For those with Sea Biscuit XL TAB Boxes does a 20lb propane tank fit?

CCC

Was thinking about carrying an extra.
https://seabiscuitmetaldesigns.com/product/tab/

VictoriaP

I can check when mine arrive next week, but it’s probably fastest to just message them on Facebook or via their site. They are extremely responsive.

CCC

Thanks, they said no but I wanted to get to some hands on advice, didn't feel like it was a complete answer from them from the person who responded.

VictoriaP

@CCC Got it. If no one responds before then, I can probably tell you a week from now once my boxes get here. My suspicion is it won’t work due to the diameter of the tank, but I have a spare tank available and am willing to try.

CCC

Thanks.

dsfdogs

This is from their website for the XL boxes: "TAB X-Large Boxes measures – 17 ½”w x 18” high x 12 ¾” front to back". 

VictoriaP

@CCC Tested while installing XL boxes today, and the answer is a definite No. A standard 20lb propane tank was too wide to fit the front to back depth of the box. Won’t even go in.

That said, you could in theory do a couple of things…use a 5 or 10 lb tank as a spare instead. Ask if they’ll make a custom tank box for you. Or move the battery out of the main tub into one of the Seabiscuit boxes. Or move it into the cabin of the trailer, somewhere under the dinette. The main tub on the 2021 and later is big enough to set up dual propane tanks once the battery is moved. You’ll need a second tank holder installed to accomplish that.

CCC

VictoriaP said:

@CCC Tested while installing XL boxes today, and the answer is a definite No. A standard 20lb propane tank was too wide to fit the front to back depth of the box. Won’t even go in.

That said, you could in theory do a couple of things…use a 5 or 10 lb tank as a spare instead. Ask if they’ll make a custom tank box for you. Or move the battery out of the main tub into one of the Seabiscuit boxes. Or move it into the cabin of the trailer, somewhere under the dinette. The main tub on the 2021 and later is big enough to set up dual propane tanks once the battery is moved. You’ll need a second tank holder installed to accomplish that.

Thanks.

HighSierraBill

Hi! Yes, a 20lb. standard propane tank fits with very little side to side tightness in the Sea Biscuit XL TAB  storage box. The key is you will next to installed the Sea Biscuit XL TAB storage tub with a pivot bolt at the front side next to the large center tub. The reason is you will need to rotate the tub inward a bit to extract the propane to load/unload when refilling. The T@B side handle will prevent you from putting it out. So, I put locking wing nuts on the other three (minimum) bolt locations for quick removal rotation on the pivot bolt. The wing nuts are safe as long as you buy the ones that prevent coming loose during travel. I have had zero problems with the solution. Note: You will need to drill a minimum of two 1" venting holes on the tub backside and one in the base plate for gas safety regulations.

VictoriaP

HighSierraBill said:

Hi! Yes, a 20lb. standard propane tank fits with very little side to side tightness in the Sea Biscuit XL TAB  storage box. The key is you will next to installed the Sea Biscuit XL TAB storage tub with a pivot bolt at the front side next to the large center tub. The reason is you will need to rotate the tub inward a bit to extract the propane to load/unload when refilling. The T@B side handle will prevent you from putting it out. So, I put locking wing nuts on the other three (minimum) bolt locations for quick removal rotation on the pivot bolt. The wing nuts are safe as long as you buy the ones that prevent coming loose during travel. I have had zero problems with the solution. Note: You will need to drill a minimum of two 1" venting holes on the tub backside and one in the base plate for gas safety regulations.

@HighSierraBill Well, this is rather interesting, since I tested it with a standard tank and with the box unmounted from the platform (so the lid was fully open), and it wouldn’t even go in. Either my brand new Sea Biscuit XL boxes were specc’d differently than yours, constructed to different tolerances, or something weird is going on here.

I’m also very curious about the position of your boxes. As with your 2018, the handles on my 2019 stick out quite a ways, so much so that mounting the boxes as far back as yours was problematic. Even further forward, the lids scrape enough to leave aluminum scuffs on the handles. Did you end up doing this pivot mount on both boxes?

