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Can run propane under a carport?

edb121212
Explorer
Explorer
We are having a house built and plan on living in the Montana on the property but I want it undercover since it will be about 6 months. I am worried about using the propane under a cover. Would this be safe? I know when you travel by ferry they want the tanks empty. Does anyone do this? The sides of the carport would be open.
17 REPLIES 17

laknox
Nomad
Nomad
Propane =can= be nasty in certain situations. Kingman AZ knows this so well that almost all firefighters in the U.S. study what happened there in 1973.

http://kingmanhistoricdistrict.com/points-of-interest/firefighters-memorial-park/the-disaster-story....

Lyle
2022 GMC Sierra 3500 HD Denali Crew Cab 4x4 Duramax
B&W OEM Companion & Gooseneck Kit
2017 KZ Durango 1500 D277RLT
1936 John Deere Model A
International Flying Farmers 64 Year Member

laknox
Nomad
Nomad
FlatBroke wrote:
They run propane fueled fork lifts inside buildings


That's because the exhaust is mostly water. Only nasty stuff comes from tiny amounts of oil/lube that gets burned along the way.

Lyle
2022 GMC Sierra 3500 HD Denali Crew Cab 4x4 Duramax
B&W OEM Companion & Gooseneck Kit
2017 KZ Durango 1500 D277RLT
1936 John Deere Model A
International Flying Farmers 64 Year Member

FlatBroke
Explorer II
Explorer II
They run propane fueled fork lifts inside buildings

Hitch Hiker
"08" 29.5 FKTG LS

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
rockhillmanor wrote:
Is the carport adjacent to your house?

The only thing I would consider when building is if the furnace and hot water heater on you RV exhausts on the side the house is on when parked in carport.

The exhaust fumes from them will come in thru your house windows when running them in the RV.



Stacked like sardines or cord of wood in CGs not an issue.....parking next to house won't be either
One foot away from exhaust and you don't smell it or fell it.
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31

Coach-man
Explorer
Explorer
ol Bombero-JC wrote:
Coach man:
In my experience/s - RV fires -causing complete loss of the RV - are/were mostly caused by two things:
Engine - including fuel and electrical fires.

And -

Propane fueled fires - whether due to a leak, or refrigerator failures.

The amount of fire produced by an RV fire -due to the fuel carried- most likely won't harm a bridge or underpass, etc.

Should add - rapid and complete destruction of the RV is usually the result.
The duration and intensity of the fire -as compared to a tanker- is limited. The fuel carried and often the RV itself are gone rapidly.




Gasoline tankers involved in accidents can provide serious/major hazards to life and property - in spite of the safety devices to avert same.
Lots of fuel.

Be safe - with *your* equipment & vehicles - and be aware of those in your surroundings.

~


Thanks for the input, I just have not seen/noticed any "news worthy" stories regarding RV's and propane fires! Always thought rapid and complete destruction by fire in RV's is due to their construction and materials used! Nothing comes to mind regarding airstream?

ol_Bombero-JC
Explorer
Explorer
Coach man:
In my experience/s - RV fires -causing complete loss of the RV - are/were mostly caused by two things:
Engine - including fuel and electrical fires.

And -

Propane fueled fires - whether due to a leak, or refrigerator failures.

The amount of fire produced by an RV fire -due to the fuel carried- most likely won't harm a bridge or underpass, etc.

Should add - rapid and complete destruction of the RV is usually the result.
The duration and intensity of the fire -as compared to a tanker- is limited. The fuel carried and often the RV itself are gone rapidly.

Gasoline tankers involved in accidents can provide serious/major hazards to life and property - in spite of the safety devices to avert same.
Lots of fuel.

Be safe - with *your* equipment & vehicles - and be aware of those in your surroundings.

~

Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Explorer II
Been doing it since 2004. No problems!
Eddie
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Auto Restoration and Customs 32 years. Retired by a stroke!
We love 56 T-Birds

edb121212
Explorer
Explorer
No the carport will not be adjacent to anything so no worries there.

ol_Bombero-JC
Explorer
Explorer
Interesting "asides" on: Natural gas, Propane, Gasoline.

Spent 30 years responding to funny and serious incidents involving the above.

Natural Gas:
As (I think) we all know, natural gas is lighter than air. No problem unless it's a major leak in a major supply line (like in the street).
Or - in a sealed, confined area - where the natural gas can't escape.

