Viking Composite Propane Tanks

[jam4travel]

Has anyone upgraded their 30 pound propane cylinders to the Viking Lightweight Composite 22 pound cylinders to save weight and make them easier for older RVers to handle? Will these fit into the Standard 30 pound RV Propane Double Bottle Rack (mounting tray) that comes with most RVs, or do they require their own mounting tray?

If you have upgraded to the Viking Lightweight Composite 22 pound cylinders, have you had any problems in getting these filled? Recertified?

[Radar1]

I considered them at one time, but the steep price combined with the 15 year lifespan before you have to dispose of them, reminded me that my steel tanks work just fine.

There was also a recall of fiberglass tanks from another manufacturer about the same time, so that was a consideration too. Whoever had them was out of luck, as the company went bankrupt from the recall.

Fiberglass tanks also need to be recertified at the 5 year and 10 year point, unlike the steel tanks, and disposed of at year 15.

The weight difference was nice, but the 12 lb empty (TARE) weight on those is only about 5-6 lbs less than 17-18 lb steel. You can always have them just refill the steel tanks with less propane at refill time if they are too heavy when full.

[David Tilston]

A little off topic.

As someone who uses a Manchester 33.5 lb aluminum forklift propane tank, (https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ank-49385.html). This thread had me concerned about the maximum life span of my quite expensive tank. I was relieved to find that aluminum tanks have the same life expectancy as the steel tanks. Longer, since corrosion is not a problem.

I'm not sure if my tank is lighter than a standard RV steel tank. The sizes don't match up. But looking at this spec sheet:
https://www.mantank.com/upl/download...s-85db231a.pdf
It is quite a bit lighter than a steel forklift tank though. the steel tank is 36 lb and the aluminum tank is 24 lb. I also noticed that the 43.5 lb aluminum tank weighs only 1 lb more than the 33.5 lb aluminum tank. Too bad the 43.5 lb tanks are so hard to find.

I’m not sure about those weights though. Comparing the Worthington forklift tanks:
https://hcc.worthingtonindustries.co...fts_070522.pdf
The 33.5 lb tank is 22.9 lb. This is ~1 lb lighter than the Manchester tank. and the 43.5 lb tank is 27 lb, or ~3 lb heavier than the 33.5 lb tank. This is also 2 lb heavier than the same Manchester tank.

If a 20 lb RV tank is 17 lb then two of them would be 34 lb. This is more than a 43.5 lb aluminum forklift tank. So I guess it is sort of lighter.

But what I like about the Worthington forklift tanks is that there is the possibility of three valves, liquid, vapor and fill. But I think that is an extra cost option. I don’t see the third valve on any of my company’s forklift tanks.

[Gavin]

Originally Posted by jam4travel

Has anyone upgraded their 30 pound propane cylinders to the Viking Lightweight Composite 22 pound cylinders to save weight and make them easier for older RVers to handle? Will these fit into the Standard 30 pound RV Propane Double Bottle Rack (mounting tray) that comes with most RVs, or do they require their own mounting tray?

If you have upgraded to the Viking Lightweight Composite 22 pound cylinders, have you had any problems in getting these filled? Recertified?

I purchased two of the 17lb Viking tanks for my 2020 Scamp 13' in Oct. 2020 and have been using them since. I also purchased the double mounting tray (which is really nice) which I believe was required ($30 on sale at the time). I've been really happy with the Viking tanks and have never had anyone reject filling them where I live in north county San Diego (they also came with DOT certification certificates if a store requested). They are super light, and if the lighting is right you can see the propane (level) inside the tank. The propane personnel are usually very curious when I have them filled as they are fairly unusual. I haven't had the required visual 5 year inspection yet since it's too early. I wrote an article on my experience with the tanks (if interested, search Viking on my website at scampgrounds.com).

[jam4travel]

Thank All For Your Feedback!!!

John

[Prop_Joe]

I was one of the many thousands of unlucky owners of Lite Cylinder propane tanks--I bought mine ~3 months before the company was ordered to stop all production and cease operations, in 2013. The feds sent out emergency notices banning refilling & recertification of all existing composite tanks--regardless of manufacturer. Anyone with a composite propane tank (in the U.S.) was effectively S.O.L.. Personally, I was out ~$500.

Regarding the Viking composite tanks:
An existing Viking tank owner reached out to Viking, via FB, because he's been unable to find a company to re-certify his Viking composite tank. I messaged him to inquire if Viking had been helpful in resolving the issue (and if his tank had been re-certified) he replied: "They asked what area I was in and they said they would look into it. I never heard anything else" --his tank is still not re-certified.

