Topping off small LP tanks

[theoldwizard1]

My local LP filling place charges a "flat rate" to refill a 20# bottle. Is this common ? (Their price IS reasonable.)

Do any of you try to "transfer" LP between small (5#-30#) tanks using the hot tank/cold tank method ?

[DC8Captain]

I have a small propane tank that I use for an outside stove and BBQ. My local U-Haul dealer refills by the volume filled, not by a flat fee. I don't have any idea if that is the same for all U-Hauls or just my local one.

[mgirardo]

ctilsie242 wrote:
With my current rig, I just exchange the cylinders, because a lot of propane places want a 250 gallon minimum contract before they will lift a finger, and stores like U-Haul tend to not have someone who is both trained on staff.

Once I move to a motorhome with a permanent tank that I can park in the driveway, I plan to pay for a delivery contract, just so that come the weekend, I'm assured the tank is topped off.

We rarely use 13 gallons of propane a year. We have a 56 lb tank (roughly 13 gallons) on our motor home. It gets filled every April at the Flying J. We spend 4 months of the year living in our MH at a seasonal camp site. In 1 year, we have never had the propane tank completely empty.

It would take us almost 20 years to fulfill a 250 gallon minimum propane contract. Find a Flying J near you. I've never see one that didn't refill propane.

-Michael

[ctilsie242]

With my current rig, I just exchange the cylinders, because a lot of propane places want a 250 gallon minimum contract before they will lift a finger, and stores like U-Haul tend to not have someone who is both trained on staff.

Once I move to a motorhome with a permanent tank that I can park in the driveway, I plan to pay for a delivery contract, just so that come the weekend, I'm assured the tank is topped off.

[mgirardo]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

mgirardo wrote:
We have found it is cheaper to just exchange when we are camping seasonally.

You should kow that all exchange tanks are purposely UNDER FILLED, not for safety, but strictly to increase profits !!!

I sure do. Says so right on the side of the exchange cage. Our seasonal campground charges $25 to fill a 20 lb tank to 20 lbs. The gas station about 5 minutes away charges $23 to fill a 20 lb tank tp 20 lbs. The farmers market that's 2 minutes away charges $16 for a 20 lb exchange which gets me 15 lbs of propane.

Refilling at the gas station costs $1.15/lb, refilling at the campground costs $1.25/lb. Exchanging at the farmers market costs $1.06/lb. I'll take the exchange and buy some fresh fruit or veggies with the savings.

-Michael

[theoldwizard1]

fj12ryder wrote:
Well, there is underfilled, and then there is underfilled. The exchange tanks used to have about 18 lbs. of propane, but just a couple of years ago they started putting only 15 lbs. of propane in them but charging the same amount. That, to me, is an underfilled tank.

My point exactly.

[westernrvparkow]

Before we got out of the propane fill business completely, we went to a $10.00 minimum. Otherwise, we would have someone wanting to top off their tank on the coldest, wettest day of the year. Of course it would be a class C or VW campervan where getting to the fill required crawling on the ground and contorting our bodies in ways the human body should not contort. Then we would find that the rig took exactly 2/5th of a gallon. Just wasn't worth the effort for eighty cents. Hence $10 or no gas for you.
Even with that, it didn't take long for us to decide it just wasn't worth the pain and effort to dispense propane at all. Haven't regretted that decision for one second.

[DrewE]

wanderingbob wrote:
Exchange tanks , by law , must be under-filled , look it up .

Cylinders (and, for that matter, permanent propane tanks) may only be filled to 80% liquid capacity, per law, to allow for head space so the liquid propane can expand with temperature changes. A 20 pound cylinder is designed such that, when filled 80% full, it holds about 20 pounds of LPG (the exact amount depending on the ambient temperature, etc.). In other words, the size of the cylinder already takes this required underfilling into account.

I could not locate any laws that require cylinder exchange places to fill less than this standard. Filling them with only fifteen pounds is simply their way of cutting their propane expenses by a quarter.

Around here, most if not all places charge a flat rate for 20 pound cylinder refills, but of course charge by volume for fixed motorhome tanks if they are willing to fill them. I think whether 20 pound tanks are charged a flat rate or by volume/pound is more a regional custom than anything.

[fj12ryder]

wanderingbob wrote:
For many years living on a sailboat in the Carib. we would transfer LPG from tank to tank by hoisting the full tank up in a tree , upside down and let the liquid flow into empty tank .
Exchange tanks , by law , must be under-filled , look it up .

Well, there is underfilled, and then there is underfilled. The exchange tanks used to have about 18 lbs. of propane, but just a couple of years ago they started putting only 15 lbs. of propane in them but charging the same amount. That, to me, is an underfilled tank. Legality has nothing to do with it.

[dcmac214]

Both the local places I've used vent the tanks empty before refilling. Refills are flat rate based on tank size.

[Grit_dog]

corvettekent wrote:
The last 4 mouths we have been traveling the south west and have paid anywhere from $1.99 to $3.75 per gallon but not once have I paid a flat rate.

I have tried filling the small disposable tanks by putting them in the frezzer the day before but they never seemed like they got full.

Disposables will fill well if you do the freezer/sun trick AND turn the big bottle upside down.
I've always presumed the pressures are compatible since someone actually sells an adapter, but I usually stand out of the way once I open the valve! Lol

[wanderingbob]

For many years living on a sailboat in the Carib. we would transfer LPG from tank to tank by hoisting the full tank up in a tree , upside down and let the liquid flow into empty tank .
Exchange tanks , by law , must be under-filled , look it up .

[mowermech]

Around here, all propane stations charge by the gallon. I haven't filled my cylinders for quite a while, so I don't know what the going rate is now. Some RV dealers have advertised specials at $.99 per gallon.
But, this time I need to go to the distributor to get one of the cylinders re-certified.

[theoldwizard1]

mgirardo wrote:
We have found it is cheaper to just exchange when we are camping seasonally.

You should kow that all exchange tanks are purposely UNDER FILLED, not for safety, but strictly to increase profits !!!

[mgirardo]

theoldwizard1 wrote:
My local LP filling place charges a "flat rate" to refill a 20# bottle. Is this common ? (Their price IS reasonable.)

Do any of you try to "transfer" LP between small (5#-30#) tanks using the hot tank/cold tank method ?

At home, the filling stations we use charge by the gallon for filling the motorhome tank and the 20lb BBQ cylinder. Where we camp seasonally, all the places we've tried to get refilled charge a flat rate. We have found it is cheaper to just exchange when we are camping seasonally.

-Michael