Propane Tanks

[SeaDawg]

FYI..... We have the two standard 20 pound standard steel tanks on our Oliver. We stayed with these knowing that we could trade them in, if necessary, at Blue Rhino or whatever, anywhere we travel. (Although our first choice is Tractor Supply refills... only pay for what you need, at a very reasonable rate...) I remember that someone had posted about kevlar tanks some time back, but couldn't find the post.

 

About a year ago, we bought the new kevlar tanks for our boat so as not to have to deal with the rust issue. Today, Paul took in one 20 lb. steel tank, and one 20 lb. kevlar tank to get filled at Suburban. Out of curiosity, Paul weighed both at the filling station, after filling. A 20 lb standard steel tank was 35 pounds and the Kevlar tank, 30 pounds. Reinforces our decision that carrying the older style, standard steel tanks is worth the extra 10 pounds and less cost... for the convenience of being able to trade out if we're stuck somewhere. Just our thoughts....

 

Sherry

[herm]

Sherry, this is the product referenced in a post by Doug I a while back. Is that what you were looking for?

 

I also had Oliver upgrade my tanks to these for the weight and rust reasons you mention, though perhaps the weight advantage is minimal based on what you've just reported. Since I don't expect needing to fill the tanks while on the road, the loss of the exchange capability was unimportant to me.

 

Another thing I'm unsure about is whether the two "20 lb." tanks have the same capacity. The Lite Cylinder lists a net capacity of 19 lbs., while I believe that standard steel tanks only hold about 17 lbs. If that's true, then I might not be saving any weight; however, the lack of rust and ability to visually monitor propane level is still reason enough for me. Plus, they simply look cool!

[SeaDawg]

Herm,

Geez, for some odd reason I thought all these years that you got 20 lbs. of gas in a 20 lb. cylinder. Thanks for the info.

 

You raised an interesting question, so I weighed the one Kevlar "20 lb" tank we have that's empty. 12 lb. Full, 30 lb. If the steel tank only holds 17 lbs as you suggest, it means our kevlar tank holds an extra pound of gas, while overall is still five pounds lighter. (I don't have an empty steel tank to weigh, so I'm going to check next time... I wonder if I'm getting even 17 lbs of gas, now.) Plus the Kevlar tanks are guaranteed not to rust, and it is helpful to be able to look at the tank and know exactly how much gas you have.

Obviously, since Suburban charges us the same to fill any "20 lb tank", we're getting a much better deal using the kevlar tank. Wish I could find Tractor Supplies everywhere... They actually meter what goes into your LP tank, and you can take a half full tank in and be charged for ONLY the half tank they fill.

 

Sherry

 

And, I agree... the kevlar tanks do look cool, and easy for me to carry, empty or full.

 

Sherry

[technomadia]

We went with a 20lb and a 30lb setup for the reason of retaining an easy swap out option while giving us extra capacity - as in our travels we have experienced a very wide variety of accessibility to propane. It would be awesome if they come out with a 30lb kevlar tank, than we could continue to keep our 20lb exchange option and get some of the benefits with our more 'permanent' larger capacity tank.

 

 

So far, we've been very happy with our setup. Although, whenever possible we seek out places that do meter fills (which we've found several), as opposed to charging for a full tank.

 

- Cherie

[tumbleweed]

Hi to all!

Refillling your propane tanks at an independant propane dealer is the safest way to get good propane..exchange tanks is the least. Exchange is aimed at the weekend BBQer and not the RVer, or folks who depend on their propane to heat their homes, etc. The independent propane dealer must rely on permenent homes and businesses year round and don't take refinery 'deals' which may have water or a high % of butane. The weekend BBQer just gets a little mad at a flame out but RVers and household/business owners can get in serious trouble especially at altitude. And it is usually less $ to fuel at yr propane dealer as most charge a minimum and then by the lb. and you get your OWN tank back. JMHO

Chuck

[dougi]

I've never had any difficulty finding propane retailers, even in the smaller towns. I am very pleased with our two 20 pound composite tanks. They are worth the extra costs to us. We aren't getting any stronger these days and the lighter tanks are easier to handle and manage for us.

[herm]

In case anyone's wondering what these new tanks look like in the Oliver...

 

You can also see the LP quick-connect that is installed just before the regulator, though I haven't had the opportunity to use it yet.

 

Herm

[technomadia]

Just an FYI to add to this discussion - we stopped at a Blue Rhino to do an exchange, and their signs say that for 'better safety' they're starting to use a proprietary valve/connector. Which means - once you exchange, you can no longer refill on your own. So, we'll probably not be following that route whenever possible.

 

- Cherie

[ScubaRx]

To add to the previous post:

 

Blue Rhino is not only installing OPD valves, they are installing their OWN proprietary OPD valves, called Tri-Safe II valves. You can identify a TSII valve by the little triangular indentation on the side of the valve. In order to get flow IN to a TS2 valve, a magnetic key must be inserted into the indentation to hold a steel ball out of the way.

 

A guy named Mark Sharp received a letter from Blue Rhino confirming this information. Here's the text of the letter he received:

 

"Blue Rhino is the leader in the industry for providing the safest tanks on the market. Some, but not all of our tanks have a special safety device that prevents the refill by anyone other than a Blue Rhino specialist. They are called TS2 cylinders. The reason we designed them is simple. It's for the safety of our consumers!! We stand behind our product. We know how our cylinders are filled and that the highest level of accuracy and safety checks are performed. When our consumers take our cylinders and have them filled elsewhere, we cannot be liable or guarantee the safety of that cylinder. If your tank is not properly filled, damage to your valve can result, which can prevent it from performing properly.

 

Our business is propane cylinder exchange. We recommend that our customers only exchange because of the safety/liability issues associated with someone else filling our tanks. However, you, as a consumer, are free to fill your cylinder if you wish. Not all of our tanks offer the special safety feature. The way to identify the special TS2 valve tanks that cannot be filled is easy. If your tank valve has a small triangular indention on the side, then it is "tamper" protected. If you prefer to have a tank that can be filled by anyone, take that tank back to any Blue Rhino retailer and exchange it for one that does not have the triangular indention.

 

For liability reasons, if you choose to refill your tank, please remember to remove the plastic sleeve before having it refilled.

 

I hope this information helps."

 

Don't confuse the new OPD valves with the triangular handle with the Blue Rhino-only TS2 OPD valves, also with the triangular handle, but also the little triangular indentation on the SIDE of the valve.

 

All Blue Rhino tanks now have OPDs and the new three-sided valve handles. (Overfill Protection Device, a float-based device inside the tank)

 

*NOT* all Blue Rhino tanks have (yet) been retrofitted with TS2 valves.

 

So there is a chance that you can find (or end up with by chance) a tank from Blue Rhino that is OPD and is refillable at your local propane dealer. But you need to look for the telltale TS2 indention to be sure.