Getting propane tanks in and out

[Mondooker]

Hi guys, Like many of you I have a 30 lb. propane tank on each side of my coach. The older we get the harder it is to get them in and out especially when full. Has anyone seen anything or know of anything to make this job easier?

Some 5’ers have slide out trays which have to help. But if not, how can the job be made easier?

[ralphnjoann]

My wife and I used to stay in an RV park in the Arizona desert a couple of months every winter. We had a fifth wheel and every 7 to 10 days, I had to refill one of our 30# propane tanks. The tank door was located under the trailer overhang. If empty, a tank was easy to remove; tilt, pull out, and drop to the ground. Putting it back in when full was another matter. It was extremely difficult to do; tilt, lift up, slide into the compartment and push up vertically all the while on my knees, bent over, under the overhang.

To make this a once-a-winter chore, I replaced one of the regulator pigtails with one that was 36" long and hooked it to the tank on the same side. The regulator was set to draw from this tank. When the tank emptied, the regulator would switch over to the other full tank at which point I removed the empty and had it refilled. Upon returning, I left the tank on the ground, hooked up the 3' hose and switched the regulator back.

Very little propane was drawn from the "backup" tank during our entire stay, so it never needed a refill.

[rhagfo]

fj12ryder wrote:

Mondooker wrote:
I don’t know about anyone else but I’m learning a bunch from this thread. I didn’t know you paid more by swapping tanks. I guess it makes sense but I didn’t know it. Do the tank swapping companies keep the 10 under the 10 year certification limit?

You will usually pay more by swapping tanks, but it depends on the places available to fill tanks. Some charge by the weight, i.e. gallons, but others charge by the fill. So if you take in a partial tank, they would charge you for a fill, regardless of how much they actually put in.

Yes, the exchange places only have tanks with 15 lbs. rather than 20 lbs. Rhino started this a few years ago as a money grab, and now they all do it. There is a local filler here who will try to tell you that it isn't legal, or safe, to fill them past 15 lbs.! Just a simple money grab, as he charges by the fill, and not by the gallon. Total ripoff.

Here in the PNW, they fill by the gallon and I have always only been charged for what was added to the tank. Our 30# tanks have taken 7.2 gallons before, usually between 6.9 and 7.1.
DW prefers cooking with gas, and we use for quick recovery of hot water. We use about a 30# tank a month.

[Cummins12V98]

MFL wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Someone is always available to assist if a person just asks. ORRRRR many places have a propane truck come by to at your campsite.

My thought on getting a difficult job done, is work smarter/if their is a will, there is a way! I always hated asking for help. I do have a couple young helper choices on speed dial if I really need someone. The tip they receive, makes them anxious to help, and they always say "call me anytime" when they leave.

Jerry

Best part is you are teaching they work and get rewarded.

[fj12ryder]

valhalla360 wrote:

fj12ryder wrote:
So if you take in a partial tank, they would charge you for a fill, regardless of how much they actually put in.

Bit of a red herring:

Except for tiny RVs (think 15-18ft bumper pulls or tent campers), which are almost always using 20# tanks anyway, they have 2 tanks. You run one dry, switch to the 2nd and then look for a place to fill.

Result...you would almost never take a tank in unless it's empty.

That is the way it should be, but many times people will try to be "pro-active" and make sure their tanks were completely full before they head out somewhere, or before they have a big BBQ planned. I'll bet it happens more than you think.

[MFL]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Someone is always available to assist if a person just asks. ORRRRR many places have a propane truck come by to at your campsite.

My thought on getting a difficult job done, is work smarter/if their is a will, there is a way! I always hated asking for help. I do have a couple young helper choices on speed dial if I really need someone. The tip they receive, makes them anxious to help, and they always say "call me anytime" when they leave.

Jerry

[valhalla360]

fj12ryder wrote:
So if you take in a partial tank, they would charge you for a fill, regardless of how much they actually put in.

Bit of a red herring:

Except for tiny RVs (think 15-18ft bumper pulls or tent campers), which are almost always using 20# tanks anyway, they have 2 tanks. You run one dry, switch to the 2nd and then look for a place to fill.

Result...you would almost never take a tank in unless it's empty.

[Mondooker]

Both points are well taken guys and I thank you for each opinion. As we age both opinions apply depending on the day? 🙂

[Cummins12V98]

Someone is always available to assist if a person just asks. ORRRRR many places have a propane truck come by to at your campsite.

[Durb]

Mondooker wrote:
As Cummins12V98, so delicately said, the 1/3 tank is not a reasonable approach. Not if you need to run your genny for the evening for the air conditioning. That 1/3 tank would be swallowed up in a hurry.

It is if you can't lift a full cylinder. Let's see, lift a third full cylinder three times. Or, lift a completely full cylinder zero times because you are unable. Which allows you more propane?

To deny we might have to accept compromises as we age is delusional. I buy readymix in the 60 pound bags instead of the 90 pound bags now because I am more comfortable with the weight. Sure, I have to use more bags, that's the way the math works.

[Mondooker]

As Cummins12V98, so delicately said, the 1/3 tank is not a reasonable approach. Not if you need to run your genny for the evening for the air conditioning. That 1/3 tank would be swallowed up in a hurry.

[Cummins12V98]

" Sometimes we have to compromise as we age."

SCREW that!!!

[Durb]

Pretty simple. Run your cylinders to empty and then refill them to 1/3 of capacity. No law saying they have to be refilled completely. No need to buy 20# cylinders. You will have to do it more often, but they will be lighter to remove/install. Sometimes we have to compromise as we age.

[Jim-Linda]

Late to the show but if you happen to have side by side tanks, this may help. Our NuWa has the tanks on a slide out tray that puts them clear of the body. Disconnect hose on empty, loosen hold down handle and tilt outward, reverse to install. Unsure if one could find such tray in salvage yard, but I forget the company name that has slides trays in several designs.

Jim

[Mondooker]

Hi BO, Even for the younger folks these large tanks are difficult to deal with. I’m surprised, especially for a fifth wheel, that someone hasn’t come up with an easy way to get them in and out. Just putting them on a slide would help but getting them up and dow so much the better. Even as a $200 option, I’d pay it in a minute. Even the Macho-Men would because it would help in resale.