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Old 04-05-2017, 01:22 PM   #1
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Transfering Propane

I have not posted since 2014 but I have a real problem. I live on the Oregon Coast and have been in the same spot for over 2 years. Propane distributors will not send a truck out to fill my 26 gallon horizontal tank under my motorhome and I do not use a whole lot of propane but am tired of handling a 100# tank a couple times a year. I also worry about a Sunami and how fast I get out of danger. I do not like the idea of unhooking a large tank and moving it out of the way to leave quickly. I have read lots of posts on filling tanks but my horizontal tank takes a different fitting than the 100# commercial tank. If I can hook them together I do not have a problem turning the 100# tank upsidedown in my truck bed. or on the tailgate and tieing it off however I need a hose connection. I do not need to fill the 100# tank more than once or twice a year. I just need a hose and fittings. Any help appreciated.
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Old 04-05-2017, 01:40 PM   #2
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What are you hooking the 100lb tank to? If it's the fill valve on the built in tank, most every propane station I've used has a variety of adaptors to connect to their pump.

In the case of a Tsunami, I'd worry about people, not the RV. If you've been in that spot for a long term, unhooking all utilities, retract jacks and slides, etc. you'd be underwater. Just get out!
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Old 04-05-2017, 01:49 PM   #3
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You cannot easily gravity fill a propane tank from another tank that is "upside down", if that's what you are considering. All propane tanks are at equal pressure (Bubble point pressure at tank temperature) and there is no "drive or motive force" to move liquid propane from the "higher" tank to the "lower" tank. You might get some liquid into the lower tank until pressures equalize; I would be suspect that it would be any significant volume into the "filled" tank.

Liquid propane must be "pumped" from the bottom of the source tank, to the inlet of the tank to be filled. These are special pumps.

My thoughts,
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Old 04-05-2017, 02:01 PM   #4
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Options:

Drive Motorhome to propane vendor and get tank filled
Continue with the 100# bottles

If motorhome on your land....get a 57 gal tank set and hooked up (smallest size for residential)
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Old 04-05-2017, 02:04 PM   #5
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BBQ stores make sell long flexible hoses with quick connects, so you can move a portable BBQ around a patio. It will take some work, but match the fittings and add the quick connect and hose to your system. I think the best route, if you plan to stay awhile, would be to install a "Tee" in your coach line so that you could shut off the coach tank or the portable tank. You could also add the quick connect at the "Tee". This way you could leave the tank in your truck, if you desire, or even buy a little Harbor Freight trailer and place the tank in the trailer and park it where you want. Then just use the flexible hose and quick connect.
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Old 04-05-2017, 06:29 PM   #6
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You actually can fill a propane tank without a pump. We do it on the farm all the time. Our local propane dealer brought out a home style tank with a hose and a valve on the end of the hose. When our forklift tanks are empty we pull up, hook up the hose, open vent valve on empty tank and open valve on stationary tank. Yes it fills slower than a pump and it only gets it about 75% full but it works just fine. Ask your local propane distributor for help.
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Old 04-05-2017, 06:38 PM   #7
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Take your RV to a propane fill station
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Old 04-05-2017, 06:49 PM   #8
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I've watched my propane supplier dump a 5 gallon ( 20 lb ) tank in my 50 gallon home tank, when it ran empty.

He turned the smaller tank over and screwed it to the big tank, fill valve, with an adaptor. He opened both tank valves and by the time the pressure equalized, the liquid flowed down as it should.

The moral of the story is, yes you can dump LPG from a high tank to a lower one. It's like how a Hourglass works.
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Old 04-05-2017, 10:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Off Road View Post
You actually can fill a propane tank without a pump. We do it on the farm all the time. Our local propane dealer brought out a home style tank with a hose and a valve on the end of the hose. When our forklift tanks are empty we pull up, hook up the hose, open vent valve on empty tank and open valve on stationary tank. Yes it fills slower than a pump and it only gets it about 75% full but it works just fine. Ask your local propane distributor for help.
Bet you that hose/valve is connected to the 'liquid' portion of tank

