Homebuild under van propane tank?

[Ford_6L_E350]

Originally Posted by carringb

Some 5th wheels and truck campers come equipped with horizontal RV tanks, which will draw vapor instead of liquid.

You mean like most SMB's? A horizontal tank mounted beside the frame on the driver's side.

Mike

[Ford_6L_E350]

And, did you plan on pulling the tank out when you need a refill? I can't imagine anyone wanting to crawl under a van to fill the propane tank, which is why they are usually mounted behind an access door on the side of the van.

Mike

[Ultrasport12]

What about a VW one? Here is an example.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... id=1301516

But you might want to think about what Mike said about filling it.
Some places that fill them wont let you hook it up either, for safety reasons and law suits.

I think the location you are thinking of would be nice as it is space completely unused.

What about doing it on the side like Sportsmobile mounts them?

You could use somethink like one of those VW ones if you dont want to cut a hole in the body.

Here are some other horizontal mounted tanks.

http://www.propanemall.com/category.aspx?categoryID=33

Good luck...
...Jamie

[Ultrasport12]

Oh and a used tank may have to be resertified before it can be filled...

[carringb]

Originally Posted by dhally

I think the DOT approved tanks are more rugged to help survive a crash. They also have a special check valve that is supposed to shut off flow if the piping or valve is broken off. If safety is a concern, it might be best to use the DOT approved tanks with the latest safety check valve. Don't know if the fork lift tanks are DOT approved.

The composite forklift tank i linked to is DOT approved, with safety shut off.

[Ultrasport12]

Here is something else you could get...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PROPANE-REMOTE- ... 749wt_1107

[witoke]

Forklift tanks are for liquid propane and will not work on propane appliances. Most are horizontal mount but that still doesn't help you. You will need a tank with a vapor valve that is designed to be mounted horizontally. Vertical tanks will not work horizontally.

My local propane dealer has told me in the past that he has access to vapor valves for the forklift tanks and that would be one way to go but forklift tanks are typically aluminum and are expensive. I think you can find a reasonably priced horizontal mount vapor tank for an RV and as a plus it will have mounting tabs on it. That and a remote fill-kit and you'll be cooking with gas.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350

And, did you plan on pulling the tank out when you need a refill? I can't imagine anyone wanting to crawl under a van to fill the propane tank, which is why they are usually mounted behind an access door on the side of the van.

Mike

Good point Mike. Even though my forklift tank has the valve on top, the guard around it would require the tank to be installed in a specific direction. It would also be difficult to fuel from under the van. Sounds like cutting the propane door in is the main issue with adding an RV tank. The reason I deleted the propane was I didn't want to deal with refilling. Adding a specific tank w/o the door is gonna be a problem.

If you had a place to store a portable tank, you can always add an propane inlet on the side of the van and use the portable tank to connect to it for the heater. I had thought of this years ago for a stove and just use a 1 gal tank to power the inside stove. Because I rarely cook inside, I didn't see an issue and having to connect and disconnect as it wouldn't be much of a problem on a limited basis. But a heater is another story especially if you use it on a regular basis.

[GreyDawg]

Originally Posted by daveb

If you had a place to store a portable tank, you can always add an propane inlet on the side of the van and use the portable tank to connect to it for the heater. I had thought of this years ago for a stove and just use a 1 gal tank to power the inside stove. Because I rarely cook inside, I didn't see an issue and having to connect and disconnect as it wouldn't be much of a problem on a limited basis. But a heater is another story especially if you use it on a regular basis.

I've wondered about this. I don't have a propane system, but eventually want to have the option of running some sort of heat. For cooking I carry an old fashioned Coleman fuel stove (and lantern), and a gallon of fuel. I don't like the little propane cannisters: they're expensive, a nuisance to carry around and I don't like putting them in the landfill.

So would it be safe and feasible to carry a small propane tank -- not the BBQ size-- and use it variously for a Mr.Buddy or catalytic heater, for a propane camp stove (for use inside the van or preferably outside) and a propane Coleman lantern for outside use? Would it be safe to carry a propane tank inside the van?

Cheers,
GreyDawg

[86Scotty]

GreyDawg, yes, quite feasible. That's what I'm doing now, I'm just sick of carrying it around.