swapping propane tanks

darsben wrote:
Isn't the blue rhino just a plastic overlay that can be cut off?
Used to be that way

I didn't read all 5 pages of this thread. But, yes, it's just a plastic collar. I always rip them off. My TT does not have a tank cover and I feel the tanks look better without the plastic overlay on them. I even pick through the tank supply at the place where I'm exchanging the tank and find one that has good paint.

I'm going to try the BR gas for a while.

Reasons:

-Convenience. Tank exchanges are at grocery stores, meaning I can avoid that extra trip to Flying J or some other truck stop.
- a bit more expensive, but not that much. Got a 20lb tank for $20 exchange at Lowe's in Las Vegas
- The 30lb tanks are getting to be too heavy for my back
-propane can be difficult to find, especially in smaller towns
- I don't need propane fills all that often as most of my time is in warm weather

And, if I cannot find a BR exchange, the tanks are refillabe.

Alfred, That's why I go to an exchange place where I can peek into the cage and look for the newest dates and when the exchange takes place, I request the one I want... I too was given an old one, but I looked at it before accepting and asked if I could get a newer one.. He didn't care and let me take the newer one..

Good luck!

Mitch

I thought I could do what MitchF150 did. Well I exchanged my outdated tank and wound up with one dated even older than the one I exchanged. Blue Rhino's web site says they recertify their tanks but there were no new markings on the old tank I received.

The only time it pays to do an "exchange" is when the tank you are exchanging is expired or about to expire.. I've taken all my old tanks that were within a few months of expiring and exchanged for 'new' ones that were not more than 6 months to at most a year old...

Paid $20 and got a new tank that's good for another 11-12 years and got some gas in it at the same time.

Once those 'new' tanks empty, I just get them refilled at any station that does that..

Works for me.. You will pay over $30 for a new EMPTY tank in the store.. Then you have to fill it up!! You do the math.. :)

Good luck!

Mitch

The place I get my tank filled on my MH dispenses through a meter. So it doesn't matter how full or empty it is, I just pay for what is dispensed.

If your tank has not been refilled, there is a TW and number stamped on it. That's the empty weight. You can use that number to get an accurate idea of how much gas is left in a non-empty tank.

Also a 20 lb tank should take 4.7 gallons when being refilled from empty.

Grandpere wrote:
I have searched the forums for this topic and cannot locate any information, so please excuse me if this has already been discussed. I am curious about swapping out empty propane tanks for full ones. If I have say Blue Rhino 25 pound tanks and there is no Blue Rhino tank dealer near by will the seller of another brand take my tanks in exchange for his brand? or will I have to buy His brand and then have 2 empty tanks to store along with the new full one? I use the small tanks on our propane BBQ.

You should be able to exchange them at any facility that accepts exchange. I just did that with and outdated tank(non blue-rhino) at Blue-rhino and got a good tank dated 2012(of course it was only 80% of 80% full), so for $18.95 I'm good with it 'till like 2022!? By the way I normally refill all my tanks,
Good Luck!
Billy

Grandpere wrote:
Thanks to all for your replies, and yes I am aware that a full tank is only 80% full, what I did not know was that Blue Rhinos and other brands were only 80% of the 80%. I will get me two tanks and do my best to find places that can refill them.

Ah haaaa! 80% of 80%. Now, therein lies the rub. That would only be 64% of total volume, correct?

Thanks for the replies. We don't even use one 30lb bottle a year. Thought 20s would be better for less hitch weight. The 30s will be out of date next year.
Thanks again.