Alternatively, someone else recently posted that he was able to get his tanks re-certified at his local Lakes Gas (looks to be in the upper Midwest area.)

The Viking composite equivalent of a 30lb steel tank is their 22 lb vapor cylinder. At $150 ea. + $25 flat rate shipping per tank, that's quite a gamble that 5 years down the road you'll be able to get it re-certified.

Of particular importance: Viking doesn't maintain a list of companies who they know to re-certify their tanks, nor do they offer any type of trade-in allowance on a new tank, if you can't get your Viking composite tank re-certified.

[jam4travel]

Originally Posted by Prop_Joe

I was one of the many thousands of unlucky owners of Lite Cylinder propane tanks--I bought mine ~3 months before the company was ordered to stop all production and cease operations, in 2013. The feds sent out emergency notices banning refilling & recertification of all existing composite tanks--regardless of manufacturer. Anyone with a composite propane tank (in the U.S.) was effectively S.O.L.. Personally, I was out ~$500.

Regarding the Viking composite tanks:
An existing Viking tank owner reached out to Viking, via FB, because he's been unable to find a company to re-certify his Viking composite tank. I messaged him to inquire if Viking had been helpful in resolving the issue (and if his tank had been re-certified) he replied: "They asked what area I was in and they said they would look into it. I never heard anything else" --his tank is still not re-certified.

Alternatively, someone else recently posted that he was able to get his tanks re-certified at his local Lakes Gas (looks to be in the upper Midwest area.)

The Viking composite equivalent of a 30lb steel tank is their 22 lb vapor cylinder. At $150 ea. + $25 flat rate shipping per tank, that's quite a gamble that 5 years down the road you'll be able to get it re-certified.

Of particular importance: Viking doesn't maintain a list of companies who they know to re-certify their tanks, nor do they offer any type of trade-in allowance on a new tank, if you can't get your Viking composite tank re-certified.

Joe,

I spoke with Craig who is the USA contact person for Viking Composite Lightweight RV Propane Cylinders.

Can order directly from them or a distributor. If no tanks are in stock it takes 4-5 months to get them from Norway.

If order directly from "https://www.vikingcylinders.com/“ Craig (Must make this request) will have the 22 # tanks re-certified before they are shipped.

Craig’s direct Phone#: 740-788-7005.

Six months before the cylinders need to be re-certified call Craig at above number to find a re-certification locations.

In the USA these cylinders have a maximum service life/service of 15 years.

Must be rectified every 5 years.

John

[Prop_Joe]

Originally Posted by jam4travel

Joe,

I spoke with Craig who is the USA contact person for Viking Composite Lightweight RV Propane Cylinders.

Can order directly from them or a distributor. If no tanks are in stock it takes 4-5 months to get them from Norway.

If order directly from "https://www.vikingcylinders.com/“ Craig (Must make this request) will have the 22 # tanks re-certified before they are shipped.

Craig’s direct Phone#: 740-788-7005.

Six months before the cylinders need to be re-certified call Craig at above number to find a re-certification locations.

In the USA these cylinders have a maximum service life/service of 15 years.

Must be rectified every 5 years.

John

Who is this Craig person and what is his last name?
Is he a Viking Cylinders employee? If so, where & what is his title?
Where exactly does he work and why doesn't that phone number trace back to Viking Cylinders?
Why not provide the list of recertification locations NOW?

Oh I get it, buy the tanks now and then in 4 years, 6 months I call "Craig" to hopefully give me a re-certification location.

[Perryb67]

Originally Posted by Prop_Joe

Who is this Craig person and what is his last name?
Is he a Viking Cylinders employee? If so, where & what is his title?
Where exactly does he work and why doesn't that phone number trace back to Viking Cylinders?
Why not provide the list of recertification locations NOW?

Oh I get it, buy the tanks now and then in 4 years, 6 months I call "Craig" to hopefully give me a re-certification location.!

Great research! Not!

So rather than wait until Tuesday when most business will reopen after Memorial Weekend to try the number for your questions, at 1:20 am, you just call out John?



Perry

[oldwave]

Head smack

[thrifty bill]

A lot of $$ to save 8 pounds. I wonder what a smaller steel tank, say 10 pound, would weigh.

As far as getting tanks refilled, a lot of providers I use will carry your tank from your trailer.

Also check with local providers you use to refill tanks. Some will not refill fiberglass tanks.

[jam4travel]

Originally Posted by Prop_Joe

Who is this Craig person and what is his last name?
Is he a Viking Cylinders employee? If so, where & what is his title?
Where exactly does he work and why doesn't that phone number trace back to Viking Cylinders?
Why not provide the list of recertification locations NOW?

