Where to get propane tank filled?

[Bpd138]

Hello again,
As I stated in an earlier post, my girlfriend and I are new to the RV'ing world so there will be many questions. lol
Today's question; Where do you take your motorhome to get the "built in" propane tank filled?
I know this is a subjective question, but how long will a tank of propane last if we don't use the stove very much?
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Default location is a quick lube place half a mile from home that has easy RV access. 2nd option is a Costco which also has good access but is usually a "zoo" in terms of being busy/crowded so I reserve that for as-needed. I've never been on a trip long enough to use up all my propane and refill on the road but have heard it sometimes takes a bit of hunting when you're in unfamiliar territory. As I travel around and I see a propane fill station I'll poke it into my GPS as a saved location, thinking it might come in handy if I come back the same way. I understand there are some free apps that also show propane fill stations but when I've tried them the data in them is kinda stale, so not sure I'd trust it completely. I carry an extend-a-stay hose and figure if worse comes to worst, I can buy a grill tank at wally world or wherever and that can carry me quite a ways, long enough to find a proper fill.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Ksouers]

The last time I filled propane was a Flying J truck stop. They have a phone app that offers details about a particular location.

Kevin

 

[Fyrflie]

Flying J, Pilot, Loves, Local propane retailer.
I have taken two, 30 plus day trips. Never used all of my propane in a trip.
Our next trip, Dec.9-Jan.12, will be our first in winter weather, so I expect to use more propane than normal (heater).
For this trip, I will start out with a full tank. Other trips I started out with around half or less thus requiring a fill on the road.
Just know that if you fill at one of the truck stops I mentioned above, it may take some time as they are not always quick to help you out due to staffing issues.
Also, when parked with electric hookups, we use a portable ceramic heater to warm the rv thus requiring less use of the onboard heater, which saves on propane. And our refer switches to electric when plugged in.
So the only real use of propane comes from the stove and water heater while parked at an RV Park.
Hope this helps. Happy Travels.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Not all places that advertise propane will fill RV's, they only do portable tanks. I remember now that a few u-haul places here in town will fill RV's.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[UTTransplant]

Flying J, many/most campgrounds (even if you didn’t stay there), lots of farm stores, propane distributors, U-Hauls, farm co-ops - lots of places. Look up some names online, then call to confirm, making sure you say the tanks are built into the RV. Some places only have propane fill personnel at certain times, and some only fill removable bottles. We haven’t ever had an issue in finding someone to fill them.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Your stove consumes hardly any propane, even if used a lot. Ditto for an RV fridge (if you are using propane instead of electric). The big consumers are the gas furnace and gas water heater, but most water heaters can use electric as well.

You didn't tell us the size of your onboard LP tank, so we can only guess, but weeks for sure and more likely months. I've actually gone more than a year when using LP only for cooking.

 

[Boat Bum]

When refilling an onboard tank, do they only charge for how much you take on or is it a set price regardless of how much you need to fill?

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Price per gallon per the sign. Sometimes I think they round up to the nearest tenth but it's always been actual amount filled for me.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Boat Bum]

Thanks for that, I've yet to do it and wasn't sure.

 

[PJ Stough]

Pilot Flying J RV Services | Save with the Good Sam Card

Pilot Flying J offers overnight RV parking, RV services, route planner, propane refills, Good Sam deals, & many RV dumping stations near me at the Pilot Flying J dump station.

pilotflyingj.com

 

[phil-t]

Most Tractor Supplys have a fill station, will accomodate RVs and portable tanks. I take my auxillary tank to a local propane supplier.

 

[LarsMac]

A simple solution is to go to google maps, and search for propane refill.
Then when you find a place, call them to be sure they are still selling it before going there.

I've pulled up to a place I found on google only to be told, "No, we stopped selling it." "or, sorry, we're out until Thursday."

 

[dktool]

I always fill at local gas stations near home.
Rarely use the oven or furnace so just refrigerator flame, standing pilot in water heater and stove top burners.
A full tank which in my case is 15 gallons lasts a lllooonnnggg...time.

 

[touchracing]

Surprised no one has said at a campground. I always ask what they charge when I check in. Sometimes the prices are high and sometimes the campground is practically giving it away.

 

[emiddleb]

A simple solution is to go to google maps, and search for propane refill.
Then when you find a place, call them to be sure they are still selling it before going there.

I've pulled up to a place I found on google only to be told, "No, we stopped selling it." "or, sorry, we're out until Thursday."

And if you call them, be sure to ask if they fill RV on-board tanks. Aps and maps often show all propane places but many of them are BBQ tank-swap/fill only.

 

[MGH]

Also relatively new 1st timer here. I've only filled our propane tank twice, both times at the local Tractor Supply Company, and they were nice and easy both times.

Be prepared to tell them how much you want to fill (i.e. how big is your tank, and how much is already in it?). Hopefully you have a gauge that will tell you. My gauge on the tank itself wasn't very accurate. Luckily I went by the indicator on the dashboard (which only shows quarters of a tank) and that was just fine. I went from empty, added 10 gallons which got it to about 1/2 full, went out a couple times seemingly hardly using any propane even running the water heater and furnace for a couple days, then filled again with 8 gallons to bring it to almost full.

While not every place will fill an onboard tank, it has the advantage of not having to be recertified at certain intervals. It is at the discretion of the propane seller if they want to fill your tank, but my place didn't bat an eye at mine even though pretty much all the paint had come off. The tank has indeed seemed to hold up just fine.

 

[Kirk]

Where do you take your motorhome to get the "built in" propane tank filled?

Usually the most reasonably priced will be the local propane distributers but call first to be sure that they will fill as some only do deliveries. Many RV parks have propane but not all and those that do usually have set hours. Most truck stops have propane and I believe that all Love's, Pilot, and Flying J do. An internet search for propane sellers near you will usually find some.

but how long will a tank of propane last if we don't use the stove very much?

I agree with Gary that the furnace is by far the biggest user of propane and while the water heater is probably next they don't come even close to what the furnace does. You don't say what your RV is so we can only guess how large your propane tank is but most class A's have at least 15-20 gallons and if you don't use the furnace that would easily last for 3 months or longer and with the furnace it becomes pretty much unpredictable as that depends on how cold it is and how much the furnace runs. If only a few times at night it should still last a month or longer but if you have high temperatures that never get above freezing, it will probably las a week or so, possibly less depending on the tank size.

While not every place will fill an onboard tank, it has the advantage of not having to be recertified at certain intervals.

Motorized RVs use DOT certified tanks and they are very different from the SAE bottles that are removable. The structural requirements are higher and so certification is not an issue once installed. No knowledgeable propane dealer will refuse to fill one unless for some reason it looks unsafe or if the shutoff valve dose not work. The tanks do have a valve that shuts off the fill process if they try to exceed 80% full.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Motorized RVs use DOT certified ASME tanks and they are very different from the SAE bottles DOT Cylinders that are removable. The structural requirements are higher and so certification is not an issue once installed. No knowledgeable propane dealer will refuse to fill one unless for some reason it looks unsafe or if the shutoff valve dose not work. The tanks do have a valve that shuts off the fill process if they try to exceed 80% full.

Fixed it for ya!

Charles

 

[CharlesinGA]

Grill and out door living type stores. Large hardware stores, U-Haul company owned full service locations, many Tractor Supply, farm supply stores or co-ops. Just look for a 1000 gallon or so tank sitting behind a fence next to the building with a box in front of it (thats the hose reel and meter).

Charles