Ihave found refilling the small tank of propane has gotten more difficult overthe years and I hate running out.   Some vendors over fill the olderstyle tank I have with the auto stop valve, and many seem to not see it worththere time to drop down and fill a 2 gallon tank.

As aresult I have gone to filling my tank myself by using a 1 pound tank that Ifill from a 5 gallon tank that I then transfer to the vanagon tank.  I usually top off the tank before each camping trip.   

  What I do is take advantage of the pressure difference of propane atdifferent temperature.   If you cool the 1 pound empty tank in thefreezer and attach the cold tank to the 5 gallon tank that you place in the sunon a warm day it is possible to invert the 5 gallon tank and overfill the 1pound tank.   I then immediately attach the 1 pound tank to thevanagon tank and let it sit overnight.  I repeat this procedure until thevanagon tank is full by checking the bleed valve on the vanagon tank.  The two adapters are available on ebay.   Never leave the 1pound tanks overfilled and do all transfers outside.   Never attachthe 1 pound tanks to an adapter unless the adapter is connected to anothertank.