propane tank mount...

[simplyusandabus]

does anyone have any good pictures of how they mounted two propane tanks under a bus?

[Iceni John]

Sorry, no pictures (I'm photographically challenged!). I made a pull-out tray using some drawer slides from Home Despot, on which two standard 20-lb cylinders are mounted. Each cylinder's base ring sits inside cut-down pieces of steel cooking pots which were exactly the right diameter to prevent the cylinders moving around, and both cylinders are secured with a cross-bar across their top rings that is held down with a wing nut for easy access. I can remove the rear cylinder without disturbing the front one, useful if I have to refill only the rear one. The cylinders are in a metal compartment which is well vented top and bottom and not close to anything electrical, situated just ahead of the right rear wheels (NFPA 1192 has some good advice on placement), but protected from any rear tire blowout by three separate pieces of sheet steel totaling almost 1/2" thick.

Just promise me, PLEASE, to not have propane cylinders outside the bus or attached to the rear bumper or somewhere equally stupid! Propane is safe as long as simple common-sense precautions are taken.

John

[Iceni John]

Double posting, oops. I thought there was a way to delete messages here.

John

[dbhost]

Originally Posted by Iceni John

Sorry, no pictures (I'm photographically challenged!). I made a pull-out tray using some drawer slides from Home Despot, on which two standard 20-lb cylinders are mounted. Each cylinder's base ring sits inside cut-down pieces of steel cooking pots which were exactly the right diameter to prevent the cylinders moving around, and both cylinders are secured with a cross-bar across their top rings that is held down with a wing nut for easy access. I can remove the rear cylinder without disturbing the front one, useful if I have to refill only the rear one. The cylinders are in a metal compartment which is well vented top and bottom and not close to anything electrical, situated just ahead of the right rear wheels (NFPA 1192 has some good advice on placement), but protected from any rear tire blowout by three separate pieces of sheet steel totaling almost 1/2" thick.

Just promise me, PLEASE, to not have propane cylinders outside the bus or attached to the rear bumper or somewhere equally stupid! Propane is safe as long as simple common-sense precautions are taken.

John

John,

FYI, tons of vendors, Camping World, Amazon, Walmart.com etc... have twin tank kits. I was considering either a rig like yours, twin 20s mounted under hte skirting in a slide rig. Or a single horizontal larger, say like a 12.2 (51.7lbs) Horizontal ASME tank (Flame King etc...). This would be mounted rigidly to the bus, and I would recommend mounting it as close / tight up to the floor as possible, create an access door in the skirting of the bus to get able to get to / fill it.

20 pounders are convenient as you can get exchanges where propane fill services are non existent, but they are also costly, and harder to mount.

[simonsteve]

Made using 1/4" plate

[bluebird90]

O K, just had to pipe in here. In the last pic the propane tanks look like they are just inches from the road in back of the tires. Sorry but this is a very dangerous setup. The tanks have very little protection from road debris, tire blowouts and impact from suspension bottoming. It is also illegal in many states to have them that low. Imaging having a catastrophic failure of a rear wheel bearing, The bus would drop right on the tank and explode. please rethink.
I have mine ( 15 gal asme tank). bolted in a cargo box, midships, as far in as I could get it, with at least a foot clearance from the road.

[bluebird90]

And yes, a tire blowout would rip that metal box apart like a tin can

[Whatthefak]

You can mount almost any size tank, if you have a 20# tank you can exchange is and tank to tank fill a larger cylinder by opening the 10% valve on the cylinder being filled

[Rivetboy]

"And yes, a tire blowout would rip that metal box apart like a tin can"

The way I understand all that I have read is that the bottom of the tank cannot be lower than the axle.
YMMV

[Iceni John]

There's good reason that NFPA 1192 requires DOT cylinders and ASME tanks to be between the wheelbase. If you drive across Hoover Dam or get inspected at a DOT checkpoint or go through a river tunnel, that installation will get you into trouble.

John

[Stu & Filo. T]

This is what I did

[Tango]

WOW! Is your bus propane powered? That's a lot of gas.

[Rivetboy]

Hi guys, looks good and how many gallons can you hold?
Joe

[Rivetboy]

Stu and Filo and any one else with large propane tanks


This applies to all of us if you are planning to take your bus on a BC ferry.

We are as we have Family that is only accesible by ferry up there.
Have not built my propane box yet but have sketched it out with 1/4" x 1 1/2" angle iron cage with an expanded metal bottom and two horizontal tanks 12.2 gallon on a common slide for both.then wrapped in 1/8 plate and located between the wheels on the Passenger side (T/C 2000) It will be mounted to the fame rails as hig as it will go and should be tally under the bus side and not hang at all below the axle.

This is off the BC Ferry website

"Propane: Propane valves must be closed and sealed with the tags issued at the ticket booth, and the cylinders must be upright and firmly secured, to prevent tipping.

"RVs are permitted a maximum of two cylinders of not more than 25 kg each (50L water capacity each), provided they are connected to a regulator, and secured in or on the vehicle. Recreational vehicles may carry a third cylinder no larger than 15 kg (30L water capacity) for BBQ needs.
Passenger vehicles are permitted to carry one cylinder not to exceed 15kg.
SAFETY ALERT: "The brass valve in a propane cylinder will be damaged if it comes in contact with anhydrous ammonia. This deterioration will lead to cracking of the valve body or its components and can ultimately result in a violent, unexpected expulsion of the valve from the cylinder, causing personal injury or death." See Safety Alert for more details".

[Rivetboy]

50 litres equals 13.2 gallons

[Stu & Filo. T]

2ea 24 gal tanks, And I built a cage out of expanded metal around them