Propane bottle options

[MyronL]

Say you want to go camping in your egg for just one night, or, say if you're out on a trip to the boonies and your 20 pounder runs out. You would want to be able to switch to some emergency propane for the duration, or until you find a proper propane filling station, right? Instead of feeling stressed or burdened, why can't you simply switch from depending on that 20 pounder to using one of them little Coleman bottles like you use in the lantern?

I have looked in vain for an answer to this question.

Walmart's Coleman converter thing-o gave false hope. Won't match up. The best Ramsey Outdoor, my nearest big camping outfitter could do was sell me the hose in the picture below, off some damaged, returned goods. It connects at one end to the Coleman propane fuel, but the other end connects to I don't know what. Home Depot has no fittings to match it.

Any plumbers out there?

[Gina D.]

Aren't there differences in the way the regulators work for appliances intended to run off of big bottles vs. the regulators that come with your basic Coleman style stove or lantern?

Heaters can be fitted with both, but I am not sure it is possible (or safe) the other way around.

[Al and Cindy K]

The propane applilances commonly used with our trailers and with camping in general use either a high or low pressure regulator. Since Myron is trying to go directly from a gas source to his existing regulator, whether the gas comes from a 20lb tank or from one of the disposable cannisters doesn't come into play here.

I'd suggest taking the assembly you purchased from the rv store to your local LP gas distributor and explain what you're trying to do. They should be able to fix you up quickly. Another option would be to pick up a 5 lb refillable tank which is what I have. These aren't too much larger than a 16 oz bottle and, in my opinion, are much safer.

http://www.bimart.com/itemdetail.aspx?itemno=601046

You can find these a bit cheaper with a little research.

Hope this helps - Al

[Brian B-P]

Myron, here's my interpretation of your photo:

• the "fits on 20 pounder" is a POL (a.k.a. CGA 510) fitting, attached to a regulator, which I assume is the trailer hose to which you want to supply propane
• the "fits on Coleman bottle" end is a needle valve fitting to receive propane, presumably on the end of the hose you bought
• the "fits on ?" fitting is the mating needle valve fitting to supply propane; it is just like the fitting on the top of a disposable propane cylinder ("little Coleman bottle"), and would normally include a valve (tripped open by inserting the needle of the mating fitting); presumably this is on the other end of the same hose
• the hose you bought is a needle valve extension, which does not serve as a converter between types of connection.

The adapter which is required has a needle valve fitting to receive propane from the disposable bottle on one end, and a POL fitting like a bulk (e.g. 20-pound) tank on the other end. I use a needle valve extension to connect my Boler tanks to my barbecue, and I have an adapter like this at the end to make the needle valve hose work with barbecue, which I believe is basically what Myron needs.

This type of adapter is sometimes sold as a "steak saver", because it lets you finish barbecuing that last steak when the propane runs out, by using a disposable cylinder. Other names include "second chance propane grill adapter" or "reserve gas adapter". I found mine at a specialty barbecue store (Barbecue Country), which has a wide range of adapters and hoses. I would certainly go back there - rather than the overpriced and under-stocked RV parts store - for any future propane fitting needs, but for reference here there is one listed at Camping World as "Propane Grill Steak Saver Adapter"

<blockquote>Note: Myron's trailer has the old POL fitting, like mine. More recent bulk tank connections use the current QCC connection, and the newer tanks I have accommodate either type (the threads are different, but the bullet-shaped gas connection is the same). Some of the adapters which I have seen are specific to one of the two (POL or QCC) - although that one at Camping World says it works with both - so I would check to be sure. Coast has models of each connection type on page 44 of their current (2006) catalog (Barbecue Grills and Accessories), from Marshall, which seems to be a common manufacturer - most of my hardware is Marshall.</blockquote>
So the right adapter has a needle valve fitting with female threads and a protruding needle on one end (to fit the cylinder) and a POL (or dual POL/QCC) fitting with female POL threads (and maybe male Acme threads for QCC) and a socket to receive the trailer hose's bullet-nosed fitting on the other end.

[Alan #1119]

I have an adaptor (brass) for attaching the LP hose to a cannister. I have never used it (just lucky) but I cannot find it in Camping World catalog or in another RV parts handbook. It is about the size of the water pressure regulator (2 3/4" long). It is engraved with the following nomenclature:

MBG1899 Listed 1P47 Adaptor for LP Gas

You might serch throught the archives section for adaptor. I believe it was posted by Charles Watts before the new format.

