Cold Weather Dispersed Camping

[Patriot]

10 hours ago, topgun2 said:

In addition, the 20 pounders can be simply "swapped" out at gas stations, grocery stores, hardware stores, etc. if you are in dire need of propane and there isn't a refill station either open or nearby.

In our last 2 years of fairly lengthy (42 and 48 days) trips out west and even up in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, we have never had an issue or dire need getting our original 30# tanks refilled. We easily found “Propano” refill stations anywhere we traveled. Many CG’s have refill stations as well as many small towns.  

If you choose to swap out LP tanks it’s a good idea to check the expiration dates making sure the swapped refilled tank is safety compliant post swap. There is a possibility you maybe getting an older tank than you originally started out with.

Our best practice is to never swap out our 30# tanks, we simply just get them refilled. This also allows us to maintain our LP tank integrity and actually see and know how much “propano” our Hull 634 XPLOR is sipping. 👍🏻🇺🇸😊

Onward!!

Edited January 28 by Patriot

[John Dorrer]

2 hours ago, DavePhelps said:

I would recommend cutting in a small 4" return vent under the TP holder. I think this area would be good with no water intrusion from showering. At least, I have never noticed this area to be wet after I take a shower, ymmv. Not sure of your model or year, there have been changes made.

I don't get the closet vent at all. It is a separate space from the under sink area. I would rather have a return vent move air directly from the bathroom into that space, not from the cabin, to the closet, to the under sink area. I had great success adding new return vents in the rear of my trailer (my furnace is under the front dinette seat). I blocked off the OEM vent which was right next to the furnace. I had substantial temp increases between the hulls. I have also wanted to put one in the bathroom as well but got sidetracked with a pile of other projects. It is now on the short list however.

Good luck.

Dave

Every furnace on an Oliver is located under the curb side bed at the rear of the trailer. I've never heard of an Oliver furnace located elsewhere. Could you provide more information. Thanks

[John Dorrer]

On 1/26/2025 at 4:33 PM, Mark Meadows said:

This is the first time I’ve put my E2 to the test so maybe someone can give me ideas.

I found myself in El Morrow National Monument at 6 degrees with the pipes frozen in the wet bath. I had the antifreeze kit for the Truma Aquago plugged in and the inside heat at 58 degrees. What should I do different to keep the pipes from freezing? Maybe (4 season) isn’t what I thought it was.   Thanks for any help !  

What year trailer? Could you fix your signature. Thanks

[topgun2]

13 hours ago, Patriot said:

Our best practice is to never swap out our 30# tanks, we simply just get them refilled.

I didn't know that you could "swap out" 30# tanks - I've never seen that available at any of the usual places.

The only situation that I'm aware of - other than places that are rather remote - is in Vail Valley, CO.  All of the former "refill" places in that rather large area from approximately Frisco, CO all the way over to Glenwood Springs, CO were forced to close.  Therefore, if you are in dire need of propane and you are in that area, your only choice is to swap 20# tanks.  Another situation where "dire need" might come into play would be if you run out of propane and it is after "normal" business hours when most (if not all) propane refill places are closed but gas stations, grocery stores, etc. are still open.

Obviously, the best practice is to NOT run out of propane in the first place.

Bill

[Patriot]

2 hours ago, topgun2 said:

Obviously, the best practice is to NOT run out of propane in the first place.

Stating the obvious there Bill 😂.  Fortunately we have never run out of LP thanks to 30# tanks. And as mentioned, we have never encountered a problem locating an LP refill station anywhere we have traveled and base camped out west or on the east coast. 

Seek and you shall find.

Patriot🇺🇸🇺🇸

 

Edited January 28 by Patriot

[ADKCamper]

16 hours ago, 2008RN said:

That is interesting with your furnace under the front dinette, our furnace  is curb side in the rear of the trailer.

That is a difference between the Elite and the Elite II's. There is no "long" ducting in the Elite; there's just not enough room under the floor to get very far.

In our 2018, like @DavePhelps 2015, the furnace is under the side dinette's forward seat, immediately adjacent to the bathroom. There are 2 fan-forced heat ducts; one dumps directly from under that dinette seat into the aisle adjacent to the bathroom door and the other dumps into the bathroom space on the wall to the left of the toilet. The only return ducting as delivered is via a vent from under that front dinette seat (i.e. beneath the side dinette table) into the furnace.

[Mike and Carol]

2 hours ago, topgun2 said:

Obviously, the best practice is to NOT run out of propane in the first place.

Sage advice, for sure!

Like most folks when one tank runs out we switch to the other and start looking for a place to refill.  It takes a while for the big tanks to run out.

When we lived in Belgium our home was an old (200 years) farmhouse and hot water was propane on demand, one in the bath and one in the kitchen.  Propane was supplied by two tanks outside that didn’t switch automatically.  More than once my not water stopped in the middle of a shower on a cold Belgian morning requiring a trip outside to switch tanks so I could finish my shower.  That was better than when the well ran dry, though.  Sometimes living in that house felt like we were camping.

Mike

[ScubaRx]

Everybody with a hull number less than 200 should be aware that their propane tanks are nearing their 10 year fill by expiration date. 
 

