I filled my propane tank and used it pretty heavy for 2 nights. I had the gas on the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. I am down to 1/3 to 1/4 tank. Is this normal? I have looked for leaks, but cannot find any.

Were you using the furnace as well?If not, that does not seem 'normal' for just the refrigerator..but it would be normal if you were using the hot water and furnace in addition to the fridge over those 2 days.

What kind of RV do you have? Are you using your on-board furnace burning propane? What is the outside temperature where you are at? Are you running gas to heat your water heater? How well insulated is your camper?

If you are using the tank fill level indicator to determine the amount left they are notoriously inaccurate. Look at the meter, then take it to a propane refill station and fill it. See how much you get in. That is the true indication of how much you used.

larryherrington wrote:I filled my propane tank and used it pretty heavy for 2 nights. I had the gas on the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. I am down to 1/3 to 1/4 tank. Is this normal? I have looked for leaks, but cannot find any.The title of your post may have an error in it. The propane tank in your 27 foot Class C is most likely a 40 POUND tank ... thus around 10 gallons, or 12 gallons of raw tank liquid capacity.It sounds like you maybe used the furnace a lot for 2 nights, and 4 to 5 days for the refrigerator sounds like you were drycamping for a total of 4 to 5 days?(By the way, there is no need to keep a propane hot water heater turned on all the time. Just turn it on each time you need it only if it has been off for quite a while since the last use. The water will stay warm enough for most uses for a few hours after each time you have left it on for 15-20 minutes to come to full temperature. There is no need to leave it turned on continuously - thus using propane needlessly just to keep it as hot as possible hour after hour between uses.)What is telling you that you're down that much? Many propane level indicators are not very accurate. Right after having it filled "full", any gage/indicator you might be looking at should only show 75% to 80% of actual raw tank capacity. So ... if it is truly down to 1/3 after 4 to 5 days ... you have actually used only 2/3 of 75% to 80% of the tanks actual raw tank gallon capacity.For instance, it you have 10 gallon propane tank, it will hold only 7.5 to 8 actual gallons of propane after being filled - but the indicator gage showing "around 1/3" after 4 to 5 days of camping will mean that there's around 1/3 of 10 gallons of liquid (propane) left in it - which is around 3.33 gallons of propane left in it. Since you started out with only 7.5 to 8 actual gallons of propane in it, you have actually used only a little more than half of the beginning amount of propane that was in it when filled.If you don't have a leak ... then I wonder if you didn't maybe leave the hot water heater on continuously and maybe use the propane furnace a bit more then you realized?Just as an aside, to me RV propane tank capacity is very important. From reading these forums, it sounds as if very few folks pay attention to propane capacity of any RV that they may be about to purchase ... and then later wish that the tank was larger.

pnichols wrote:The title of your post may have an error in it. The propane tank in your 27 foot Class C is most likely a 40 POUND tank ... thus around 10 gallons, or 12 gallons of raw tank liquid capacity.You got it. The sales brochure states 40 POUNDS not gallons for 9.7 gallons at full.

40 gallon propane tank on 27 freelander | Good Sam Community

18 Replies

WILDEBILL308
Explorer II
Nov 18, 2018
My specks show a 25 gal tank. I just filled it from empty with 18.8 gal of propane to get ready for a trip after Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Propane is running $3.00 a gallon right now.
Bill
Horizon170
Explorer
Nov 17, 2018
I have a 20-23 gallon frame tank plus I carry a 30# along also. I installed the extra hose kit to connect it to. If I'm parked for a while I leave the frame tank off and hook up the 30#.
Marvin
larryherrington
Explorer
Nov 17, 2018
thanks to all for the posts. I will be more careful with my post topics. I did say 40 gal. that is a lot.

thanks to all
77rollalong
Explorer
Nov 16, 2018
I normally go to a place in town that does home propane fills, and they also do 20lb bar-bq tanks and Propane cars and trucks. I normally fill our tank every 4 weekends of use, but I also carry a 20 lb Bar-bq tank that can and has been used when I dont want to have to move the motorhome in the winter, but wanted to work in the camper.
BFL13
Explorer II
Nov 16, 2018
No idea how it is down there, but up here on the Island it is getting hard to find a place that will fill tanks. Lots of places to fill or swap cylindars, but few places that have tank filler pumps (and anybody that knows how). There are "commercial" places for trucks, but I don't think? they do RVs.

So I fill it when I am near one of those few places that do RVs, whether it needs it or not. I am worried that one day, I will have to get one of those extend a stay adapters and go with cylindars.
pnichols
Explorer II
Nov 16, 2018
BF,

23.2 gallons is a great size propane tank for a Class C rig ... I wish mine was that large.

Mine is marked as 17.6 gallons W.C. (water capacity), which means it holds the equivalent of about two 30 lb. bottles when full. The outside area where mine is tucked away could easily hold a tank the size of yours. I just had it replaced before an upcoming trip, but we didn't have the time to get some shop to custom-install a larger size.

It's not that we "need" the extra propane capacity, but the longer time between fill-ups ... the better IMHO.
BFL13
Explorer II
Nov 14, 2018
pnichols wrote:
BFL13 wrote:
I am not up on today's fashions in propane tank size per foot of Class C, but note that 40lb in a 27 footer seems small.

Our 1991 came in three sizes: 24, 26, and 28. The first two had 45 lb tanks and our 28 has a 76 lb tank.

So our 28 is only a foot longer than that new 27, but has a 76 lb tank instead of a 40. Doesn't seem right somehow. What does that 27 have instead of a bigger propane tank?

When you day your 28 has a 76 lb. tank ... does that mean it's about an 18 gallon tank?

If so, that means that the actual lbs. of propane that your tank can hold - after filling to the common legal 80% - is around 60 lbs. of propane.

I was trying to understand how that all works about a year ago, and DrewE explained (after I said the tank is marked 23.2 Gal)

23.2 gallons would be the water capacity. LPG capacity is about 80% of that, allowing for headspace. Thus, when properly filled, it would hold just about exactly 70 liters of LPG, or around 75 pounds, or the equivalent of two and a half 30 lb bottles.
pnichols
Explorer II
Nov 14, 2018
BFL13 wrote:
I am not up on today's fashions in propane tank size per foot of Class C, but note that 40lb in a 27 footer seems small.

Our 1991 came in three sizes: 24, 26, and 28. The first two had 45 lb tanks and our 28 has a 76 lb tank.

So our 28 is only a foot longer than that new 27, but has a 76 lb tank instead of a 40. Doesn't seem right somehow. What does that 27 have instead of a bigger propane tank?

When you day your 28 has a 76 lb. tank ... does that mean it's about an 18 gallon tank?

If so, that means that the actual lbs. of propane that your tank can hold - after filling to the common legal 80% - is around 60 lbs. of propane.
time2roll
Nomad
Nov 13, 2018
40 gallons or 40 pounds? Either way it could just be the gauge is a bit conservative. Have the tank filled and see what was really used.

If it is just 40 pounds that is not much propane and might be right. My 26' trailer carries 2x 30 pound cylinders.

Also a good time for a leak check as this will also use a bit of propane. (from experience)
BFL13
Explorer II
Nov 13, 2018
I am not up on today's fashions in propane tank size per foot of Class C, but note that 40lb in a 27 footer seems small.

Our 1991 came in three sizes: 24, 26, and 28. The first two had 45 lb tanks and our 28 has a 76 lb tank.

So our 28 is only a foot longer than that new 27, but has a 76 lb tank instead of a 40. Doesn't seem right somehow. What does that 27 have instead of a bigger propane tank?