Date:         Wed, 10 Jul 2013 11:00:06 -0800
Reply-To:     Troy <colorworks@GCI.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Troy <colorworks@GCI.NET>
Subject:      Propane tank concern
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=Windows-1252

<<If the tank itself is in good condition (just light surface rust, and check
under any welded on labels) sand and paint it with white or gray DeRusto
type paint and take it in to have all the valves with new RV tank valves.
The auto-stop fill valve on these is terrible, and prone to corrosion which
can cause it to stick open when the fill hose is removed (happened to me).
Not a good thing and causes great chaos, and you'll never be able to go back
to that filling station. Shutoff, fill and 80% valve should cost around $100
plus installation.   Well worth doing, and if you still have the rectangular
regulator replace it too.>>


I wanted to throw my two cents in about restoring the propane tank. I didn't think mine was in terrible condition, so I removed it from the van and took a wire brush to it, along with sandpaper, and things like metal ready. I then painted it POR-15, and then top coat it with three coats of a exterior enamel paint. I got the fill valve from Terry K, you can find him on the Samba.

A few things that I ran into is the POR-15 is great stuff, but it does not dry through oxidation, so it tends to pick up a lot of dirt in the air as it dries. IOW, it requires a dust free room or you're going to have to sand it. The stuff is really bulletproof material and takes a lot of elbow grease to sand down. The white paint that I top coated things with chipped very easily despite being "professional grade" top-of-the-line enamel. I use some Teflon paste on the fill valve, but unfortunately it leaked, so the whole thing had to be taken off the van-- frustration number one.

I decided while I had it off the second time, I might as well get a new shutoff valve, and then another 25 or $30 for that. I got that installed and it also leaked. I've done tons of plumbing in my life, but these little critters seem possessed when it came to sealing them properly. I ended up running my stove for hours and hours, and also bled off a lot of propane to empty the tank. I think it took seven or eight hours. So, valves came off once again and were redone.

That same shutoff valve leaked later the same winter. I think there was just talk about these leaky valves yesterday, and this brand-new valve had this issue. I've learned never to turn them on and off in the cold, as apparently that packing material is not so pliable.

Anyway, point to all this is in retrospect I feel I would've been much better off just buying a brand-new propane tank. I don't think you're ever going to get a finish as nice as the new tank, and there's close to $100 in valves alone. Probably another 30 or $40 in paint + labor to spray and sand and prep, not to mention your installation time of the actual tank. So, something to consider, unless you got lots of time on your hand. I would say to definitely pressure test the tank before installation. I even use some of that blue gas leak stuff and missed my small leak. It wasn't until sitting overnight in the garage that I could smell the propane. I probably would have missed it outside it was so small.

So, to avoid the hassle, and for peace of mind, again, I would just buy a new tank if it was me. I should also mention that there is a larger tank available from Go Westy. You would need to get a couple of stainless steel straps to mount it, but I've seen a few people use these, and they only hang down an extra few inches, if that, but increase your capacity quite a bit. If you go this route, I would ask the list for suggestions as to what gauge steel to use. I would think stainless steel straps would be the best, but it may be possible to use zinc.

Troy