Propane:
Heavier than air. With a *serious* propane leak, propane "flows" like water.
It will "pool" in depressions - just like water does.
Example.
Responded to a dispatch of a "gas leak" in a tract home residential area.
Figured it was probably a homeowner who (somehow) caused a natural gas leak.
Upon arrival - there was a large commercial moving van outside the house.
We were met at the door by the mover assistants, who told us the owner was in the yard - with serious burns.

The story - the homeowner had a propane fired BBQ in the back yard. The movers told him they couldn't take a full propane tank.....so take it out to the middle of the back yard, open the valve and turn it upside down - which he did.

The yard was slightly lower than the adjoining houses, he had a small retainer around the perimeter of his yard (about 2 bricks high). On opening the tank, the propane (gas) flowed across his yard and around the side of the house where he had a spa - which ignited the propane - causing it to flash across the yard.

BTW - light breeze to "almost" calm.
Homeowner -wearing shorts and jogging shoes- received 2nd and some 3rd degree burns.

Gasoline:
Vapors are heavier than air.
Main hazard is spills at gas stations - with multiple, ready sources of ignition. I prefer to only use *metal* gas cans for my mowers, etc. - and only fill with can sitting on the ground.
Pay attention to where the fuel shutoff for the fuel pumps is located.
Why?
Example - guys spent the day fishing - and consuming a few? brewskis.
Boat owner figured he would be ready for next time - fill up his gas tank before returning home. While he was using the facilities, his friends figured they would expedite the fill-up by using another pump. Only glitch - they were pumping fuel via a "pole hole" into the bilge...40 gallons worth!

Another station patron - caught on, hit the station fuel shut-off for the pumps, which may have averted a serious/major disaster.

BTW - a couple of years after the propane incident, I received a phone call at home from the wife of a military friend who was in the process of moving across the country to his new assignment.
She was worried because the movers had told her to do the same propane tank "emptying" process previously described above.

Smart lady!

~

rockhillmanor
Explorer
Explorer
Is the carport adjacent to your house?

The only thing I would consider when building is if the furnace and hot water heater on you RV exhausts on the side the house is on when parked in carport.

The exhaust fumes from them will come in thru your house windows when running them in the RV.

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

Coach-man
Explorer
Explorer
One cup, not a gallon, one cup of gasoline equals one stick of dynamite! I have heard that if gasoline were "discovered" today it would immediately be banned for consumers, perhaps the Military would be allowed to have it! As far as natural gas/propane I think that goes back about 100 years! Most homes were heated by coal or oil fired furnaces, you had coal or wood fired stoves, and heated your hot water using the kitchen stove! Natural gas is normally colorless and orderless, so early attempts to change the way you heat your homes and water, as well as cook were met with opposition by the coal and oil providers! Laws were soon passed to put the smell in gas so you could detect a leak, but oil and coal companies spread rumors about how unsafe gas was in an effort to keep their profitable business! Fast forward we take gas in our homes for granted, but the rumors and falsehoods spread by those companies continue. "Safety" laws also lag! In the past 10 years, I have seen on TV and read about many instances where a truck delivering gasoline or heating oil has been in an accident, and a bridge or overpass had to be rebuilt because of the heat from the ensuing fire! Perhaps someone on here can correct me, but I do not recall, ever hearing about an accident involving an RV that took out a freeway because of the propane tanks it was carrying! There was a fire and explosion at a propane company in FLA, where a leaking fixture and the ignition from a trucks engine destroyed the entire yard, but no one was killed, and the ensuing fire was contained in the companies lot! In my opinion gasoline is a much bigger threat than propane!

edb121212
Explorer
Explorer
OK, thanks guys, I think I probably am overthinking it. I do that a lot but safety comes first.

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
edb121212 wrote:
I know when you travel by ferry they want the tanks empty.
They want them turned off. I never understood this, as there's usually a 40 knot wind howling constantly.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

RustyJC
Explorer
Explorer
Coach-man wrote:
As long as it is open, it should be ok! I have always been amazed how people fear propane and natural gas so much, but think nothing of using phones, allowing static electricity and even smoke at gas stations! How many of you stop your rig, before entering a gas station and turn off all electric devices, fridge, hot water heater, etc? Anyway, sorry for the rant, your rig under a car port with open sides will be perfectly ok!


The gas station scenario amazes me! If people could see inside the engine's starter motor, it would scare them to death to restart their engines at a fuel island! ๐Ÿ˜„

Rusty
2014.5 DRV Mobile Suites 38RSSA #6972

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