Noob Propane tank question

[Javin]

Sorry if this has been covered, the search did not find results i was looking for.

Brand new 16XRB owner and have been on 6 trips so far. My wife and I are assuming the propane tank is close to empty and would rather not run out on our last trip this year. A few things we are wondering, how do you tell if its close to empty or is it just a guessing thing? I'm also guessing the only way to know its empty is if the gas range won't light? Or is there other ways to tell when its empty? Also are you allowed to fill up a tank with some propane still in it or is that unsafe?

Due to weight limits carrying 2 tanks is not an option. I'm also guessing the tank on my trailer is a standard propane tank no different then the one on my bbq and could be swapped perhaps in order to use up the remaining propane.

sorry for all the noobyness, any suggestions would be great concerning how everyone deals with this, we are just trying to figure out the best way to not run out during a trip.
Cheers!

[TWP723]

I usually do the old "lift and shake" method. My friend actually weighs his tank to determine the approximate amount left. In my opinion, there really is no 100% way of knowing exactly how much is left. The tapes and gauges on the market today really aren't that accurate. Usually gauges show in the green then a minute later can show in the red. But yeah, do what you said. Use the little that's left for your bbq!

[Camper_bob]

If you think you're running low, just go have it filled. They'll put whatever is needed to top it off, and you only pay for what they fill.

I would avoid doing a tank exchange unless you have to. They don't fill those tanks up, and it's really expensive.

I keep a full tank around at all times. Not that I always take it with me on trips, but in your case, I would put my known full tank on the trailer and have the other one filled later at my convenience. I mostly use my spare tank for the grill, but I've been known to travel with it on long journeys just in case.

As for determining how full your tank is, I like the "give it a shake" method, but I've been known to weigh them too.

[Midnightmoon]

I purchased on of those crude little gauges on Amazon a while ago and have been using it on this new trailer. As others have said, not at all accurate and moves more with temperature swings than anything.

[norty1]

The empty tank weight is stamped on the tank. Put it on a bath scale and anything over that is LPG/ Propane. I think it weighs around 4.2 lbs per gallon.

Subtract the Tare weight/ tank weight from the total and divide by 4.2 and that is how many gallons are left.

There are many other ways to measure that people will sell you. This is the only one that I would use.

I would not leave home if it was not full if I only had one tank.

Mainly cause I don't WW3 to break out in the camper if it runs out. LOL

[DocBrown]

I just do the "lift and shake thing" myself. Then again we have 2 tanks for exactly this reason.

Yes it's same thing as your bbq grill. I use one of my trailer tanks in the event the tank on the grill runs out in the middle grilling a steak. Conversely, I have one tank that is almost empty from a cold week on our last trip. I'm going to use it up on our grill before the next trip and refill it.

[bankr63]

I've been using the Dometic ultrasonic pen with really good results for a couple of years now:

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-LPGC1...ne+level+check

[Marcm157]

I just recently purchased this device. Its a bit spendy but I have found it to be very accurate. You would only need a single sensor and you could use the free app if you have a smart phone.

Tank Check

[Javin]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Much appreciated!

[Danno]

Originally Posted by Javin

Sorry if this has been covered, the search did not find results i was looking for.

Brand new 16XRB owner and have been on 6 trips so far. My wife and I are assuming the propane tank is close to empty and would rather not run out on our last trip this year. A few things we are wondering, how do you tell if its close to empty or is it just a guessing thing? I'm also guessing the only way to know its empty is if the gas range won't light? Or is there other ways to tell when its empty? Also are you allowed to fill up a tank with some propane still in it or is that unsafe?

Due to weight limits carrying 2 tanks is not an option. I'm also guessing the tank on my trailer is a standard propane tank no different then the one on my bbq and could be swapped perhaps in order to use up the remaining propane.

sorry for all the noobyness, any suggestions would be great concerning how everyone deals with this, we are just trying to figure out the best way to not run out during a trip.
Cheers!

I assume you're from Pickering Ontario, and if you are just go to Costco and buy a couple of their propane tanks and ditch your old ones. The Costco tanks have a a gauge that uses a float that will precisely tell you how much propane you have left. Also, Costco is by far the cheapest place to get them refilled and charges by the pound. I have 4 of their tanks now.

