how long does this propane tank last?

[john warren]

ok going on trip number 8 with a total of 24 days campingso far this year, a week of that dry....i'm thinking maybe i should pop the tank off and go get it refilled. i would like to use it till it was totaly empty to get an idea of how long it does last,,,,but, next week if mama wants the furnace on and it runs out in the middle of the night,,,,well,,,,lets just say i don't want to face that issue.
so do you take your tank in , have it weighed and refilled? or do you just do the tank swap thing?

[RogerDat]

If available refill, your typically only charged for the weight sold to you. Swap tanks and your giving them what is left in the tank for free.

[Raz]

Trading in is very expensive as they sell you less than a full tank at a rather high price. Where we are they refill for a flat fee, better but still expensive unless you are empty. Imagine if you had to by gasoline that way. Because of this I have several tanks, always keeping one full. The best deal is metered where you pay only for what you buy. Here's a link to tractor supply stores that sell propane and meter. I wish I had one near by. Raz

TSC Stores With Propane

[john warren]

Originally Posted by P. Raz

Trading in is very expensive as they sell you less than a full tank at a rather high price. Where we are they refill for a flat fee, better but still expensive unless you are empty. Imagine if you had to by gasoline that way. Because of this I have several tanks, always keeping one full. The best deal is metered where you pay only for what you buy. Here's a link to tractor supply stores that sell propane and meter. I wish I had one near by. Raz

TSC Stores With Propane

actualy i am planning on buying another tank for another purpose. maybe i will just carry that till i am forced to switch them out.

[David Tilston]

The Flying J that my brother used to live at sells propane by the litre, no matter what tank you have.
I have a quick fill port on my forklift tank. Typically if they sell propane for cars, they will fill this by the litre, and I don't have to take it off the trailer.

[rgrugg]

Here's a piece of wisdom for you. It'll last until it's empty. Aren't you glad you asked? Here's almost a guarantee: if you're using the furnace your tank will go empty in the middle of the night. It's one of those natural laws, you know, like if it tastes good it's not good for you. Can't tell you how many times I've changed tanks in the middle of the night. Even with a tow tank trailer I keep one turned off. If I had both on, both would be empty in the middle of the night. Back to your original question. Unless you're using the furnace a LOT, it'll last a long time. Best course of action is to have an extra tank.

[Kevin A]

On a related note... Does the propane "go stale" if not used in a certain period? We have been using the same tankful since we bought it in 2006. According to the stick-on indicator, it is still over half full, and everything lights just fine. (You may have guessed we don't use the propane very much!)

[Bruce H]

I would go with a second tank if I could find a place to store it not inside the passenger compartment of my TV or inside the living area of my trailer.

Kind of on the same topic, I have a letter here from my porpane company offering a fall special. They will fill my big residential tank for $1.45 per gallon. The LP I bought from Flying J etc earlier this month was $2.99 per gallon.

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Kevin A

On a related note... Does the propane "go stale" if not used in a certain period? We have been using the same tankful since we bought it in 2006. According to the stick-on indicator, it is still over half full, and everything lights just fine. (You may have guessed we don't use the propane very much!)

Propane does not go stale. One if its advantages.

[Ron in BC]

There's an alternative to carrying a second tank. In my case I already had a spare 10# tank so I can carry it as a spare if I'm going to be away for awhile with my main tank already partly drained.

I also have an adaptor hose and can hook up a 1# tank of the kind used for camping stoves etc. Since I always have a couple of 1# bottles on hand I'm not worried about running out and being stuck without any heat etc.

Ron

[Roy in TO]

The full spare tank at home is a good idea. If you are in doubt that what you have left will make it through the trip, you swap it with the full tank. Then you use the almost empty tank with your BBQ or whatever at home.

We travel with a 2nd tank not connected to the Trillium but use it with a lantern and stove on a propane tree. With the boler American I have two 11 Lb tanks connected via an automatic switch over regulator, we also travel with the extra 20 Lb and tree.

[Jeff Peterson]

The long-term solution is to buy a pan that installs on your tongue and will support two lp tanks. Then get a regulator that automatically switches from an empty tank to the full one. There's a little indicator window that goes from green to red when it switches tanks, so you know the one is empty. Takes all the worry out of the process and you don't have a spare tank bouncing around in your trunk.

[john warren]

Originally Posted by Kevin A

On a related note... Does the propane "go stale" if not used in a certain period? We have been using the same tankful since we bought it in 2006. According to the stick-on indicator, it is still over half full, and everything lights just fine. (You may have guessed we don't use the propane very much!)

no ,,,does not go stale,,,but your local propane guy may track you down and let it out if he reads this.

[ThomasE]

There's an adapter commonly called a "steak saver" that connects a disposable 16oz propane canisters to the Acme type fitting. I believe they're marketed towards propane grills. I've never done it myself, but you could carry the adapter and one canister as a short term backup if you run out and need to refill the main tank.