LP gauges

[mark5w]

Does anyone use the aftermarket LP gauges for their tanks?? Are they accurate and worth the investment??

[ewbldavis]

I've had good luck with the hot water method.

Simple rule...if you aren't sure, and it is a cold night...the tank will be empty at 1am!

[mark5w]

No, ... it was 12:15 am.

[jakesz28]

Unless it is really cold my $30 ceramic heater does just fine.

[st.rodder2]

I have 2 tank gages that I picked up from Harbor Freight.

They work good enough to let me know when I'm running low. I also use a ceramic heater on those chilly nights. I leave the furnace on about 60* as a backup if it gets real cold during the night.

[Lloyd]

I guess my question is------Don't you guys have two Lp tanks, and don't they come with and automatic switch over?
I've never found a use for the gauges myself. When a tank runs empty it switches to the other, I take the empty one out and get it refilled.

[avvidclif]

Yep, sure do but when it's Fri afternoon on a winter camping trip and one tank goes empty. No place to get it refilled, will the one tank last with the cold weather??? It would have been nice to know one was almost out before leaving.

[Tim D]

Originally Posted by mark5w

Does anyone use the aftermarket LP gauges for their tanks?? Are they accurate and worth the investment??

I have used the one shown a couple times. They are worthless. They work on pressure. Pressure remains fairly constant till you are empty. They do make a tank and gauge that uses a float. I have never used one but hear that they work.

[st.rodder2]

The needle on my gauges do move as the tank is getting empty. I do agree that they are not the most accurate but it does give some warning. I also have the auto switch over but I also adapted one of my tanks to use for my Road Trip grill. I run one tank for the grill and the leave other tank for the hot water, furnace and stove use, so I like to keep track of the level in both tanks.

[Lloyd]

Originally Posted by avvidclif

Yep, sure do but when it's Fri afternoon on a winter camping trip and one tank goes empty. No place to get it refilled, will the one tank last with the cold weather??? It would have been nice to know one was almost out before leaving.

Cliff, where do you ever camp down there when it's "winter"?

[ewbldavis]

Our old unit had 20lb. cylinders, and we got about 3-4 weekends out of one with the furnace on 70 in the fall.

My practice has always been to leave one on. It has been an inconvenience when it ran out at 1am, but then I know the tank is empty and I am on a full tank. I then have plenty of time to fill the other. I don't like auto switch in that you have to check to know it switched.

Edit: A better idea would be a window in tank cover to see the flag without removing cover!

[Lloyd]

ahh haa. I forgot about the tank cover.
I just have to open a door.

[avvidclif]

Originally Posted by Lloyd

Cliff, where do you ever camp down there when it's "winter"?

Last fall, A trip to Bonham. When we arrived it was in the 20's, forecast low of low 20's. Highs over the next 3 days of below freezing. Fri nite a tank went empty. No place on Sat to get it refilled, didn't want to buy a 20lb. When the forecast changed to freezing rain/sleet for Sun rather than just cold the DW cancelled her plans for the weekend and we snuck out early Sun morn and dodged it.

How long would the 30lb have lasted??????

And I do know what cold is, spent a nice balmy winter in Korea courtesy of Uncle Sam. Never going to happen again.

[Generator Jim]

Look into fork lift propane tanks. They usually have mechanical gauges built in.

Jim Latour

[avvidclif]

It was my understanding they have a completely different valve setup. At least the one's I've seen.

[jakesz28]

Fork lift tanks pull liquid instead of gas too.

[Generator Jim]

There was a class A coach a few years ago that used horizontal tanks that were set up for gas discharge.
Some models of Clark fork lifts used gaseous discharge. I've set up quite a few liquid LP RV's and commercial generator sets to use high pressure vapor. They seem to run just as good.
We would switch them over if the primary regulator on the generator kept getting full of distillate oil from the propane. The only difference between liquid and high pressure vapor LP is where the entrained oil drops out of the gas stream.

Jim Latour

[tomandlori]

In colder weather. We use electric heaters. Then furnace if it gets too cold. We are plugged into 110 A/C. Use their electricity before your propane.

[laswiz]

I agree. Pressure gauges look like they work, but don't. The water trick works if the temp difference is great enough (normally when you are using it). Magnets the same thing. There are really two good ways to check the fill: weight and wave. The empty weight of the cylinder is stamped on the side. If you weigh a 30lb tank and subtract the empty weight, you have your fill. That's the way my Weber grill does it. The other way is an ultrasonic wave through the tank. I bought a really cool tool this spring:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have a 2014 Sunset Trail Reserve 31ss. Using this was a little flakey at first, but so long as you press hard, and square to the tank, it works really well. Thought it didn't work at all because it wasn't detecting any gas in one of the cylinders, until I took it off and weighed it... It was empty! Don't know if the dealer shorted us a fill up when we picked up the RV, or if our first two trips out (which both had snow/sleet/freezing rain) used that much propane. Could be the latter. If so, I've learned to play early/late season camping by ear!

[avvidclif]

Thank you, I have one on order.