LP installers question.

[Curtis Pennington]

Why do some people install them inside there van?......what the advantages outside?(besides leak protection)....I have one LP (mounted underneath) outta 6, so educate my virgin LP ass.

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

Why do some people install them inside there van?......what the advantages outside?(besides leak protection)....I have one LP (mounted underneath) outta 6, so educate my virgin LP ass.

Top reasons to mount outside:

1)Legality; LPG tanks must be mounted outside the passenger compartment and in a manner that affords safe filling from the outside. Otherwise a leak, or during filling can leak dangerous vapors into enclosed areas, providing for both a combustion and inhalation hazard. The US D.O.T. requires the tank to be mounted outside. There are also prescibed regulations for plumbing of the fuel. e.g. proper fittings, hose, using thru-hull fittings when traversing a thin sheetmetal opening. Make sure your installer is familiar with regulations.

2)Safety; See above.

The service valve which controls the flow of fuel directly exiting the tank, should always be located outside with the tank itself, so that during operation of the vehicle no flow of fuel will enter the vehicle's enclosed and passenger compartments.

You should also mount the primary regulator outside (in a protected space) the vehicle as well. This affords that any malfunction of the regulator, such as leaky diaphragm will not permit fuel to leak inside the vehicle. Installers will occasionally not follow this practice because it can increase the cost of the installation because of the necessity to use larger plumbing of the low-pressure fuel to assure adequate flow to the fueled components.

 

[Curtis Pennington]

Thanks ...I dont know everything!....wow did I say that?

 

[bob vawter]

soooooooooooooo.it COULD blow up under certain circumstances...
carelessness
faulty O-rings
leaky diaphragm
A WRECK!!!!
Are these a possibility Shawn?
lets hope that Al-Qaeda doesn't hear of this!

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

Bawb,

Let's not get all doomsday and bane here.
I've seen plenty of vehicles go up in flames, with plain old gasoline being the only fuel involved.

The bottom line is that when done right and with safety in mind, there is very little to worry about.

 

[bob vawter]

I've seen plenty of vehicles go up in flames, with plain old gasoline being the only fuel involved.

were they carpet cleaning vans Shawn..or perhaps a from collision?
I found PLENTY pictures of propane fires in vans...

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

When you look for one thing, I'm sure you can find it.

 

[bob vawter]

When you look for one thing, I'm sure you can find it.

OK Shawn... lets look at faulty fuel taps......
would you consider THAT a potential problem for slide ins....... ?
When i hear people talk about how they do it........
sometimes i jus cringe...
let alone the propane bottles i see bungee strapped to the trailers....

i know...i'm pissin' in the wind!

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

OK Shawn... lets look at faulty fuel taps......
would you consider THAT a potential problem for slide ins....... ?
When i hear people talk about how they do it........
sometimes i jus cringe...
let alone the propane bottles i see bungee strapped to the trailers....

i know...i'm pissin' in the wind!

Certainly I would consider it a potential problem. But out here in California, it is less so. Distributors are pretty good about using only California CARB approved fuel tap kits, and our customers are at least somewhat educated on the fact that in California, alterations to the van's existing fuel system require at least an inquiry as to the right way to go. Add to that, the fact that most of these kits are installed at the distributor level, with few guys going "DIY".

But I can see how it could be quite a bit worse of a potential problem where states are not as persnickety and the public may not be as savvy on going about it the right way. I know that many years ago, even here in California the problem was much greater. I suppose one might say it is a limited circumstance where government regulation did have one redeeming value, but not for the real reason they initiated it. California's sole reason for regulating fuel system alteration is for potential smog impact. Safety was just a side-effect.

 

[bob vawter]

Alright Shawn...let me be upfront here......
It ain't jus the propane issue.(although it DOES drive me nuts) OR uninformed people that think that PTO's are "the devil"....never have even TOUCHED ONE!
I can handle all that.....people calling about a TM...
NOT EVEN KNOWING THE CORRECT QUESTIONS TO ASK...i take a half hour or an hour jus explaining what questions that they SHOULD be asking when shopping a unit!
BUT THEN I REALIZE......
this people don even know the difference between a CNC machined billit Stainless Steel part.....
and a cast brass hardware store one.......


THAT'S WHAT DRIVES MY CRAZY.......




















and believe me ...
it ain't a long trip!

 

[Bob Savage]

Shawn,

That you for a very thorough reply.

 

[bob vawter]

what about me.....does anyone feel my pain....?

 

[dgardner]

So, what about these cart systems? How is one supposed to safely transport one in a van?

