Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

We've been using 20# tanks on 1# appliances for years in our scout troop with no problems. I know they are expensive (like $40 for the Coleman), but we use a propane tree on the tank and hoses to the appliances, with the lantern on top.

Not sure how that works out in your plans for plumbing propane though.

Yes, I used to have one of those tree's. Long gone. It worked well, but is kind of bulky, and hard to store. I still have this interment problem with flow from the 20# tank thru flexible rubber lines, and have resorted to refilling the green 1# canisters with the refill fitting I bought at Harbor Freight. It works great, and I just carry 3 or 4 of the 1# canisters with me, and refill them when I get home. I now leave the large BBQ tank at home. Less to haul around and less to get stolen, and it frees up some room in the tongue box, and reduced my tongue weight.

After performing the modification described on the previous page of posts, I used my 20# tank with my 1# appliances (stove and lantern) for my 3-week tour of the Great Northwet. I used about 28-30 pounds of propane across the three weeks of travel/camping, which puts it right out of range of using 1 lb tanks.

Yes, 1 lb cans are easy to refill, but aren't as space efficient as a 20 lb tank, and certainly more hassle. And still require a 20 lb tank to refill from.

As a passing note, I paid $3.99 per gallon for propane here in the SF Bay area. I paid $1.77 per gallon in Tillamook OR. Can anyone explain why we're getting ripped off so badly?

<Chas>

GuitarPhotog wrote:As a passing note, I paid $3.99 per gallon for propane here in the SF Bay area. I paid $1.77 per gallon in Tillamook OR. Can anyone explain why we're getting ripped off so badly?

Cos they know they got you by the balls. How many houses are using propane in the bay area, and how many in Tillamook OR? I bet Tillamook has many more. That means the propane suppliers are doing portable tank refills as a sideline, and the SF bay area ones are doing it as a business. I'd also expect that California has a tax on retail propane to discourage it's use.

Chaz, Welcome to California. Now, shut up and get back in line.

I get up that way (to Southern Oregon) quite often, and notice a lot of discrepancies in pricing, fuel formulation, and taxes. Fred Myer in Brookings does a booming business of people from CA purchasing to avoid the sales tax.
But this is all off subject. Sorry
Jerry

I've since learned that the retail outlet where I buy my propane for $3.99 a gallon pays less than $1.50 per gallon for it! Hmmmm. Can you say "large profit margin!"

<Chas>

That depends. What are they paying to rent or purchase the dispensing equipment, the insurance, and other indirect costs....


I used to sell kettle corn....my direct (food cost)cost per bag that I wold for $5 was about a quarter. But the $4 a gallon for gas, hotel (before I had a camper), liability insurance, booth rent, time (show times plus drive time, plus 4 hours of set up, clean up and take down) it was actually difficult to make a few bucks...that's assuming the $10,000 in equipment was paid for...

Easy money really isn't all that easy some times....

Well..... MY local "corner country store" charges $2.69 a gallon for a fill... And have had a few local people moan about $4.00 a gallon.... So I tell them to shop around.... What else can I say...

Ironically my bulk delivery for home heating is something like $1.69 a gallon on last tank fill (mid July).. Last winter propane topped out at $2.69 a gallon for bulk deliver during "winter home heating season" .... And no I am not going to try and transfer between bulk tank and 5 gallon tank.... Also "management" of bulk deliver company has removed adapters from their trucks so they can not fill small tanks from bulk truck... Liability issues or some such thing, any its "company" policy....

Dale

We put a 5# bottle in a compartment in the back of the trailer so we didn't have to go through so many little ones. The OPD setup is the same as a big tank so I used a regulator at the tank and a flexible line through the counter-top to the Coleman camp stove. I removed the 1# setup from the stove and used brass adapters to hook up the hose. No soapy bubbles so it's sealed good. We have used this for several years and had no problems at all.

I did get a refill adapter from Harbor Freight last week as we have a small BBQ. Almost filled the whole bottle. I like not having to throw them away.

Bob

I know this is an older thread but just wanted to say that grinding down the ring worked for me.......I was surprised at the amount tat I had to take down.....started with a whetstone but eventually changed to a coarse sanding belt (manually, still took me ~ 30 minutes).......finally worked......