I made a sealed box for a 20LB propane tank

[One Awesome Inch]

Part 2 video



I ended up going with one hole... may add another in the future.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I started watching your video, I don't usually, I skipped through it because it was boring me to tears, however I was interested to see the end product, I would be less concerned about wasps then I would be about turning off the propane in the event of an emergency, which would likely happen just by your lid to access your valve, you mention this so you have also noticed it, doesn't that heater throw heat, how will you get your hand in there to shut it off, never mind about melting the lid, or over heating the tank, if your tank overheats it releases propane, For 14.00 you can buy an 8 foot hose with all the fittings to fit on your regulator. Why would you want an ignition source that close to your tank. Is that heater in a pocket in the wall or did I leave the video too soon and miss that it had clearances around it???? Don't be careless, you will give all vandwellers a bad name if you burn up in the middle of Vancouver, I plan on spending time there soon, I don;t want a bunch of new laws named after you. Sorry to be so hard on you OAI the box is good but the set up sucks, I think....

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Thanks for the insults and insights. Much appreciated.

 

[GrantRobertson]

I have heard - but don't know for sure - that wasps are attracted by the smell of propane.  You might want to research that for yourself.  My concern would be that when you need to open the box to change the cylinder, you discover a wasp nest in there. 

Regards
John

Well, that would be like a built in leak alarm. If there is no leak, the wasps won't come. If you hear the buzzing of wasps in there, you know you got a leak. [emoji6]

 

[myke]

Thanks for the insults and insights. Much appreciated.

Hey man, of the ones I've watched, I've found them entertaining/informative.

And nice job overall on the build...

 

[SoulRaven]

While I can't speak for Canada, and I'm not totally sure in the USA whether it's federal or individual states, I do know that in many areas, no inside access is allowed to be legal, it must be totally sealed from the interior, and have outside access only.

Not sure how well enforced it is, but I would guess if they're looking for something to justify them hassling you, that might be a red flag.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

You are likely right about. If i get an accident and the insurance co finds about it they could very well invalidate my claim. Not 100% sure though.

 

[Matlock]

Well OAI,
You opened a can of worms on this one.
Found this Canada Reg. that deals with transportation from supplier to someplace.....

ENCLOSED VEHICLE
In an enclosed vehicle, cylinders must be transported
upright and secured. In a passenger vehicle, it must
be secured upright on the rear floor with the window
open or in the trunk inside a tote box and with the
trunk partially open to ensure proper ventilation. Your
cylinder retailer will have a latch for this purpose.
Either make a special trip to have your propane
cylinders refilled or make it the last stop on your
shopping route. It's never good to leave cylinders
sitting for long periods of time in your vehicle.

The regulations do not apply when propane is
necessary for the operation of a vehicle.

PROPANE GAS
ASSOCIATION OF CANADA INC.
ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DU
GAZ PROPANE INC.


Then ran across the US DOT (Department of Transportation) Reg.

2-2.3 Location of LP-Gas Containers. LP-Gas containers shall be in accordance with the following:
(a) LP-Gas container shall not be installed nor shall provisions be made for installing or storing any LP-Gas containers, even temporarily, inside any recreation vehicle. Containers shall not be mounted on the exterior of the rear wall or rear bumper of the vehicle.

Well that throws a wrench into me mounting my tank in an enclosure on the rear step bumper of my box truck.
Oh joy!

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Wonder if they'd be okay with something like this?... which is also  a DIY.

 

[SoulRaven]

That's the direction I have seen used, and as far as I know it's legal everywhere.

As you said, sometimes it boils down to what works in the insurance companies eyes, or LEO's eyes, rather than just what will work for ourselves.

A denied insurance claim, or even a big ticket could be devastating for many people.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Thanks for the insults and insights. Much appreciated.

you are right I was out of line, I apologize, I was a bit grumpy yesterday morning, sorry.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Apology acceped. For the record i got the van up to 25C yesterday. The plastic bucket lid got a tiny bit warm but nothing concerning. The ceiling above the heater was warmer than anything. I think I am going to expoxy a piece of tile there just as a precaution.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

the tile might work I have seen this problem solved with something flame proof screwed in place with an air space between it and the ceiling using small ceramic bushings or steel tubes where the screws go through to create the air space.

 

[SoulRaven]

You didn't mention what the outside temp was when you got the van up to 25C.

It sounded like it may have felt like an accomplishment. My guess is that it isn't too cold up there yet. Take close notice of where the high temp max out is of your heater, where it won't warm it up past xx point. Preferably do it at night with no sunshine.

Once you have that figure, subtract the outside temperature, and you will know your maximum heat gain, so you can discern whether or not you'll have enough heat for when the temps really start to fall.

By figuring it out ahead of time, even if it means roasting for a little while, it can save you from some misery down the road. I'd much rather roast for a few hours than freeze for a few weeks. When the cold weather hits, heaters can be hard to come by.

If you have a camp stove, they make excellent heaters too.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Good point.

It was 13C outside and raining. The heater was on low at 1600BTUs for about 2 hours (it will do 3200 BTUs on high). Weird thing is that the humidity actually went down... from 78 to 46%. I assumed it would go up since its a non-vented propane heater. Strange.

The whole winter is an experiment for me in terms of heating.

 

[MrNoodly]

While I can't speak for Canada, and I'm not totally sure in the USA whether it's federal or individual states, I do know that in many areas, no inside access is allowed to be legal, it must be totally sealed from the interior, and have outside access only.

Not sure how well enforced it is, but I would guess if they're looking for something to justify them hassling you, that might be a red flag.

There are no Propane Police pulling over vehicles to see if they have improperly stored propane. You MIGHT be hassled if you get stopped for some other reason, but even then it's highly unlikely an officer will care about any propane tanks.

I've been out here two years with a tank mounted inside my van, by the side door. I know others who've been been carrying tanks inside for a decade or more. No explosions, no fires, no suffocations, no law enforcement troubles.

Besides, a sealed box isn't sealed if you then vent it.

 

[SoulRaven]

There are no Propane Police pulling over vehicles to see if they have improperly stored propane. You MIGHT be hassled if you get stopped for some other reason, but even then it's highly unlikely an officer will care about any propane tanks.

I've been out here two years with a tank mounted inside my van, by the side door. I know others who've been been carrying tanks inside for a decade or more. No explosions, no fires, no suffocations, no law enforcement troubles.

Besides, a sealed box isn't sealed if you then vent it.

While there might not be any "Propane Police", I try not to give anybody a reason to hassle me.  Then there's the insurance companies and their never ending quest to deny claims to consider too.

Many of us are already living in a gray area.  No sense pushing our luck beyond what's absolutely necessary.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

I am sure that our government run insurance agency up here in BC would try and deny my claim if I got in an accident IF they found I had a non-inspected (hence illegal) propance tank in the van. Naturally, I shut my tank off before driving... or any time my heater isnt being used for that matter.

 

[SoulRaven]

Good for you on turning the propane off while driving.

I have heard that some RV sales people tell customers it's okay to drive with propane on and in use. REALLY BAD IDEA...

 

[highdesertranger]

that's right Off Grid and the number one cause of RV fires. highdesertranger