[01tundra]

We started with one of the inline gauges and it wasn't remotely accurate.

We now use the Tank Check system.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Javin

Sorry if this has been covered, the search did not find results i was looking for.

Brand new 16XRB owner and have been on 6 trips so far. My wife and I are assuming the propane tank is close to empty and would rather not run out on our last trip this year. A few things we are wondering, how do you tell if its close to empty or is it just a guessing thing? I'm also guessing the only way to know its empty is if the gas range won't light? Or is there other ways to tell when its empty? Also are you allowed to fill up a tank with some propane still in it or is that unsafe?

Due to weight limits carrying 2 tanks is not an option. I'm also guessing the tank on my trailer is a standard propane tank no different then the one on my bbq and could be swapped perhaps in order to use up the remaining propane.

sorry for all the noobyness, any suggestions would be great concerning how everyone deals with this, we are just trying to figure out the best way to not run out during a trip.
Cheers!

None of the gauges seem to work. We can go all season on a single 20 pound tank.

If your using the tank, the fuel level in the tank will be cold, so I use the backside of my hand, so you can figure out the level..

But if you pickup the tank, if it is heavy, there is a lot, and if you slosh it, you can tell.


But if your concerned. Bring it in and have it filled. Just do not use a tank exchange. It costs a lot more, maybe 75 % more, and you do not know the condition of the tank, as they are not inspected.

A 20 pound tank holds about 4.3 to 4.6 gallons of lp.

[John H]

You can take a pitcher of hot water and slowly pour it down the side of the tank and then run your hand down until you feel where the warm ends and the cold starts. You may even be able to see the level by the condensation on the tank.

[Vaquero]

I had a couple of 20lb fiberglass tanks once.
They seemed like a burden, due to the odd shape. A little taller, a little wider.
But you could actually see the remaining propane through the sides of the bottles.
Took longer to get them filled though. Everybody had to "come and see" at the refill stations.

[Griswald One]

Definetly use Costco for your refills, much cheaper then Crappy Tire or any of the other local places. I think the Oshawa location does refill by the volume you actually fill so you can go there at anytime and top up. The Pickering location has a set price, I think it was somewhere near $11 for a 20lb tank the last time I went.

If you want an emergency back-up you can buy some smaller tanks that won't stress your weight quite as badly as a spare 20lb cylinder. Costco sells a 4.25lb tank that is 9x9x11 inches. Nice and compact and only a small weight burden.

[SkyBound]

I use a 5lb tank for my trailer BBQ. They are expensive to buy though due to the rarity of them. Costco is by far the best option for filling tanks. All these places that charge flat rate or tank exchange are crooks. Last time I got my 5lb tank filled it cost about $3.

[NCMFFD]

Another "give a shake method" here. If it feels light then just take the tank to get refilled. They can only fill the tank with what you need. I've also swapped tanks from the BBQ too and there's a gauge on the BBQ that's pretty accurate.

[mike837go]

When we were using a single tank, we kept a full spare with the rest of the gear.

I modified the clamp and gas fittings to allow a tool-free swap in under a minute.

I got good at in-the-dark change-outs since it usually ran out at 2:00AM!

The only semi-accurate way of telling how much fuel is still in the can is to pick it up and gently shake it. You can feel how much sloshing liquid is inside pretty easily.

[PonyExpress]

yous guys in canada must have a different standard for tanks there. I have never seen one with a gauge built in.

As for re-filling, always ask. many refill stations have a set price for bbq tanks(20#). but around my parts (south Texas) tractor supply and u-haul charge only for what they dispense , so its easier to go have a tank that isn't completely empty filled.

I only use the exchange system when I have a tank out of date.

[ALJO]

Class A tanks always get exported............Sorry Ponyexpress you guys in the US getting the class B's from Cosco. The tanks are probably manufactured in the US.
Those gauges work perfect and with the auto change over regulator what else do we Canadians want. I went to the 20 lbs. bottles because they fit easier under the Roll-Top-Cover. If hey have them still on sale I get a couple more. We can't beat the Cosco price for propane.