How to carry propane safely?

[John61CT]

Long-term boondocking, or at least not staying in campgrounds, like propane for cooking, heating, maybe one day a fridge.

Shouldn't carry any bottles inside the enclosed space, so looking at

A roof rack
B fixed tank(s) under
or
C hitch-mount rack

My thoughts so far:

A probably relatively cheapest, pretty safe wrt collisions if a quality strong setup, middling theft-resistant, cheap for capacity, low visibility, but reduces mpg, potential wind noise

B most expensive for capacity, safest for collisions, theft-proof, least visible, silent, little vehicle performance change

C middling expensive, potential nightmare in a collision, susceptible to theft, lose access to hatch, awkward parking

 

[Almost There]

Ha, you've opened a big, big can of worms with this one! We've had numerous discussions on the subject before and I'm sure we'll have plenty more!

Lots of us carry 20 lb propane tanks inside our vehicles and have done so for years quite safely. I carry mine in front of the passenger seat so that it's not in my way and it's not going anywhere wedged between the seat and the dash. It also has the benefit of being where the engineers have built in some safety factors for the passenger legs.

The worst place to carry the tank, IMO, is outside on a hitch hauler where any rear end accident is going to impact the tank.

A horizontally mounted RV style propane tank mounted under carriage requires all kinds of special plumbing, is quite expensive and is a detriment to getting back in the back roads since it usually lowers your clearance.

Stored on the roof requires that someone can climb up there and haul the thing down. A full 20 lbr weighs in at something around 38 lbs IIRC. Climbing up and down the ladder installed on the back of the van with that kind of weight in one hand while you hang on to the ladder is not something a lot of us can do.

I took an RV propane safety course and am not afraid of propane...I know how to check my connections, have a good nose and can smell the additive in the propane and don't worry about it at all. I am, however, petrified when I see how careless a lot of the people working at the fill stations are when they're filling the tanks. I watch them carefully from a safe distance to make sure that they don't screw things up! I've seen them do some really stupid and dangerous things over the years.

 

[djkeev]

Secured and in a vented compartment......





Dave

 

[Sameer]

I love this thread, because it's like a broken record and pops up every few months year after year after year.
You do like every other real seasoned van dweller does and carry them in your van. On a regular basis I carry two BBQ size propane tanks and approximately 20 butane cans without any issue inside my van for the last five years. With the exception of appearing to be a rolling bomb... I have never had an issue nor has any other real seasoned van dweller. The discussion on this subject repeats itself over and over and over and over again

 

[djkeev]

The odds are high that no matter how you carry Propane, you'll be fine.

But......

There's always that unlucky person.......



Dave

 

[flying kurbmaster]

secured in a vented compartment is the safest way to do it IMHO. if you don't have a vented compartment then secured well and drill a hole in your floor somewhere in the lowest spot on the vehicle to let any fumes escape, install a propane sniffer, shut it off at the tank after every use, alternatively have a tank installed under the vehicle, a bit more expensive to have done, Most Rvs have an outside door into a vented compartment which is no different then having something like the photos above, venting is the key as when propane heats up from the sun it will vent out of those tanks. so it best to have somewhere for that to go and not build up inside your van,

 

[John61CT]

A horizontally mounted RV style propane tank mounted under carriage requires all kinds of special plumbing, is quite expensive and is a detriment to getting back in the back roads since it usually lowers your clearance.

I'm not sure if 12" is too deep, the forklift types get up to 10gal, even the aluminum ones go for not too much, same filler as RV/autogas, not too big a challenge to add a vapor tap?

 

[John61CT]

Stored on the roof requires that someone can climb up there and haul the thing down. A full 20 lbr weighs in at something around 38 lbs IIRC. Climbing up and down the ladder installed on the back of the van with that kind of weight in one hand while you hang on to the ladder is not something a lot of us can do.

No problem for me for a few more years anyway

I took an RV propane safety course

Something I'd like to do, distance learning if possible. leads anyone?

Also 1:1 tutoring on figuring out the right fittings to buy, keep the bottles looking as standard as possible. Anyone know a knowledgeable, ideally certified tech willing to freelance a bit?

 

[Almost There]

I'm not sure if 12" is too deep, the forklift types get up to 10gal, even the aluminum ones go for not too much, same filler as RV/autogas, not too big a challenge to add a vapor tap?

Ummm, the forklift types use the propane as a liquid, RV's use it as a gas.

All tanks, whether horizontal or upright have to be certified for their purpose. A DIY converted aluminum tank certified (without modifications for a forklift) can not and should not EVER be used for RV style use. I also sincerely hope that no one would ever, EVER try to fill it. I won't say that no one ever will, because I've seen some stupid shit go on at the propane fill stations that made me back up and get ready to run but no one ever SHOULD fill it.

 

[John61CT]

Drilling vent holes in my floor? I'm just a bit too risk averse to count on that, hot weather big venting.

Plus I'm hoping to keep the van interior stock, until I can afford a proper conversion, would probably go truck-based for that.

