Propane Tank Replacement

[countrygirl]

I have seen pics of the fiberglass tanks posted on here before. If I find then I will post a link.

[ShrimpBurrito]

Originally Posted by Beach Boy

In researching propane tanks, I came across fiberglass and aluminum vertical tanks. Has anyone seen fiberglass or aluminum horizontal tanks? They seem to have a weight and cost advantages over steel tanks.

See this thread: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10930

Dave

[Barb&Tim]

Searching the web, I found one place that had Horizontal aluminum tanks but there was only about a 3Lb savings on weight over a steel tank -- hardly worth the effort or expense.

Fiberglass tanks that will work horizontal seem to be nowhere that i can find so far.

Tim

Originally Posted by scrubjaysnest

. For some reason( a check valve maybe) it takes an open, no regulator or other fittings, pol connector to vent.

There is a safety valve that prevents gas from escaping if the valve sees a high sudden flow such as that of a damaged or opened valve with nothing attached. This is important to remember because if your gas lines are empty ( as could happen if tank was run dry) the sudden rush of gas when the valve is opened with no initial resistance(pressure) can fool the safety valve into closing. This happens a lot on portable setups when several appliances ( stove, lantern, grill) are connected to a tank with several feet of hose each.

On the issue of re-certification you can take your tank(s) to a retailer that does exchanges. I did this once at Sears when my tank needed re-certification. I told them about this issue and they said they did not care. They said they charged more for the propane and this is an issue they factor in their costs.
So that may be one option and one way to address the -recert. issue.
If you have ever exchanged tanks and looked at the dates on the newly exchanged tanks their dates vary greatly. If it takes you sometime to use the propane, a tank you got from them may also expire.
Good luck.

Originally Posted by moaboy

On the issue of re-certification you can take your tank(s) to a retailer that does exchanges. I did this once at Sears when my tank needed re-certification. I told them about this issue and they said they did not care. They said they charged more for the propane and this is an issue they factor in their costs.
So that may be one option and one way to address the -recert. issue.
If you have ever exchanged tanks and looked at the dates on the newly exchanged tanks their dates vary greatly. If it takes you sometime to use the propane, a tank you got from them may also expire.
Good luck.

I have seen several places that exchange vertical tanks but not horizontal tanks. The TM models that I am most interested in have horizontal tanks. Has anyone been to a dealer where they exchanged horizontal tanks?

[scrubjaysnest]

This was a minor concern for us as we didn't see anywhere you could exchange the horiz tank on our 20k mile trip last year. But our TM is so new that is a far away issue for us. We also noticed many places didn't even check dates when they refilled our tanks on the pup.

Originally Posted by Beach Boy

I have seen several places that exchange vertical tanks but not horizontal tanks. The TM models that I am most interested in have horizontal tanks. Has anyone been to a dealer where they exchanged horizontal tanks?

Although we have vertical tanks, we never exchange them, as ours are in much better condition than most of the available exchange tanks.

It's been our experience that once one of our tanks empties, there is lots and lots of time to find a fill station. (And the Elkmont uses propane refrigeration while traveling).

I would just call your local Propane supplier from the yellow pages. Any major supplier can easily recert the tank for a small fee. Also as long as you have the tanks off, clean them with a good detergent then sand and prime any rust spots and finish with a coat or two of Rustoleum or similar paint. Rubber band a plastic bag over the valve assy and paint away. Also remember in a pinch you can always steal one from your gas grill ( assuming you have one) and sit it on the ground and connect it.