External 125 Gallon Propane Tank w/hose into FILL of RV Tank?

[l1v3fr33ord1]

OK, I get it now.

Your coach has an LP generator (Generac 6600), in addition to the other LP appliances.

It originally came with two regulators (your post with pictures here), one each for the generator and the other appliances. In contrast to Andy's set-up (MyOldRV.com, the link you provided repeated here), your tank came with only one vapor outlet valve.

When you replaced the tank, it was replumbed with a single regulator (your post with pictures here), hopefully of adequate combined capacity.

If a single "Extend-a-Stay"-like tee was installed, it would have to match or exceed the capacity of the regulator, assuming the regulator is adequately-sized. The folks at Marshall Excelsior (supplier for the new regulator and potentially for the "Stay-Longer" tee) should be able to tell you if the tee is big enough, or what other options you have in their product line.

You may end up with a full-flow tee and shutoff valve, as "Pigman1" recommends, or something similar to "saddlesore's" setup.

Now I can see why the proposal to attach an external tank through the fill valve is attractive. Still, I like the idea of being able to have a full tank of propane and use a tee downstream of the closed vapor outlet valve for external tank input. When we need to get "out of Dodge" we don't have a lot of options for getting the coach tank filled until were pretty far down the road. By then the items in the refrigerator has gone warm (yeah, I know about ice and coolers). Either a full-flow tee with shutoff valve or a "Stay-Longer" would work for me.

[CoachStreamr]

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

OK, I get it now.

Your coach has an LP generator (Generac 6600), in addition to the other LP appliances.

It originally came with two regulators (your post with pictures here), one each for the generator and the other appliances. In contrast to Andy's set-up (MyOldRV.com, the link you provided repeated here), your tank came with only one vapor outlet valve.

When you replaced the tank, it was replumbed with a single regulator (your post with pictures here), hopefully of adequate combined capacity.

Yes. I actually was confused about having two Regulators as I had not seen that on other older Coach's, and we looked at many over the 1 1/2 years looking. So I asked on the forum:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/asme...rs-358965.html

From replies from that thread and my email exchanges with Rick Taden @ Marshall Excelsior, two were installed by Gulf Stream most likely because the highest capacity regulator for RV's was probably only 160,000 BTU/hr. The generator alone would need one.

Now, Marshall Excelsior has a higher flow capacity (225,000 BTU/hr) model #MEGR-298H which was installed in place of the two Marshall Gas Controls Model 290.

I can always add a second regulator if needed as my system was originally designed for two and has the space and regulator cover for two.

From Rick: It doesn’t happen very often that someone uses two regulators like that.

Most people use a single regulator that has enough capacity for the whole system. It could be that when your system was set up, there wasn’t a higher capacity regulator available, without going to a residential regulator. If you add up all the max flow requirements (in BTU/hr) for all your appliances and the generator combined, it may be less than the 225,000 BTU/hr capacity of the MEGR-298H I mentioned earlier, and you might be able to use one regulator for everything.

From Rick: As an optimum target, most regulators are happiest right in the middle of their capacity range. As you approach the high end of the listed capacity, the outlet pressure starts to draw down, or “droop”. Most regulator capacity ratings are at 20% droop, which is the point where there is enough flow going through it that the output pressure droops by 20%. This droop is usually insignificant until you get into the top 20% or so of the range. At very low flow conditions, you can start to have some instability of output pressure, since the orifice seat is very close to closing off. It looks like you would only be in that upper 20% range if everything was running at the same time. Only you can estimate how likely that would be.

The other factor that you can’t really calculate is the sudden flow surge when a generator starts up, or opens up for a sudden demand, especially if other appliances are already running. That’s something you can only determine from experience, and maybe that’s why your RV was set up with a separate regulator for the generator. There have been many cases where we have recommended going to a higher capacity regulator (MEGR-298H vs MEGR-298, or MEGR-253H vs MEGR-253) just for that purpose of handling the startup flow surge from a generator or on demand water heater.

