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crewdog1952's avatar
crewdog1952
Explorer
Oct 07, 2021

2013 Arctic Fox 990S

Hey Everybody

We have a 2013 AF 990S and are looking for a propane tank monitor system. I kinda drive my wife crazy wondering how much propane we have left during trips. She would like to get a monitoring system so I will relax. I have looked into it and need some advise. Not a lot of room in the tank area. Any help thanks.

Rancher Don
  • Hello Don,

    I am sure others will chime in, but my opinion relates along the line of the KISS principle. And in keeping true to that then sometime "less is more" and for me it meant NO monitoring system.

    At one time (on one of my campers) the regulator went out. I replaced it with an auto change-over type that never seemed to worked as described- It may have been the below-freezing temperature in which I mostly camped that caused improper operation.

    I had 2 tanks and assume your AF has two as well. Well, the auto change-over never really worked as it seemed it should. I wanted hassle-free gas and one would think that with 2 tanks then it should operate properly.

    Anyway... my priorities were to have plenty of gas, to never run out and to use a tank to its completion so as to never have to "top off a tank." I never wanted to take a tank to the refill station with any partial LP remaining.

    My solution was to use one tank and only one tank to its complete depletion. When it ran out I would manually change over the valve to the other full tank. I never left for a camping trip without at least one full bottle.

    My method was not without effort. There were times when I would hear the furnace not kick in (I am a light sleeper anyway.) Was I getting outside in my skivvies at 3AM in 10 degree temperatures to switch the tank? Well, ...there was at least one time I recall doing so. The nice thing about getting outside during that situation was to take a leak, look up at the clear sky and potential shooting stars... and then rushing back in to a warm bed and camper.

    But, did I have hassle free propane? Yes, for me it was despite an occasional minor inconvenience.

    Perhaps relish in the time of what minor inconveniences there might be... after all, it is camping. There are larger things of which might cause anxiety. Maybe one should be more concerned with how much beer one has instead of propane ;)
    Enjoy the trip and forget small the small stuff.