----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Buese" <bueses@EARTHLINK.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 7:37 PM
Subject: Re: Propane tank fill valve anatomy

> .................
> The experience that made me really want to have the ability to hook up a
> >disposable bottle temporarily to my Westy tank was last Easter weekend.
I
> >was camping on the shore of SC and ran out of propane.  There was no
place
> >that could fill a Westy's tank on Easter Weekend for 100 miles or so.  I
> >was not camping where there were hookups, and not driving around enough
to
> >keep my aux batt charged and run the fridge off that.  So no fridge and
no
> >stove to cook.  Frustrating.  That had happened on an earlier trip
> >too.  Not quite as frustrating, but still ran out one evening, and
watched
> >the fridge warm up all night.  The next day I found a place to fill the
> >tank, but it was out of my way, and took some digging to find, and blah,
> >blah, blah, I would have rather been cruising the backroads of WV in my
VW
> >with no cares.  I would just carry a partially filled disposable tank,
> >having carefully refilled it at home from a big tank, and have it as
> >reserve capacity to tide me over in emergencies.
> .................
>
> I might have missed this part of the discussion, but I go months w/o using
much propane.  How long are you using the fuel before you run out on a trip?
Before my recent DV trip, I pulled into my propane place & it only took 1.3
gallons after a week at Burning Man, & 3 weekend camping trips after that,
w/ one trip including running my 3000 btu catalytic heater for part of a
day. Now I will admit I don't use the propane for my fridge, but do use it
for cooking & heat.
>
> Pax,
>
> Tom

Tom, its been estimated that the fridge alone will only go about 2 weeks or
17 days on the standard westy tank. The other problem is that there is no
easy way to know how much is left in the tank. The idea of being able to
simply connect a Coleman 1lb bottle to the tank and use for the fridge is
huge. 1-2 bottles will go a couple days likely and they can be repurchased
at almost any store now a days.

By other RV standards the westy tank which is only 3.5 gallons and you only
get 80% of that, I had my valves out recently and took it down totally empty
and it only took 2.3 gallons!   Compared to RVs with dual 7.5s that aint
much, which is also why I recommend GAS heaters for cold!

Doug