Propane Tank: Is 40 lbs capacity too little?

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asim

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I am looking into buying a new RV that comes with a 40 lbs propane tank. Obviously, more is better. However, I have no idea if 40 lbs is too small. I understand that when plugged into an electricity at a campsite, the fridge's power switches from propane to electricity. But I am talking mostly about boon docking. How can I figure out how many lbs of propane would it take to keep the fridge going per hour.

Obviously water heater and stove will use more.

Is there any guide to help me figure out how much "energy" 1 lb of propane will provide?

Thanks in advance.

 
40 lbs will last you quite awhile if you're not heating your RV a lot with it, and you can get a gauge that will help avoid the surprise of an empty tank.  In the summer one of my two 30 lb tanks will usually last a month or so. Your mileage may vary.

But in my world, it isn't that a particular amount of propane is enough or not.  No matter the size of the tank, if it runs out while you are boondocking, it's a pain.  That's why I like having two tanks, regardless of size, that I can switch between. One runs out, I switch over, and within a reasonable time I refill the empty one.  So my personal preference is a second tank.
 
2 tanks are definitely better unless you have a gauge. I would also ask what size the holding tanks are for water and waste as having small tanks may be a nuisance, depending on the type of camping you wish to do.
 
Can I assume you 2 20lb tanks?  Most campers now come with the auto switch over regulator, when one tank runs out the regulator will switch to the  2nd tank and you can then fill the 1st.    As to how long 20 lbs will depends on season somewhat.  If you are not using the furnace, 20 lbs will go a long time.  It's harder for me to tell on the 5er my propane use as we do plug in at camp grounds,but on my houseboat where electric was not available a 30 lb tank would last about 20 days using refrig and hot water heater. We did go on a 30 day trip in the 5er and only used elect half the time and never used 30 lbs of propane.
 
Is 40 pounds too small... NO.  40 is not too small 20 is not too small 10 is not too small

You just have to re-fill them more often is all.
I do recommend a 2nd tank may be smaller if the hoses are long enough that way when you run out switch in the "Spare" and go re-fill.
 
The fridge will run almost indefinitely with 40# of propane. It's the water heater and furnace that use it in large quantities, especially the furnace. With no furnace and moderate hot water use, I would guess that 40# would last you 3 months.
 
We run our travel trailer on propane pretty much all the time. I leave my water heater on whenever we are stationary, and I leave the heat on at least to 65 at night and 70 during the day. I also cook mostly inside on a propane range and oven. We generally use a 30 pound bottle every week in cold weather (I like to keep warm!) or one every 3-4 weeks in warm weather. We have two 30 pound bottles with auto changeover. Two bottles (of any size) are better than one since you can use up one completely before having to refil.

After a week of dry camping we need to dump and refill anyway, so getting a bottle filled is not a problem. We just head to a regular campground every 5-7 days and get propane at the same time.
 
Our old motor home had 30 lb.  it would last a very long time, and we live ed in it full time.  BUT, we stayed out of the cold and used electric for the hot water.  Much depends on what type of unit you are looking for and what type of camping you plan to do.
 
UTTransplant said:
We generally use a 30 pound bottle every week in cold weather (I like to keep warm!) or one every 3-4 weeks in warm weather. We have two 30 pound bottles with auto changeover.
Click to expand...

About the same for us. We have two 30 lb tanks (60 lbs total), and using it for everything boondocking, including heating from 45 outside to 70 inside at night, the two tanks will last us about two weeks total, one week per tank.
 
There is mention of the water heater.  Just be sure you leave the water heater off, until about 10-15 minutes before you want hot water and then turn it on then.  Really reduces the amount of propane you use.
 
Our trailer has two 30 lb tanks. I last needed to fill them in 2015.

We really don't camp in cold weather so we rarely have any furnace use. I don't turn on the water heater until dinner if we plan on showering that night. The fridge seems to just sip gas and most of our cooking is done on an electric griddle or charcoal grill.
 
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