Switch from 30 lb. to 20 lb.propane tanks?

Find a gas dealer who can recertify your tanks. Cheaper and you get to keep the bigger tanks. Cheaper too.

Yes, they don't hold as much, but instead of 2 bigger ones I now carry 4 smaller ones. Much easier on the back, easier to get in the limited space. I like the exchange stations, although refilling is much cheaper.

Yeah, recertification might be the best way to go. Secondly, swapping out tanks from the many stores that do exchanges only gives you a tank that is 3/4 full at 15#, not the 20# that most believe they are receiving.

If you swap out the 30 pounders for the 20 poundners, you know you have to fill them or exchange them more often. How frequent, depends upon your usage. All of us are different.

But, with the smaller tank, you are right, you can exchange them almost everywhere, which is more convenient, but will require more often. There's always a trade off. Personally, I want to keep my own tanks. Even when used gas grills at home that used 20 pound tanks, I'd keep the same one and have it filled. I just felt better using my own tank where I knew the history of the tank, and knew it's reliability. I don't mind getting refills, even with 20 pounders. It's cheaper than exchanging, but does take a little effort to find a fill station. There again ... there's the trade-off delima.

I did that years ago with our 22' Camper. It made the tongue weight lighter and I was able to get a refill or exchange almost anywhere. I never had to worry about the tanks getting too old due to exchanging them.

Sandia Man wrote:
Yeah, recertification might be the best way to go. Secondly, swapping out tanks from the many stores that do exchanges only gives you a tank that is 3/4 full at 15#, not the 20# that most believe they are receiving.

You weigh them?

JimK wrote:
Will we have a problem with the smaller tanks running out frequently?

Our previous Spree had 30 lb tanks so when we took delivery of our current Coachmen I was initially disappointed to see they were 20 lb tanks. That was 3 yrs ago and not once have I ever come remotely close to running out of propane ... IMO it's a total non-issue and I now in fact prefer 20 pounders if for no other reason than they're so much easier to haul around that 30 pounders.

As many have stated, we're all different. I resent paying more for anything that can be purchased elsewhere less expensively, even figuring in the cost of fuel to transport it.

I've had 6, #30 cylinders re-certified in the last 15 years. 5 were done free with purchase of a fill, the 6th cost $6. Make some calls.

"...I can just take it to any number of stores and exchange it for a full tank..."

The only problem with exchanging for a full tank is that you don't...get a full tank I mean. If you look at the sign, you will see that you now get 15 lbs. with an exchange, not 20 lbs.

JimK wrote:
Well, it happened. Our beloved trailer is now old enough that the 30 lb. propane tanks have expired and can't legally be refilled. I'm considering replacing them with 20 lb. tanks so when one emptys I can just take it to any number of stores and exchange it for a full tank but I'm not sure about the smaller tank capacity. We don't use the trailer nearly as much as we used to - no more 4 mo. FL stays since we got the park model - but when we do use it, it usually includes one long trip of 3-4 weeks out west.
Will we have a problem with the smaller tanks running out frequently?

Hard for us to know your usage. How often did you fill the 30# bottles? Two 20# bottles will give you 2/3 the capacity of two 30#.