Propane Tank Transportation

I had a good dose of feeling like an idiot today. I don't know anything about propane outside of how to use it in a camping stove in the 1# cylinders; I don't own a grill (renter with no place for a gril).

In wanting to escape the 1 lb. cylinders I bought an 11# tank to bring with me on trips in the car. In my ignorance I didn't understand/think about the storage/transportation of the tank. Specifically that the tank will vent to avoid over-pressurizing leaving the car reeking of propane. If I'm going to make a 14 hour car trip, I really don't want to drive with the windows down for 14 hours while it's snowing out. Having to constantly balance opening windows only when the propane smell is too much is not really acceptable for me either. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to transport a propane tank inside a hatchback passenger car?

Thankfully I'm not out on the tank, I'm moving in a month and my new place has a porch I can use the tank on for a grill. So while I feel like a jackass for my ignorance at least I don't have the double insult of dropping money on something I can't use. Thanks in advance.

Do you really think the "General Climbing Forum" is the right place to ask about transporting propane?

If your tank is in good shape you won't need to worry about any venting. I've had two of those in my camper van full time (summer and winter) and they've never once vented through the pressure relief valve, no matter how hot it's gotten in there, or what altitude I've been at. I've also had similar tanks in other vans for about the last 25 years, all with no trouble. Happy travels!

Have you driven around and experienced this smell already? Or is this all speculation? I've had my 11 lbs tank in the back of my van for a while now and haven't experienced any propane smell. Most of my dirtbag friends roll the same way... so I really don't think it's much of a problem.

I too have taken propane tanks all over the place in my van and never vented propane from the overflow valves.

I have been in some seriously cold conditions in the desert where the main valve gets partially frozen open and I've had to leave the canister out in the sun to try and freeze up the stuck valve.

It sounds like you may have a tank with a faulty main valve if you're constantly smelling propane.

FYI. Propane exchanges make money by charging slightly less money than refilling a tank. The catch is that the tank you get is only filled to 15lbs. You end up paying more per lb. Find a place that refills propane tanks to 20lbs so you aren't a chump. There aren't many, but they are around. Some U-Haul stations do it.

Yeah, I was smelling propane in the car hence my concern.

Sounds like you have a bad tank/valve. Aside from making sure the valve is closed properly, I would exchange it ASAP.

kilonot wrote:Propane exchanges make money by charging slightly less money than refilling a tank. The catch is that the tank you get is only filled to 15lbs.

The OP is talking about an 11# cylinder, which can only be refilled. Around here there are plenty of propane refill places, and you're definitely right that it's cheaper: I seem to recall a Blue Rhino exchange for a 15lb filled tank was about $18 while I can fill my 20lb tank elsewhere for about $12.

Keep it in an upright position. If it gets too hot the gas expands and the relief valve comes into play as a desinged safety device. However, this will fail to function correctly if the tank is somehow laid on it's side. Also, it's better to wait to completely fill it (that really means 85%) until you are real close to your destination, especially if you atrn't going to use it en route.

On the surface, at least, the most obvious places to start would be checking that both the fill valve was closed entirely, and, that the 10% bleeder valve is additionally closed fully (this is the small screw that's slightly opened at gas stations to facilitate the filling operation). I would additionally counsel you to dab a soapy water mixture to them both and observe any escaping bubbles.

Note also: there is no such thing as a "propane smell". Propane has no smell; the odorant added (mercaptan)is what gives the garlic-like odor- it's relatively harmless. Often, after a fill, enough residue of the mercaptan (skunk musk is a mercaptan based chemical too)can leave a strong residual odor hanging. Because of this, I often apply a quick hose spray to the valve on the tank after each fill.

If indeed the overflow plug (opd) is leaking (via the soapy solution test) then, yes, you could go to a natural gas business (like an AmeriGas)who has both chain vises to hold and replacement regulators to swap onto your tank. Frankly, tanks are so cheap now at places like WalMarts, Home Depots, or Costcos that that would probably be your most inexpensive option. Good luck Greg, Propane Guy has spoken.

kilonot wrote:Propane exchanges...Find a place that refills propane tanks to 20lbs so you aren't a chump. There aren't many, but they are around. Some U-Haul stations do it.

My dad was a propane dealer, and we had people stopping by all the time with 20 pounders to be refilled. Most people nowadays don't know that there are options beyond the retail exchange places available, and the difference in price between them and propane dealers is quite significant, especially for someone using the propane to fuel a daily cooking stove. Though of course ANY refill or exchange is going to be better priced than using one pound canisters...

When you are traveling, do an online search for "propane dealers" in the areas you will be heading to. The best prices are at dealers who specifically deal in the gas. Not gas stations with a propane tank refill service, and surely not tank exchange places(which only do 20 pounders anyway).

The propane dealers have a MASSIVE big old tank - it will be about the size of two of those huge RV bus sized rigs, end to end. Anything smaller and you are not getting the best price. They are usually open Monday through Friday, 8ish to 5ish. Some are open on Saturdays, but not usually on Sundays. Next best is the feed store or gas station that does have a refill tank. Those tanks are about the size of a minivan if you chopped off the top.

You CAN top off the tanks, which is what I do. Comes in handy if you tend to get low on funds on a regular basis, to not be worrying about that ever-lightening tank when you don't see your wallet getting any heavier in the upcoming days....Top off when you have some cash - it will feel like it costs less to use the gas(an illusion of course) and you will also feel good about being resourceful.

Don't WAIT for the tank to go dry before refilling, but if you are that type - better have a few single pounders handy to cover you when it happens.

As for the stench of propane venting... I had it happen one time a few years ago, in the back of my van. Scared the hell out of me! I heard a sort of pop, and then hisssssssss and the smell. I had never experienced that before and holy crap! I was just really glad I was there at the time, and it hadn't happened when I was away and my dog left in the van alone. That could have been catastrophic.

I am not sure if that was worse than what the OP is describing, but even so - propane shouldn't be venting on any regular basis.

Keep the tank upright - some people stick them in a milk crate.

Also - don't keep the hose hooked to tank and stove in transport. This I learned the hard way. There is a stupid plastic ring in some of the thermostats of the set ups, and in transit, the liquid propane can get to it(or so I was told by a propane dude). The gas is very cold, and cracks the plastic, and then your hose will leek through what is called the "weep valve"(a pinpoint hole at the regulator, which looks like a small fitting attached to where the hoses connect). Once the damage is done, it is done. New stoves don't have replaceable o-rings like back in the day, and the manufacturer will be very unhelpful as they import the stoves from a factory and thus don't have spare hoses when you call to complain (unless you remind them that you use the stove daily - twice daily - and have no other option, and that you will let your loved ones know that they were unhelpful in rectifying this dangerous, potentially lethal, situation...well, you get the drift.

So - when you are using the last gas before you will stow the tank away, shut the valve down and let the gas completely run through as the last fuel while the stove is on. Then the hose will be empty, and you will be good to go. If you forget to do that - don't tell yourself it will be okay just this one time. Turn the stove back on and burn it out, wasting precious fuel. Better that than to have a ruined regulator - I ran through 20 pounders in 3 weeks instead of 2.5 or 3 months when I screwed up my regulator.

A couple more things:
1) Propane is heavier than air. This means that if there is a leak while it's inside your vehicle it will begin to pool at the bottom of your car and may not escape properly if you just crack a window.
2) While the 1-pound cylinders are relatively expensive, I use one of these to refill my 1-pound tanks from a 20-pounder:
amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F27617…