The Blue Rhino Scam |
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3257 |
Topic: The Blue Rhino Scam Posted: 29 Jan 2017 at 4:17am |
Like many of you I try to be a good steward of the resources my Creator has provided me. One way is by selecting where you purchase your propane. The tare weight (T.W.) of a 20 lb cylinder is right around 17 lbs; this you will see stamped near the top of the cylinder. So a fully loaded tank with 20 lb. propane will weigh 37 pounds. At my local hardware store you pay for what you get; a fully empty cylinder costs me $ 16.50 to fill to get 20 lbs. of propane which is 4.2 gallons. If I only want to top off my tank, say it's half full, I only pay $ 8.25. By going down the road to the gas station I can get a Blue Rhino exchange for 22.95 and for that I get 15 lbs. of propane which is 3.6 gallons.
So here is the breakdown. Hardware store $ 3.93/gallon 4.2 gal. or 20 lbs = $ 16.50 Blue Rhino $ 6.375/gallon 3.6 gal. or 15 lbs = $ 22.95 One small way to save money. |
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447 |
Posted: 29 Jan 2017 at 7:58am |
Thanks for the math. I think tank exchanges are $17.95 now at our local Walmart, but this can vary. Your point is very well taken, but I take advantage of the convenience (not sure "scam" is the right word) of Blue Rhino when I'm on the road if I can't find a place that refills cylinders. (Prices vary at those places too.) It might not be too hard to spend an hour of my vacation time and $5 or $10 worth of gasoline looking for a refill place (that might not be open on Sunday). Plus, the exchange places will usually let you pick the tank you want, so I always get one that looks like new.
Tanks expire too. Check the date on your cylinder. If it's getting close, an exchange is a really easy way to get a new one. When I'm around home or when I know where to go when I'm on the road, I do the refill thing, but there can be advantages to doing an exchange too. Just saying. TT |
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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Leo B
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4517 |
Posted: 29 Jan 2017 at 3:07pm |
Good tips!!
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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3257 |
Posted: 29 Jan 2017 at 8:16pm |
Tars, your point is well taken. I guess scam may be a bit strong, yet they want you to believe you are getting a "full tank" when in truth, you aren't. Since we are never on a vacation for more than 2 weeks at a time I am always with 1 full tank while the other is somewhere in-between; hence I don't need to purchase while on the road.
Even at 17.95 for an exchange you are still paying 4.98/gallon. I bet your local fill station sells propane cheaper than I can get it where I live as we live in a tourist area and prices for everything tend to be higher here than in non-tourist towns. |
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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voisj
Senior Member Joined: 19 Jul 2016 Location: San Luis Obispo Online Status: Offline Posts: 471 |
Posted: 01 Feb 2017 at 6:49pm |
Just yesterday I took an old bbq tank to Riteaid to exchange, Had the old style connector on it and they took it. I have never bought or exchanged a tank before, I've always filled my tank at gas station. The cost for exchange was $17.95. I was wondering why their tank said 15 lbs on it and thought it was maybe a smaller tank, nope same size. I put it on the pod on the new dual tank mount and it matched. Now it find out that ( thanks to this post) that blue rhino tanks are filled less and cost more! You learn something new every day! I would say scam except i got a real nice tank in exchange for a useless one i found, with propane for $17.95. I think I scammed them.
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3257 |
Posted: 01 Feb 2017 at 9:00pm |
That would be the one time it is worth it to exchange your tank, when yours expires. Their lifespan is 10 years from date of production. In the meantime I go to the hardware store and save, I rather spend my money on other things beside propane.
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 01 Feb 2017 at 9:15pm |
Only possible issue with exchanging to get a newer tank, is some of the exchange companies have anti-refill valves on their tanks. Impossible for the local hardware store to fill it. I recently had one of my tanks re-certified since they noticed it was expired. Gave me a few more years for not much $ and it can be certified again later.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3257 |
Posted: 01 Feb 2017 at 9:39pm |
Wasn't aware of that, thanks for the heads up.
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326 |
Posted: 01 Feb 2017 at 9:41pm |
It isn't just Blue Rhino. AmeriGas does the same thing. If you do a quick search for "Class Action Blue Rhino," you will see a number of web pages dealing with this. It was in 2008 that Blue Rhino and AmeriGas reduced the fill from 17 lbs to 15 lbs. The settlement for the class action that allowed for $7.50 per tank (if one had receipts) or $7.50 total if one did not have receipts closed in 2012. There is one filed in 2014 alleging price fixing between Blue Rhino and AmeriGas. I think that one is still active.
The thing that gets me is that we are "purchasing" a tank of gas. It isn't like a deposit that can be refunded. If we get an old tank that is going to need inspection and testing before it can be filled, then it pretty much has to go back to them. The last one I got was at least made relatively recently, so it will have several years before it will need to be tested and requalified. One of the tanks I saw the last time I did an exchange was dated 1999 and I did not see anything indicating that it had been requalified. I left that one alone. The DOT web site has an interesting article on the topic of inspection and requalifiation. Requalification Guidance for Propane Cylinders I don't plan to go back for exchange anymore. Costco fills propane tanks for a very reasonable price. Camping World also has a discount for Good Sam members. There are alternatives that are much less expensive. As for the "useless tank" with the old style connector, Blue Rhino will take that connector off and replace it with a new one with the overfill prevention device. Then they will fill it and "sell" it to Walmart or Lowe's who will in turn "sell" it to you if it passes inspection. |
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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jato
Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3257 |
Posted: 01 Feb 2017 at 9:50pm |
Thanks Stephen. I was told by a friend that Costco refills are the same as Blue Rhino's, only 75% of full, that is why their prices 'appear' attractive. I am not aware of the status of Camping World and their refill policy. The best way for anyone to find out is first to ask how much propane they are getting, either 3.6 gallons (75%) or 4.7 gallons (100%). Secondly, weigh your "full" tank; a full tank will weigh around 37 pounds, give or take a few ounces depending on the TW (tare weight) which is stamped on the handle. A Blue Rhino, Amerigas, Costco tank will only weigh about 32 pounds.
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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