In your case, my suggestion would be to start with one MEGR-298H and see how it goes. Test it out by starting the generator with all the appliances on, and try out different scenarios. 6600 watts is not that big, as generators go, and I think the MEGR-298H will be able to handle what you need. If you find that it doesn’t, it’s not that hard to add a second regulator and arrange it just like your current setup.

.

[CoachStreamr]

Does anyone know the hose type to go from the external tank (120/125 gallon or even one of the smaller ones) to the Fill Valve of the Coach's Internal tank?

I buy it from ACME for about $70 but want to see if I can find it cheaper online. I don't even know what to search for.

.

[Pigman1]

Originally Posted by CoachStreamr

Does anyone know the hose type to go from the external tank (120/125 gallon or even one of the smaller ones) to the Fill Valve of the Coach's Internal tank?

I buy it from ACME for about $70 but want to see if I can find it cheaper online. I don't even know what to search for.

.

If you go to a full service LP dealer they should have hose you need by the foot. This would be the kind of guys who actually install and/or repair LP appliances. If you're going from the large tank shutoff valve to the RV, (before the regulator) you'll need a high pressure LP hose. If you have a regulator on the large tank and then the hose, a low pressure LP hose can be used. I'd also try a NAPA store that makes up hoses. If they don't have LP hose, they may be able to order it. I got a 3' length of high pressure hose in Valdez this summer and think I paid around $2 a foot for it.

[CoachStreamr]

Picked up my 20' hose they made for me, I asked for the 90 degree elbow at the RV internal tank's end. Was around $100 plus tax. I know some of you could make your own hose for much less. The Fill Valve end is a Marshall Excelsior ME111.

He used a POL so this would work on all external tanks essentially including a 120+ Gallon external tank once a used one comes up. The other end has a 3/4" FPT x 3/8" elbow, I wonder if there was a 3/4" FPT x 1/4" elbow available that could have been used.

Again, this is for passing vapor from the external tank to the internal tank and into the RV's system.

Custom 20' Propane Hose for External Tank to Internal RV Tank via its Fill Valve:


ME111:


POL x 1/4" Barb - External Tank End:



.

[grindstone01]

After you try it out for a couple of weeks, please report back on how it is working. I,m curious if the MH tank will completely drain first. I still predict that both tanks will get used equally and both will reach 1/2 full together.

[CoachStreamr]

Originally Posted by grindstone01

After you try it out for a couple of weeks, please report back on how it is working. I,m curious if the MH tank will completely drain first. I still predict that both tanks will get used equally and both will reach 1/2 full together.

The MH's built-in tank does empty first, then is fed from the external tank (hose to MH's tank's fill valve). I watched the gauge on the MH's internal tank.

I decided not to lease the 120 gallon tank from that Company. I have to be on auto fill when they are in the area and you do pay .15 cents additional per gallon. I'm on the list to for a used 120 gallon tank, they go for $200 around here. That way, I call when I want it filled and I can use any company and time of year that I want to get the best rate.

For now, I purchased two 30lb propane tanks, one Manchester ($53 purchased last month) and one Worthington ($63 and purchased today). Would have purchased another Manchester but Tractor Supply was out of stock. One of these tanks will also travel with us along with that custom hose. It should fit upright in the basement storage, in the middle of the spare 22.5" tire.

I also purchased this Samsonite Manual Luggage Scale so I can keep track of the propane levels. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Manchester 30lb Tank:
Empty - forget to weigh, will weigh one at Tractor Supply (when in stock)
w/6.8 gallons - 61lbs
Currently 12/4/2017 @ 40lbs

Worthington 30lb Tank:
Empty - 26lbs
w/6.7 gallons - 60lbs



.

[Pigman1]

Originally Posted by CoachStreamr

The MH's built-in tank does empty first, then is fed from the external tank (hose to MH's tank's fill valve). I watched the gauge on the MH's internal tank.

