Whenever I have my propane bottles serviced, I remove them from the
fifth-wheel and set them down near the propane servicing area. No one
ever told me that the bottles must be removed from the trailer, I just assumed they did.
After watching a Class C Motorhome pull right-up and connect directly to the propane fill hose, got me to thinking. Have I been scraping my knuckles and lifting those heavy bottles for the last twenty years for nothing?
Does anyone one know if there is a requirement to remove them for filling?
Jack
It depends. I don't think it is the law, however there are some strange laws on the books in some states. But, the filling station can institute whatever policies they like, and you have no choice but to go along with them if you want to buy from them.
Also, remember that most, if not all, motorhomes, Class A or Class C, (perhaps even Class B, I don't know for sure) have frame mounted tanks that are not easily removable, and not meant to be removed. There is no choice, they HAVE to be filled in place.
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Mont G&J wrote: Whenever I have my propane bottles serviced, I remove them from the
fifth-wheel and set them down near the propane servicing area. No one
ever told me that the bottles must be removed from the trailer, I just assumed they did.
After watching a Class C Motorhome pull right-up and connect directly to the propane fill hose, got me to thinking. Have I been scraping my knuckles and lifting those heavy bottles for the last twenty years for nothing?
Does anyone one know if there is a requirement to remove them for filling?
Jack
Jack,
Class C's propane tanks are not removable like on a trailer. They are "built in" if you will. They have a built in gauge on them.
They usually fill the 20 and 30 pounders (on trailers) on a scale to see what they weigh after filling. If they were on the trailer, I don't think that would be possible. I've never seen it done.
Joe
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Mont G&J wrote: Whenever I have my propane bottles serviced, I remove them from the
fifth-wheel and set them down near the propane servicing area. No one
ever told me that the bottles must be removed from the trailer, I just assumed they did.
After watching a Class C Motorhome pull right-up and connect directly to the propane fill hose, got me to thinking. Have I been scraping my knuckles and lifting those heavy bottles for the last twenty years for nothing?
Does anyone one know if there is a requirement to remove them for filling?
Jack
Jack,
Class C's propane tanks are not removable like on a trailer. They are "built in" if you will. They have a built in gauge on them.
They usually fill the 20 and 30 pounders (on trailers) on a scale to see what they weigh after filling. If they were on the trailer, I don't think that would be possible. I've never seen it done.
Joe
In the western US, propane is filled by the gallon, I have never seen it weighed, although I do hear it mentioned here often. I have bought propane in CA, NV, AZ, UT, CO, NM, WY, WA and it was always by the gallon.
I do it out of courtesy to the propane fillers. The compartment on my 5er is tight and I skin my knuckles if I forget to put on my gloves. Working valves and hoses in there would not be fun for the propane guy.
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The only way to know how much propane is in a tank is to weigh it. This was very important with the old valve system to keep from overfilling the tanks. Today’s valves will shut off the gas flow when the propane reaches the correct level but I see everyone is still using a scale I assume for a backup.
Although the tank level is measured by weight every refill station I have ever seen measures propane by the gallon. Some sell by the gallon and other by weight; it does not matter it’s all the same.
In Texas they weigh them. At least they have everywhere I have had them filled. I would wonder how they measure a gallon? They are not pumping a liquid into your tank. They are pumping a gas that liquifies under pressure. and right at first, the bottle is empty so there is no pressure. Or at least not enough to liquify propane.
Oops, they told me that because of the "type" of tank, I had to remove them for filling. I asked, because I was figuring a "drive-by" on the way back from camping would save time and trouble.
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Glen41 wrote: In Texas they weigh them. At least they have everywhere I have had them filled. I would wonder how they measure a gallon? They are not pumping a liquid into your tank. They are pumping a gas that liquifies under pressure. and right at first, the bottle is empty so there is no pressure. Or at least not enough to liquify propane.
Oops, they told me that because of the "type" of tank, I had to remove them for filling. I asked, because I was figuring a "drive-by" on the way back from camping would save time and trouble.
Nope, they are pumping liquid propane not gas. If you look at the pumping setup it draws from the bottom of their supply tank. LPG(liquified Petroleum Gas) does not make your cylinder frost on the outside until it has an outlet to atmospheric pressure, then it boils into a gaseous state (-44*F), which only then causes the liquid to become very cold. Mark's LPG facts page Engineeringtoolbox LPG facts
A thoughtful supplier both weighs the filling cylinder and watches the OPD valve action. This is because some OPD valves do not function as they should, shutting off all flow prematurely .
The Gas Station that we use, has no problem at all filling up Propne Bottles that are still attached to a 5er or a TT. This Gas Station does not have the means to weight the Propene Bottles. It is done the old fashioned way, by the pound, or by the Gallon, show on the meter of their Propane Tank. We are lucky to have enought clearnce to be able to be filled with our Propane Tanks in place. However, this is done as a favor to their customers. As this is a very small town, and business's still know how to treat their customers as being special to them. There is also no Min charge like a lot of places are doing. We will never use a place that sells Propane set by a limit, which in most cases, is way more expensive, as you can't take on that many pounds that they automatically charge you for. Having Permantely Mounted Disabiled License Plates on our TV really helps us out in lots of places also. But there are still places, and times, that we still have to remove our tanks. But so far, in over the last 40+ years of RV'ing, we have never run out of Propane in any campground, or Dry-Camping. As we carry our Twin 30 lb Propane Tanks, plus a spare 20 lb'er and a spare 5 lb'er. One reason that we never run out of Propane, is that we never use our 5er's RV Furance, ever. The only Propane users that we have is our Propane BBQ, Fridge and our 6 Gallon Hot Water Tank and a Mr Heater and a Wave #6 Propane Heater, which supplys us with more heat than we ever need, at any temps, as we use our 5er on and off all year long. Propane is the least of our uses or worrys. Good Luck. Happy Camping. Dan & Jill
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