mounting a propane tank to bumper

Propane is way safer in emergency than gasoline or diesel.
I witnessed 300 gallons tank blow -up. Due to lot of energy propane needs to evaporate- the burn-out was self-controlled and lasted over 1 hr.
Fire Dept pulled the hoses and was waiting without opening the water.
Than commercial tank has safety latch, that cylinders lack.
Typical cylinders don't even have safety valve.

Back in the early 80' we were doing LP conversions on vehicles and people used to always say, "my god, I'd never drive a vehicle with that ticking time bomb on-board".

The fact back then was an "correctly installed" conversion was something like 56 times safer than the vehicles factory gas tank during a serious accident.

Everyone's wants and needs are different.

I hate the heat and doubt I'll ever go camping where my camper sits out in the direct sunlight all day when it in the upper 90s, I hate the heat. Did I already mention that I hate the heat? ;)

I can take about 22 gallons with me. Its too early for me to tell how many day's that will last me.

G-Dog wrote:
Lol at bringing 2, 100lb bottles camping for elk season!
You said a 30lb'er lasts you 3-6 days and you bring enough for an extra 4-6 weeks?

Reading comp is not a strong point huh..LOL

I said I usually take one(1) and that I have two(2)...I have two(2) because when I was full-timing I had one for each side plumbed into my TT for 100% out in the hills with no RV park or even in a mobile home spot,they would stop by and fill the 100# tanks when they filled the big mobile home tanks..

And just for the record,when out hunting 100 miles from the nearest propane or gas pump,you can't have enough propane or gasoline and why I always take enough of both...5 gallons of gas to those that don't think ahead is worth a case of beer or a fifth way out there and there glad to trade..Laughing

I would frame mount a DOT LPG tank. Especially on a dually pickup.

Then I would fill it up and have propane for whatever I “need” it for. It doesn’t go bad.

Grit dog wrote:
5 pages later....yes in the very first post, the OP said his need for more propane was to run a built in propane generator.

Yeah, generator, but for what purpose? Running AC, charging batteries, watching movies, welding, powering a small house, running his fridge on generator ... what?

In other words, does he actually need a lot of propane or just thinking he will. Generators use more power when they are under a load.

5 pages later....yes in the very first post, the OP said his need for more propane was to run a built in propane generator.

Lol at bringing 2, 100lb bottles camping for elk season!
You said a 30lb'er lasts you 3-6 days and you bring enough for an extra 4-6 weeks?

The most extreme time was at Arches NP in July or August several years ago. We managed to get some hiking in before it got too hot one day, but when we got back to the camper it was well over 100 degrees, and the sun was shining directly on the corner of the camper where the built-in Generac is installed. The outside of the camper was too hot to even touch. I started the generator up to cool the camper off so we could rest and get cleaned up before getting on the road, and it ran for about 15 minutes before its over-temp limit switch shut it down. That figures.

Humm,interesting..I have had a Yamaha portable gen do that exact same thing but not one of the built in Onan's I have had in a couple Class C's..My Honda 3K has not done that either..

I am on the fence about having or not having a built in gen in my last and final TC..In the Class C's I have owned they came in real handy and ran in blistering heat without issue but then it was gasoline Onan's not propane..I have heard a bunch of stories of trouble with Onan generators but I have never had any trouble,myself..But I used them alot,not just once in a while..

During a typical hunting trip of 1-2 weeks,I used an average of a 7 gallon bottle every 3-4 days maybe even 5-6 depending on temps..That is why I have two 25 gallon bottles that I usually take atleast one because refilling propane 100 miles from anywhere, is not an option..

My need for a TC mounted gen would only be for trips to the city for medical needs and stays not in a motel room..I do have the window AC that works great but that needs a gen set and would be not advised in a Walmart or city hide-away,even temporarily..

So like the op but for my reasons,carrying an extra tank or two makes sense for those times you did not plan on for the AC or furnace/Cat heater..

IMHO all TC's should have two 30# propane bottles which would solve a lot of issues while two 20#,especially if exchanged,don't fill the needs of longer stay's in extreme temps...

If the op does a google search he will find many propane tank holders that will bolt to that huge bumper found on most new truck campers to carry anything from propane bottles to even a small Honda or Yamaha..Lots of room there for extra's..

jaycocreek wrote:
We all use our TC's differently and you can't walk in another mans shoes unless you take his path which may or may not be totally different than yours making his needs completely different than yours.

