CHANGED AGAIN! THIS WILL BE IT!!

[bunedoggle]

Originally Posted by jkindt

Does anyone with propane experience know if you can store a tank on its side?

From what I read you can not operate a regular propane tank on it's side. Inside the tanks is liquid. The valve must stay above the liquid.

[BUSBOZO]

Hey BB. Got the stove from Aery Corp on Ebay. Model is 402 and it is propane. The glass is not the cooking surface. It flips up to expose the burners underneath. $500 shipped which I think was pricey considering it does not have a regular oven. Just a small broiler. But it was the styling that sold me.

Good news Bus has a similar one but I believe he has the 401 model with the bigger oven.

If you are curious just do a search for "italian oven" on ebay and he will come up. He imports them from Italy and is the only one that has them.

[jkindt]

Originally Posted by bunedoggle

From what I read you can not operate a regular propane tank on it's side. Inside the tanks is liquid. The valve must stay above the liquid.

I know that operating the tank on its side wont work, but if you are just storing the tanks under the bus can they be mounted on their side?

[jkindt]

Originally Posted by Smitty

Nope....if they vent, and vent liquid as opposed to gas.........
Can you imagine a liquid propane explosion?

Smitty

That is what I thought.

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by jkindt

I know that operating the tank on its side wont work, but if you are just storing the tanks under the bus can they be mounted on their side?

ALWAYS store LP tanks upright, full or empty!

[BUSBOZO]

Well, I've been working on the LP frame for the last several days. I used the same method as Bunedoggle. I figured I would try to do some welding myself. The frame is made from 1"x1" square tube and 1x1 angle iron. I stick welded it all together and then bolted what I could for extra security.

The method of securing the frame to the bus is similar to the way Thomas secures there belly bin boxes.

[BUSBOZO]

3/4" inch plywood undercoated. Frame completed and painted.

I have such a hard time cutting the rub rails straight. i don't have a closeup but the cuts to the bottom rails are not straight at all. Maybe if I find an RV door or similar I could change it out.

I also need to figure out a way to keep the compartment door open when I'm switching out tanks. Any ideas?

[BUSBOZO]

Sorry about the distorted I-PHONE pics. Looks like someone bent my bus.

[jkindt]

Originally Posted by BUSBOZO

Sorry about the distorted I-PHONE pics. Looks like someone bent my bus.

I was gonna say, that pic must be from an iPhone, but you beat me to it.

[crazycal]

If you need a tank that you can lay on it's side, I think the tanks on a forklift are mounted sideways. You could try to find one out of a RV like this.

[BUSBOZO]

Smitty, I was using a skillsaw with a metal cutting blade. I do have an angle grinder with a cutoff blade also. I will try your method. That sounds good. I wasn't planning on making a full box around the tanks.


I would have loved to have had a horizontal propane tank. But they are so expensive new and its hard to find one used. I had these tanks laying around anyway.

[bunedoggle]

Dude the tank mount looks sweet. What were we worried about? Those 30 pounders fit like a glove under there!

[BUSBOZO]

I know BB! I couldn't believe it! And I have a couple inches to spare! I ended up trying the stick welder at work. Your frame idea is SOLID!!!

I figure I'll use these and can always store a couple #20 tanks in the bus just in case.

Smitty, I might consider that idea enclosing the tanks. Thanks.

[browncrown]

Wow, the tanks do look good!!!

[BUSBOZO]

I have plenty of sheetmetal laying around. So maybe I will do that.

[lornaschinske]

You cannot operate a regular LP tank on it's side. You should not store an LP tank on it's side. It must be stored to where the relief valve can function.

http://www.propane101.com/propanecylinderstorage.htm

Other propane info
http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/18.htm

[BUSBOZO]

My tanks will certainly be upright. The only ones you can put on there side are the horizontal RV style. But they are ridiculous in price.

[BUSBOZO]

Got the LP all plumbed up.

One thing that was bothering me was the driver's side skirt had quite a wave in it. (probably from the bus driver hitting a snow bank). So I decided to borrow the hydraulic body repair tool from work to see if I could push the panel and posts back out.

Thomas has vertical posts that run from the roof all the way down to the bottom of the skirt panels. This hydraulic tool is basically just a manual piston that comes out and presses in between two solid surfaces.

[BUSBOZO]

This is what the panel looked like before it was straightened.

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by BUSBOZO

Got the LP all plumbed up.

One thing that was bothering me was the driver's side skirt had quite a wave in it. (probably from the bus driver hitting a snow bank). So I decided to borrow the hydraulic body repair tool from work to see if I could push the panel and posts back out.

Thomas has vertical posts that run from the roof all the way down to the bottom of the skirt panels. This hydraulic tool is basically just a manual piston that comes out and presses in between two solid surfaces.

I SO wish I had known that trick when I had my B-700. That might have saved me all sorts of hassles.