can i take both propane tanks off my casita?

[KevinScamps]

Take both tanks off and buy a propane plug to put in the end to seal off the gase lines. Then secure then lines so they are not rattling around getting broken. Problem solved.

I bought a 5lb propane tank and that lasts me a long time of just using the stove and reduced the tongue weight considerably. Adding weight to ass of the camper will reduce tongue weight, but will make the trailer more unstable while towing.

[Ice-breaker]

Nothing wrong about taking the tanks off if you do not use them or if you would like to reduce your trailer weight. If you do that, why not go a bit further and also remove one or all of those appliances that operate on propane (stove, water heater, furnace, fridge, etc). You would achieve further weight reductions and could also put the appliances into safe storage from which they could be reinstalled at some future date if required. For the piping, add end caps when you disconnect the tanks and appliances to keep the water and crawlies out.

[lpk49]

thankyou thankyou thankyou...i needed some good news. steve especially-you are the first to address the question of does propane still work when it is old...

and carol...the heater was done right so i can stop worrying about that. and all the other things rabbit scared me about in the beginning...altho he later calmed me down some.

the wires that go to the tanks are tied down pretty well. the rv guy said it would be easy to close them off to keep them clean...maybe i can cover vents from outside.

i have thought of removing water heater and furnace i agree with someone else on here who uses elec heater cuz propane is noisy. i dont need heat til its below 40 anyway. but i guess it depends how hard it is to remove them.

i like the idea of the little propane tank too...that makes a lot of sense.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Removing both tanks won't take off 80lbs from your tongue weight, because they aren't sitting right on top of the ball, I would guess you will save 40-60lbs tongue weight for both.

The tanks are not right at the ball, but they're about 85% of the way there... at least a lot more than 50%.
On the other hand, if you left them on and didn't use them, I doubt you would leave them full, so consider what you are comparing to: was 365 pounds with full propane?

Finally, empty 20lb-capacity propane tanks are typically about 18 pounds empty. That's only a couple of pounds less than mentioned earlier, and tank hold-down hardware and hoses could weigh more than that.

[MCDenny]

If you haven't used the propane appliances since 2007 any bugs that are going to get in are already there.

Take off the tanks, brackets, etc, plug the hose and forget about it. I'd bet you will lighten the tongue load by 50-60#.

You want to be sure the tongue weight is 10% or more of total trailer weight, though. If too little load is on the tongue the trailer will be prone to swaying.

PS, Lil Snoozys don't have propane. We have been camping happily for four months with electric only plus a little butane gas hot plate and a small propane grill on the picnic table outside.

Denny
Www.wanderingourway.wordpress.com

[lpk49]

thx again. the propane has been used a little for the furnace, stove , water heater and i think once for the fridge ... but very little. but the hoses were never unhooked...

my neighbor is going to use up the propane with his camper and grill...so i know i will get the tanks back. and i guess i'll just store them in case i decide to sell the camper or go back to using more propane.

im assuming the tongue weight casita gives of 365 is with full tanks...but i didnt weigh it and i know that could be wrong...i sure hope my TW isnt close to 400 or i am really in trouble.

i should have the wdh tomorrow and hope to see what difference it makes...i'll ask about weighing...but that seems pretty complicated to me...should i just follow the semis onto the scales? does it cost money? i have a feeling i'll end up with someone yelling at me again. hopefully i will be a lot more level with the wdh and after that can empty propane, possibly fill water tank some and /or load stuff on the bed in the back.

denny-that sounds like what i have been doing with the heater and little stoves

[deryk]

Casita Travel Trailers - Our Showroom | Freedom | Schematic

dry weight 365lbs

[Carol H]

It looks like the dry weight includes the two propane tanks as they are a stand feature not an option.

[Glenn Baglo]

Sure, but are the tanks full or empty?

[deryk]

dry weight would probably mean empty... but who knows. She could take the 2 off and pull out a bathroom scale and find out.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by lpk49

i'll ask about weighing...but that seems pretty complicated to me...should i just follow the semis onto the scales? does it cost money?

