propane tank storage?

[captainkf]

I am planning on running my appliances on a BBQ size tank in a compartment under the bus. I plan on placing it behind the battery box. Any idea's on material for the box? Metal would be best, but I am not a welder. How about a very strong box made of wood? Possibly 1" ply. Can a propane tank be used on it's side? I have received mixed information. Thanks. -Richard

[Rick78EFI460]

Regular BBQ tanks cannot be operated on their side, but you can get 20 # tanks that are designed to do this. use the right tank for the job. I bought one at a propane outlet pretty decent price... maybe $10 extra but it fits nicely behind the battery box, out of the way of road debris. I asked a lot of questions before I hooked it up this way, and was happy to find a very knowledgeable person to answer questions about these tanks.

[captainkf]

Great. Do you have any photo's? -Richard

[oldhippy71061]

Richard, since your in Canada, find a distributer for Manchester motorhome L.P. tanks. I work for Manchester Tank Co. in Indiana and we make tanks that will mount on the frame rails. They have remote sending units for fuel level and are made with Canadian registeration number for what ever providence you need.

[Eric von Kleist]

I use a standard 20# propane tank, but I mounted mine at the rear of the bus just behind the "nut" (differential). The tank sits on a 1.25" thick (two 5/8" thicknesses) platform of plywood that is suspended by 3/8" allthread.



After the platform was constructed, it was closed in with 3/4" plywood. It is open on top, and there are a few 1/2" holes drilled in the bottom for drainage of gas or water (propane is heavier than air, so it needs to be vented downward).

(Crappy picture, sorry.)

The platform is just barely wide enough to fit two 20# tanks side by side. I should have made it a tiny bit wider for convenience.

I figured that no road trash would come up through the nut. You can barely see the tank mount from outside the bus, and I don't think that I lost any practical amount of ground clearance.

[captainkf]

well, what I ended up doing was building a box on the back of the bus that holds a bbq tank inside a metal box lined with wood. If I get rear ended well, it might not be great. However we towed a trailer for the trip and the box on the other side is a bit larger and holds the geni.

For the next conversion I am looking into an adapter to turn my main LP (not vapour) into somthing that can run the vapour for appliances. It seems a waste to get rid of an installed and perfectly working 200 plus litre tank. So we'll see in a few months when we move BACK across Canada to Calgary. Uhg .

In the mean time I need to convert the propane fueled bus into a gasoline powered bus. I've got the tank, and fuel pump. Now I need to pick up fuel lines, a filter and install it all. Any Thoughts???

-Richard