Propane winterizing

[swimmer_spe]

Which is better, remove the tanks over the winter or leave them hooked up?

I have heard that if you do remove them, you should wrap the connection with a plastic bag so nothing gets in.

Normally, I store the trailer with the tanks installed, but since I emptied them on the last trip of the year, I figured I would just remove them and store them in the garage like I do with my spares.

[ghooos]

Personally I leave mine in the 5er. The only thing I worry about is theft of them. My 5er is in a storage yard. I've had trailers over the last 41 years and the bottles have always stayed on or in the trailers.

[austinjenna]

There is nothing stopping small bugs from crawling in through the hole at the connection to the tank when the tank isn't installed. I would rather not have a plugged up propane system.

Then hook it back up to the tank like most folks have already said

[swimmer_spe]

Jennifer Koper wrote:

swimmer_spe wrote:
Which is better, remove the tanks over the winter or leave them hooked up?

I have heard that if you do remove them, you should wrap the connection with a plastic bag so nothing gets in.

Normally, I store the trailer with the tanks installed, but since I emptied them on the last trip of the year, I figured I would just remove them and store them in the garage like I do with my spares.

Hi swimmer, you have to uncheck them in the filters! hope you will get benefits.

Let's try 🙂

What?

[swimmer_spe]

DrewE wrote:

swimmer_spe wrote:
OP here. The issue is not the tanks themselves. The garage is more like a shed as it has no heat or electricity to it, but it can easily fit my truck inside. It is not attached to any dwelling.

I am partly concerned about theft, but more about the potential for bus getting in the propane system

I assume you mean "bugs"? The propane system is a closed system, with no place for bugs or water or whatever to sneak in. If there were any hole, you would know it from the loss of gas, the odor of said gas escaping, the beeping of the propane alarm, and (should the others fail) the fireball that comes when you try to light the stove.

Where there are problems sometimes with bugs, spider's nests, etc. are in the individual appliance burners, and having the propane tanks connected or not will have no effect at all on that possibility.

I did mean bugs.

There is nothing stopping small bugs from crawling in through the hole at the connection to the tank when the tank isn't installed. I would rather not have a plugged up propane system.

[TurnThePage]

Being the boy scout that I am, I refill them and put them back in place for winter. That way I'm prepared if I need the RV on short notice.

[Jennifer_Koper]

swimmer_spe wrote:
Which is better, remove the tanks over the winter or leave them hooked up?

I have heard that if you do remove them, you should wrap the connection with a plastic bag so nothing gets in.

Normally, I store the trailer with the tanks installed, but since I emptied them on the last trip of the year, I figured I would just remove them and store them in the garage like I do with my spares.

Hi swimmer, you have to uncheck them in the filters! hope you will get benefits.

Let's try 🙂

[DrewE]

swimmer_spe wrote:
OP here. The issue is not the tanks themselves. The garage is more like a shed as it has no heat or electricity to it, but it can easily fit my truck inside. It is not attached to any dwelling.

I am partly concerned about theft, but more about the potential for bus getting in the propane system

I assume you mean "bugs"? The propane system is a closed system, with no place for bugs or water or whatever to sneak in. If there were any hole, you would know it from the loss of gas, the odor of said gas escaping, the beeping of the propane alarm, and (should the others fail) the fireball that comes when you try to light the stove.

Where there are problems sometimes with bugs, spider's nests, etc. are in the individual appliance burners, and having the propane tanks connected or not will have no effect at all on that possibility.

[BarabooBob]

I leave my tanks in place and hooked up. I do turn them off unless I am going to sit in the camper for some alone time. When all 4 daughters come to visit it is sometimes nice to turn on the lp and heat to get away from all of that estrogen. Just saying, a guy has to be a guy.

[Sam_Spade]

time2roll wrote:
And why bother anything extra if they are empty anyway?

After it's first use, a propane tank is never really empty.
The "empty" ones can be more dangerous that if full.

[swimmer_spe]

OP here. The issue is not the tanks themselves. The garage is more like a shed as it has no heat or electricity to it, but it can easily fit my truck inside. It is not attached to any dwelling.

I am partly concerned about theft, but more about the potential for bus getting in the propane system

[naturist]

Sam Spade wrote:
Just exactly why would anyone think that ANY special attention is needed for propane tanks during periods of non-use ?? (regardless of the length of time).

Hint: There is NO good reason to mess with them at all. Turn off the valve at the tanks and don't mess with anything else.

My theory? Too much time, not enough to do. Wish I had that problem.

[hedgehopper]

Terryallan wrote:
Turn the gas off at the valve, and forget about it. No need to make this harder than it has to be

Amen

[rhagfo]

Well never disconnect or turned off. With gas on, this was all valves have pressure on them and help preserve the seals. Granted we would use it from time to time over the winter.

[jseyfert3]

wa8yxm wrote:
Propane LIQUIFIES at around -40 I have no idea what the freezing point is but at -40 it will not vaporise any more (Remains a liquid)

Google says -306 °F. That's cold!