Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello everyone,
Greetings from Wisconsin, where the temperature is always above minus-50 (fahrenheit) and the air has never frozen solid, not even once!
That said, I am wondering...does it make sense to buy one of those barbecue-style propane tanks (20 pounds?) instead of using the little screw-on bottles (1-pound?) which get expensive after a while.
Cabella's has a small cast-iron stove that uses an LP tank. It's simple and inexpensive.
Do I have the right idea here? If so, what's a safe way to carry an LP tank in my Little Guy tear? Unfortunately, it does not have an outside platform for carrying stuff.
While traveling, could I put the LP tank inside the tear, braced up against a wall?
Would you have other advice on traveling with an LP tank?
Thanks very much for your help with this. It's greatly appreciated.
Here's a link to the cast-iron stove: cabellas clicky

I found a small refillable tank at Gander Mountain. I think it holds 3 lbs. It lasts a long time. The stove is the only thing it run's.
I mounted it with a frame made out of aluminum angle and then self tapping screws to attatch it to the tounge. I used all thread with shrink tubing to make the hold downs.

Unless you can get a mount for it on the tongue, I would stick with the disposable bottles. You shouldn't carry a propane tank inside. If you make a locker for your propane tank, it must be all metal, and sealed up to the inside, and vented to the outside to keep gas from entering the camper.

The do make smaller bottles, but they cost quite a bit, and compared to the disposables, really don't save you much over the long run unless you use your camper a lot.

I don't know about the Cabellas stove, but several people have commented that with the cast iron stoves, it is hard to regulate the heat.

JunkMan wrote:I don't know about the Cabellas stove, but several people have commented that with the cast iron stoves, it is hard to regulate the heat.

...all it takes is the proper regulator...the one with BLUE markings(lo-pressure)

...you can get an adapter to refill the 1# bottles...not legal for transport but who gonna know...
madjack

The way I decided on what to use, a larger 5lb or a disposable 1lb propane bottle was, I asked myself this question;

How much do you really use a stove?

I found that between cooking over the fire, BBQing, using a Dutch Oven, and eating cold lunches 99% of the time all my stove was used for was morning coffee.
With that kind of usage I would get 3 weekends (or so) out of a 1lb bottle. With that amount of fuel used I just couldn't justify lugging a large bottle around with me.

Besides I found I had to carry 1lb bottles for my lantern anyway.

Now thats just me. Some people use a stove for everything. (nothing wrong with that).

Happy Trails

Len

I use my bottle with a hose extension so I run my propane light and my BBQ from it. I made a loop out of 1/8 x 1" and welded that to the tongue and have a clamp that holds the bottle down into the loop. I also have a padlock through one of the holes that was already in the bottom of the tank so it doesn't "walk away".

Leon.
you might want to think twice before you lock your tank down. In most states a propane bottle must be in a vented UNLOCKED space marked PROPANE (or in the open) so it can be removed by emergency personnel in case of fire or collision

I've checked OSHA and NFPA and can only find rules relating to the tank being in an open or vented space. There are references to permanently mounted tanks and their mounting, and portable tanks being securely mounted, etc. How is a mounted tank to be removed in an emergency? The space it is located in must be unlocked but nowhere do I find any info saying the tank must not. If you know of any links that state otherwise, let me know, I'd be interested in reading it. Thanks.