LPG tank cover....

[dad2taylor]

OK.... I give up.... I'm stumped....uncle....

Built my own travel trailer from the ground up starting with a cargo trailer.  I have two 20# LPG tanks that I'm installing to a standard dual propane bottle rack.  That part is fine.  I am now trying to install a cover to those bottles.... these are pretty standard items, come in two halves and you bolt them together.  There are two issues:

First the easy one: It looks to me like in order to fill the tanks in place, the fill hose end (from the LPG provider) would have to have some sort of 90 degree adapter to get to the tank inlets ORRRR you'd have to take the cover off each time which might be ridiculous.  Do providers typically have a 90 degree fill end?

Second issue... the real stumper.  I have test fit the cover halves and it looks to me like if they were installed per the directions (which basically says screw the two cover halves together) they would fit on there pretty sloppy in that I can move the cover halves forward and back a couple of inches and side to side about 1.5 inches..... they would be moving all over the place going down the road.

See attached pics

 

[bullfrog]

My bottles cover is fairly thin plastic and it just pulls off by lifting up and installs by pushing down over the connected bottles. My bottles are secured in the holder by a single notched cross piece with one notch on each bottle lip, sort of a bridge between the bottles held with a single threaded rod in between the bottles through the center of the cross piece with a big wing nut and doesn't interfere with the cover coming on or off. it is a snug fit going on and off but sits a little loose once on. I've never noticed it moving around and it doesn't have any real wear marks on it. I guess if you wanted to you could extend the threaded rod through the installed lid and use a second wing nut to secure the cover but I never have had to. I always remove my bottles to have them filled as if there is a problem it won't destroy or damage my camper.

 

[highdesertranger]

First off that cover in the pictures is for 30 pound bottles. You have 20 pound bottles.

Second those plastic covers all fit like cr*p that's why you see them along the highways. that's why I don't use them.

Highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

Those flimsy plastic covers hide the 'ugly' tank and plumbing and protect the pigtail from UV while the trailer sits on the dealer lot. It looks 'purdy'...

Then after the new buyer takes possession and discovers they are pure junk he (or she) usually tosses the cover somewhere...in the yard...a storage shed....the garage...or a dark alley behind the fancy RV park. Or just wait till it flails off during a high speed highway run.

I tossed mine in the nearest dumpster the first week after I bought an otherwise decent little travel trailer.

Yours will likely meet one of these fates. Eventually.

 

[dad2taylor]

To be honest I wanted to go without it but since I've seen them all over I figured there was something to it.  I'm an engineer and this is truly a lousy design..... good thing Amazon has a good return policy.

 

[tx2sturgis]

To be honest I wanted to go without it 

Just let them tanks be nekkid.

 

[rvgrandma]

I would check around because most places we went to will not fill the bottles when on the trailer. Many places won't fill motorhomes because of that.

 

[highdesertranger]

"I would check around because most places we went to will not fill the bottles when on the trailer."

True. Most places require you to remove DOT cylinders from the trailer. In fact I have never seen it otherwise. Of course there might be an exception.

Highdesertranger

 

[wayne49]

I haven't had any problems with filling the onboard tank on my class C.

The only thing might be an out of date certification, they do check the dates on my removable cylinders, but they haven't ever checked the motorhome's (MH is a 1989).

 

[tx2sturgis]

Frame mounted propane tanks on a motorhome are ASME tanks, and are not required to be re-certified. 

They are not portable (DOT) tanks. 

Of course if that frame mount tank is so old it's rusted, pitted, dented, damaged, or otherwise looks unsafe, an attendant can decline to fill it.

 

[Sofisintown]

Those flimsy plastic covers hide the 'ugly' tank and plumbing and protect the pigtail from UV while the trailer sits on the dealer lot. It looks 'purdy'...

If it's only about purdy, make your own covers for the tops

Just saying'

 

[justanothermaroon]

I have a hybrid trailer, so ditched the LP covers the first time I realized I would have to fold up the bed every time I needed to refill.