Is the main danger of carrying a propane tank in the van the chance it will leak? An 11 lb tank will fit into a 7 gallon bucket with a gamma seal lid. I would use this to refill a 1 lb refillable (not disposable) canister to use with my cookstove or mr buddy heater. I would secure a box to keep the bucket in and open it and refill outside. These are sizes I can handle on my own.
Carrying propane tank
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Zil
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The largest danger is the periodic venting when the bottle is over-pressure from heat inside the van. If the bottle is on it's side this danger is greatly multiplied. In a crash the bottle can become a projectile. The valve can be broken off. Otherwise many carry the 20 pound bottles inside the van.
One Awesome Inch
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The danger of having the tank sealed off is that it will be troublesome to turn off in a fire... or a hose leak etc.
Spaceman Spiff
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John61CT said:
+1. Propane is heavier than air, its container should be vented from the bottom.
Also, if propane is piped to appliances inside your living area you should have a propane detector, again down by the floor.
One Awesome Inch said:
I'm definitely not sticking around to turn off a propane tank if there is a fire that threatens it.
Hose leak: open all doors, make sure nothing is producing or going to produce sparks or fire, determine what can safely be turned off without producing a spark, decide if it is safe to access and turn off the tank, if not get away from the vehicle until the tank bleeds out. Same procedure as with an open accessible tank, it will just take a little longer. With doors open the propane should dissipate without getting concentrated enough for an explosion.
hausmutti said:
Rotopax, 'jerry' cans, etc. mounted on the outside. You definitely do not want to spill gasoline in your living area.
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Why don't we deal with some reality? Two risks from propane bottles in the van:
Notice both of those things are drastically more likely to happen when on the tongue of a trailer. It's directly exposed to the sun and in Death Valley could easily be overpressure. Or, the trailer breaks off the vehicle and now it is a 4000 pound missile with a bomb strapped to the nose. What happens when it runs into an 80,000 tractor running at 70 mph the other direction? You all die in a fiery inferno.
Or what happens when someone texting looks up at 70 mph and your trailer and propane tanks are dead-center in his cross-hairs? You all die in a fiery inferno!
I feel much safer with my bottle inside my van than I ever would with it strapped to the tongue of a trailer.
- They become a projectile. Secure it well and problem solved.
- They overpressure and vent. They only do this when overfilled, which the new OPD prevents--it's almost impossible. Or if they get extremely hot. That is very unlikely in the van if you are taking normal steps to cool it off. Again, nearly impossible.
Notice both of those things are drastically more likely to happen when on the tongue of a trailer. It's directly exposed to the sun and in Death Valley could easily be overpressure. Or, the trailer breaks off the vehicle and now it is a 4000 pound missile with a bomb strapped to the nose. What happens when it runs into an 80,000 tractor running at 70 mph the other direction? You all die in a fiery inferno.
Or what happens when someone texting looks up at 70 mph and your trailer and propane tanks are dead-center in his cross-hairs? You all die in a fiery inferno!
I feel much safer with my bottle inside my van than I ever would with it strapped to the tongue of a trailer.
John61CT said:
I've got an ASME Manchester tank under the van. I sleep well knowing it is outside the van and pretty much a bullet proof tank. Although I still have a CO / LP detector installed to my 12v system because you can never be too safe. I also have a floor vent which is for fresh air intake but would also let any LP leak out the floor if something did go wrong.
akrvbob said:
Stupidity, the third option, is more likely. Someone will (1)connect the tank to a BBQ grill, (2)turn on the tank valve, and (3)open the valves on the grill (4)without lighting it. Then (5)go driving around Orlando, FL with the gassing grill in the closed up back of the minivan. Finally, the last part, (6)the passenger lights a cigarette and kaboom. Sometimes the most absurd unreasonable combination of events comes together. August 14, 2017.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/08/1...suv-explodes-when-woman-lights-cigarette.html
No Darwin Awards, only the Kia Sedona didn't make it.
One Awesome Inch
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ChetLazar said:
Thing I don't understand about that story is that they only had minor burns but their car is toast? Shouldn't they be dead?
The inside of my van never gets hotter than the bottle out in the sun. Mechanical pressure release valves will never fail. If I am hit head on while cruising the highway, it ain't the propane bottle. 
.
Carrying propane is just another of the things we can do safely or not.
.Carrying propane is just another of the things we can do safely or not.
highdesertranger
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"Mechanical pressure release valves will never fail." WRONG. highdesertranger
I think that propane can be carried safely in a vehicle. People have been doing it for years. I think the key to this equation is taking the proper precautions. Using a sealed box or container that has a way to vent it to the outside. Also making sure that the propane tank is secured properly to prevent it form coming loose in an accident. I also think anyone using propane in their van or rv or car should have an LP detector. The detectors are not that expensive and can ultimately save your life. It's the same as having a CO detector. Better safe then sorry.
Life is a always a risk. Living in a van has different risks then a regular house. But with just taking some common sense precautions I don't see carrying propane tanks as a big risk. I have enough to worry about with all the crazy people driving on the road and cutting right in front of me because I leave a safe space between me and the car in front of me. Propane is down low on my list of worries.
As to the couple with the BBQ grill running in their car..... I'm still laughing at that story. All I can say is Wow!!!! Not a good example of how propane is dangerous. More of a story of how people are dangerous.
Life is a always a risk. Living in a van has different risks then a regular house. But with just taking some common sense precautions I don't see carrying propane tanks as a big risk. I have enough to worry about with all the crazy people driving on the road and cutting right in front of me because I leave a safe space between me and the car in front of me. Propane is down low on my list of worries.
As to the couple with the BBQ grill running in their car..... I'm still laughing at that story. All I can say is Wow!!!! Not a good example of how propane is dangerous. More of a story of how people are dangerous.
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