Travel Forum / Travel Types / RV Travel / July 2004

 Tell you brother he is wrong, you can buy a hose with adapter at almost
any RV store, infact some CAT heaters are sold with it

 This is, infact, "illegal", in that it is a violation of Federal laws to
refill a single cylinder and transport it across state lines.

Barbara wrote:

<< My brother says there is no such thing, but I want to be able to use
our small Coleman catalytic heater, and a single burner Coleman
propane stove, but from a twenty pound propane tank instead of
*always* having to use the small bottles (which are sometimes quite
appropriate).

Is this flexibility possible, without going to a machine shop? Is it
illegal or dangerous? We are new to this.

Another idea..is it possible and practical to refill the small
disposable cylinders from our 20-pound tank?

Thanks for any help with this.

Barbara Lightner >>

Go to your local Walmart and buy an adaptor hose ready made.  I did and use it
lots.  Much nicer then the little cans that you can also buy there.  When the
20 lb tank runs all just exchange it at most any Walmart, gas station, or
Lowes.

DSteiner

Coleman make a propane tree that attaches to a 20# tank.  It has three
connection points.  The one the the top is great for the laterns that run on
the small bottles.  The other you can hook hoses to and run what ever else
you need.

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/subcategory.asp?CategoryID=5600

Possible? Yes. They make adaptors for that.

Practical? Depends on you. They're practical for me. To get the little
bottles full, you'll have to fill it as much as it will fill, and then
cool it down to fill it the rest of the way. It's possible to overfill
them, and I use a postal scale (0-5 lbs) to check it.

It's allegedly illegal to refill them, but if I'm pulled over, and they
demand to see my bottles, how're they gonna know whether I refilled them
or not? I refill them late at night when there're no black helicopters
overhead, so they're never going to catch me in the act.

Has anybody here Ever been subjected to a Disposable Propane Bottle
Inspection?

I bought one from Lowes Home Building Supply. But you have to remember a
lot of the bottle appliances require the support of the bottle. In
addition there are the thing about the new valves on the refillable
tanks, you might have to consider. I think all of the new valves have
been designed to accept the old fittings. I have a single burner stove
and a light that requires tank support, so I just cook before dark, or
use the little grill. But the tree is a must, gives you enough
flexibility and a hose for each item not on the tree. BILL

I have both items, a whip and a refiller.  Both are readily available.  The
whip is a great idea for camping.  However, I like to take the 11# tanks
instead of the larger 20 pounders.  The refillers work, and don't believe
the hooey that they are illegal.  You do have to take certain precautions,
but they work just fine.

There is no police agency that goes out and searches your car or campsite
for refilled bottles.  What the prohibition means is that a commercial
carrier cannot transport the bottles once they have been refilled.  Anyone
who tells you that you can be in trouble for transporting them for personal
use has been watching too much TV and movie rentals.

Steve

I see lots of responses, but no one mentioned this: Some appliances like
grills & lanterns have their own regulator and can be fed directly from
unregulated tanks. For these I use a portable 4 lb propane tank instead of
the 1 lb cans. Some don't, like my optional exterior range top that
connects directly to the trailers regulated propane supply.

I don't know if using the trailer's regulated feed to appliances that also
have regulators would work, or if it makes any difference.

Marv