If you have access to a Camping Word store you could check with them. I’m sure they don’t list everything they sell.

[Gina D.]

Do our appliances run off high or low pressure?

[Bigfoot Mike]

Do our appliances run off high or low pressure?

Propane pressure is measured in column inches of water. Our appliances run off of 11 column inches of water pressure.

I have a friend that made his own manometer to measure his trailer’s propane pressure. He is on this forum. Maybe he’ll show how he made it.

[Bigfoot Mike]

Here is a home made one. Not as simple and elegant as “M’s” but you get the idea.

home-made manometer

[Benny K]

Since it goes thru a regulator that brings it down to 11" CIW I suppose it means low pressure....Benny

[Benny K]

Is the homemade manometer either or both USGA or CGA approved? Benny

[Morgan]

Here's the URL for a homemade U-tube manometer and instructions for using it:

U-tube manometer

One caution: the instructions say to use colored water. Don't do that unless you use a colorant with a specific gravity of 1. Otherwise it will cause an error in your readings.

NOT approved by the United States Golf Association or the Compressed Gas Association.

[Victor Benz]

Myron:

I have a tee on one of my bottles to allow running the barbeque directly from the 20 pound bottle rather than the 1 lb disposable ones. It is item 50244 in the link below (upper right). I prefer to use the 20 pounder because I am not using a disposable, and I get better and more consistent pressure from the larger, higher pressure bottle. I have two bottles on my trailer, one is a filled, ready-to-go spare. If I had only one bottle, I would still have the tee, but probably also item # 56840 on tyhe same page (bottom middle).

http://www.go-rv.com/coast/do/catalog/page...&pageNum=44

A rule of thumb for my larger house barbeque was 1 hour heat on high per pound of propane. On my smaller unit for the trailer, I would guess it a 2 to 2.5 hours per pound.

Victor

[Al and Cindy K]

Do our appliances run off high or low pressure?

Gina, the stove, fridge, furnace and water heater in my 02 Scamp are all low pressure appliances and this may well be true for all campers and rvs but I'm just not certain of that personally. The old double burner stove that I cook outside on is also low pressure but my homemade steamer / turkey cooker uses a high pressure burner from a tobacco barn. I can run both the stove and the steamer at the same time and off the same LP tank with a 'Y" connector since each has its own regulator.

Should you need to replace a regulator, make certain you're swapping two of the same type.


Al

[Gina D.]

What would examples of appliances or items using high pressure be? And why is high pressure needed vs. low pressure?

Sorry for the questions.. I know nothing of gas (Well, except for the kind my lovely male Beagle produces.. and it is the high pressure kind) and have never had to work with it other than to change a heater well beyond the regulator.

I want to be edjumicateded.

Does higher pressure consume more gas per minute?

[Morgan]

What would examples of appliances or items using high pressure be? And why is high pressure needed vs. low pressure?

Sorry for the questions.. I know nothing of gas (Well, except for the kind my lovely male Beagle produces.. and it is the high pressure kind) and have never had to work with it other than to change a heater well beyond the regulator.

I want to be edjumicateded.

Does higher pressure consume more gas per minute?

Gina D,

The appliances in our camp trailers use low pressure gas from a regulator at the propane tank.

Some portable appliances use high pressure gas from disposable bottles; a table top grill, a propane lantern, a Mr Heater Portable Buddy are examples. I think in each case, the appliance has a built-in regulator to reduce and control the gas pressure.

The gas pressure in the tank (or in a disposable bottle) is the vapor pressure of the propane which varies with temperature. If we tried to use unregulated gas pressure, our appliances would be hard to control. Some propane torches use unregulated high pressure propane gas, but there it's only desirable to get things very hot; fine control is not important.

In theory, whether you use disposable bottles or refillable tanks should not affect the efficiency. As a practical matter, the appliances using disposable bottle may be a bit less efficient.

[Roy in TO]

I want to be edjumicateded.

As do I!
I found a page that talks about LPG on boats, but has some info.

[Joe MacDonald]

how about this

[Morgan]

how about this

Way to go, Joe. [b]That's what Myron was looking for.

[MyronL]

YES! ....That looks like what I am talking about, thanks, Joe, and Morgan. I looked over all the other suggestions and indeed they also seem viable, but for the prices. All seem fixated at the thirty-dollars-and-up range, which gives me the hives.

Thanks much for the many great answers, (including the ones I didn't wanna know.)