(Dumb question) Propane-running van, yay or nay

[transient]

I have no knowledge of this and I've been looking up some stuff on propane online and I can't find a real clear answer. I'm not sure what a propane-running car means. I'm going out to look at a van this week and the ad says it runs on propane, and other than that it's the perfect unit for what I'm looking for.

I'm just... not sure what propane means for price & running haha. Is a propane van good, bad, better, worse? Is it different at all? Is it even something I should be concerned with?

 

[steamjam1]

Yes CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) vehicles. It really limits you on where you can go based on the availability of CNG filling stations.

 

[Almost There]

At one time, propane was a whole lot cheaper than regular gasoline so a lot of fleets went with propane powered vehicles. They never really caught on with the buying public. When used in a fleet situation where the vehicle is used locally and returned to the depot every night, re-fueling was easy. Not so if you're doing long distance driving. It's not like there's a fill station at every exit.

Be careful too that the reason it's up for sale is not that the propane tank won't pass inspection. They have to be re-certified at 10 years I believe and if the tank or the system won't pass inspection, you could be in for a fairly hefty bill.

Personally, I wouldn't want one as a full-timer just for the refueling problems.

 

[Larry48]

There's a guy on youtube that drove his Astrovan around the block a few times using a 20# tank and a hose

 

[highdesertranger]

also propane gets less MPG then gas, and a lot less then Diesel. highdesertranger

 

[DannyB1954]

Propane has less energy than gasoline. The good news is it burns very clean. Most likely can be converted back to gasoline. See if the gas tank is still there. Also note CNG Compressed Natural Gas is not the same as propane. You can buy propane in most places, but you will have to play hide and seek to find them. A lot of campgrounds and RV parks, some gas stations, and propane distributors.

 

[blars]

Bulk propane (LPG, not CNG) is readily available. But it does not include road tax, which you may have to pay separately. Add that to it's frequently more expensive and less energy/gallon than gas.