Safe place to put propane tanks in van

[LookinUp]

Yes, another newbie question. I did a search but didn't readily find what I was looking for.
My inside cooking area will be a table build over my Dometic fridge on the passenger side, just in front of the bed (which is built cross wise not lengthwise); coming even with the aft side door. I'm wondering if it's wise to place the 20lb tank in the back of the van (I have a "garage" area there) and run the hose securely under the bed to the cooking area? I'm a little concerned about it being back there in the "unlikely" event of a rear end collision.......any thoughts? My other thought is to go with a 4.5  lb. tank and store it in my 5 gal. emergency potty bucket with a hole near the top to run the hose from, but I will use that bucket as a seat to cook from so not sure that's wise either .The bucket would be stored securely behind the passenger seat. I like the idea of the smaller tank for easy of storage and cooking, but know it won't run the Mr. Buddy Heater long without refilling...
Appreciate your input!

 

[TrainChaser]

I saw a cargo van with a surround-type roof rack (like this: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/be/1b/54/be1b54dfb5249b1a0a8d0d34d9843e24.jpg) and they had a propane tank up there. He went by so fast I couldn't see if it was hooked up, or just a spare. And I don't know the logistics of connecting it from up there.

 

[djkeev]

Safe?

As in not becoming a projectile and killing you while the vehicle is in motion or

Safe, as in not being a life threatening hazard being stored inside where humans live and sleep?

 

[drysailor]

Yes, another newbie question. I did a search but didn't readily find what I was looking for.
.The bucket would be stored securely behind the passenger seat.  I like the idea of the smaller tank for easy of storage and cooking, but know it won't run the Mr. Buddy Heater long without refilling...
Appreciate your input!

Hi LookinUp - there was another thread a few months back on propane tanks under a Factory 'B' van (don't remember which forum & couldn't find it this AM), but if you can mount your spare tire on a rear-door bracket, you might be able to mount 2 of the smaller 2(?) gallon tanks in the original spare tire site under the van. I also don't know if those tanks were specially made to allow use in the horizontal position, but it's an idea maybe worth considering?
DaveM.

 

[Almost There]

Drysailor - the horizontal tanks that are used in permanent RV installations are completely different from upright portable tanks...no the portable upright tanks can't be stored horizontally and vice versa.

I store my 20lb tank in a milk crate (H/D carries them) in front of the passenger seat. Since no one is sitting there it's a great place for me to put it.

It's  handy for me to move outside if I need it out there for camp cooking and it's out of my way. Also the passenger foot area is relatively safe both for passengers feet and for the propane tank. A 10' hose lets me run it to anywhere I want including out the passenger window when I'm too lazy to move the tank outside...  

As to rear end collision - the worst place would be outside your van mounted on the back.

I've been in rear end collisions before...guy ran in to my stopped vehicle while he was doing about 60 on the highway. I was hoping for a replacement bumper cause mine was ugly diamond plate. Didn't happen, he wrote off his mini van, mine the bumper brackets didn't even move. Mind you it was an 80 something van with the industrial bumper... not like todays' construction at all.

If you're really worried about rear end collisions, add a hitch and a hitch hauler....give them something to hit first before they get to your van.

The only problem I see with putting it in your 'garage' would be that you'd have to run around outside to turn it on and off on a regular basis. For me, it would usually happen when it's cold or raining or both...

 

[Gadget728]

My mechanic George, being a volunteer fireman, voiced concerns of traveling with a Propane tank inside OR on the back in a cargo rack. I keep mine in a milk crate and store it behind the drivers seat when driving. I put it outside to use. That might change as I start to build the interior. The #20 bottles are economical to refill and fairly easy to move around.

I drive very defensively and I try to never be in a hurry, that just makes things worse. Accidents happen, and we are at risk every time we get into our vehicles!! Common sense seems to be the key to many of the compromises we as vandwellers have to deal with.

Do a little research (as you're doing) and secure it where it will do the least damage if you do get in a wreck.

 

[Van-Tramp]

If you have a ladder on the rear doors (many vans do) you can get brackets to install to the ladder. That way you can mount it high enough not to take a direct hit in a minor fender-bender.

Inside is not recommended by anyone, but done by many I suspect.

 

[LeeRevell]

Might check DMV laws/regs before mounting outside anywhere.

 

[DrJean]

Good question to ask imo!


From what I've read, some basics are keeping the tank in a sealed, bottom vented box/cabinet; having it disconnected when driving.

I have the AAA camping/rv ? guides and it lists the areas you cannot drive with certain size tanks, or if any tanks have propane in them  etc etc.  Various laws in the States but surely NOT in a tunnel...


