SL model propane tanks

Originally Posted by harveyrv

I sure would like to see what they did on the 2009 or 2010.

How far is Custom RV in Anaheim from you?

[ShrimpBurrito]

Oh, I see. That is rather unfortunate. I'm guessing they are pushed back a bit because of the swing tongue. It certainly doesn't look like they can be moved forward at all.

Dave

[ThePair]

I'll try to get some pics tonight.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by PopBeavers

How far is Custom RV in Anaheim from you?

About 40 miles (80 miles round trip) ...........I'm sure that someone will post pics soon.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by harveyrv

Do you have a pic of the rear mounting bracket or maybe you could just describe it?

Pics attached. Hope they help. Assuming your tanks have a front and rear lip (and I think they do), I see no reason why a welder couldn't set it up for you quite easily. He will need (at least) to re-orient the rear rail so it opens upward and forward, instead of down and back.

On the new setup, the rear rail has a pair of raised pieces that form a slot (Pic 4), and the rear lip of the tank simply slips into the slot. The front lip of the tank sits on the front rail, the shank of an eye bolt drops down through both, and a wingnut secures it from below.

As a bit of history, I believe that the first slideout models came with upright propane tanks. The slideout was designed with a cubbyhole to provide clearance for those tanks when the slide came out. Sometime later, the switch was made to horizontal tanks, and the tanks were depressed between the frame rails on side-to-side support rails. As I recall, my 2002 2720SL was set up that way. At that point, the cubbyhole no longer served a purpose, and I believe that 2004 was the last year when the cubbyhole was built in. The cubbyhole was eliminated in 2005 (?), which saved both weight and manufacturing complexity on the TM, and provided more storage under the couch for the owner. My dates may be a bit off here (excpet for my 2002 TM) - someone will correct me.

Hope this helps.

Bill

[ShrimpBurrito]

Bill - so if I am interpreting the pics correctly, the rear lip of the tank slides into those slots created by the welded strips, and then the front lip is attached with the wing nut/eye screw, correct?

Is there any play in the tanks when attached, so is that slot for the rear lip a snug fit?

Dave

[Wavery]

Thanks Bill. I really appreciate that. I didn't expect you to go to all that trouble. I hope this helps others too.

The rear mounting angle iron on ours is welded on in the opposite direction, with the open part of the angle iron pointing toward the rear.

Your pics gave me a good idea though. I took my 4" angle grinder and simply cut slots in the angle iron and ground off 6 of the original mounting bolts. I drilled 1/2" holes about 1/4" forward of where the forward bolt holes were (where you have the big eye bolts).

I now just slide the rear bracket of the tank into the slots, then drop a 1/2" clevis pin (with a clip) in the front hole and I'm done. I don't have to lift the top either. The tanks are nice and snug too.......

I stood on the angle iron and bounced up & down after cutting the slots (I weigh 220#). They didn't budge.

[ShrimpBurrito]

Wayne - Nice job...very simple. Any play in the tanks when mounted?

Dave

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

Wayne - Nice job...very simple. Any play in the tanks when mounted?

Dave

None at all. They are very secure and a lot easier to get out. Well worth the effort for anyone that has an earlier SL model with the swing-away tongue and the 6 bolts to hold down those tanks. That was the laziest piece of engineering that I have seen from TM yet. I'm really glad that they finally recognized it and resolved that issue in later models.

They should make these designers use these campers before they put them on the market. If they did, this issue would have never been seen by the consumer.

[ThePair]

Looks like you won't need my pics after all

(They look like the ones already posted.)