT - Trauma gauge and it seams to be pretty accurate....X2 this is what I have been using for a few years now works pretty well But you still have to check several times on the side of the tank to be accurate, the only reason I check my tanks is because I try to stay on the easier tank to remove and fill , they are back to back and no slide out tray so in order to fill the back one I have to remove them both , So I try to stay on the outer tank and used the inner as a backup , but back to the point the device works pretty well ,

To expand on what's stated above, the cheap screw on gauges are absolutely worthless. Propane is stored under pressure as a liquid and it boils off at -22f creating the pressurized gas at the top of the tank. That is why when you turn over a small propane bottle you feel liquid sloshing around inside. Your appliances use the propane vapor at the top and not the liquid. So as the propane vapor is used to power the appliances the liquid boils up more gas. If you screw one of those cheap gauges on the valve it will read full right up until all the liquid is boiled off and then the gauge drops to empty. In order to get the true level you need a tank with a gauge that floats on the liquid propane. Aside form a float gauge you can use the hot water trick or one of the electronic devices as linked above.

Propane Tank Gauge,recomendations please | Good Sam Community

time2roll
Nomad
Nov 11, 2019
I leave both mine on. Don't like running outside in the cold at 2am to flip a valve on.

The red will stay red every single day to continue the reminder to actually fill the cylinder.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Nov 11, 2019
Chuck .. wrote:
... These are large/ heavy tanks, back inside a pull out tray on the side of the 5th wheel. ...

What size are these tanks?

I have always run only one tank at a time, even with the automatic cross over system. One tank valve is always closed tight. When the first tank run empty, I switch over to the second tank and close off the first tank. Then, absolute first chance I get, take the empty tank for a fill up and keep repeating. I've never run out of propane doing it this way .... except! This last week-end.

I don't know how I miss calculated, but both tanks were empty. Furnace went out and I've been scratching my head ever since wondering when the first tank ran out and switched over and then did not get the tank refilled immediately. Wife says it was last week-end and due to things going on, we couldn't take in it for an immediate refill. I switched over and another week past. I simply don't remember.

We use our camper every day, and we are going through about 1 thirty pound tank a week right now, running the furnace. During the Summer months, we went 6 months on 1 tank.
RobWNY
Explorer
Nov 11, 2019
I use one of these. A full 30 pound tank weighs 55 pounds. Approximately 25 pounds when empty. Whatever it weighs on the scale, tells me how much propane I have left.
dapperdan
Explorer
Nov 11, 2019
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Only one is going to go empty at a time.
When Indicator goes from GREEN to RED.....swap indicator lever to other cylinder
Then remove the empty one and go get it refilled.

TWO 30# cylinders (14 gallons) will last a long time

FTng we went 6 weeks on ONE 30#

Pressure inside cyliders doesn't change a lot until almost empty
Overthinking the issue.

We've been using this method for 10 years now, works GREAT for us! One tank valve open, one closed. When tank "A" is empty switch to tank "B" and when it's convienent, get tank "A" refilled. Old Biscuit is spot on!! 30# tank will last a good long time unless you're running the "h" out of your furnace! :B

Dan
ford_truck_guy
Nomad
Nov 11, 2019
Roger10378 wrote:
The other one that works quite well is the Mopeka. The only problem that I have had with it is that the battery life is only about a year(or less in cold weather). It uses sonar to check for the height of the liquid/gas interface. I ended up making a remote battery system for mine so that the battery can be changed without removing the propane bottle.

I had this on my system a year or so ago, tossed it out after a few months.... Couldn't get the meter to register the tanks, got new batteries, got new scanners, still nothing

Was too frustrated in messing with that stuff . . .
2oldman
Explorer II
Nov 11, 2019
Chuck .. wrote:
Don't want to have to unhook the tanks, pull them out and take them to be refilled if they a near full or run out in the middle of a trip.
Well, if you do that it's easy to tell if they're near full.. assuming you've ever lifted a full one.

Simply unhook the strap and rock them. That way it's easy to tell how much is left.
Roger10378
Explorer II
Nov 11, 2019
The other one that works quite well is the Mopeka. The only problem that I have had with it is that the battery life is only about a year(or less in cold weather). It uses sonar to check for the height of the liquid/gas interface. I ended up making a remote battery system for mine so that the battery can be changed without removing the propane bottle.
time2roll
Nomad
Nov 11, 2019
The existing automatic regulator should indicate the empty cylinder. There will be a pointer that indicates the primary cylinder. Check that the pointer is actually pointed at one or the other... not in the middle. When you remove and fill the indicated empty, switch the pointer to the opposite cylinder.

Repeat each time you see the red indicator. Check daily during heavy propane use.
ford_truck_guy
Nomad
Nov 11, 2019
MFL wrote:
ford truck guy wrote:
I have a buddy that has one of these, AND LOVES IT - Trauma gauge and it seams to be pretty accurate....

kind of similar to the one I use.

Jerry

YUP, I use that one myself.. the one I showed seamed a bit more accurate to me, I really don't think it's an exact science
MFL
Nomad II
Nov 11, 2019
ford truck guy wrote:
I have a buddy that has one of these, AND LOVES IT - Trauma gauge and it seams to be pretty accurate....

kind of similar to the one I use.

Jerry

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Propane Tank Gauge,recomendations please

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