Propane Tank Selection

[WanderingCanuck]

Is there a big difference between the cheapest tank you can find and one that costs more?  Does it matter for any practical reason?

Are there any other characteristics that would make you choose one tank over another?

I'm talking about the ubiquitous 20 pounder, unless someone can convince me that's not necessarily the best choice for use in a van dwelling scenario.

Any other tips on how not to get ripped off with propane and tanks? (Note that I'm in Canada, so things specific to US stores and such won't mean much to me)

Thanks..

 

[Trebor English]

The U-Haul web page advertises a tank for $29.95 that includes a guage.  This is a float not pressure guage.  

Otherwise the price doesn't matter.  When the tank isn't what you like rather than getting it filled, exchange it.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I had a 20# tank for the grill. I have physical disabilities, though, and was barely able to carry it to the table to grill when it was filled. So I got an 11# tank. Wasn't cheap, but at least I can carry it. And it's cute, to boot.

Brand doesn't matter if you are going to trade them in for full ones, so get whatever is cheapest. With my 20# tanks on the trailer, though, I get them refilled. I got mine at Costco where they were cheaper than anywhere else's. Been a few years. In some areas, Costco sells propane. Last fill up of 3 tanks was ten dollars and change. In my trailer, those three tanks lasted 6 months, even with cooking every day and using the fridge on gas when boondocking. Got them filled recently at a local propane dealer here in New Mexico and it was a lot more expensive.
Ted

 

[Almost There]

Any new tank will be built to the same specifications.

If you're going to be using the tank for heat through Canadian weather, I'd advise going with the 20 lb tank. If you're just using it part time or not for heating then a smaller tank will be easier to handle and store.

I got 9 full days (not nights) of use out of a 20 lb tank for use with my Mr. Buddy heater in the van last fall in Chilliwack - 40 F daytime outside temps. It gave up on me at 10 AM the 10th morning just as I was prepping to head to town for propane....   That's just to give you an idea of how long a tank will last. Used for occasional heating, like a few minutes to warm the van up in the morning or for a couple of hours on low in the evening a 20 lb tank will last me for months.

 

[Canine]

All tanks have a band of metal on top of the tank that protects the valve. Crafted into the band itself are tabs punched out then bent over to make a hand hold. I like the ones with two "handles" instead of one handle. Much easier to pick up and move around. I like this so much so that a one-handle tank is a deal breaker for me and I don't have a problem handling the weight. That's how much more convenient having two hand holds is. Sometimes you have to pick it up high to set on the dock for the employee to fill it and that takes two hands unless you are a stud. I'm really handsome, but I'm not that strong.

A 30-pounder can be filled up any place a 20-pounder can be filled. Anything over 30 or if it is an unusual size then it's harder finding a place to fill it.

When you do the tank exchange thing, they aren't filled to the rim like Brim. This is an expensive route. I've never, ever had a problem finding a place to fill up a tank. But I have more than one tank, so if it is a Sunday in a small town, then I can wait several days to get if filled. If you have to get it filled right 'meow', you might have to pay a little extra. And maybe lose your favorite tank in one of those tank exchanges.

Steel tanks are much cheaper than aluminum tanks and when comparing the two full tanks, the weight difference is tiny.

It costs about $34 to put a new valve on an expired tank. If you find a damaged or expired tank, you can use it as an exchange to get a new tank at one of those tank exchange places. This isn't unethical. The companies want those damaged tanks. It's right on their websites. It's part of the service they provide.

Propane tanks do get stolen sometimes, so if you can secure them when they are out in the open, that's not a bad idea.

I use an automatic changeover valve. That way when it's 3:00 a.m., 20 below, and a tank runs out, I don't have to suffer. The heater has an uninterrupted flow of propane. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V8JJGO...olid=1M88K8VCZV4ST&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

 . . . That way when it's 3:00 a.m., 20 below, and a tank runs out, I don't have to suffer. The heater has an uninterrupted flow of propane . . .

How in the world do you get a 20# propane tank to flow in -20º weather?  I get ~ 1/3 of a tank and then the vapor pressure is too low to open the pressure reduction valve.  I have to move the tank inside where it is warm.

 

[speedhighway46]

Stick with 20# tanks if you are able to carry them. They are the cheapest; easiest to find; and can be either refilled or swapped out at thousands of locations. I swapped out my last tank at a Walgreens in Coldwater, Michigan; it was winter and I didn’t want to not have a spare with me.

Two 20# tanks and my Buddy Heater keep me toasty warm at night when I’m traveling during the winter
months here in Michigan.

 

[John61CT]

Get the cheapest new, have it refilled manually.

Anything goes wrong, go to the exchange place get a new one.

That's all they're good for.

Other sizes are crazy expensive, but if you do, Manchester and Worthington are the good ones for metal.

Scandinavian composite are very light and see through, you can check the level right through the tank.

 

[Canine]

How in the world do you get a 20# propane tank to flow in -20º weather?  I get ~ 1/3 of a tank and then the vapor pressure is too low to open the pressure reduction valve.  I have to move the tank inside where it is warm.

My tanks are inside the trailer under the bench. I'm sitting above them as I type. Nice and warm and toasty. My water is in there, too, and it never freezes. The tanks always empty 100%.