Propane dry camping question

[Beau388]

Originally Posted by TLeenhouts

Propane weighs about 4.2 pounds per gallon. A pound of propane contains roughly 20,000 BTU. So you get just under 100,000 BTU per gallon (91000).
If you have 9 gallons of propane you have about 810,000 BTU which in engineering terms is a Sh----d. Your refrigerator draws about 3.75 amps when plugged in to shore power which is about 1200 BTU/hour. When on propane, it will draw that much from the gas instead of the electric. Most furnaces in motorhomes (unless they are huge) are about 30,000 BTU/hr. It has to be pretty darn cold to run through your propane.
I only dry camp in the summer and my 18 gallon tank lasts for weeks using the water heater. I have a couple of electric heaters to plug in for heat. They can hold the temperature when it is in the 20s outside.

Well my coach has a 35,000 btu (input) Atwood (Dometic) furnace, but the output is about 30,000 btu Of the output. 30% of the heat (9,000 btu) goes to heat four of basement compartments. The walls are insulated to R-5 and the windows and windshield are R-1. At 20 F degrees and no supplementary heat or insulation, the furnace will run about 45 minutes out of an hour at night. Thermostat set at 75 degrees. With Reflextix in all the windows and windshield, 10,000 btu of supplemental electric heat and the outside temps of 9 F degrees, the furnace will run about 15 minutes out of each hour, but the tanks will freeze solid.

[mstng]

Would you please share your resource for this information.? It can’t be found anywhere I have looked. The Rv tank fill requires liquid propane and would including a 20 pound tank just equalize the pressure. I don’t have access to the main tank as it’s buried way underneath but would love to be able to refill it with a 20 pound tank. I have a connection for external grill etc.

Originally Posted by 16ACE27

Or install an Extend-a-Stay or similar manifold that allows you to run the MH system from a 20 Lb tank.

The other option which I just learned about from someone else on this forum is:
If you have an external low pressure propane quick connect on your MH just get a 20 lb tank with regulator and the correct quick connection and back-feed your MH low pressure system from the 20 lb tank and quick connect connection.

[lwmcguire]

You can only refill lp tanks with liquid

What the reference was to is augmenting the low pressure vapor supply side as burned

Simply gives you a second supply point to keep things burning

[taylorbob1]

Originally Posted by mstng

Would you please share your resource for this information.? It can’t be found anywhere I have looked. The Rv tank fill requires liquid propane and would including a 20 pound tank just equalize the pressure. I don’t have access to the main tank as it’s buried way underneath but would love to be able to refill it with a 20 pound tank. I have a connection for external grill etc.

1) my 24.1 propane tank is very accessible. It’s the second compartment aft of the cockpit on the driver’s side

2) I don’t think you can do what you want to do...fill the main tank from a portable

To do what’s been discussed...
You turn off the main tank, then use a simple connect/dis-connect aft of the main tank regulator. Finally, you connect your portable 5gal tank with regulator into the RV system.
Your system will now rely exclusively on the portable tank

[mstng]

Appreciate the info. I’m a former Thor Vegas owner but still get the email digest. I currently have a sprinter MAD and the 15 gallon tank is in the center of the coach, concealed well and difficult to access. A hose runs from the tank to a refill on the side along with a quick connect for a barbecue. It’s impossible to connect directly to the tank. The refilling takes place through a 5 foot hose.

Originally Posted by taylorbob1

1) my 24.1 propane tank is very accessible. It’s the second compartment aft of the cockpit on the driver’s side

2) I don’t think you can do what you want to do...fill the main tank from a portable

To do what’s been discussed...
You turn off the main tank, then use a simple connect/dis-connect aft of the main tank regulator. Finally, you connect your portable 5gal tank with regulator into the RV system.
Your system will now rely exclusively on the portable tank

[taylorbob1]

Originally Posted by mstng

Appreciate the info. I’m a former Thor Vegas owner but still get the email digest. I currently have a sprinter MAD and the 15 gallon tank is in the center of the coach, concealed well and difficult to access. A hose runs from the tank to a refill on the side along with a quick connect for a barbecue. It’s impossible to connect directly to the tank. The refilling takes place through a 5 foot hose.

Ok, thought you were a 24.1 brother.

Regardless, you must have an accessible turn-off valve. It’s mandatory.

That said, assuming you can turn-off main tank..you could connect low pressure 5gal tank into a newly installed extension connector in the outside wall or to your BBQ quick connect.
You just need the proper fittings

But, either way, you must turn-off your main tank

[mstng]

Originally Posted by taylorbob1

Ok, thought you were a 24.1 brother.



Regardless, you must have an accessible turn-off valve. It’s mandatory.



That said, assuming you can turn-off main tank..you could connect low pressure 5gal tank into a newly installed extension connector in the outside wall or to your BBQ quick connect.

You just need the proper fittings



But, either way, you must turn-off your main tank

Thanks, sold the 24.1 Vegas last summer. I miss the room in the sprinter but we spend more time driving so fits us better.
I have a switch that turns off the propane near the fill valve but will not be able to get to the tank valve. I may try and see if that will be enough using the accessory grill hook up. After hurricane Sally being able to hook up an external tank for the generator/A/C would have been a nice option.