Anyone tried to refill a 1lb propane tank at a gas station?

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Preparing for living out of my RAV4 Hybrid and I have limited storage space.  I'd ~love~ to use my one burner Coleman gasoline/white gas stove as gasoline is easy to find and it has more BTUs than propane, but it's not advisable to store it in a hot car.  I've never filled your typical 20lbs propane tank in my life. Two questions:

If I only had that 1lb refillable tank, how long would you guess that little propane tank last when using it 2x per day to boil a few cups of water (not heat)?

Also, has anyone tried to refill one of these tiny 1lbers at a gas station?  I wonder if the attendant would know how to do it or reject the nontraditional size? Is there a minimum the attendant will be bothered with to go outside and fill or do they turn you away for such little business ($$$)? I see the tank is DOT certified so I assume the refilling process would be the same as refilling a larger tank.

 

[highdesertranger]

some places have minimums. I avoid those places.

I would start asking around and see if they even have the correct adaptor.

another option would be to get a 5 Liter NATO can for your Coleman fuel. they will not leak anything not even fumes but get a quality one like from Wavian, DO NOT get a cheap Chinese knock off.

https://wavianusa.com/steel-fuel-jerry-can?variant=18593159938115

they are not cheap but they will not leak no matter what you do to them. well ok if you ran one over or shot one then they will leak, but under normal everyday use they will not leak. I know I have four 20 Liter, two 10 Liter, and two 5 Liter. trust me they will not leak.

highdesertranger

 

[MrNoodly]

To start with, you'd need one of these adapters to make it physically possible.
https://www.amazon.com/Disposable-T...keywords=propane+tanks&qid=1570578775&sr=8-35

Or like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/DozyAnt-Univ...keywords=propane+tanks&qid=1570578953&sr=8-87

Whether a filling station would cooperate is another question.

But if it were me, I'd find the room for one of these 1-gallon tanks. (11.5 x 9.2 x 8.4 inches) You'd be filling less often and wouldn't get any resistance from filling stations.
https://www.amazon.com/Worthington-...keywords=propane+tanks&qid=1570578922&sr=8-22

 

[highdesertranger]

Mr. Noodly he is talking about a DOT legal refillable bottle not a disposable.

however that tank you linked to would work fine because it has a standard valve.

they also make 2.5 gallon tanks which would be 10 pounders.

highdesertranger

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Unfortunately larger propane or gasoline canister storage is not an option in my tiny little vehicle. And the fact that the DOT approved refillable 1 pound bottles may not be accepted at every gas station is a problem. but I do have this, do you think this would handle the heat inside a car? I mean it is metal just like the NATO fuel cans you referenced and the description on the Amazon link states that it is made to handle pressure from the stove....

MSR Liquid Fuel Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B5BYX52/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_sluNDb783H63G

 

[highdesertranger]

yes the MSR fuel bottle will work. the only thing I don't like is the plastic lid and they don't hold very much. highdesertranger

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

The inside of my particular cap is metal, but yes the lid is plastic.  As for "that will work", I realize internet advice is worth what you paid for it, but are you saying you would be confident leaving a canister like this inside a 100F car?  Of course there would be fuel in the metal stove as well
https://www.coleman.com/sportster-ii-dual-fuel-1-burner-stove/3000003654.html and I would not be filling either vessel 100%.

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

Is the RAV4Hybrid like the Prius in as much as being able to leave it in the "on" position and you can hook a 1500-200w inverter to the 12v battery and just do away with propane.? Use an induction cooker, microwave, computer, tv, fans....whatever ya need

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Is the RAV4Hybrid like the Prius in as much as being able to leave it in the "on" position and you can hook a 1500-200w inverter to the 12v battery and just do away with propane.? Use an induction cooker, microwave, computer, tv, fans....whatever ya need

It does indeed have a similar charging system where you can leave it in "ready" mode and the engine kicks on when the hybrid battery is low.  I could indeed work with something like a 12v immersion heater or various other 12v stuff like a roadpro or induction cooktop, but I kinda don't want to be cycling the engine on and off all the time if I can help it and cooking is a relatively power intensive thing.  With gasoline so readily available and BTU dense, I was trying to work out a way to store fuel.

 

[BinDerSmokDat]

I use a Coleman Exponent stove with foldable legs for cooking.
I love it for both van and motorcycle camping because why carry another type of fuel or some compressed gas canister system with wasteful cartridges when I have 6 gallons of gas on the bike or 30+ gallons in the van?

I was able to get some 1.5l MSR fuel bottles for cheap on closeout a few years ago and they are great.
With some practice you can fill them at the pump when you fill the car, just go really, really, really sloooooowwwww.
Same with pouring out, if you just barely unscrew the cap until the vent holes in the cap are exposed, you can slowly pour it directly in the stove with no funnel.

Pro tip: get a small wooden dowel, drill a hole and hang it from the bottle cap with a loop of string.
Slip the dowel into the hole when you want to remove/replace the cap to get some extra leverage and to insure the cap is tight.
I save the wooden handles from disposable foam paint brushes and they are PERFECT for this.
Never had a bottle leak or emit vapors when properly tightened.

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Such a nice stove... I'm a sucker for all the versions of the coleman dual-fuel stoves.   And for the same reasons as you stated, I really would like to use a gasoline stove.  Higher BTU density and cheaper too!

I have the same MSR bottle, and yeah, I use a metal spoon to open/shut them, they seal tight.

So are you saying you've stored gasoline in one of these bottles, as well as in the belly of your coleman stove, in hot dessert weather, in your van with no trouble?

 

[B and C]

I used to use the MSR bottles when backpacking and never had a leak. Transported in a car trunk going and coming home.

I won't ever be staying where it gets HOT (above about 85). I have a key and wheels

 

[AntiGroundhogDay]

Thanks for the data point.  Being mobile to avoid the extreme temps was my thinking as well.