Cutting through drink holder on doghouse cover.

[ramblinbob]

Hi, I would like to cut a hole through my engine cover's drink holder to facilitate a large hose which would be an annoyance anywhere else. I'm not talking about going through to the engine just from top part of drink holder to storage space below. If anyone has done this what did you learn from the experience and were you able to make it look esthetic? For resale value someday perhaps. I'm thinking a circular drill bit and then if needed fiberglass to smooth inside of hole. Thanks in advance.

ramblinbob

 

[B and C]

I would take the cup holder off the dog house, drill with a circular bit and then trim the hole with a small hose slit length wise.

 

[highdesertranger]

I am not understanding what exactly you are trying to do. What's under your drink holder? A bulkhead fitting will make a clean hose connection.

Highdesertranger

 

[user 423]

What vehicle? Pics would help.

 

[Weight]

What storage space is under the drink holder? The engine is under my 'dog house' cover.

 

[ramblinbob]

B&C .. Cup holder is part of the doghouse. How do you trim hole with a small hose?
HDR .. Just basic open area to throw junk. Bulkhead fitting won't work with application I'm trying. Also part of the doghouse. All I want to do is route a propane house.
S2D .. 99 Roadtrek.
W .. Mine too!

So I bought the smallest buddy heater available only to find there are no tanks available to fit it, so then I bought a 5 gallon (?) tank and a connecting hose made for the buddy. Only thing is it needs a platform to set on, or a chain to hang it, my other choice. Brain' says it sets nice on top of doghouse with the exception that hose kinks because space for drink handle (on cup) isn't long enough. So if I can route it through the bottom it (hose) will fit to heater WO a kink. Some heavy duty velcro will hold Lil buddy in place or I'll fasten more securely with a chain.

Now don't tell me tanks are available online cause I already have myself and money invested this way, with a small tank that fits great in front of either seat. All I really wanted was any advice on drilling the hole. research shows a Forstner drill bit may be my best choice.

 

[wayne49]

Not sure what exactly is going on, but there are right angle adapters for those heaters. That connector may avoid the kinked hose.

This one says "Olympian Heaters", but propane connections are universal.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-57633-Connector-Olympian-Heaters/dp/B002UC13NY

 

[tx2sturgis]

No the flare elbow wont work...If I understand the OP, he bought the Little Buddy, which screws on top of a propane bottle and that bottle slips down into his cup holder...I think is what the situation is...

Except the OP wants to run the 1lb propane connector hose that screws on the underside of the Little Buddy and passes straight down into the doghouse and maybe then make a gentle bend and attach to a larger tank located under or beside the doghouse.

So this will drop into the cupholder, but without the bottle screwed on:



And this hose will connect to the fitting and be routed through a large hole in the cupholder:



I would think a normal hole-saw on a drill would do the job. A forstner bit is normally for wood, and normally for drilling holes slowly that also wont go all the way thru the wood, such as for inserting a round piece, a threaded fitting or nut, a wooden plug, or a dowel rod. Anyway, I assume the drink holder is plastic or maybe metal? Either way, a 1 1/4" hole saw should be about right. Measure across the 1lb connector to make sure.

I hope I understood the original question...if not...disregard all of my answer!

 

[MrNoodly]

Bob has a video about using the Mr. Heater filter as sort of a bolt to mount the Little Buddy to a box so you can attach it to a bulk tank.



If ramblinbob is talking about an Express van, he might be able to do a friction fit between the filter and one of the drink holders and have a hole just large enough for the bulk hose fitting to pass through. If he wants to make it clean looking, there might be a rubber grommet the right size. Of, it if just needs to look good for resale, a black plastic disk could be glued in the drink holder.

Anyway, in an Express, it's a straight shot through the drink holder to the storage cubby (if your Express came with one).

There's also a chance a narrower but taller propane bottle used on blow torches might be just the right diameter to fit in a drink holder. Those bottles have the same attachment threads as the green bottles.

