Propane tank question.

When the propane is in use look at the condensation on the tank. You will then know how full it is.

bguy wrote:
Just leave one tank valve closed while you use the other tank. When your propane goes out, switch tanks. You now know you will always have 20lb propane in reserve. Now you go fill the empty tank.

That's what I do...works fine

Gauges are pressure sensitive, not volume, so it will read a high pressure until the tank is almost empty. I have an auto-changeover regulator, but I only open one tank at a time. Since we camp only where there are hookups, we only use propane for minimal cooking inside and the outdoor grill and stove. I don't want it to switch without me knowing it and suddenly have two empty tanks. JMO.

Just leave one tank valve closed while you use the other tank. When your propane goes out, switch tanks. You now know you will always have 20lb propane in reserve. Now you go fill the empty tank.

The only "gauge" that works accurately on propane is a float type. (Propane is in liquid form in your tank.) The other accurate way to tell how much fuel is left is by weighing, but that's cumbersome.

For a pretty good ballpark figure:
I've had really good luck with the "hot water" method: a magnetic strip that you stick on the side of the tank. You pour hot water down the side over the strip and where the color changes, that's the remaining fuel level. Five or six bucks at just about any RV parts place, and probably at Walmart in the bbq section.

Here's one online that even includes free shipping :Accu Gauge

From our experience, propane bottles last a long time when used only for cooking and in transit refrigerator use. When you need the furnace then they can get empty pretty fast. There are devices available to monitor how much is left in the bottle but apparently they are not always very reliable. I usually check the bottles by loosening the mounting hardware at the top and lifting up on each bottle to see how heavy each one seems to be. After a while you will also get a sense of how often to fill them based on your usage. After running out of propane in both bottles in CO in November, we have learned to fill up sooner rather than later. Sort of like looking for TV fuel at around half a tank. Sorry this reply is not more scientific but this issue seems to be more of an art than a science for us.

KD4UPL wrote:
There are various gauges and non of them work very well.
I would assume your trailer has an automatic change-over regulator, most do. Connect both tanks, aim the "service" valve toward one of them. You should see a green marker in the clear display window of the regulator. When the service tank is empty the regulator will switch to the other tank and then the marker will show red. This tells you you need to remove the tank the "service" valve is still pointing too and get it refilled.

Excellent advice...exactly what we do with our two 30's.
Forget the on tank gauges...all of them.

There are various gauges and non of them work very well.
I would assume your trailer has an automatic change-over regulator, most do. Connect both tanks, aim the "service" valve toward one of them. You should see a green marker in the clear display window of the regulator. When the service tank is empty the regulator will switch to the other tank and then the marker will show red. This tells you you need to remove the tank the "service" valve is still pointing too and get it refilled.

I have two vertical 20# propane tanks. Is there a device that will tell me when the tanks need re-filling? I really don't want to empty them just to know that they need to be re-filled.

Camping World store has a propane gauge that connects right at the tank opening. So far, they have been accurate on my tanks. About $18 each.