Maybe my TC is more insulated than yours, but that wasn’t the point. I wear clothes in winter, so I don’t need my TC at 70+. Reducing the temperature drastically reduces the amount of propane used. I didn’t say OP or you should/should not do whatever he or you want.

Just wondering what he’s doing since he hasn’t said. Maybe he’s going hunting in Montana, or riding an ATV, but maybe not. If he’s using the propane for his generator, then he should consider a gasoline generator solution.

As I said, propane generators are convenient, but expensive to use.

Ron, I’ve done a version of both of those scenarios myself. In both instances though, I didn’t and wouldn’t recommend relying on the LP generator for long continuous use. Besides the higher fuel consumption, there are a couple of potential drawbacks to using a built-in LP powered generator in extreme temperatures that you need to be aware of.

The first was a planned trip, so there was plenty of time to prepare. It became clear pretty quick that I was going to need more than just extra propane, and I wasn’t going to be able to carry it all in the camper and truck. So, I borrowed a small cargo trailer and used it to haul extra propane, gasoline for the generator, water, etc. I took more than enough fuel for the trip, and used a combination of the campers furnace, and an electric heater to keep things warm. The Yamaha didn’t run 24x7, but it ran a lot. The Generac was used at least once a day and it never failed to start, but the temps never got down below the mid teens at night. I wouldn’t want to rely on it as our only source of power in dangerously cold weather though. I would always want a backup means of generating power in case of a problem with the LP flow in extreme low temps.

The other extreme has only been experienced a few times, mainly because as I said the “want to” factor just isn’t there for us.

The most extreme time was at Arches NP in July or August several years ago. We managed to get some hiking in before it got too hot one day, but when we got back to the camper it was well over 100 degrees, and the sun was shining directly on the corner of the camper where the built-in Generac is installed. The outside of the camper was too hot to even touch. I started the generator up to cool the camper off so we could rest and get cleaned up before getting on the road, and it ran for about 15 minutes before its over-temp limit switch shut it down. That figures.

The most recent was a trip we made out west in September last year, and we wanted to visit Joshua Tree NP. It was still pretty hot then, but we don’t make it out that way often, so we just decided to tough it out. Spent two nights at Jumbo rocks, and the daytime high was about 113. The campground has set generator hours, so we couldn’t use the built-in for air conditioning. 113 degrees is HOT, even with the low humidity. From about noon to 5pm, about the only thing we could do was stay out of the sun. I managed to keep the camper just under 100 degrees inside by using our awnings to keep the direct sun off of the camper as much as possible, and the fantastic fan. Fortunately, it cooled off enough at night to sleep.

But, and this is for Kayteg just to prove my heat and humidity “bona fides” (Information that serves to guarantee a person's good faith, standing, and reputation; authentic credentials), back when I was a poor young man living in the Florida panhandle in an uninsulated, flat-roof, 700 sq ft “bungalow” (actually more of a shack), that only had a window air conditioner that we couldn’t afford to run very often, I spent many a hot summer night sleeping in 90+ degree heat with 90+ percent humidity with only a fan in an open window for comfort. You do what you can afford to do.

:):)

jimh425 wrote:
jaycocreek, I usually only fill my tanks up once or twice per year. I only use my generator to top off the batteries. I’m pretty sure I’m only around 60-70 hrs on my generator in 13 years. With LEDs and using the sunscreen cloth I just don’t use that much propane. When I’m moving, my batteries top off with the truck since we don’t use that much battery power.

Frankly, if I was going to stay inside all of the time, I would probably just stay home. I can understand if you are forced to hangout while kids are doing an event, etc. But otherwise, how much AC are you going to need with the exception of Southeast with high humidity and high temperature late into the night.

So, again, what’s the OP doing that he needs 4 tanks for one trip? If it’s generator, he’d be better off moving to a gasoline model. Propane is one of the most expensive/inefficient fuels for a generator. Not to mention they make a lot more noise.

In TC generators are convenient, but they are also the most expensive generator solution.

Jim..1-Try going hunting for a week in October or November in Idaho or Montana and see how much propane you use to stay warm and keep the lines from freezing..2-5 gallon tanks just don't cut it.

2-Spend all day out on your ATV or fishing/whatever and come back to a TC that has done nothing but act like an oven all day when you were gone and it's 95 degrees out and see just how long you have to run the genny to cool it down and it's still 95 outside and your just pain tired..

We all use our TC's differently and you can't walk in another mans shoes unless you take his path which may or may not be totally different than yours making his needs completely different than yours.