Oh I get it, buy the tanks now and then in 4 years, 6 months I call "Craig" to hopefully give me a re-certification location.

I'm sorry, I did not get Craig's last name, or his title with Viking. Craig responded to my phone calls and messages. Craig called me and gave me the information I shared on this forum.

I ain't got no dog in this hunt!!! I needed more information before I would possibly buy any of these cylinders. The phone number I listed is Craig's direct number and that is why it is not listed on their website. Craig said they in the past did have a list of re-certifiers on their website. However, he said the list changed so frequently that they stop posting it. While on the phone with Craig, he gave me at least one re-certifier in my area. However, he suggested calling 6 months before the tanks needed to be re-certified to make sure the list was current.

I'm only trying to provide information others might find useful. I'm not advising anyone to buy Viking Composite Lightweight Propane Cylinders. You still have your freedom of choice, so buy whatever your little heart desires.

John

[Prop_Joe]

Originally Posted by Perryb67

Great research! Not!

So rather than wait until Tuesday when most business will reopen after Memorial Weekend to try the number for your questions, at 1:20 am, you just call out John?



Perry

The subject of composite tanks comes up with frequent regularity on RV & boating forums! There's always someone who chimes-in that they have a "connection" with someone at the company who is able to get these composite tanks re-certified, but mysteriously none of that information is on the company website! I'm trying to save others from wasting a lot of money repeating the same $500 mistake I made.

I called Viking Cylinders last week (after chatting with the gentleman on facebook.) The support rep specifically told me that they no longer publish a list of re-certifiers for their composite tanks because the number of companies have been steadily declining and their list was always out of date. (Here's the link Viking used to have on their website, I saved it from a few years back https://vikingcylinders.com/support/requalification/)

I asked the rep to check my area and was told that I would have to call around to the propane companies to find out who would re-certify a composite tank! The rep could not give me the name of any company who Viking knew would re-certify one of their tanks!

So I did. I called 8 different propane service & supply companies within a 100 mile radius of my families' home and all 8 told me that they "do not service" composite tanks. I pressed for what they meant by "do not service" --NO re-certification, NO refilling, DO NOT HANDLE. These 8 companies are well-known national & regional propane service & supply companies that do commercial and residential service & supply.

Keep this in mind: Viking Cylinders does not warranty or guarantee that you'll be able to get one of their tanks re-certified. If Viking Cylinders stood by their product and guaranteed a trade-in allowance or swap of an expired tank for a new tank, then maybe that would be worth the high cost of a composite tank.

[Prop_Joe]

Full disclosure: I really liked the 4 composite cylinders I had from Lite Cylinder! They were so much easier to store and handle, over my 30lb steel tanks. Hauling them around for refilling was a back saver and being able to actually SEE how much propane was in the tank was fantastic!

And not having to worry about rust while stored on my sailboat was another bonus!

[David Tilston]

Originally Posted by Prop_Joe

Full disclosure: I really liked the 4 composite cylinders I had from Lite Cylinder! They were so much easier to store and handle, over my 30lb steel tanks. Hauling them around for refilling was a back saver and being able to actually SEE how much propane was in the tank was fantastic!

And not having to worry about rust while stored on my sailboat was another bonus!

Beating a dead horse. Aluminum forklift tanks have a level gauge that works both vertically and horizontaly. They also don't rust.

[Prop_Joe]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

Beating a dead horse. Aluminum forklift tanks have a level gauge that works both vertically and horizontaly. They also don't rust.

I've had difficulty finding the 30# aluminum forklift tanks that have been fitted for vertical use, vapor service and with a fill valve and gauge.

[David Tilston]

The 33.5# Manchester tank that I purchased had the fill valve on the vapor port. I changed the fill valve to the liquid port and installed a vapor valve on the vapor port. The tank came with a level gauge. The vapor port works with the tank vertical or laying down. Below is a cutout of the tank:


The vapor tube is not easy to see. It is at the top of the cutout. It is basically a J tube. The open end is at the top of the tank in either orientation.

If I could find the Worthington tank with a liquid valve, vapor valve and a fill valve. I would buy that instead.

From a pdf on this page:
https://hcc.worthingtonindustries.co...lift-cylinders


I hope that diagram is not accurate. When the tank is laying down, the vapor draw would be too low and the liquid draw would be too high.

[Prop_Joe]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

The 33.5# Manchester tank that I purchased had the fill valve on the vapor port. I changed the fill valve to the liquid port and installed a vapor valve on the vapor port. The tank came with a level gauge. The vapor port works with the tank vertical or laying down. Below is a cutout of the tank:
Attachment 149307

The vapor tube is not easy to see. It is at the top of the cutout. It is basically a J tube. The open end is at the top of the tank in either orientation.