Just before we left on our annual Quartzsite trip, I discovered both our 30 pound propane tanks were out of date and non-refillable. This was going to require us to buy two new tanks plus the cost of filling them. A great price is about $75 per tank with an average price nearing close to $90. 
 

I discovered that NexAir will exchange 30 pound tanks. I got two filled tanks with a 9 year life for $50. 

[John Dorrer]

2 hours ago, ADKCamper said:

That is a difference between the Elite and the Elite II's. There is no "long" ducting in the Elite; there's just not enough room under the floor to get very far.

In our 2018, like @DavePhelps 2015, the furnace is under the side dinette's forward seat, immediately adjacent to the bathroom. There are 2 fan-forced heat ducts; one dumps directly from under that dinette seat into the aisle adjacent to the bathroom door and the other dumps into the bathroom space on the wall to the left of the toilet. The only return ducting as delivered is via a vent from under that front dinette seat (i.e. beneath the side dinette table) into the furnace.

Thank You. Learn something new everyday.👍

[Coastal Aggie]

I'll throw my 2c in here. On my 2023 LE1 the furnace does have an outlet at the forward end under the bed street side. So far the lowest Temps I've stayed in with this one was in the low teens and very windy. I keep temp set at 68-70 and the only thing that froze was the hot water to the bathroom. Now that I've installed a hatch under the bathroom sink I suspect I won't have much issue there as I can leave it cracked open. More than likely I'll be back up in alaska this coming fall/winter and I'll really be able to put things to the test.

I will say I do wish I could fit the 30# tanks on the LE1. When it's under 35 degrees I rip through both 20# tanks in only about 4 days. I'm considering adding an auxiliary propane line so that I can hook up to a much larger tank that I'd set next to the tongue for when I'm more permanently In the PNW and alaska.

[dewdev]

@ScubaRx Steve - That sounds like a great deal with it including the propane.

I have been told that there are some facilities that will/can test your tank and recertify it with new expiration dates.

Edited Wednesday at 03:05 AM by dewdev

[topgun2]

1 hour ago, dewdev said:

 Steve - Thant sounds like a great deal with it including the propane.

I have been told that there are some facilities that will/can test your tank and recertify it with new expiration dates.

Edited 1 hour ago by dewdev

Absolutely agree - that is a good deal.  Unfortunately, there are no Nexair stores near Asheville, NC.  Perhaps other "gas distributers" similar to NexAir also would do this kind of swap.

Yes, there are facilities that will/can recertify older tanks.  I've been told that our local propane dealer will do this but since my original tanks do not expire until later this year, I'll wait until then to investigate further.  I really would prefer to keep my original tank versus either exchanging them or buying new ones.

Bill

Edited Tuesday at 11:12 PM by topgun2

[Ollie-Haus]

3 hours ago, dewdev said:

@ScubaRx Steve - Thant sounds like a great deal with it including the propane.

I have been told that there are some facilities that will/can test your tank and recertify it with new expiration dates.

Yes, I've taken expired tanks that were in good condition, not rusty, to a propane dealer, not like Tractor Supply, and they can re-certify the tanks. Doesn't cost much. I believe they put new valves on the tanks at that time as well. 

Edited Wednesday at 01:30 AM by Ollie-Haus

[ScubaRx]

Upon checking, I discovered that a re-certified tank is only good for an additional five years. 

[jd1923]

8 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

Everybody with a hull number less than 200 should be aware that their propane tanks are nearing their 10 year fill by expiration date.

Yep, that would be us! Our hull #113 is titled a 2016, yet every time I tear something apart I see 2015 dates! Everything on our hull is approaching 10-years-old in 2025.

I filled our tanks in November after our October trip to the Texas Rally. I asked the parts guy at our Ford dealer (best local LP price at $2.50/gal) about the date codes and neither he nor I could decipher the codes on our 30# tanks. Any advice? The date codes on brand new 20# tanks, purchased locally for our grill and fire ring on our deck, has very clearly marked date codes.

I run the furnace while parked outdoors over the winter at 40F, to keep the cabin just above freezing (40F is the lowest setting on the Dometic thermostat). I  used one tank in ten weeks since and just recently turned to tank #2. Friday when home I will refill the empty tank for a week in Quartzsite! I guess if the local tech can't determine the dates then I'm good for this trip! 🤣

Edited Wednesday at 03:20 AM by jd1923

[MAX Burner]

19 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

I discovered both our 30 pound propane tanks were out of date and non-refillable.

We have a local welding supply business called, "AirGas" (possibly a national chain) -- we've been using them for filling, testing and rectifying our CO2 kegerator tanks, LP tanks, and welding tanks for many years.  Our SCUBA tanks go to the dive shop for their 5-year hydro testing, however.

[2008RN]

22 hours ago, ADKCamper said:

That is a difference between the Elite and the Elite II's. There is no "long" ducting in the Elite; there's just not enough room under the floor to get very far.

In our 2018, like @DavePhelps 2015, the furnace is under the side dinette's forward seat, immediately adjacent to the bathroom. There are 2 fan-forced heat ducts; one dumps directly from under that dinette seat into the aisle adjacent to the bathroom door and the other dumps into the bathroom space on the wall to the left of the toilet. The only return ducting as delivered is via a vent from under that front dinette seat (i.e. beneath the side dinette table) into the furnace.

