wintering of battery and propane tank? - Page 2 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 10-22-2015, 07:45 AM   #21
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For what its worth - I totally agree with Darral. I've used a Battery Tender on a motorcycle battery for a touch over seven years now and it is still going strong. Simply plug it in and forget it (almost). I do check the fluid level in the battery once or twice a year just to make sure.

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Old 10-22-2015, 09:25 AM   #22
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Never store a propane tank indoors. You will find it is a violation of the Fire Codes in most states. Insurance companies will void your policy and deny claim if evidence of a propane tank is discovered after a fire loss.

Leave your propane tank on the trailer in a well ventilated location...valve off.
Very important - should there be a fire in the building the tank will go off like a bomb - very dangerous for those fighting the fire !!!!
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Old 10-22-2015, 11:33 AM   #23
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For anyone interested in the Deltran battery tender, there is an Oregon & California approved version for $29.95.

Last winter I stored a battery and found it dead this spring and had to replace it.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions...I'm going with a battery tender from now on.
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Old 10-22-2015, 12:43 PM   #24
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Thank you M Scott for pointing that about about the Cal/Ore models. That information may prove helpful to others as well.

[QUOTE=M Scott;555029]For anyone interested in the Deltran battery tender, there is an Oregon & California approved version for $29.95.
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Old 10-22-2015, 07:10 PM   #25
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Very important - should there be a fire in the building the tank will go off like a bomb - very dangerous for those fighting the fire !!!!
It will vent just making a bigger fire.
So do you store all your aerosol cans out doors?
What about your MIG,cutting torch, propane torch, lawn mowers, cars etc?
Store them all outdoors?
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Old 10-22-2015, 07:20 PM   #26
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It will vent just making a bigger fire.
Creating yet another flame war?
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Old 10-22-2015, 09:54 PM   #27
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I lived in Wisconsin with no natural gas. In winter our 200 gallon propane tank used for heating the house and cooking was just fine even buried halfway up the sides in the snow. Kinda looked like a long skinny igloo, actually.
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Old 10-23-2015, 04:34 AM   #28
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My preference is to leave the propane and battery on the trailer. Just shut the valve on the propane, and ensure the battery is fully charged. If you have no way of running electricity out to the trailer, you could just check the voltage to make sure you are near or over 13V, and all will be good. If it was to start dipping, you might want to bring it in to connect to a smart charger. CTEK has some good ones too.
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Old 10-23-2015, 04:59 AM   #29
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I lived in Wisconsin with no natural gas. In winter our 200 gallon propane tank used for heating the house and cooking was just fine even buried halfway up the sides in the snow. Kinda looked like a long skinny igloo, actually.

The freezing point for LPG is somewhere around -185 degrees Celsius, making it unlikely that a propane tank would freeze even at the South Pole. So leaving it on the trailer over winter is definitely not a problem, as Charlie essentially states.


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Old 10-23-2015, 06:33 AM   #30
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Nothing new... I'm in the same situation- no power where trailer is parked. LP tank stays on trailer, battery comes inside & hooked to smart charger. I plug it in once a month to top off.
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Old 10-23-2015, 09:24 AM   #31
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It will vent just making a bigger fire.
Tell that to my neighbor, propane tank went off in a fire. Tell that to the fire department. They would like a good laugh.
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Old 10-23-2015, 10:12 AM   #32
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The point is, for a smart charger/maintainer....

Why trek through snow/ice/zero temps in the dead of winter to "check" the battery when you can bring it in in the fall, plug it onto your Battery Tender (or Ctek) and be done with it?? No worries no hassles and a confirmed good battery in the spring. The CTEK chargers are nice but about double (or more) the price of the Battery Tenders. Either way, remove the battery (if you dont have electricity at the RV), bring it in, then it's simply "Plug-n-play".

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett View Post
My preference is to leave the propane and battery on the trailer. Just shut the valve on the propane, and ensure the battery is fully charged. If you have no way of running electricity out to the trailer, you could just check the voltage to make sure you are near or over 13V, and all will be good. If it was to start dipping, you might want to bring it in to connect to a smart charger. CTEK has some good ones too.
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Old 10-23-2015, 01:10 PM   #33
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Originally Posted by Darral T. View Post
The point is, for a smart charger/maintainer....

Why trek through snow/ice/zero temps in the dead of winter to "check" the battery when you can bring it in in the fall, plug it onto your Battery Tender (or Ctek) and be done with it?? No worries no hassles and a confirmed good battery in the spring. The CTEK chargers are nice but about double (or more) the price of the Battery Tenders. Either way, remove the battery (if you dont have electricity at the RV), bring it in, then it's simply "Plug-n-play".
Perhaps it is because depending on where the OP lives in Oregon, its a good bet he will not be trekking through snow/ice/zero temps

It is a bit funny to see that the recommendations of those who do live in the Great White North is that the OP leave the propane tank and a fully charge battery on the trailer. While those in more southwardly locations suggest they need to take both off. Particularly funny as Mr Bennett lives very close to where I found out what -40 C & F feels like for the first time. LOL

One reason to leave it all on the trailer besides the fact that nothing bad is going to happen is that in the event the power goes off in a storm and your homes furnace does not work as a result, the trailer is a nice warm place to head off to and sleep.
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Old 10-23-2015, 01:38 PM   #34
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Well sister...you have a very valid point! So, as Glen B. says, "I'll just take my ball and go home" but hollering behind me "...still get ya a BT and figure out how to power it..ya cant go wrong!!" (or solar)

I'm in the south with possible 5 deg temps in the winter but the battery still stays on the Scamp. Seriously, simply put, keep it charged (any method if necessary) and there's no need to remove it nor the propane.

