I was thinking about putting a 5# bottle on the tongue

[brian_bp]

According to the plan view that has the same diameter as a 20# bottle. How tall would that bottle have to be to be a 420# bottle?

Actually, in the plan view it hangs off of both sides of the A-frame tongue, spanning about 1/3 of the width of the 8 ft wide trailer, or about 32". It is still tall, with about the same proportions as a 20-lb tank, but 2.6 times as big in every direction, or maybe just a bit taller/narrower. You can see an example at Manchester Tank (that one is 30" diameter by 54" tall overall).

Sorry, didn't mean to derail the thread... just thought the contast was amusing!

[John Boeckstiegel]

Here is where I mounted my Bottle. Didnt want to add tongue weight, so I extened the fenders.... Battery will go on the other side. As you see I have altered an enclosed trailer for my tiny trailer. The tongue is not big enough for a 20 lb bottle anyway... it is a v-nose trailer. The tank is 13.5 lbs full.



By the way it is mounted by a strap for a nitrous bottle I got. It is solid.

[brian_bp]

Here is where I mounted my Bottle...

Covered, but not enclosed (so it is vented); close to the axle line; secure.

Very nice!

The tank is 13.5 lbs full.

That sounds like it might have a capacity of 5 lb of propane.

[John Boeckstiegel]

It will have an aluminum expanded wire door.

[Joseph]

A 5 lb bottle is the same as 2 1/2 2 lb bottles. Hardly worth the effort and expense IMHO.

Joseph

[brian_bp]

A 5 lb bottle is the same as 2 1/2 2 lb bottles. Hardly worth the effort and expense IMHO.

Joseph

I assume this is a reference to "two and half, two-pound bottles"...

I've never seen any size between the one-pound single-use type and a 5-lb refillable such as that shown above. I guess I just have not run across a 2 lb bottle - is it a refillable or disposable?

The main advantage I see in a 5-lb tank instead of a few one-pound cylinders is that when the one-pounders are empty they are either disposed of (which makes them a very expensive way to buy propane), or refilled (which is not entirely safe). The other advantage is running out less frequently at awkward times.

[zen]

O.K. so I want to put a 20pound tank on my tongue. Smaller would look better but the convenience of just going to home depot is worth it to me. Will it put too much weight on my tongue. So much that the tongue could fail? I hope not any experience with that?
Thanks
Dan

[Big Guy with a Little Guy]

I am by no means an expert, but my dad is very knowledgeable regarding propane. He counseled me to go with the largest bottle I can for various applications. For a single burner stove or lantern, a small bottle is fine. If you are in a situation that requires sustained high pressure, small bottles are unsuitable because as the fuel boils off (is used up), the pressure in the bottle drops, especially in cold weather, so something that requires long-term high pressure will starve for fuel. He was specifically referring to a propane-powered electricity generator, which probably is not very common, but the point is valid, nonetheless.

I just like using the 20 lb bottles because I can swap them out on my barbecue or Mr. Heater radiant heater head, or old Coleman tent trailer. Plus, the added weight makes them less tippy with a lantern tree mounted on it.

[brian_bp]

... If you are in a situation that requires sustained high pressure, small bottles are unsuitable because as the fuel boils off (is used up), the pressure in the bottle drops, especially in cold weather, so something that requires long-term high pressure will starve for fuel...

I agree that this can be a valid factor, depending on the appliances to be fueled and the weather. The pressure drops because remaining propane chills, and it chills because it loses heat to the vapourization (boiling) process.

Even a small furnace could be too much for a very small cylinder, and in cold weather even a 30-lb cylinder can't keep a pair of large RV furnaces going once the liquid level in the cylinder gets low, while really big cylinders (at least 100 lb, but preferably 200+ pounds) are fine.

[jackdaw]

I have 2 x10lb bottles of butane gas mounted on the tongue, so we can switch bottles and should never run out in the middle of cooking breakfast.

Alot of the winter campers over here use propane instead of butane as it freezes at a lower temperature. I think if its cold enough to freeze butane, it's too cold for me to be out .

Dave