Replaced Propane tank with vented 1 LB tank propane locker

[puchfinnland]

My Client had a condemned Propane tank, and wanted to be rid of his useless original fridge.

I proposed a dedicated vented propane locker to hold 1 LB tanks

First the old fridge and tank were removed, stripped of usable parts and discarded the original copper stove line was saved and re-cut to fit

After some careful measuring the box was fabricated from 12mm Okoume
marine ply, this was the first fitting

A piece of 1" fiberglass tube was epoxied into a drilled hole, this fits into the existing propane hole in the floor, Propane is heavier then Air and the locker must be vented out of the vehicle
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ABYC marine master technician , EX European auto technician, new business- EASTCOASTWEST , custom work on campers, only systems, no mechanical

[puchfinnland]

some more measuring I cut the lid in the top using a FEIN saw, a new lid was made of marine ply

I glued on some framing to accept the fasteners, and support for the shelf

I always intended in installing a Solenoid to switch on the gas from a switch.
this was the first regulator..and it was not correct, soon deleted and upgraded
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ABYC marine master technician , EX European auto technician, new business- EASTCOASTWEST , custom work on campers, only systems, no mechanical

[puchfinnland]

the lid fits snugly, As the fridge was now gone forever, I pulled the 3-wire pigtail down and repurposed it to power the solenoid, I salvaged the 3 wire pigtail off the fridge, and made a connector block on the back of the box.
the 2 solenoid wires got 2 small holes to exit the box, all electrical connections are exterior of the box,

I order a different regulator from Amazon, this one actually works properly for the original burners,

I used one of these simple switches to turn on and off the propane, I wanted an LED so it is clear that the gas is on.

Done! I found a Rustoleum 2x color that matched the interior , Note the carriage bolt head lifts up slightly to pull out the lid, the LED is located in the corner to the left of the drawer.
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ABYC marine master technician , EX European auto technician, new business- EASTCOASTWEST , custom work on campers, only systems, no mechanical

[leecat]

That is super cool - very nice work!!

[Jan Steinman]

Nice!

Just curious… with the fridge gone, why does your client need propane? Just to run the stove burners?

[1988M5]

Cool project you did and thanks for sharing with us.
I'd like to make a suggestion, hermetically seal the electric solenoid/on-off valve.
Potting or burying it in silicon would probably do the trick.
Any electrically operated switch/valve has a tiny spark when energized (on) and also when de-energized (released or off).
Smothering it in "goop" would not effect any heat dissipation problems on this type of devise as it creates nearly none when in use.
It is in the same chamber that may have unwanted propane lingering within it, vented or not.
The QC on the little 1lbs bottles and their built-in overpressure valves leaves something to be desired, play it safe.

Cheers,

BK
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1991 tin top GL
2002 Winnebago Vista. VW VR6 24V Eurovan front clip powered class C 21' RV.
Some BMWs.

[puchfinnland]

[Sodo]

That's very nice work!
I often wonder about getting rid of the propane tank but I have a Propex.
If I got rid of the propane tank I'd be inclined to make a locker for the 1-lb canisters outside, where the existing propane tank was.
The "gasoline heaters" are interesting .

Does that propane solenoid hold its state (on/off) with the power off?
Or does it have a cosntant draw, if you left it 'on' for example?
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'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[puchfinnland]

[Chris-a]

[MSGGrunt]

I like the idea of a 5lb tank. It is a good in between size. You get a lot longer use and they are refillable. You can get any number of different mounts for them.

[Chris-a]

[Abscate]

I don’t know RV refs because I go propane to ABYC, but you would fail on

None direct connections to valve and appliance

If that’s a metal to metal bushing, that’s isn’t allowed. Flare fitting is ok

You need 15 sq inches of vent for that box , roughly. That pipe is too small
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[Abscate]

(deleted duplicate)
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[Chris-a]

[zerotofifty]

FYI Gov Newsom of California will be banning the 1 pound disposable propane tanks soon. Stock up!

https://www.npga.org/news-resources/california-bans-non-reusable-propane-cylinders/
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Sorry About That Chief.

Give Peace a Chance.

Words to live by.

[ALIKA T3]

[Ahwahnee]

Crafty ideas here but it seems unnecessarily complex and a compromise when replacement tanks are readily available, can supply LPG for a couple of weeks of dry camping and there are no plumbing changes or code issues to consider.

As for those choosing to get rid of the 'useless original fridge' - I can't imagine going w/o refrigeration and the original unit is easy enough to service.

[zululep]

Well said, Ahwahnee. My thoughts exactly. Sometimes I scratch my head at the "improvements" some folks make to what I think is a well thought out, efficient, simple and super-practical camper van. But hey, to each his or her own . . . (And the irony that, as I say this, I'm driving a Fordwagen isn't lost on me!)
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1984 Westfalia with Bostig Zetec

[Timwhy]