RV Propane safety

 

[LookinUp]

Thanks everyone, great information that's much appreciated.

 

[akrvbob]

I've lived in a vehicle for the last 14 years, and for every minute of it there was a propane tank inside with me, and never once in a sealed box. However, I always stored it where it could not go flying as a missile.

There are two realistic risks from a propane tank inside a vehicle:
1) In an accident it can go flying and the valve can be broken off. If you secure the tank when you drive so it can't go flying, this risk is non-existent.
2) Under extreme heat tanks can off-gas to lower pressure. But, it's very easy as a snowbird to make sure the van is NEVER that hot, so this risk is also non-existent.

In fact left outside in the direct sun or where it could be hit in an accident make both of those risks tremendously higher. Inside the van is the safest place to carry it when done so properly. Bob

 

[ccbreder]

I must disagree. Unless you are as careful of vehicle temperature as Bob, inside the van gets very hot on occasion. The bottle can vent. One solution is to have a hose from the vent through the floor for when the temperature rises. Always store the bottle upright, even the 1 pound. Secure the 40 pound, or so, tank is easy if you try.

 

[djkeev]

Because you've done something for years and aren't dead yet doesn't make it safe.
It only makes you lucky.

During the 1950's we routinely rode bicycles with zero safety gear. I'm still alive even after doing that.
Statistics show that many died or were seriously injured from head injuries during that time period sustained from falling off of bikes.
Because I'm alive today after decades of unprotected bicycle riding, does this make biking without a helmut safe today?

Of course not! It simply says that I was one of the chosen to not die from a bike crash (of which there were many) during the 1950's and 1960's.

I'd be stupid to go bike riding without a helmut today, I know better now. Just like I KNOW about the very real hazards of BBQ style propane bottles stored and carried inside of a Van.

Survival of the fittest is still a very real concept in our modern World.

Dave

 

[djkeev]

Let me add.......
I don't fear a propane tank exploding, that rarely happens and when it does happen an immense fire is often the cause.
If my Van is involved in an immense fire, an exploding propane tank is way down on my list of worries.

It is the outgassing, the venting of the unit and the valuable space it claims for storage in a tiny steel Box.

While I hate the price, I'll probably purchase a proper under chassis propane tank when the time comes.

Dave

 

[MrNoodly]

Safe?

As in not becoming a projectile and killing you while the vehicle is in motion or

Safe, as in not being a life threatening hazard being stored inside where humans live and sleep?

Or safe, as in 99.9% safe or safe as in 100% safe? 

Or safe, as in infinitely less likely to kill you than, say, heart disease or cancer?

I keep my 20# tank just inside the door, mounted with a heavy steel strap they use to hold propane tanks on fork lifts. The strap is bolted to a steel cabinet that is bolted through the floor. That might be overkill. I know many people who just keep them in milk crates stuffed under the bed. They've done it for years. No problems. (Funny that almost no one worries about the green bottles of propane.)



The far more likely problem is leakage from the hose connections or faulty appliances. So turn off the tank when you're done. And replace the tank every few years so you're not dealing with an old valve. And replace the hose while you're at it.

 

[DrJean]

Bob, I think those of us who are knowledgeable and detail oriented will not generally have any issues with NOT having the tank inside a sealed, but vented box.  

It is the newbie, inexperienced or ADHD person who may not check to make sure the hoses etc are closed, or whatever that need not only the venting and sealed box but a monitor/alarm as well. 

To me, it isn't "just" about risk management, but also about insurance liability.  IF something should occur, even outside of one's own fault, the insurance company has the right to not pay if you don't take the "proper" measures. 

I wish the world was only about us.

 

[speedhighway46]

The only way to be 100% safe all the time is to die.

 

[Trebor English]

If you turn off the tank valve and the tank is not overfilled there is no intentional by design venting.  

The regulator can vent if the pressure in the output hose is too high.  Rising temperature, not high but rising, can do that but not if the tank valve is off. There is no supply to pressurize it before the temp rises.

All tanks with a triangular valve handle marked "OPD" have an overfill protection device. Only OPD tanks are supposed to be refilled.  When the 20 lb tank only gets filled to 15 lbs that leaves space in the tank so that even when hot there is room for the liquid propane.

 

[Trebor English]

Doctor Jean, the person who needs the alarm is unlikely to be able to respond to the alarm in an appropriate manner, given their disabilities. Maybe some people should avoid propane.

 

[ccbreder]

When the service valve on the top of the bottle is closed, By design the bottle is able to vent! if the temperature is high enough to raise the pressure in the bottle. How high a temperature does the inside of a van become if you don't constantly move to cooler climes or shady areas? Can you always insure your van is not in the sun? Better to take precautions.