Motorhome tanks do not have 'liquid' valve.........fill valve which is too high to allow liquid flow and service valve which is vapor to vapor ONLY works when there is a BIG temperature variation between fill tank and tank being filled
Easy to do with 20# filling a 1#
Impossible when using 100# and MH tank
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Old 04-05-2017, 11:43 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit View Post
Bet you that hose/valve is connected to the 'liquid' portion of tank

Motorhome tanks do not have 'liquid' valve.........fill valve which is too high to allow liquid flow and service valve which is vapor to vapor ONLY works when there is a BIG temperature variation between fill tank and tank being filled
Easy to do with 20# filling a 1#
Impossible when using 100# and MH tank
You may be right (I've followed your posts and you are a lot smarter than me on this RV stuff). We just have a 200 gallon tank and fill our trailer tanks, our BBQ tanks and forklift tanks off it. The forklift tanks are mounted on their side like a motor home tank so I figured the principle was the same but it may be different.
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Old 04-06-2017, 06:57 AM   #11
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So this guy jumps out of a plane. His parachute will not deploy. As he is falling to earth he sees this guy coming up towards him. When they get close he ask the up bound guy if he knows anything about parachutes. The guy say no I don't, do you know anything about transferring propane from one tank to the other?........

As a former Propane technician, I recommend having a pro handle propane transfers. Good luck.
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Old 04-06-2017, 07:01 AM   #12
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Exactly what Off Road said! I have no problem filling my smaller tanks/bottles from my home 1000 gallon tank. Can fill easily to point of Liquid from vent (80% full), same as the propane fill stations.

First, the supply tank MUST have a fitting with dip leg(line to liquid in supply tank).If you do not have this and are "trying" to fill from VAPOR side (top) of supply tank... It ain't gonna happen!
As long as you open the bleeder/vent, the fill should be easy. Vent open = lower pressure in empty tank. Liquid WILL flow from high pressure(supply tank), to low pressure (empty/vented tank) .

I did find that on my initial home fill set-up, I had a very small orifice (approx.1/8" or smaller) in my fill line. Got a fitting with larger orifice (approx. 3 /16" to 1 /4" ). Cut fill time dramatically!

Also need to mention... This may not be legal in all states/cities ect.
Hopefully this helps the OP some. memtb
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Old 04-06-2017, 07:16 AM   #13
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EBay sells a bunch of LPG transfer kits.
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Old 04-06-2017, 08:34 AM   #14
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Thanks for all your posts. I already know it can be done. I have had a 250 in the past it was a tank that had an additional valve that had a tube inside the tank that went to the bottom to draw liquid. I filled the motorhome and 40# bottles often. I had a different valve on the other motorhome I had at that time. I know if I turned a tank upside down that was higher than the empty tank and when the tanks equalize I will have to cool the lower tank and warm the upper tank. I asked how to connect to the motorhome tank end of the hose. That horizontal tank has a large fitting that has male threads My previous motorhome had also inside threads. (By the way My old motorhome did have two valves one for liquid and one for gas one valve was gas for a onan genset and one for furnace and cook stove and water heater. This motorhome has one fill valve that has a large fitting with outside threads like I said. and it has an out bound line that goes to the regulator which I now have an extend a stay which I hook to my 100# tank, That line comes from near the highest point on the fill end of the horizontal tank. It has a 90 degree elbow then a shut off valve. Would it be easier to open the bleeder then take out the elbow and replace with a straight stub I could plumb into with a liquid transfer hose to the upside down 100# tank upside down on my tailgate of my pick-up mind you I am going to warm the top tank and cool the horizontal tank with cold water. Do they make a connection for the fill line or do I have to go thru the line to the regulator. Unfortunately I do not own the lot I am renting and the three (Amerigas,Ferrile gas and a local independent distributor will not fill tanks here) or in an RV Park up and down the Oregon Coast. It is a monopoly I have been sitting here almost 3 years and do not intend to move it unless I take a trip to Desert or across country for vacation. I am not going to put in slide or disconnect cable tv and put everything away just to get some damn propane and I do not want to deal with an extend a stay any more. Too many places for leaks. I already had one hose leaking a hose end and is not safe.
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