New U-Haul propane refill policy?

[gcvt]

Haha. No propane yet - I'm down to about 1/4 right now. Also haven't heard back from the UHaul manager either. I'm guessing he was trying to get clarification on their policy today.

[1der]

Try Action Rental on Folsom. Not sure if they do the frame mounted or just portables.

[gcvt]

Thanks Ray. I'll run down there Friday morning and see what they have to say...or maybe call ahead Next 'cold' camping will be Turkey Day weekend so I'm not worried...just gotta keep the GF and dogs warm that weekend.

[86Scotty]

What Glider said in post 2 is true and has been beat to death on every RV forum I know of except this one. Typical government over-regulation and typical lack of good info by the hourly employee at U-haul, who is losing his employer money by the day.

Go to any hardware store out of the big city and they will refill it, as will any Camping World or other RV shop.

*This information may be totally useless in the Republic of Kalifornia

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Originally Posted by 86Scotty

What Glider said in post 2 is true and has been beat to death on every RV forum I know of except this one. Typical government over-regulation and typical lack of good info by the hourly employee at U-haul, who is losing his employer money by the day.

Go to any hardware store out of the big city and they will refill it, as will any Camping World or other RV shop.

*This information may be totally useless in the Republic of Kalifornia

Haha!
Here in SoCal (er....SoKal...? Heh), I've been able to get the van's onboard propane tank refilled fairly easily at most gas stations.

The only problem I've run into:
At one gas station location, the employee running the propane pump wasn't aware of the occasional need to purge some of the tank's pressure before refilling it. As such, every time he went to add propane, the pump would immediately shut itself off. (Even though the tank's "fuel gauge"'clearly showed it was down to less than 1/4 tank....) He finally shrugged and gave up.

At the next gas station down the street, the employee knew exactly what to do though. (He did a several minute purge of tank vapor/pressure, and THEN began to pump in propane.) I drove home happily afterward with the tank 100% full.

It was a Shell gas station location that I had success at, for what that's worth.

[rallypanam]

I think the main issue is the folks doing the fillups are entry level/minimum wage, and don't know the rules, haven't been trained properly, and are worried about doing something wrong.

[ShuttlePilot]

I expect sometime in the near future areas, like California and a few others come to mind, will require ALL portable propane tanks to be exchange only. Which will place all the control of inspecting and filling into the petroleum purveyors. Basically making Propane like all other industrial gasses sold in portable vessels. Not sure what kind of clamp down ASME mounted tanks in RV's would be like. Perhaps an inspection of the tank and all appliances every so often by a certified inspection station (like a smog check), pay a propane RV inspection fee (like a smog check), and only filled at very regulated locations. IDK. But, like always, in the name of safety many will profit.

-Eric

[arctictraveller]

[QUOTE=MountainBikeRoamer (He did a several minute purge of tank vapor/pressure, and THEN began to pump in propane.) I drove home happily afterward with the tank 100% full.QUOTE]

Many years ago I had my tank filled, but later discovered that no propane would flow to the heater or the stove. I knew it was full, so I ended up replacing the regulator, thinking it had gone bad. Sadly, that didn't fix the problem, so the next thing in line was the hose, which I also replaced. When that didn't fix the problem, the guy at the RV store where I got the parts asked if I had reciently had the tank filled, which I had. It turns out that it was overfilled, and liquid propane was coming out of the tank, rather than vapor. There is a check valve that shuts if liquid makes it that far, so I ended up having to purge out about a gallon of propane before it cleared the check valve. It was a bit scary venting that much propane, but in the end it was ok. So, if you get much over 80% full, you may have problems.

[MountainBikeRoamer]

^^ Arctictraveler --- hey that's very interesting. Mine was resisting efforts to be filled, when it was empty, so now (based on your experience), I'm wondering now if it wasn't because it had been overfilled at some point (or many points) prior? I also understand that moisture can build up in the tank, alongside the propane, and that can cause issues. My understanding is filled with holes however.

To some of the points of this thread -- and to what Shuttlepilot just mentioned about likely future regulations and required inspections ---

I'll be honest, I would actually appreciate some sort of regular/standardized RV propane system inspection and overall safety/function validation (by a trained/verified individual.)

When I bought this van, it being a 1995 and therefore all the propane stuff (tank/lines/regulator) being already two decades old, I was highly intent on getting its safety and integrity checked out before feeling safe filling it up and using it. But numerous phone calls to RV centers, propane tank sellers, and propane providers alike turned up essentially zero interest or concern from anyone I spoke to. When I asked about pressure testing the tank and verifying regulator and line condition, they said they probably *could* do that for me if I really wanted, but I was made to feel almost universally like I was a bit odd / crazy for even asking (or caring.)

Mystifying to me that there's so much complacency surrounding propane. With something with such potential for major tragic/calamitous issue if there's a breakdown in the system's integrity.

[Pntyrmvr]

I hold a propane plant operator's licence.

A propane tank or cylinder is infinitely safer than a typical gas tank in a vehicle. That's the reason for what some may call complacency.

Gas tanks, portable or in-vehicle, are built to absolutely no standard. When punctured they are prone to fire and explosion. Propane units are harder to puncture and even if the fuel is lit produce nothing more than a jet of flame.

The ignition range for propane vapor is much tighter than gasoline. You'd be amazed at how strong the smell will be before it ignites. Gasoline is much more volatile.

Give me propane over gasoline any day. Much more predictable.


"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."