Where do I put my propane??

jkindt · 02-27-2010, 10:35 PM

You may want to add some measurements. It is hard to tell how big that tank really is from the picture. My bus has a large propane tank mounted on the starboard side between the frame rail and the outer wall of the body, behind the entry door and in front of the rear wheel. It literally takes all of that room, big tank....of course I run on propane so it needs to be big.

jkindt · 02-27-2010, 10:50 PM

Oh, that's just a little guy. You should be able to stuff it underneath somewhere between the frame and the body. Just crawl under and have a look. I would be a little cautious of putting it behind the rear wheels in case you ever get rear-ended, but anywhere between the front and rear wheels should be fine.

Sojakai · 02-28-2010, 12:24 AM

My guess would be to take square or rectangular tubing and notch it to fit over the tank and into those uprights. Bolt/weld the tubing to the underside of the van, then lift the tank into place and bolt it on. Have a belly box made to fit around the tank for better protection and easy refilling. Maybe have the box made a little long so you can add an extra 20# tank for emergencies or when you cant get to the refill station.

lornaschinske · 02-28-2010, 05:40 PM

The propane tank on our RV is mounted under the floor of my old Class C. It is a 40 LP (9 Gallon) tank. It is mounted back near the rear bumper. To give you an idea of how much ground clearance I have... a 5 gallon bucket will not quite slide under the sides of the Class C. It seems to hold up okay... and we slung a tire tread on the same side as the LP tank. Of course I freaked and worried about the LP tank getting a leak (mine is a 1977 tank on my 1977 Class C). But it was okay... no harm whatsoever. I would suggest installing an "extend-a-stay" type set up. Our homemade one will allow us to run our gas grill off our permanent mount tank OR run the RV off 20lb or 100lb LP tanks.

jkindt · 02-28-2010, 06:37 PM

I understand running the BBQ or other LP powered things off of the permanant tank, but how do you run the engine off of a portable tank? It would be good to be able to have a 'propane jerry can' just in case I run it out of propane!

lornaschinske · 03-01-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkindt

I understand running the BBQ or other LP powered things off of the permanant tank, but how do you run the engine off of a portable tank? It would be good to be able to have a 'propane jerry can' just in case I run it out of propane!

Can you run off a BBQ type tank? I understood engines operated differently. IF you could use a 20lb BBQ tank (vapour) then a long extension hose attached between the quick connect on the LP line and run to the securely mounted BBQ tank while underway would seem to work (make sure it doesn't drag OR hard pipe to the area where your little tank would be placed). But I'm not real sure about how the LP gas engines work. Being able to use the additional tanks would allow you to conserve the LP in your permanent mount tank (engine use). I think that would be a help for parking for a week or more.

When I posted, I did not realize you had an LP engine... Do you like it? Is it a pain to refuel? We used to get food delivered to us from Schwan's (SC, NC, TN & GA... we moved a lot and kept setting up new accounts). All their trucks are powered by LP. Guys would tell us about having to refuel at standard LP bottle refilling stations. One used to keep us up on the $$ since we were refilling our BBQ tanks at the same places. Guys consistently told us they got no better fuel mileage but they all seemed to like the trucks.

jkindt · 03-01-2010, 01:23 PM

I love the Propane engine. I don't have to worry about stale gasoline if it sits for a while, the carburetor never gums up, it starts as if it were fuel injected, idles smooth, and runs clean. There are many places to fill up around here, and it is about 2/3 the price of gasoline.

The big block engine loves it, the only downside is that I can't stand the smell of the exhaust, its one of those smells that I would prefer to never have to smell again. I think it is because of the additive that they add to propane to make it stink in case you ever get a leak.

lornaschinske · 03-01-2010, 04:06 PM

Chattanooga has many of their City transit buses running on CNG/hybrid electric. They smell a little funny but not like propane. I've been behind several (we used to live there).

you might find this article interesting... http://www.docstoc.com/docs/19687029...ergize-Downtow

jkindt · 03-01-2010, 10:26 PM

About a month ago I went to an RV show just to get some ideas. Most of the manufactured RV's mount the propane tanks (standard 20lb or 30lb tanks) near the bottom of the unit. The tank or tanks are mounted in a metal box with an access door to the outside and the floor of the box is usually either expanded metal or just angle iron framework. The reason for this is that if a propane tank leaks, propane is heavier than air and the vented floor will allow the gas to escape and not collect in the storage box where it may ignite and cause damage. Mounting the propane tank above the living area could theoretically allow leaking propane to enter the living space which could result in disaster. If you are able, check out some of the manufactured RV's and see what the manufacturers are using to mount propane. Or check out online, many manufacturers have photos that may help you out.

lornaschinske · 03-02-2010, 11:29 AM

This site http://www.boatus.com/howto/howto_lib.htm has some very good info on it. While this is for boats, with a little adaption, it will apply to other mobile units like bus conversions.

Scroll down and look for "Galley" in the center column. Under that you will find links with Propane info.

Fixed link... sorry about that.

lornaschinske · 03-02-2010, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zenmonkk

Please post that link again. Thanks in advance!

Fixed the link in the post (edit)

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