Thats a horse of a different color. A return vent in the bathroom would make sense in the Elite I,  since there is no Hot air output vent in the bathroom.

Edited Wednesday at 03:05 PM by 2008RN

[DavePhelps]

3 hours ago, 2008RN said:

Thats a horse of a different color. A return vent in the bathroom would make sense in the Elite I,  since there is no Hot air output vent in the bathroom.

Not sure if there have been changes since my 2015 Elite 1 was built, but it has an hot air supply in the bathroom.  Even still, a return air vent under the sink makes very good sense.

Dave

[ADKCamper]

9 hours ago, DavePhelps said:

Not sure if there have been changes since my 2015 Elite 1 was built, but it has an hot air supply in the bathroom.  Even still, a return air vent under the sink makes very good sense.

Dave

There is also a hot air supply vent in the 2018 Elite bathroom, as detailed above. No return vent (yet) in mine, but there will be at some point when I get around to it...

[jd1923]

On 1/28/2025 at 12:08 PM, ScubaRx said:

Everybody with a hull number less than 200 should be aware that their propane tanks are nearing their 10 year fill by expiration date. 

Just before we left on our annual Quartzsite trip, I discovered both our 30 pound propane tanks were out of date and non-refillable. This was going to require us to buy two new tanks plus the cost of filling them. A great price is about $75 per tank with an average price nearing close to $90. 

I discovered that NexAir will exchange 30 pound tanks. I got two filled tanks with a 9 year life for $50. 

Thank you Steve, for your usual experienced sound advice!

I filled our tanks today to get ready for travel. It took me forever to find the numbers since there are nothing but numeric codes all over the top handle of these tanks.

Our two 30# tanks both have June 2018 dates. Wow, gotta love it! 🤣 We have 3 years and 5 months left on these tanks.

I imagine the original owner received 20# tanks upon purchase and after two years realized two 20s were not enough. Our tanks have a Flame King label. Not sure if this is the brand OTT installed at the time. Love that I have over 3 years for this cost, and again thank you. 😂

[DavePhelps]

21 hours ago, jd1923 said:

Love that I have over 3 years for this cost, and again thank you. 😂

It is my understanding that propane tanks under 100 pounds have 12 years before they need to be re-certified.
So you have until 06/2030! 👍

Dave

[Chukarhunter]

On 1/27/2025 at 9:38 AM, 2008RN said:

I carry a little aluminum 3ft ladder.  I set bottle on the top, then step up on the ladder to hoist it over. 

My choice of propane tanks goes to (minimizing) weight being the highest priority.  My tow vehicle (TV) has very little cargo capacity so minimizing tongue weight is very important to me.  I am an outlier in that regard on this forum.  To minimize weight I switched to composite propane tanks shortly after I acquired my LEII.  When empty, they weigh about 1/2 of what a common steel tank weighs although the capacities are reduced somewhat.  The 20 lb equivalent holds 17 lbs and the 30 lb equivalent holds 22 lbs of propane.

Most people couldn't justify the cost because they are much more expensive than steel tanks.  However, if lowering tongue weight is important for you as it is for me, you might want to check them out.  They are way less expensive then a new TV🤑

I am pretty sure there are a few of you out there that would really appreciate the light weight and don't do extensive cold weather camping.  Even if I get a new tow vehicle, I will probably continue to use the composite tanks because they are so much nicer for everyday use.  In addition to being much lighter when full, they have a wide base and are extremely stable in the back of the vehicle without tie-downs.  Also, they have no sharp edges whatsoever so it is much easier to carry around and pack in the Ollie when carrying a spare tank as I do for cold weather camping.

I have never had any problems getting them refilled.  They are made in Europe and imported by Viking Cylinders.  https://www.vikingcylinders.com/online-shop/

Since they have a much larger diameter base, if you switch to them you will need to switch out your 2 tank mounting tray inside of the doghouse.  Viking Cylinders sells a custom fit replacement tray for $40 and the old tray is easy to swap out for the new one and back again if necessary.

[jd1923]

5 hours ago, Chukarhunter said:

My tow vehicle (TV) has very little cargo capacity so minimizing tongue weight is very important to me.  I am an outlier in that regard on this forum.  To minimize weight I switched to composite propane tanks shortly after I acquired my LEII.

The Oliver EII tongue weight is already too light. Mine measures just under 9% and 9-15% is recommend. I will get mine 10-12% with some work. Or I could remount the OEM bike rack and hang my dirt bike off the back. 🤣

Matters less for me since if the trailer sways descending on a curve road, with a rebuilt HD 3/4 ton suspension and well over 1000 LBS in  available TV cargo weight.

When we first purchased our Oliver, I pulled it around town behind our ‘08 GX470. Got home and started looking for a good used truck, just as a TV.

Be very careful with that rig if/when driving in the mountains. I wouldn’t, but I’m old and boring, I used to drive my ‘75 Alfa Romeo Spyder fast enough to get air! 🤣