If New Hampshire is anything like California, then NO don't just follow the semi trucks onto the Highway scales.
You need to find a Certified Public Scale near you which YES will cost you money.
Try entering your location into one of these search engines to find a Public Scale near you:

Certified Public Scale Locator

CAT Scale Locator

Or, your State Weights and Measures people could direct you if you ask them.


PO Box 2042, Concord NH 03302-2042
(603) 271-3685 Fax: (603) 271-1109
Weights and Measures in New Hampshire

[lpk49]

i just went back to that "weight in the real world" thread and saw at least 14 TW on casitas over 365...one was 660 but had a generator on the tongue...but lots of 400's and 500's so i am thinking i am in trouble and will have to trade either the camper or the car. i've put a lot of money into them in the last few weeks too.

i dont know why i didnt see those high TW's back when i looked at that spreadsheet before.

oh well. i'll figure it out-it will be easy to sell the casita i guess...

[Carol H]

Suspect you might lose more if you traded the car vs selling the trailer.

[lpk49]

i own the trailer. i owe A LOT on the car. you must be an insomniac like me. do you know the lightest camper with a bathroom? and ac. and which are most expensive/least expensive...

[David Tilston]

Scamp makes a 13' with a front bath, I think.
Scamp Travel Trailers: 13 Foot Floor Plans

[Carol H]

As far as I know the 16' Scamp with a side bath is one of the lightest 16'. But Escape has a 15' with a bathroom and Scamp has a 13' with bathroom as well.

Not insomniac, I am on the west coast.

[lpk49]

deryk has a parkliner...he says it is lighter than my casita...esp TW...but i am on their site and cant find the weights

there is an escape down the road a piece for sale...at a dealer...maybe they would do a trade

all of them my best bet is to find used, correct? sounds like a long wait to buy new

[lpk49]

i found it : parkliner: 2100 lbs. dry weight
Approximate tongue weight: 220 lbs.

but i dont know if that includes ac, fridge and bath

and escape 17B:

Approx. Dry hitch weight 250 lbs
Approx. Dry axle weight 1650 lbs
Approx. Total dry weight 1900 lbs (Plan A)
2100 lbs (Plan
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating 3500 lbs

and 16' scamp:

Approx. weight: 1750 lbs.
5000 lb. hitch
3500 lb. axel
Hitch weight: 165 lbs. approx

i couldnt find a separate listing for side bath

oh well...enough for tonight. tomorrow i see what it looks like...with wdh...thx for your help

[deryk]

I realize most of the manuf probably lie(exagerate) the weights down a bit to sell them... just like people selling their fiberglass trailers... oh can be towed by any 4cyl car.

I think the listed 220lb dry tongue weight is probably pretty close...but its with one 20lb propane cyl (empty of course) The first time I weighed the tongue of my ParkLiner it was 290lbs, thats with 2 full propane tanks and 2 gallons of anti freeze in the bathroom 2 hoses, 2 extention cords. I have a fridge, air conditioner, shower with a porta potty,and furnace.

Did you tow yours much? if you tend to stay in 1 park alot see if there is a summer rate and leave it there and don't worry about towing it. If you want to tow it, maybe trade in the Rav4 for something bigger. Larger 6 cyl engine or 8. Probably a reason why pickup's are so common with towing, beefier suspension. Im still contemplating next year tradeing my Rav4 in for a pickup.

[MCDenny]

LPK, do I recall correctly you have a RAV4? I've got 390# tongue weight on mine, no WDH but air bags in the springs and its towing just fine. Car weight ratings aren't absolutes. BTW, My 2007 RAV manual says 'do not exceed 45 mph when towing'. And 'do not use WDH'. That's CYA language added by their lawyers.

I saw another guy in a campground that had a new Casita 17' just picked up from the factory in Texas. The factory put a WDH on his RAV4. He had towed it from TX to FL, said it worked fine.

Jon has many thousands of miles on his RAV with WDH. In spite of the manual's warning it apparently has not caused any problems.

Way you DO want to do is weigh you trailer so you know the actual weights. A CAT scale (see Frederick's link) costs something like $15 and there are lots of them around.

With some fooling around you can measure the tongue weight with a bathroom scale. Google it.