I decided not to lease the 120 gallon tank from that Company. I have to be on auto fill when they are in the area and you do pay .15 cents additional per gallon. I'm on the list to for a used 120 gallon tank, they go for $200 around here. That way, I call when I want it filled and I can use any company and time of year that I want to get the best rate.

For now, I purchased two 30lb propane tanks, one Manchester ($53 purchased last month) and one Worthington ($63 and purchased today). Would have purchased another Manchester but Tractor Supply was out of stock. One of these tanks will also travel with us along with that custom hose. It should fit upright in the basement storage, in the middle of the spare 22.5" tire.

I also purchased this Samsonite Manual Luggage Scale so I can keep track of the propane levels. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Manchester 30lb Tank:
Empty - forget to weigh, will weigh one at Tractor Supply (when in stock)
w/6.8 gallons - 61lbs
Currently 12/4/2017 @ 40lbs

Worthington 30lb Tank:
Empty - 26lbs
w/6.7 gallons - 60lbs

I'd be very cautious about putting your spare tanks in the basement. The back side of the 30# tanks contains a valve that can and does weep LP gas, especially right after filling if the temperature goes up or pressure changes due to a change in altitude or weather. You can put a piece of water hose on this valve secured with a hose clamp and put the other end of the hose outside the basement. I carried tanks that way for 4 years. Now I carry the same tanks in the back of a pickup that has a cap on it, but when I'm running my chest freezer back there (bringing fish home from Alaska), I vent my LP bottles to outside the pickup bed the same way.

[twinboat]

I didn't mention this when you were planning using a large tank, but now that you are using the small tanks, you can invert A connected one and elevate it above your RV fill port. That will slowly dump the liquid into the RV tank.

That's how 1 lb tanks are filled from 20# BBQ tanks.

[CoachStreamr]

Originally Posted by Pigman1

You can put a piece of water hose on this valve secured with a hose clamp and put the other end of the hose outside the basement.

Do you have a picture of your hose attached to that rear valve?

I will have to go look at my tanks, didn't think I had anything on the rear. I do have an access point to the outside (like for a cord) on the basement floor (near where I want to store the tank) close to the outside door that I could stick the end of a hose down. The hose wouldn't be sticking out the side of the MH though, it would be pointing towards the ground below the basement floor.

EDIT: Called Seth at the Fuel Company (also to ask about below), he likes your idea, as long as I can keep the tank in the vertical position.

.

[CoachStreamr]

Originally Posted by twinboat

I didn't mention this when you were planning using a large tank, but now that you are using the small tanks, you can invert A connected one and elevate it above your RV fill port. That will slowly dump the liquid into the RV tank.

That's how 1 lb tanks are filled from 20# BBQ tanks.

So I called Seth at that Fuel Company (who made the custom hose for me), yes that can be done but he said a few things:

I have a 20 foot hose, I'm going to lose a gallon, maybe two in that hose.
It will take a long time to transfer.
It's illegal here in Washington State to do so (and a few other States).
Safety Concern,.

Now, he did say he actually does it himself sometimes when he's camping, he's been involved with LP for 25 years and knows what to expect.


.

[twinboat]

The whole reason for the OPD was to stop soccer moms from burning up, storing propane in the back of the SUV.

The OPD prevents filling to the point of gas relief. Unless your over 125 degrees it should be fine.

Not a bad idea to vent the bottom of the compartment, that's how the marine propane lockers do it.

[CoachStreamr]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Unless your over 125 degrees it should be fine.

I suppose if you are traveling in NV, AZ, NM etc. during certain months, your basement could reach those temperatures. Though there are vents for the furnace (heat), there is nothing to cool the basement. Is that ever a problem for others (too hot in the basement)? Haven't even thought of excess heat in the basement before, just freezing concerns.

How else do others transport a small propane tank for their Coach? I assumed there were storing them in the basement during travel (vertical though).

.

[twinboat]

Here is some reading on it.

http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/479-gas-bottles-in-the-sun