For some, it's part of the summer pastime of grilling. For us full-time RVers, it's our life blood. We're using propane grills almost every night, propane stoves on the others, and powering some of our appliances with propane when not hooked to electricity. How can you, whether in one place or on the move, keep your propane needs in tip-top shape?
Let's take a look at that propane canister. If you have a built-in tank on a motor home, you have a gauge, so things are fairly easy. Disposable canisters are nice, but if you're doing more than a weekend trip to the woods, you're probably not using those. In camping stores, you might see those stick-on measurement tools to tell you how much is in your tank, but you don't need to waste your money on those, especially when they only sometimes work if you've used your tank, and then it's almost never accurate. Instead, grab a bathroom scale and weigh your tank. You may have seen some of those markings on the top lip and thought it was Greek, but never fear, because Freedom Rolling is here to decipher it for you!
First important marking on your tank will be marked "TW". This stands for "Tare Weight", or in other words, the weight of the actual tank itself if it were completely empty. Second weight measurement that is important is marked either "WC" or "WCW", depending on the manufacturer. This is your "Water Content Weight", which is how much water would weigh if it were to fill your tank. "But wait a second, water isn't propane!" Well, to figure out how much is "full", we take 42% of the water content. If you don't have a calculator, it's pretty easy: Cut the number in half, and then subtract from that the original water content number with the decimal point moved to the left one place, and you have a safe approximation of 40%. If your hose is still hooked when you weigh the tank, you'll have to take that into account as well, but that's usually only a couple of pounds.
After you've used up your propane, or you're getting low, just like the gasoline in your truck, it's time to fill. Those cages in front of the general store may seem tempting, but you'll want to stay away from them most of the time. They are notorious for short-filling their tanks below the legal limit and selling the exchanges per canister at a high markup. Instead, find a place that will fill your tank to the legal 80% limit, and preferably by the gallon. There are many privately-owned campgrounds that will do this for you, even if you're not staying there. Household propane retailers will usually also sell this, as will some big-box warehouses, though they charge by the canister rather than the gallon. Prices vary as you go, but a 20 pound tank usually goes for about 4.5 gallons of liquid propane. It's only able to fill 80% because liquid propane greatly expands when the tank is in the sun, and could burst the tank if it's filled any higher.
Before you take your tank to fill, there's one more marking to look at on it, and that's the manufacture date, listed as month and two-digit year. In most cases, a tank needs to be re-qualified after 12 years, or sooner if it's been beaten up quite a bit. Sometimes, there's an additional date on the tank itself for re-qualfication, the length of allowed time varying based on the type. You could find a DOT-licensed re-qualifier, especially if it's a larger tank and there isn't much noticeable rust damage. However, this is the one time where the cages at the general store may not be a bad idea. Examine the tanks before you purchase the exchange. If you can find one for the same size and manufactured within the last 2-3 years, then the short-fill unit cost could be offset by what it'd take to re-qualify and fill your old tank, and it might be worth it to you to have a tank you can use for the next decade.
Never have any more fuel fears as you follow your internal compass. Keep your propane tanks full and happy, and you'll be ready to have the time of your life.
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