ASME Propane Tanks

[Rwnielsen]

I've been on the lookout for a 30 gal tank for over 6 months. I think I'm going to use a couple BBQ tanks instead for the easy swap out

[Ranchorossa]

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01...b_b_asin_title

Nice tank at a good price.

[Bus'n it]

It is a smaller tank. When I click the link, Amazon shows it unavailable.

[Ranchorossa]

Perhaps, I got mine in May.

[flattracker]

Originally Posted by o1marc

The first one I sent back had this mounting bracket bent and the weld to the tank broken but not into the tank. This is the second one with a bend ear on the bracket, this was enough for them to tell me to keep it. They put the tank in the box and shoot expanding faom in it. But not around the mounting brackets that need it the most.

If a weld was cracked with that small of a bend, then the weld was defective. In my welding class one of the lab exercises was to weld some steel and then bend it over 90 degrees. If your weld did not hold together you had to do it over.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by flattracker

If a weld was cracked with that small of a bend, then the weld was defective. In my welding class one of the lab exercises was to weld some steel and then bend it over 90 degrees. If your weld did not hold together you had to do it over.

It was not that tank with a broken weld.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by Rwnielsen

I think I'm going to use a couple BBQ tanks instead for the easy swap out

Yes good way to go, super cheapest, no maintenance and easiest refills ever if you're out in the middle of nowhere.Cooking, space heat, HWS, and not risking getting fuel-stranded

[LargeMargeInBaja]

Eugene, Oregon.
.
We have thousands of squatters in RecreationVehicles on streets, churches, park and commercial parking-lots.
Somebody complains, parking control slaps on a 'three-day move-or-tow'.
.
Many of these RecreationVehicles were acquired -- with the best of intentions -- low-mileage from retirees.
Inertia sets in, plans change, and the RecreationVehicle gets towed to a dismantlers (aka 'wrecking yard').
A few parts are salvaged, the rest of the nearly-complete RecreationVehicle goes to the metal recycler.
.
One of my hobbies is walking wrecking-yards.
I see a dozen rigs sitting on Monday, and on Wednesday, they are gone to the crushers.
Friday, a dozen more show up.
.
How many have the tank you need, certified for mobile use, including all the fittings and sundry?
.
.
We use five-gallon twenty-pounders.
Advantages:
* modular -- take a couple-three or take a half-dozen
* take one to the outside kitchen
* take a couple to town to re-fill while using the others in camp
* loan one to a stranded chum
In my humble, a big fixed tank is a liability.

[Rwnielsen]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Yes good way to go, super cheapest, no maintenance and easiest refills ever if you're out in the middle of nowhere.Cooking, space heat, HWS, and not risking getting fuel-stranded

No tricky maneuvers in a parking lot either

[HamSkoolie]

There are advantages and disadvantages no matter which way you go.


With a large permanent mount tank you have a large supply that will need filling less often. Is less likely to break free in an accident. Has only one chance to be poorly installed. Takes up less space than an equal quantity of gas in smaller tanks. Has less opportunity for leaking connections. If the conversion is done properly it should last far longer than fresh water and food supplies will last and certainly longer than the 14 day maximum in blm and forest service boondocking locations.

The small tanks can be tossed in the towed vehicle (if you have one) and driven into town but that's the only advantage I can think of unless you want to use them for outside lanterns.
We will be installing a 29 gallon permanent tank. Our current (commercially built) rig has a 40 pound tank and it just doesn't cut it. It would take a LOT of BBQ size tanks to replace our planned 29 gal tank along with a lot more hose, hose fittings and connections, mounting brackets, valving.

Then again, everyone has a different vision of the "mission" of their rig. Ours is minimal time spent dealing with the rigs systems including propane tanks while being able to spend a month out of reach of civilization (at the extreme).
To each his own as skoolies are all unique experiments.

[thegrantrobus]

Thanks for the info everybody. It seems the only permanent tanks in stock anywhere are either tiny or huge; most tanks are back-ordered. I ended up ordering a 20.3 gallon Armebe/Flame King. I like the dimensions (shorter and bigger diameter) vs some of the long skinny tanks - it will give me more mounting options when it eventually arrives. It's not too big / not too small for my expected usage. In the interim, I'll use some 20lb tanks I already have, as needed.

Somebody mentioned recalls - it looks like Flame King and Manchester have both had some recalls, but nothing that seems to impact these tanks.

[john61ct]

To be clear, no one is talking about hooking up more than a pair of the BBQ bottles at a time for a single supply.

Obviously you swap out full for empty as needed.

The automatic cutover valve with a visual indicator is most convenient.

...

Another advantage in a single bigger horizontal ASME tank is higher pressure in extreme cold conditions, so less need to heat the tank locker.

...

Note it is not rocket science to safely decant from one bottle to another, so possible to get best of both worlds, leave the big living space in place, refill using the toad or TV.

Portability rather than running long gas lines is a big advantage of smaller tanks. I use refillable 1#ers or 5# for beach cookouts / hiking / picnics

[john61ct]

Manchester version

https://www.kswrvsupplies.com/Manche...lons-p/266.htm

[HamSkoolie]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Manchester version

https://www.kswrvsupplies.com/Manche...lons-p/266.htm

Just to clarify, the pic of that tank is upside down and the Relief blows out to the underside of the vehicle correct?

[thegrantrobus]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Manchester version

https://www.kswrvsupplies.com/Manche...lons-p/266.htm

Huzzah! I've seen their site but didn't see the tank listed - thank you for the link! I've ordered both. Whichever one gets here first will win. (Not gonna lie, I'm hoping the Manchester wins the race.)

I have a couple 1lb tanks that I used to refill, but haven't used them in years. I don't expect to have much off-rig use for LP, but it wouldn't hurt to carry one or two tiny tanks.

I'm partial to the permanent tank largely because I can mount it in a less accessible location and leave more skirt space for things that need regular / more convenient access. I have a 31' pusher with a condenser mounted along the street side skirt. I'm leaving the factory A/C intact for the moment, which makes accessible underbody storage limited. I'm looking at moving a few things around (electrical cut off, air drains, even shifting the condenser over a bit, etc) to make better use of space.

[john61ct]

You're going to be paying a lot shipping one of those back

[thegrantrobus]

Originally Posted by john61ct

You're going to be paying a lot shipping one of those back

Nope. The Flame King is back ordered and likely won't ship for several weeks. If the Manchester is actually in stock, it should ship out fairly quickly and I'll just cancel the Flame King order. If I end up with both, I have no doubt I can unload the other for cost.

[A_Bus_Called_Quest]

Originally Posted by thegrantrobus

Nope. The Flame King is back ordered and likely won't ship for several weeks. If the Manchester is actually in stock, it should ship out fairly quickly and I'll just cancel the Flame King order. If I end up with both, I have no doubt I can unload the other for cost.

Which Manchester model are you looking at? all of the ones I found anywhere close to in-stock were horizontal mount, vertical fill only. huge bummer.

I'm opting to go with 1 or 2 standard 20lb BBQ tanks now - they are definitely available everywhere, and will give me 2 filling options = refill, or exchange the whole tank.

[john61ct]

Yes IMO best way to go anyway. The low cost and extreme flexibility make up for the slightly lower volume density

[Danjo]

Oh yeah, they have 24 hour BBQ tank vending machines now. For some reason I used to have something against tank swapping, but after I returned rusty tanks and tanks with old style valves I’ve changed my mind. 20 pound tanks are available everywhere now