| Author |
Message |
Arthur (24.62.221.30)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 10:02 am: | |
My bus is a Neoplan AN-340 with a huge open engine area. I have been thinking about putting my 2 30 gallon propane tanks in the engine area against the outside wall where the aircondition compressor was. It is well out of the way and very well ventalated. They could also be easily removed for filling or to work on the engine. It would keep me from having to cut holes in the bay floor for venilation ot having to build a propane locker.
Is this a good or bad idea as far as safety?
Thanks |
chuck MC8 (65.81.146.102)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 10:27 am: | |
Authur, From what I've read regarding propane storage, The Code,Rules, Law, and Popular Consensus is that your propane storage has to be situated between the axles (ie, not behind the rear or ahead of the front).
Also, the shutoff valve has to be accessable from an unlocked access door that is clearly marked from the outside of the coach. Both "rules" are in case of an accident.
I could be wrong (usually am) so, investigate on your own to confirm. A great source of info regarding Propane seups can be found on this very site, just type in "Propane" on the search utility.
Hope this helps. Chuck |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 10:44 am: | |
haven't heard about the "between the axles".... my holiday rambler has a frame mounted 18 gallon horizontal tank.... right behind the duals on the passenger side... it's just mounted... no enclosure....i would think again about mounting or carrying the tanks in the engine compartment... gets kinda hot in there....even tho you've got airflow and ventilation, i get a bad feeling.... |
Dale Fleener (69.19.151.89)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 11:24 am: | |
'propane storage has to be situated between the axles' this seems to be contrary to the placement of LP tanks on travel trailers. they usually don't have a "between the axles" location. FWIW
Dale |
bowlingshoegiverouter (65.179.192.170)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 11:30 am: | |
can see it now,fill the propane tanks up, take off on a trip,engine heat makes pop-off go,diesel starts a runaway,OR,sets propane on fire...AND...you will not find a propane man to fill them in the first place.. |
Ron Walker (Prevost82) (209.52.245.237)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 11:37 am: | |
I am doing the same as you Arthur...but I plan to build a steel 16ga removable firewall bewteen the motor and the propane tanks.
Ron |
Jack Conrad (Jackconrad) (204.193.117.66)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 11:40 am: | |
I have to agree with BSGO. If the tanks are filled to the legal limit (80%) and installed in engine compartment, temperature increase will cause the LP to expand. This expansion will cause an increase in pressure inside the tank whch will cause the pressure releif valve to open. This will allow LP vapor to vent into the engine compartment. I hope you realize what the possibilities are following the occurance. Jack |
chuck MC8 (65.81.146.102)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 11:40 am: | |
I would think that in the case of the travel trailer, the tanks have to be between the axles of the trailer and the rear axle of the towing vehicle. Hence, their usual location on the trailer tongue, vs, the rear bumper. (or behind the rear most axle)
Dont know about the Holiday Rambler. I'm certainly not an expert in this(or any other)
subject, so take it FWIW.
Chuck |
bowlingshoegiverouter (65.179.192.170)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 11:51 am: | |
kinda 'off subject'..but...knew a guy that pulled his diesel pick-up next to a natural gas pumping station...diesel had a runaway & threw all the rods...nobody could understand,until the wrecker came ..and his engine did a runaway and lost his rods..also, two 30 gallon bottles will have to be bolted down,to the frame.. |
Lee Brady (Leeb11) (207.69.138.143)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 5:19 pm: | |
Just go out and look at the way all these new class A rv's are built.
There tanks are at the rear next to the engine.
My friend has a 2002 with a 330 Cat, on one side is the batteries and the other is the propane tank,it is open all around with just the bay door to hide it.
The batteries are in a bay that is vented on the other side.
If you have air flow and and no dead air space to trap the gas there should not be a problem.
If the tanks are secure and a heat shield is placed between the engine and tanks and its vented
i see no problem with it.
Walk around an rv dealers yard and look at the way there built today from the factory.
The guy that lost his engine and the tow truck driver didnt use there nose's very well,that much of concentration of propane gas would have been hard to miss.that would have been a rare event for that to happen and the area should have been closed off and the leak found.its not the location of the tanks fault just the people involed.
Lee
66-01 |
bowlingshoegiverouter (63.185.65.244)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 5:34 pm: | |
the "smell" is put in right before it's sold |
David Anderson (168.215.176.180)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 5:36 pm: | |
NFPA 1192 section 2.2.3, LOCATION OF LP GAS CONTAINERS, subsection (b)(3):::
"Tanks mounted behind the rear axle of a motor home or chassis-mount camper shall be installed in such a manner that the bottom of the tank and any connection thereto shall not be lower than either the rear axle (excluding the differential) or any section of the frame immediately to the rear of the tank, whichever is higher. All clearances shall be determined from the bottom of the tank or from the lowest fitting, support, or attaachment on the tank or tank housing, whichever is lower when all axles are loaded to their gross axle weight rating.".....
There is much more info about enclosures, etc. in the rest of the code.
I went to my local propane dealer and he was happy to make me a copy of NFPA 1192 while I was installing my propane system on my bus. It had every guideline, in easily understood language, needed to set up a safe system. He was also quite helpful in getting me some parts I needed.
David |
Jimmci9 (209.240.205.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004 - 7:52 pm: | |
2d's right about engines' being destroyed by gas fumes... in west texas oilfields, there have been numerous accounts of vehicles engines "running away' from the fumes (gas) coming off tank batteries.. and hot-oil trucks catching tank batteries on fire from fumes... most every tank battery has a windsock to determine wind direction....and "natural gas" is odorless, colorless .. it isn't until it's processed for sale that odorizing agents like ethyl mercapitan is added to make it "stink'... some natural gas has various contaminants.. iron sulfide, hydrogen sulfide, etc, that does have an odor and is very deadly... |
bowlingshoegiverouter (63.185.81.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 19, 2004 - 7:08 pm: | |
motor fuel tanks...(used to be used in Texas) when you could run a pick-up cheaper on propane..mine is 66 gallon...two 10" dia. tanks,connected with 2" pipe...low profile..has tabs to bolt to frame..bought mine used for 40.00, |