happyjack2
Winchester VA
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Some places that fill BBQ tanks may need to use an adapter to fill the permanent mounted tanks. I use Southern States co-ops which are pretty common here in the south. They have a gallon meter and you only pay for what is pumped.
Bill & Maggie
LT USNR Ret.
2003 Trail Lite 211 B+
Chevy 6.0L
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Caseydon
Simonton, Texas
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Built-in horizontal LPG tanks in motor homes don't have OPD overfill protection devices. These are used in portable tanks, and perhaps in home storage tanks. Motor home tanks have a vent valve which the fueling person opens while filling the tank. When liquid LPG starts to escape, he stops filling and closes the vent. This small gas loss, and the small loss when the fill hose is disconnected are the reasons to be sure there are no flames in the area.
The "gas gauge" on the side of the tank isn't reliable or relied on to determine fill quantity. It should read about 100% when the tank is at the 80% fill point.
Casey
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Ramblin_Mo
Mid-Missouri
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Caseydon wrote:Built-in horizontal LPG tanks in motor homes don't have OPD overfill protection devices. These are used in portable tanks, and perhaps in home storage tanks. Motor home tanks have a vent valve which the fueling person opens while filling the tank.
Thanks. I was going to ask about the OPD. My tank has been filled for I don't know how long as PO didn't use the MH in the last year. I presume that I might want to run it dry and then have them evacuate the tank before filling it next time?
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Caseydon
Simonton, Texas
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Ramblin_Mo wrote:Thanks. I was going to ask about the OPD. My tank has been filled for I don't know how long as PO didn't use the MH in the last year. I presume that I might want to run it dry and then have them evacuate the tank before filling it next time?
I can't think of any reason to have the tank purged before refilling, since it has gas in it now. Nothing much can happen to the gas/liquid in an LPG tank. It can't breathe and pick up moisture or air, like a gasoline tank, and propane/butane doesn't form gum like gasoline.
You do need to purge a -new- tank, since it's full of air, and not necessarily dry air.
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Westronics
Redmond, WA
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Caseydon wrote:...The "gas gauge" on the side of the tank isn't reliable or relied on to determine fill quantity. It should read about 100% when the tank is at the 80% fill point.
Gee, that would be nice. Mine reads about 80% full when it is... 80% full (that is, after filling it.)
Anyway, the other thing to watch is price. It varies widely. I seem to generally get a much better price the further away I get from civilization.
2002 Jayco Greyhawk 24SS, Cameras (RVCams), ScanGauge II/Blendmount, 300W Inverter, Airtabs,12' Portabote w/sail, Be kind to septic systems.
Ford motorhome customer service: 1-800-444-3311.
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Camper Ken
Oregon
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Thanks for the reminder that permanent mount motorhome propane tanks do not have an OPD. I was thinking of the portable style tanks when I made that comment.
2007 Winnebago Access 31c
(2006 Ford E450 chassis)
2007 Winnebago Access 31c
2006 Ford E450 chassis
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ASA Glamis
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Caseydon wrote:Built-in horizontal LPG tanks in motor homes don't have OPD overfill protection devices. These are used in portable tanks, and perhaps in home storage tanks. Motor home tanks have a vent valve which the fueling person opens while filling the tank. When liquid LPG starts to escape, he stops filling and closes the vent. This small gas loss, and the small loss when the fill hose is disconnected are the reasons to be sure there are no flames in the area.
The "gas gauge" on the side of the tank isn't reliable or relied on to determine fill quantity. It should read about 100% when the tank is at the 80% fill point.
This is incorrect for the last three motorhomes I have had. The frame mounted tanks may not have a true OPD valve but they do have a float valve that shuts off the filling at about the 80% level. Each time I have my tank filled the attendant will open the bleed valve and the internal shut off valve will stop the flow of gas at about the same time it starts to vent. It needs the vent open to allow air to escape as the propane is filling. Once the internal valve stops the flow the propane pump can not put any more in the tank so it can’t be overfilled if the internal shut off valve is working properly. I’m sure that attendants are aware of this and monitor for the rare time an internal valve may not function as it should.
All my tanks have always registered ¾ full when they have been filled to the maximum 80% capacity. Most frame mounted tanks with a float gauge will show a red zone for anything more than ¾ full.
2007 Jayco Seneca 35GS
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lzasitko
Regina, SK Canada
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Our MH has twin horizontal tanks. Originally they did not have the auto shutoff. Since I bought the MH out of province I had to get the safeties done here and one thing was adding the auto shut off. Prior to that they would open the little spit valve and when it started to blow propane you had them 80% full. Most service stations know how to fill the tanks but some do not. I have had some just rely on the auto shut off and leave the spit valve closed but most do open it also. The gauge can be adjusted so when it is full it reads 100. At best these are not really of much help. Mine has is connected so that you can check the level at the monitor but mine always says it's full :-) I have always paid by the liter here.
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Caseydon
Simonton, Texas
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ASA Glamis wrote: The frame mounted tanks may not have a true OPD valve but they do have a float valve that shuts off the filling at about the 80% level. Each time I have my tank filled the attendant will open the bleed valve and the internal shut off valve will stop the flow of gas at about the same time it starts to vent. It needs the vent open to allow air to escape as the propane is filling.
All my tanks have always registered ¾ full when they have been filled to the maximum 80% capacity. Most frame mounted tanks with a float gauge will show a red zone for anything more than ¾ full.
Thanks for the correction. My local LPG supplier confirms that all tanks of recent vintage are supplied with shut-off floats.
As lzasitko mentions, venting gas while filling isn't absolutely necessary, but without it, the delivery pump has to compress the gas head in the tank faster than it can liquefy, so it takes longer to fill. Also, the vent gives a secondary (I thought it was the only) indication that the tank is at the 80% fill point.
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donee
Simi Valley, Ca. 93063
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When we took delievery of our Monaco, the tank gauge read 85% but the inside monitor read almost full.
05 Monaco Esquire 29PBD
05 Silver Dodge Cummins w/3.73 gears 4 spd auto.
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