If I could find the Worthington tank with a liquid valve, vapor valve and a fill valve. I would buy that instead.

From a pdf on this page:
https://hcc.worthingtonindustries.co...lift-cylinders
Attachment 149308

I hope that diagram is not accurate. When the tank is laying down, the vapor draw would be too low and the liquid draw would be too high.

Excellent! That's very helpful. Thank you.

[CharlesinGA]

Manchester did make aluminum cylinders that were basically the same as the steel ones (what Airstream used to use) but they no longer show on their website.

EDIT: Worthington still makes DOT aluminum porpane cylinders https://hcc.worthingtonindustries.co...les_071222.pdf and a 30 pound aluminum cylinder weighs 16.5 lbs, while the Viking 22 cylinder weighs 12 lbs. The aluminum Worthington cylinders have the same inspection intervals as the steel ones, and essentially the same dimensions.

I replied to jam4travel on the BOCI discussion forum but will reproduce that reply here for the benefit of people not on that forum.

Frankly there is no logic in going to the 22 lb Viking cylinders over a standard 20lb steel cylinder.

A standard Manchester 20 lb LP cylinder weighs 18 lbs empty and holds 19.75 lbs of LP when totally full, for a total weight of 37.75 lbs.

A Viking 22 lb cylinder weighs 12 lbs and holds 22 lbs of LP for a total when full of 34 lbs.

You are gaining a measly 2 lbs of LP and saving 3.75 lbs of weight doing so.

A Manchester 30 lb propane cylinder is 23.4 inches high, and a Viking 22 lb cylinder is 22.5 inchs high, so the Viking cylinders should fit in the parrots beak of a Bigfoot. I seriously doubt that the standard trays will work as the Viking appears to have a very large diameter foot ring. Standard steel cylinders are 12.2 inchs in diameter and the Viking is 12, so again, they should fit in the same place provided the tray and hold down is not unduly large.

Again, the gain is minimal. As Jeff noted early in the thread, back in 2019, its pretty much impossible to get someone to recertify the cylinders when they expire, and I'll bet some places will refuse to fill them also.

To directly answer your question about the mounting tray, you would need to get the foot ring outside diameter from Viking. From the pictures the foot ring is very nearly as large as the outside diameter (12 inch) of the cylinder. in comparison, my tray will accommodate a max of 8 inch diameter foot ring.

Viking sells a special tray and hold down for 22 lb and below cylinders. https://www.vikingcylinders.com/product/rv-mount-tray/ the dimension of the tray is 11.5 x 27.5, so the tray is just over 11 inches inside diameter, which jives with the pictures showing a rather large foot ring. as far as the 27.5 dimension, my 22RB with the extended tongue and cargo locker, is just over 27 inches wide at the mid point of the cylinders. Viking may be spacing the cylinders wider apart than the standard trays do, and it may be necessary to relocate the wiring harness and ground stud to make room.

I use the Mopeka Tank Check system to measure fluid level in the tanks and I use the neoprene Halo rings that fit on the foot ring to raise the tank slightly so as to not crush the sensor and allow for the Bluetooth signal to get in and out, and.... that halo ring is a very tight fit in that 8 inch tray. In addition, you would need to modify the hold down bar to fit the handles of the viking cylinders.

From the Viking website.............

Description
A high quality RV mount designed to securely support Viking Cylinders. Viking Cylinders have a wider base than traditional steel cylinders. So most existing RV mounts are too narrow to properly support our cylinders. This mount has been designed to replace your existing mount. Simply remove your existing mount and bolt in this one in place. Note, this mount is designed to hold 2 cylinders.

Mount dimensions: 27.5 x 11.5 x 1 inches (approximate size of actual mount)
Note, the dimensions listed under additional information are the shipping dimensions.

$15 Shipping to US, $25 to Canada. Cylinders not included.

If you are eager to spend some extra money, on something Propane, buy the Flame King YSN230B 20 lb vertical cylinder with a gauge connected to the float inside for decent level indications. https://www.amazon.com/Flame-King-YS.../dp/B08XYH6TND https://flameking.com/product/ysn230-2/

I appears that Manchester has ceased manufacturing DOT cylinders in aluminum (they do make aluminum forklift cylinders but they are totally different) Aluminum cylinders are heavier than the composite ones, but lighter than steel.

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by Prop_Joe

I've had difficulty finding the 30# aluminum forklift tanks that have been fitted for vertical use, vapor service and with a fill valve and gauge.

You just need to buy regular Worthington aluminum DOT cylinders which are the same as the steel ones, just in aluminum.

https://hcc.worthingtonindustries.co...les_071222.pdf