PROPANE TANK INSTALL

[Mex-Busnut]

Dear Friends:

I am considering the installation of a 47.6-gallon (180-liter) stationary propane tank in one of my cargo bays. Does the cargo bay need to be vented? Anybody else have a permanently-installed tank? Any problem getting them filled? Anything else to watch out for?

Thanks in advance.

Dr. Steve, central old Mexico

[thomasinnv]

i have seen a few of those type tanks having been installed in bus conversions.  as for the venting, i would think any type of explosive/flammable storage area should be properly vented.  shouldn't be a problem getting it filled.

[Chopper Scott]

I have an 80 gallon tank in mine and have no problems. There is a pressure pop off on the tank that also needs to be vented outside the bus. I've never had any problems getting it filled. As far as anything else it wouldn't be any different than having a 20 or 40 lb bottle in a bay. Having some type of ventilation is a very wise idea. Later

[Mex-Busnut]

Thanks a million, guys! Have an awesome and blessed day!

[TomC]

Even though the tanks look good and sturdy, I would call the tank manufacture to verify whether it is approved for mobile usage.  If you get into an accident and your tank blows causing additional injury, and it is found the tank is not DOT approved, you would be liable for all damages caused by the tank blowing.
I have a chassis mount tank under my bus that hangs from the floor made by Manchester tank and is DOT approved for propane in a vehicle.  With nothing below the tank it is naturally vented.  Good Luck, TomC

[cody]

Venting the tank is important, it is a good idea to secure the tank within a contained compartment with a floor vent, I've seen many applications with stationary tanks, I have a stationary tank that I was going to install but opted for the 30 pound bottles instead for the ease of taking one to get it refilled rather than trying to manuver the bus into the sometimes difficult places that fill tanks. If you have a propane generator, a stationary tank makes sence because of the volume of gas needed to run a generator, you would use up bottles in a hurry.

[robertglines1]

read in past it requires a 3 inch diameter hole for every 30 lbs of lp..lp is heavier than air to it settles to lowest point..floor..

[Tenor]

I know this is not the answer to the original question, but why not just use a couple of removable 40lb tanks with at dual feed?  It is so much easier to take the bottles to the filling station than to take the whole bus.  Why do I mention this?  Because just before dawn Satuday morning (of course it was cold!)I ran out of propane, grabbed my second bottle plugged it in and was good to go.  Tom's post about it being rated for mobile use is a great point!  Good luck!

Glenn

[Sean]

You need either an ASME tank with proper fittings and welded mounts for permanent vehicle use, with a minimum 312.5 PSI rating, or you can use DOT cylinders of the type that Tenor suggested.  Also the mounts need to be capable of withstanding a load equal to eight times the tank's filled weight in any direction, and free-standing tanks of the type pictured might not be so rated.

The compartment may not have a lock installed at any time and must be labeled "LPG" in contrasting block letters.

The compartment must be vented to the exterior at both the top and the bottom.  You are required to have one square inch of venting for every 7 lbs capacity, equally distributed between top and bottom vents.  That's about 30 square inches (15 each top and bottom) for your proposed tank, or a hole about 4.4" in diameter.  The compartment must be vapor-tight to the vehicle interior.

All of this information can be found in NFPA 1192, which can be downloaded for around $30.  I strongly recommend anyone installing an on-board LP system purchase this document.  It also covers plumbing systems, exit requirments, vents, appliances, and almost every other facet of an RV except for the electrical system, which is covered in the NEC (NFPA 70).

HTH,

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[Len Silva]

Don't forget that he is in Mexico.  I'm sure they have their own rules but they might not be the same as here.

[gus]

I removed my permanent LP tank and went to four 20lb bottles.

I got tired of trying to find a fill station that was easily accessible and my bus is small compared to most. The tank also took up far too much space for its meager capacity.

I would have gone to larger bottles except the 20lb bottle is plenty heavy enough for an old codger like me.

[Mex-Busnut]

Don't forget that he is in Mexico.  

Len:

I certainly appreciate your post. However, we do plan on using our bus both in Mexico and the U.S., so I would rather avoid problems by doing it right the first time.

Thanks again!

[Lin]

We currently have both a permanent and temporary tank and can valve between them.  The mounted tank was made for a pickup being converted to run on propane so should be highway rated.  It is where the old OTR heat/AC coils used to be.  The temp tanks are in the old condenser bay so have the mesh door for venting as well as a few holes under the larger tank.  The large tank space is also open to the condenser bay.   Between the two, we probably have well over the amount of required vent area.  I tend to use the removable tanks first and the larger tank for backup while getting the small ones filled.  I have only filled the large tank once.  The thought was to change the genny to propane instead of gas, but you know how it is with those thoughts sometimes.  I do not have a sign on the condenser bay that says, "LPG".  It is law that it should be there?   Another issue is that the fill for the large tank is in the first luggage bay.  Does that mean that that bay is considered part of the LPG space, or is it a matter of interpretation?

I hope that adding my questions to the thread helps rather than distracts.

[cody]

I probably should replace the bungee cords holding my tanks in place but I've got them pretty tightly wedged between the water heater and the battery bank and I'd have to redo the sheet metal screws holding in the tray under them and I really don't have any place that is as good a location unless I strap them down under the bed or the dinette.

[Tenor]

Cody - You always put a smile on my face!

Glenn