HighSierraBill

So, you are saying that the lid would not close either? Interesting. We purchased the XXL boxes - $350.00 per unit. The boxes are 18” wide x 18 3/4″ high (reaching inside) x 17” front to back (standing in front of box). The tank is rounder than the box front to back weight by ~0.35". To load the tank into the box involves 2-1 oil to slip it in. Tight fit a bit, yes, but it in the box. And the pivoting of the box allows the box to rotate out and still be on the platform to drop the tank in. We have room to set the bolts on either side of the tank when we reposition it after tank installation. Again, the T@B handle hold on our 2018 320 S Boondock might be tucked into the side as seen below differently during that year's production. That is why we came up with this approach. It worked for our T@B. Sea Biscuit - https://seabiscuitmetaldesigns.com/product/tab-boxes-xxl/. So our setup is Front Left Box - Propane Tank w/ related tools; Center Box - The 200 amp Lithium Battery w/ electrical equipment & cables; Front Right Box - Fresh Water equipment & attachments. The front yoke box is for trailer parts.

No, I just installed the pivot setup to the front Left Sea Biscuit XXL TAB storage tub (Box). That is the location of the original propane tank mounting on the diamond plate frame because of the large size of the Lithium battery. The trailer just had the center box when we purchased it.

When I pick our trailer this weekend from storage I will post a photo of the propane box configuration. I hope this was helpful for you.

VictoriaP

@HighSierraBill OK, yes, the XXL are larger than the original poster asked about. Mine are the XL that they specifically discussed. The propane tank doesn’t fit in my XL boxes, the box is too narrow front to back to accommodate the tank diameter.

That said, looking at your pics so far, I’m baffled, and I’d like to see a front to back tape measure on yours, because as far as I’m aware, the 2018 platform is not 17” deep. Even pushed back to the vertical supports the way yours are, the 17” deep boxes should overhang the front of the platform. You can see that in the first image on the Sea Biscuit website for the XXL, with the XXL box on the left and the milk crate on the right. Yours sure look to be around 12” front to back, 13-14” at most, rather than 17”, judging by where they sit on the platform. And that would explain why you have to grease up the tank to fit it in there, because a standard 20 lb propane tank is 12”-12.5” in diameter (depending on which Google source you look at). A 17” deep box should have a lot more room to maneuver that tank.

The 2018 through 2020 are identical as far as the Tab handles go, the handles changed with the 2021 redesign. So your handles are the same as mine, as is the center tub. With the XL, if I set them as far back as yours on the platform, the lids have a max opening angle of much less than 90°. Pulling them forward from the platform uprights by about 1 1/2”, they open almost fully, but eventually still do hit the handles. I’d definitely like to see a pic of yours open in the non pivot position to compare. 

Your pivot idea is honestly brilliant, but I think I’d find it impractical for as frequently as I’m in those boxes, makes much more sense for a propane only box like yours. Unless I could get away with just the pivoting bolt and then just ratchet strap the bins to the uprights. But that somewhat defeats the purpose of having permanent bins. Right now, I’m leaning instead towards coating all four handles with black Plasti Dip to protect them from the aluminum scuffing.

bergger

Sorry to highjack the thread but since we are talking about Sea Biscuit.  Has anyone tried the T@b cover plates?  Looks like a nice option to cover the frame cutouts.  

https://seabiscuitmetaldesigns.com/product/nucamp-tab-cover-plates/

HighSierraBill

@VictoriaP - sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner, my review, I apparently misspoke with regards to the size of my tubs. They are in fact the XL size. Just the same, a 20 lb propane tank handsomely fits within the confines of said Seabiscuit secondary platform diamond plated tub.

Denny16

If you install a propane tank in one of the side boxes, you are going to need at least a 1-2” hole towards the bottom and one at least 1/2 way up to add required venting the the box.  Propane is heavier than air at lower temps, and will accumulate in the bottom of the box if a leak develops. That is why the new aluminum boxes have several cutouts in the back panel of the box.

Cheers 

HighSierraBill

Correct. The top side venting is via the propane line and the bottom hole thru the diamond plated frame is on the center back plate of the box. This prevent road debris and moisture (snow, ice and general H20 issues. A secondary drain hole was drilled for any possible base fluid.