Extra propane tank

Clay L wrote:
I have never seen a propane tank that was filled properly (to 80%) vent due to a normal temperature increase.

Does anyone know what pressure is required to cause venting? With that info one could use the Ideal Gas Law to calculate the temperature at which venting would occur.

From my design engineering days for the automotive environment I know that under dash temps can reach over 200F in direct sun in the AZ desert. (black dash, black car)

CO law allows propane tanks under 40 pound capacity to be transported in a car or car trunk when secured in an upright position. I would expect a closed bay compartment would be the same.

That being said, a defective valve that leaks would not be a good thing in an enclosed area.

We had an unusual leak in the first tank in our 2001 Adventurer. There's a releif plug welded in the bottom of the permanent tanks that's supposed to blow out and let gas escape in case of a fire. It's lighter gauge metal than the rest of the tank so it blows out first and the entire tank doesn't turn into flying shrapnel.

The plug is supposed to be continuously welded around the entire perimeter. Ours wasn't. There was a section about 1/2" long that didn't get welded. On really hot days the pressure in the tank would increase just enough for the gas to leak through the unwelded area.

Unfortunately we found the problem on the 4th of July when all the kids were running around the campground with fireworks. We had to call a local gas company to drain the tank. We spent the holiday without gas and had the tank replced the next week. Fortunately the tank had a 10 year warranty so we only had to pay for another tank of gas.