Last don't want to give up the floor space, me + 2 fast-growing kids, probably have to rig a hammock for my oldest soon enough as it is.

 

[John61CT]

Ummm, the forklift types use the propane as a liquid, RV's use it as a gas.

Hence my last sentence about adding a vapor tap.

All tanks, whether horizontal or upright have to be certified for their purpose. A DIY converted aluminum tank certified (without modifications for a forklift) can not and should not EVER be used for RV style use. I also sincerely hope that no one would ever, EVER try to fill it. I won't say that no one ever will, because I've seen some stupid shit go on at the propane fill stations that made me back up and get ready to run but no one ever SHOULD fill it.

A bog-standard forklift tank should be refillable anywhere. Having an extra standard fitting in the port engraved (VAPOR) I'd think wouldn't raise many eyebrows?

That's when portable, if under-mounted no filler's crawling to do an inspection, present them with proper fill + spitter valves and Bob's yer uncle no?

 

[abnorm]

There's always that unlucky person.......



Dave

If you read the text of that youtube....................... that was actually a spare tire "explosion"

 

[GotSmart]

Hence my last sentence about adding a vapor tap.


A bog-standard forklift tank should be refillable anywhere. Having an extra standard fitting in the port engraved (VAPOR) I'd think wouldn't raise many eyebrows?

That's when portable, if under-mounted no filler's crawling to do an inspection, present them with proper fill + spitter valves and Bob's yer uncle no?

Vapor tap...   :huh:   Bog-standard forklift tank...  Can you explain those terms?  They have not come up in any of the situations I have been in,

If there is not a ASME certified  (yes, with a metal plate, serial number and all that information.) tank for that useage, no inspector will pass it.  I don't care if Donald is your uncle.  :dodgy:

 

[Baloo]

I am one of those vented compartment people too!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[IGBT]

Propane is heavier than air so vents need to be low

 

[John61CT]

Vapor tap...   :huh:   Bog-standard forklift tank...  Can you explain those terms?  They have not come up in any of the situations I have been in,

If there is not a ASME certified  (yes, with a metal plate, serial number and all that information.) tank for that useage, no inspector will pass it.  I don't care if Donald is your uncle.  :dodgy:

Vapor just means gaseous, as opposed to liquid: the liquid port draws from the bottom of the tank, used to fuel engines, e.g. cars and forklifts and when transferring to other tanks.

Vapor service is from the top of the tank, for cooking, lighting, space & water heating, some engines like propane mowers.

ASME tanks are permanently installed or attached to vehicles, DOT regulates the portable ones, which may be secured "temporarily" e.g. by removable straps.

"Bog-standard" as in "off the shelf"

 

[GotSmart]

Vapor just means gaseous, as opposed to liquid:  the liquid port draws from the bottom of the tank, used to fuel engines, e.g. cars and forklifts and when transferring to other tanks.

Vapor service is from the top of the tank, for cooking, lighting, space & water heating, some engines like propane mowers.

ASME tanks are permanently installed or attached to vehicles, DOT regulates the portable ones, which may be secured "temporarily" e.g. by removable straps.

"Bog-standard" as in "off the shelf"

So you do not have the familiarity as to the proper terms, not to mention the procedures to do this "conversion" that is against every DOT and ASME regulation.

Just save your own life, as well as mine, and buy the proper item instead of building a rolling bomb.  

A new 5 lb tank is about $50,  completely filled.

http://www.propane101.com/understandingpropanetanks.htm

 

[John61CT]

I'm not planning on doing anything myself, will use professionals to spec & assemble, then train me on all requirements to stay safe.

So for this thread, assume standard tanks off the shelf, let's keep discussion to van transport and storage locations, OK?

 

[GotSmart]

I'm not planning on doing anything myself, will use professionals to spec & assemble, then train me on all requirements to stay safe.

So for this thread, assume standard tanks off the shelf, let's keep discussion to van transport and storage locations, OK?

Great.  For the small amount of space gained, a propane system mounted outside the body is expensive.  

I keep my tanks encased in two milk crates.  One upside down.  This gives me room to store the hose, as well as provide more protection to the valve.  It is visible in this picture in the center back. My van is well ventilated, and I have never smelled any of the odorized propane

 

[John61CT]

I'm a bit too risk-averse for that sort of setup myself. Maybe if it were just me in the van, I certainly did stuff like this all the time back in the day, but then. . .

I'm thinking maybe a quality roof rack, strong welded mesh cargo box, recesses to fit two 10-gal bottles ratchet-strapped in towards the back to lower their 12" profile, both visually and wrt wind resistance. Of course other stuff will be packed in around them, may not need any other cover.

And when I'm not van-living all goes back to stock.

Since it seems I won't be fixing propane underneath, rather than running hoses from a Propex HS2211 space heater on the roof into the van, I'll save my pennies for an Espar or Webasto one, mounted underneath feeding off the main petrol tank, same as the van's engine.

Should be able to figure how to get hot water at the same time - but that's for another thread.