 

[B and C]

I have a 2000 roadtrek on a chevy chassis. The chassis make is the determining factor. My drink holder comes off by remove 6 nuts, two of which are behind the dash panel that pulls off. There is a "glove box" on the front of the cup holder portion. You will want to route your hose so it doesn't interfere with it's operation. You may also have to drill a hole out the side of the cover to get the hose out to the tank. If you have a Dodge chassis, all bets are off, IDK.

A hose slit lengthwise will make a C shape. The slit is pushed over the edge of the hole so half the hose is above in the cup holder and the other half is below the cup holder. The open part of the C clamps to the edge. This is a poor mans grommet. Make the hose long enough to go completely around the hole. Make it longer, you can always trim. If you put the propane hose through the hole before the C hose is put on, you can use a thicker hose to keep the propane fitting from falling down the hole.

 

[MrNoodly]

I just test fitted a tall/narrow propane bottle. It fit loosely in the right or left drink holder but won't fit in the smaller center drink holder.

 

[tx2sturgis]

That's a very good point about the inline filter....turns out the larger propane tanks that get refilled over and over accumulate some crud inside that the little green bottles don't have. I probably should have mentioned that, but I'm really not sure any of my assumptions about the OP situation are on point. I guess he will let us know.

Either way, an inline filter will help extend the life of the small catalytic and infrared heaters.

 

[ramblinbob]

B&C .. Cup holder is part of the doghouse. How do you trim hole with a small hose?
HDR .. Just basic open area to throw junk. Bulkhead fitting won't work with application I'm trying. Also part of the doghouse. All I want to do is route a propane house.
S2D .. 99 Roadtrek.
W .. Mine too!

So I bought the smallest buddy heater available only to find there are no tanks available to fit it, so then I bought a 5 gallon (?) tank and a connecting hose made for the buddy. Only thing is it needs a platform to set on, or a chain to hang it, my other choice. Brain' says it sets nice on top of doghouse with the exception that hose kinks because space for drink handle (on cup) isn't long enough. So if I can route it through the bottom it (hose) will fit to heater WO a kink. Some heavy duty velcro will hold Lil buddy in place or I'll fasten more securely with a chain.

Now don't tell me tanks are available online cause I already have myself and money invested this way, with a small tank that fits great in front of either seat. All I really wanted was any advice on drilling the hole. research shows a Forstner drill bit may be my best choice.

 

[ramblinbob]

Hi all, sorry if I didn't explain fully at first but luckily a couple of you figured it out. I like the right angle attachment but not sure if that will work esp. with filter, thanks for that info too. Liked the video, good old Bob, so much info on his site. Going to order the filter and double check it all but you've been helpful.

Thanks,

ramblinbob

 

[Weight]

It is unlawful to carry a propane bottle in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. There is a good reason for that rule.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Unlawful where?

In Texas you can carry up to 5 green LP bottles in the passenger compartment.

Not sure about other states.

Enforcement of this rule would be next to zero, unless something terrible happened, or an officer saw someone with hundreds of them in the back seat of an SUV.

 

[B and C]

A good propane detector, CO detector and smoke alarm are highly recommended.

I regularly fill 5-20 Lb. bottles at a time and transport them in the back of my Tahoe. The filling stations just want them secured.

 

[MrNoodly]

It is unlawful to carry a propane bottle in the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

Most places it's illegal to live in a vehicle, so are we suddenly going to be sticklers for regulations?

The odds of a propane catastrophe are miniscule. Much lower than, say, a crippling traffic accident. Do you think those stacks of propane bottles (not to mention all the flammable aerosol products) in Walmart are a danger? Are the trucks hauling all those propane bottles blowing up all the time?

 

[Weight]

OP is not using "those green propane bottles". He is planning on a 20 pound bottle on the floor in front of the passenger seat. 1st,the risk is not minuscule. But I am sure the OP can dive out the door in an emergency. 2nd, why give a local or state lawman an excuse. That is all I'm saying about a very dangerous proposed practice.

 

[MrNoodly]

Most of the time, problems with propane originate with the appliances or hose couplings, not at the tank. It's not enough to turn off the appliance. You should close the valve on the tank.