[QUOTE=Carol H;555150]Perhaps it is because depending on where the OP lives in Oregon, its a good bet he will not be trekking through snow/ice/zero temps
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Old 10-23-2015, 03:24 PM   #35
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...One reason to leave it all on the trailer besides the fact that nothing bad is going to happen is that in the event the power goes off in a storm and your homes furnace does not work as a result, the trailer is a nice warm place to head off to and sleep.
Wood heat + gas stove = no worries!
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Old 10-23-2015, 05:04 PM   #36
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Tell that to my neighbor, propane tank went off in a fire. Tell that to the fire department. They would like a good laugh.
This doesn't explain it all, but heating the tank will release the propane and avoid a violent rupture of the tank. No system is perfect but that is the design. Handling and storing volatile gases of any kind presents some danger and must be taken seriously. Certainly not a subject for scorn or levity.
I won't argue with your position, but I will continue to store my trailer in my shop along with my torches and cars with gas tanks.
Industrial application does require storing excess cylinders of all volatile (actually even inert) gases to be caged or chained and stored outside or in ventilated cabinets. Cylinders in service are allowed indoor storage away from ignition sources.Propane powered forklifts are just one example.
Keeping greasy or oily rags stored in closed metal containers away from accelerants and flammables is also important.
BTW... I spent 35years in a fuels refinery where I was subjected to extensive fire safety training and was required to serve as a fire fighter.

It would not be wise to intentionally weld or cut on a propane cylinder or throw it into a fire... I did see an "empty" disposable cylinder explode once when my mentally challenged neighbor tossed it into a large burning brush pile. Empty cylinders can sometimes be more dangerous than full, and disposable perhaps more than refillables..

I'm not claiming expert status and I couldn't find better info without effort, so if the information below is not satisfactory,
Please continue to consider your position to be correct with my blessing.


Look here...

Propane Tank Safety Relief Valves


The safety relief valve is one of the most important and vital valves on any LP Gas container. All propane tanks and cylinders are required by law to be fitted with pressure relief devices designed to relieve excess pressure. The function of a safety relief valve is to keep a propane tank from rupturing in the unlikely event of excessive pressure buildup. Propane tank relief valves are also known as pop off valves, pressure venting valves or relief valves.



How Propane Relief Valves Work

Relief valves are held in the closed position by the force of a powerful spring. As long as the pressure inside the tank is less than that of the spring, the valve will remain closed. If tank pressure rises to that of the spring, the valve will open resulting in a hissing sound outside the tank. If the pressure in the tank rises significantly higher than that of the spring, the valve will fully open. When the valve fully opens, it initially makes a loud pop followed by a blast of released propane gas. Once the pressure is released and the tank pressure falls below that of the spring, the valve closes.

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Old 10-23-2015, 06:42 PM   #37
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Wood heat + gas stove = no worries!
Sadly they outlawed wood fire places in my neck of the woods so you are not going to find one in any home built or that has had a major reno in the last 20 years. The gas fireplace without power does not do much to heat the house due to no fan.

The other nice thing about keeping the trailer with everything on it ready to use at any time for those of us that live the quake zone is it can be used as an emergency shelter if the house goes down.
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Old 10-23-2015, 06:52 PM   #38
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Sadly they outlawed wood fire places in my neck of the woods so you are not going to find one in any home built or that has had a major reno in the last 20 years. The gas fireplace without power does not do much to heat the house due to no fan.

The other nice thing about keeping the trailer with everything on it ready to use at any time for those of us that live the quake zone is it can be used as an emergency shelter if the house goes down.
Yep, that seems to be the way things are going a lot of places. Being in a rural area has its advantages. The only alternative fuels in our area, electricity and propane, are very expensive. We do have a propane furnace, but we use it more as a back-up.

I like the idea of an escape pod in the event of a natural disaster. Wildfires are more likely than earthquakes in our area, and we would certainly take our Scamp with us if we had to evacuate. With the battery and LP.
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Old 10-23-2015, 07:21 PM   #39
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Sadly they outlawed wood fire places in my neck of the woods so you are not going to find one in any home built or that has had a major reno in the last 20 years. The gas fireplace without power does not do much to heat the house due to no fan.
.
Really! I have installed a few of them in the last 20 years. They do have to be high efficient though. No open hearth ones allowed.
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Old 10-23-2015, 09:29 PM   #40
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Really! I have installed a few of them in the last 20 years. They do have to be high efficient though. No open hearth ones allowed.
Yup sad but true - no wood burning period.... not even in an outdoor garden fire pit.
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