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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: LPG question
    Posted: 13 Oct 2019 at 11:38pm
Hey all,

Just back from Shaver Lake for a weekend of camping.
On the way home we stopped for gas and I went into the rPod to switch the fridge off before refueling and I noticed the fridge was flashing the warning light.

I have never had the propane tank refilled since buying the rPod new a year and a half ago so I figured the tank was low.
I checked the online pressure gauge at the tank and it read empty so I figured I was out of gas.
I switched the fridge to battery and we gassed up the truck and then called ahead to the next town for a gas station that could fill a propane tank.

We drove about an hour and stopped at the 76 station in Paso Robles for propane.
When I went to remove the tank I noticed that the regulator was loose. I took the tank off and could feel gas sloshing around inside. The station attendant was able to fill it with 2 and a half gallons. She said that the check valve in the tank probably prevented the gas from escaping when the regulator loosened.

What was odd was that when the tank was filled the gauge only read half full instead of completely full. I had heard that those pressure gauges were not that accurate but reading half full on a full tank seemed more than a little off.

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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2019 at 4:04am
What is the question?  

Does a propane fill normally last a year and a half? lol....no.

Can the check valve stop leaks, yes. Sometimes.

Can whatever gauge you have be wrong? Probably.

You might want to carry a spare tank.


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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2019 at 6:19am
Or just get a cheap and simple 50 lb spring scale and weigh your tank when you suspect its getting low. The tank tare weight is stamped on it, typically around 17 lbs. Subtract that from the total weight and that's how much propane you have left. Propane weighs 4.2 lbs per gallon and a "full" tank should have about 4.7 gallons or just under 20 lbs of propane in it. 
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furpod View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2019 at 7:47am
Those inline gauges are notorious for two things.. causing flow issues and not being worth a darn at actually indicating the amount of gas in the tank.
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2019 at 8:52am
Originally posted by furpod

Those inline gauges are notorious for two things.. causing flow issues and not being worth a darn at actually indicating the amount of gas in the tank.


That be the truth! Those gauges measure pressure (sometimes) and don't measure level until empty. I suggest you apply that gauge to the top of a trash can and let it settle to the bottom Tongue. The spring weight gauges work but it's a pain th remove the tank. The best solution is two tanks with an auto switch regulator. I also have great results with the ultrasonic devices like

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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2019 at 9:49am
The 'hot water pour' along the side of the tank works pretty well.
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Oct 2019 at 9:51am
I use the armstrong method with my calibrated elbow. That and you can hear the sloshing. I also think the hot water method is among the cheapest and easiest.
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john in idaho View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 9:51am
Also - just remember if you buy the prefilled tank, you will only 16 # of propane.  
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 9:54am
Originally posted by john in idaho

Also - just remember if you buy the prefilled tank, you will only 16 # of propane.  
Not always. The issue with pre-filled tanks is that they are often not filled all the way (but not always). The only time we buy the pre-filled ones is when we have an older tank that is past its use-by date.
bp
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jato View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 11:02am
Will only speak from experience from those who do the Blue Rhino exchange.  Every time we have weighed a Blue Rhino tank it is only 75% filled.  I realize that many do the exchange when their old tank is near the expiration date (10 years from production date on tank).  Our local hardware store does the "upgrade" on the tank for $3.00 and this is good for another 5 years.  May want to check with your local propane supplier to see if this is an option.  The upgrade takes them almost 5 minutes at tops with normal time being about 3 minutes.
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