30 pound propane tank

brookings

Has anyone replaced there original tank with a 30 pound? I was planning on extended boondocking. Also changing the tub with a 40.9inch box for bigger battery and storage. I would have a tank mount welded in front of the box. Any thoughts from the experts?  Thank you all.

Verna

A 30 lb tank is too heavy for me to lift, and I’m sure this is a concern for more owners than just me.

Since I do camp without electricity for most of the winter in the Southwest, I simply carry a spare 20 lb tank in my truck bed, making sure I always have it filled soon after exchanging my empty tank for my full tank. 

Tabaz

Depends on what your idea of "extended" is.  I am continually amazed at how little propane the T@B uses while boondocking.  I would strongly suggest going on a few campouts with your trailer first to gauge usage.  You may find the stock tank more than meets your needs.

dsatwork

A few of use have done the Lund Box modification, but there is not room for a 30lbs tank inside. You could however put it in front of the box where my generator platform is.
http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/1127/lund-box We bring a 30 lbs propane bottle to use with our Camp Chef propane fire pit. We are never out long enough to go through all the propane in a 20 lbs tank. Not even close and we do 10 and 15 day trips at least twice a year.

Estancio

I'm of no help whatsoever because I am starting my 6th year on my original 20lb tank. Never been refilled, despite my gas cooking stove and gas furnace. Maybe it's because I do not have a gas fridge, or maybe because I have only spent 60 nights out. 

jkjenn

I had a second tank when I spent the summer in Colorado. Honestly, I did not need it, but it was for peace of mind in the event it was a cold night and I ran out in the middle of the night, although, I am not sure I would have noticed.

I am going to Wyoming for 17 days and I will bring just one 20lb tank. I will probably not fill it before I leave and then top it off when I get out west. I picked up the 20lb tank with the gauge built in that @Verna
 had recommended last year and it seems relatively accurate.

HR_Taly

Like @Tabaz I can't believe how efficient my T@B is on propane.  I live in mine full time and use my stove constantly and daily for cooking and for coffee, tea and heating water for dishes. After my first three months I was panicked I was going to run out all the time (no coffee = worst fate in the world! ) but it turns out somehow I had only gone through half the standard 20lb tank! Going on seven months, I've only filled it once.

That being said, I haven't used propane for heating (no real need as I move about with the climate) and I have a shower house available most places so I haven't used the Alde much for heating water.

But I can certainly see how you might need it if camping in colder weather or using the shower a lot!  Again, I'd go with Tabaz and suggest a trip or two to gauge your usage before investing in the upgrade.  Outside of the cost, I'd probably say the only thing to watch is your tongue weight with an extra tank, larger batteries and storage on the tongue.  But if all that is not an issue... definitely let us know how it works out! Always so cool to see the solutions people come up with.

rkj__

My BBQ tank is starting to get low, so when that gets empty, I might re-fill, and install the full tank in the T@b.  If I run out of gas on my grill at home, I can either finish cooking with another method, or borrow the tank from the T@b.  If the T@b runs out of gas on a cold night when boondocking, we will be sad.  So, I will do my best to never let the tank on the T@b run too low. 

But, as others have mentioned, if you don't run a fridge off of propane, a 20 lb tank lasts a really long time with only stove and occasional Alde usage. 

ScottG

Last year we dry-camped for eight days with the fridge on full time and the Alde fired up at least once a day to make hot water. We also connect our Weber Q (a decent gas hog) to the onboard propane tank, and that typically got fired up twice a day.

At the end of the trip we were down 9.5 of the original 19lbs. Exactly half a tank. The fridge is pretty miserly! 

jkjenn

ScottG said:

Last year we dry-camped for eight days with the fridge on full time and the Alde fired up at least once a day to make hot water. We also connect out Weber Q (a decent gas hog) to the onboard propane tank, and that typically got fired up twice a day.

At the end of the trip we were down 9.5 of the original 19lbs. Exactly half a tank. The fridge is pretty miserly! 

Running the fridge FT on LP, showering every other day, and running the heat at night, I can go about 2 weeks.

ChanW

Along the lines of @Verna's solution, some have mentioned installing two smaller tanks (10# ?), so you'll have one to use while the other is taken in to refill. These might fit the space and weight constraints a little better than the 30# would.

dsatwork

This seems to be a solution too, it allows you to easily connect to a portable grill or connect to an auxiliary tank if needed. I have considered this solution because I always have the extra 30 gallon propane tank with me for the propane fire pit. 

Camco 59125 Propane Brass Tee with 5′ Hose

http://webergrillparts.org/product/camco-59125-propane-brass-tee-with-5-hose/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007HG7N3C/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I22X5ZC2TV5DDL&colid=733TGZDKC8DS&psc=1

Geo

@ChanW , The issue with using two smaller 10# LP tanks (30# also) is that you cannot simply exchange them, must be refilled. That's the best thing about 20# tanks is that you can find a place to exchange them almost anywhere or option of refill.

ChanW

I've never exchanged my tanks, always refilled. 

I thought I read that once you have the exchange type of tank, you can't refill them? Or is that only with a certain brand of exchange?

LSkrabut

I have exchanged an out of date tank for an American Gas tank, then weeks later refilled it. Standard tank fittings for refilling. Also the plastic sleeve on it can be removed.

ChanW

Ah! I see. 

But I think I'm still preferring the idea of refilling. We're about to replace our expired spare tank, so I expect to upgrade to U-Haul's tank with the internal float type gauge.

Hopefully, we don't run into some area of the country where refilling is hard to find within a day or two. 

Verna

@ChanW, I have traveled from the Midwest to the South, to the Plains, to the Southwest and the Left Coast, and using the Allstate map has never failed to find me a refilling station for propane. From gas stations, to Tractor Supply, to Ace Hardware and an occasional RV park, I’ve filled up within a day of changing from my working tank to the spare.

And I love the internal float gauge.  Which reminds me....I better check the level before I go to bed! 

ScottG

Since this thread has been long derailed anyway...

For those of you that have the Worthington/U-Haul tank with the internal float, does it always read "full" after you get it refilled?

I'm raising this question again here because it seems like my normal filling station (a local hardware store) repeatedly sends me home with only ~3/4 of a tank as judged by both the gauge and the weight. They're only charging me for what they put in, but I want 'em to put in a full tank!

I'm curious what others who monitor these things have experienced when getting tanks refilled.

Verna

Mine always goes to the top, @ScottG, further than full. This is on both of my Worthington internal gauge tank

LSkrabut

I also have 2 of these tanks with the internal float. Always read full. I also check by weight using the stamped empty weight indicated on the tank handle as the baseline.

ScottG

Thanks Verna and LSkrabut. I had mine filled when I bought it (at U-Haul), and the gauge was above full and it weighed in at 19lbs over the tare weight. I'm wondering if the people refilling it don't know what they are doing...

ChanW

@ScottG, maybe they aren't venting it as they fill it?

ScottG

Could be. They definitely seem to have some criteria for when to stop. Usually, they don't exceed 4 gallons, but the last couple times they've stopped short of that. Guess I'll need to inquire with the store manager when I see him.