Of course it is assumed you roll it outside the van to use...

 

[bob vawter]

So, what about these cart systems? How is one supposed to safely transport one in a van?

Of course it is assumed you roll it outside the van to use...

is it an unattended fire??
'cides THAT LOOKS lik abomb!!!

 

[dgardner]

So, what about these cart systems? How is one supposed to safely transport one in a van?

Of course it is assumed you roll it outside the van to use...

is it an unattended fire??
'cides THAT LOOKS lik abomb!!!

Well, here is another cart-mounted hot water generator that is even worse. While the one I showed just burns quietly, this one actually mixes fire and gasoline to produce several explosions per second! And the owner was last seen looking for a forklift so he could transport it in the back of his truck no less! Can you imagine the mayhem if it were to tip over in transit?

s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q55FqNICZpcs]

 

[bob vawter]

So, what about these cart systems? How is one supposed to safely transport one in a van?

Of course it is assumed you roll it outside the van to use...

is it an unattended fire??
'cides THAT LOOKS lik abomb!!!

Well, here is another cart-mounted hot water generator that is even worse. While the one I showed just burns quietly, this one actually mixes fire and gasoline to produce several explosions per second! And the owner was last seen looking for a forklift so he could transport it in the back of his truck no less! Can you imagine the mayhem if it were to tip over in transit?

6]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q55FqNICZpc6]

we're gona BOLT it to the gooseneck hitch in the truck......bolted down tight...
Who do you guys think yor dealing wit here?
You all have only seen a small portfolio of the stuff i've designed and built....

you WANT that motor....don't ya?

 

[dgardner]

you WANT that motor....don't ya?

Bob, I would love to have that motor. What I have seen of your work shows great attention to detail and a lot of thought put into the design and fabrication.

Now, slap an HX on that baby and market it as the world's first Vortex post-heater! Added bonus is the open collectors drown out the Vortex blower noise...

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

So, what about these cart systems? How is one supposed to safely transport one in a van?

Of course it is assumed you roll it outside the van to use...

1) Disconnect the "portable" tank, and insert the transport/stowage POL plug.
2) Secure the tank in the vehicle for transport, insuring that the tank is well fastened to avoid tip-over, movement in the vehicle and well guarded from other cargo items which should also be stowed properly. Tank should be guarded from potential overheating.
3) If at all possible, stow the portable tank fr transport outside the passenger compartment.

Portable tanks are an exception to the permanent mount situation, but have their own unique directives for transport, such as disconnection and using the POL plug for safety. Portable tanks are designed with protective collars for the shut-off valve, but should still be securely fastened for transport and guarded from loose cargo.

That setup looks designed for portable use insofar as porting it within the work area, and not necessarily for "on the road" portability.

If you don't want to transport the portable tank safely, then you shouldn't do it at all. You'd be giving Bawb ammunition for his doomsday scenarios. :roll:

 

[dgardner]

That setup looks designed for portable use insofar as porting it within the work area, and not necessarily for "on the road" portability.

If you don't want to transport the portable tank safely, then you shouldn't do it at all. You'd be giving Bawb ammunition for his doomsday scenarios. :roll:

That pic is from Steam-Brite, but I run a similar setup (that I fabricated myself). Yes, I do use it with a porty, it sets outside the building entrance during use, and only goes in the van for transport.

I certainly hope I didn't leave the impression that I wasn't going to transport the tank safely. I go even further than "well-fastened to avoid tip-over". I fabricate mounts designed to prevent the tank from becoming a projectile during the high-G loads encountered during a crash. It did not occur to me to install a POL plug for transport though, good suggestion.

 

[bob vawter]

sooooooooooo some doofuss pedestrian comes walkin' along... sees the unit...starts twisting dials an blows up more people than the unibomber.
then whats ya gonna do...huh...

YOU CAN'T BEAT ME!!!

 

[dgardner]

Or I could crank your super Paraplate regulator to the max and that great Wanner pump will pop the hoses and scald everyone in the room to death... That's kinda a problem everyone faces.

But enough! I cower before your superior intellect, knowledge and reasoning ability. You win. :roll:

I'm going outside to practice a little TIG welding before bedtime.

 

[bob vawter]

Or I could crank your super Paraplate regulator to the max and that great Wanner pump will pop the hoses and scald everyone in the room to death... That's kinda a problem everyone faces.

But enough! I cower before your superior intellect, knowledge and reasoning ability. You win. :roll:

I'm going outside to practice a little TIG welding before bedtime.

i'll leave you wit THIS image