Extend a Stay question

[garysherrick]

I have a class C with an internal tank and I installed an extend a stay and we love it, it works as advertised when we are at a campground for a while or for when our internal tank is empty.

My question is this:

If my external tank is empty or close to it and I have a full 30lb external tank, can I open the internal tank valve and backfeed from the external into the internal to at least get some propane into my internal for the ride home, or is this a no-no.

 

[Just Lou]

I think check valves are in place to inhibit that, however, it wouldn't take much effort to find out.  If back feeding is possible, when you open the valves to hook a cylinder to an empty internal tank it should get noticeably lighter pretty quickly.

 

[Molaker]

LP (liquid propane) is liquid (duh) in the tank with an "air" space for it to boil into vapor.  Unless you can turn the external tank upside down and elevate it and allow liquid propane to flow into the internal tank, about all you will do is pressurize the internal tank with vapor to the same pressure as the external one.  It will not fill the internal tank like it would be filled at a refill station - even if there is no anti back-flow device.

 

[Just Lou]

LP (liquid propane) is liquid (duh) in the tank with an "air" space for it to boil into vapor.  Unless you can turn the external tank upside down and elevate it and allow liquid propane to flow into the internal tank, about all you will do is pressurize the internal tank with vapor to the same pressure as the external one.  It will not fill the internal tank like it would be filled at a refill station - even if there is no anti back-flow device.

Exactly!!

 

[Fixitall4]

If both tanks are the same temperature then the half empty one is the same pressure as the full one,

Once you internal tank gets to the desired level for the trip home close it off and run from the external tank the rest of the time, saving the internal for the trip home.

 

[loydstuts]

I tried this...it will not transfer

 

[Just Lou]

Thanks, that's what I thought.