Propane Tank

[Fred Mc]

My bus has a 50 gallon permanently mounted propane tank. I'm thinking of removing it and putting in a couple of removable tanks for more convenience. I read where some tanks are vapor and others liquid.
What is the difference and do propane appliances(stove, fridge, water heater) care?

Thanks
Fred.

[silversport]

I do not think you have any equipment on board that takes liquid. I dumped my permanent tank for three 30 lbs portable tanks (21 gal) standard vapor type. Saved bay space, fill two tanks at a time without moving coach. Works a lot easier.

[windtrader]

Propane is both liquid and vapor, depending on pressure and temperature. It is filled as liquid under pressure.When used, pressure is released and it becomes vapor.


I'm running on two standard removable grill type tanks. It is much easier to fill as you can keep the bus parked and take tanks to get filled.

[Fred Mc]

Exactly.All the reasons why I want to change.

[Utahclaimjumper]

I had a 68 gal. fixed tank in my 06 and filled it once a year..  weather it needed it or not.>>>Dan

[richard5933]

Liquid or vapor depends on which port in the tank is tapped, at least from what I've seen.

As an option between mounted tanks and smaller/portable tanks you can do like Custom Coach did on my bus. They installed two forklift tanks horizontally, stacked one above the other. When I want, I can have them filled while still on the bus at most propane fill stations. Or, if I need to leave the bus and just take the tanks to be filled, it's only one bolt to remove to take out a tank and bring only the tank. The forklift tank hold much more than a portable balloon tank, but they are still quite manageable by one person in the trunk of a car.

[Fred Mc]

Actually I do have one forklift tank than that I use for my emergency house generator(the generator was originally in the bus but I removed it because, at this time, solar is enough.
Seems like I'm going around in circles here.

[luvrbus]

 I good thing about the ASME frame mounted tank they don't need to be recertified every few years like a DOT tank plus you can remote mount the filling part to any convenient location on your bus.I had frame mounted and carried a 3 gal in case of emergency,unless you need the space I would keep it,Now it so easy to find a play to fill the tanks even Tractor Supply fills tanks ,FWIW you get ripped off on tank exchanges they put 4 gals in one and charge you for 5 at a high price   

[Lin]

When you fill a tank, it is with liquid propane.  It is kept as a liquid due to pressure. However, the liquid propane is always trying to flash into a gas, so when you fill a tank just enough turns to gas to increase the pressure in the tank to stop the process.  The gas you use is drawn from the top of the tank. As you do this more liquid flashes to gas again until the balance pressure is reached. Eventually, all the liquid becomes gas and you need a refill.  The liquid propane is drawn from the bottom of the tank. You would only need that possibly to run a good size generator or something else that needs lots of fuel.

I currently have a 45 gallon permanent tank that I bought from someone that used it to run a car.  I did not know about the liquid/gas thing at the time and later realized that this was a liquid supply tank, so now the permanent tank feeds a 7 gallon floor buffer tank that is just used to flash the liquid to gas. That tank connects to an auto switching dual tank regulator through which it can supply an uninterrupted supply.  The other port of the regulator goes to a 7 gallon portable tank.  I generally default to the portable tank.  the regulator automatically switches to the permanent tank when the small tank runs low.  At that point I fill the small tank again and start over.

Although this system was not the original plan, I like the way it turned out. I have a large reserve available and also an easy to fill portable tank. The need to fill the permanent tank is rare.

[buswarrior]

Typically, engines want a liquid feed, appliances with flames want a vapour feed.

It is very important that the tank is properly oriented so that vapour and liquid do not go up the wrong feed tube inside the tank.

Inside, there are pipes leading to the expected places, so putting the tank in rolled over, or on its side, when it is not internally designed for that, there will be performance problems when the wrong stuff gets fed to the wrong devices.

Used to have a great cut-away tank for the training course, it made the whole thing make perfect sence when you could see inside.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[richard5933]

Many horizontal tanks can be reconfigured by any good propane dealer to supply either liquid or vapor.

[luvrbus]

Many horizontal tanks can be reconfigured by any good propane dealer to supply either liquid or vapor.

Mine have have outlets for both

[dtcerrato]

Most if not all forklift tanks have taps for both liquid and gas.
We carry four 30 lb portables got away from chassis mount.

[luvrbus]

 I liked my frame mounted it wasn't in the bays but mounted in space that wasn't used for anything.my remote filling was in the water fill and sewer dump service center

[sledhead]

because I only have a 2 burner cook top and a bbq I added the
2 x 20 lb bbq tanks on a sealed and vented slide and now I only need to fill one tank each year but yes it is way easier to find a propane tank re filler then it was to find a auto tank re filler on the old rv I had 15 years ago

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9kpMZRkocZtnbTX47

dave