RV Propane Tanks Guide – Everything You Need to Know About Propane in Your RV
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As you are getting ready for an RV road trip, having a good understanding of RV propane tanks and how they work is one of the most important things to get you ready for your adventure. Propane plays an important role in a lot of the comforts of RVing like cooking, having hot water, and running your heater. There are a variety of RV propane tank sizes as well as types.
Here is everything you need to know about getting a propane tank for an RV so you are prepared for a great camping trip.
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30-Day Free TrialTable of Contents Types of RV Propane Tanks
RV Propane Tank Sizes
Filling RV Propane Tanks
What is Propane Used for in an RV?
Getting the Most Out of Your Propane
RV Propane Tank Gauge
RV Propane Regulator
Tips for Using RV Propane Tanks
Types of RV Propane Tanks
There are two different types of propane tanks – an ASME tank and a Department of Transportation (DOT) cylinder tank.
What is an ASME RV Propane Tank?
Typically, motorhomes have an ASME tank and are considered built-in RV propane tanks. The ASME propane tanks are not removable and mount to the outside of your RV. ASME RV propane tanks vary in size and storage capacity.
ASME tanks are also referred to as RV horizontal propane tanks because of the way they sit in the RV.
One thing that is convenient about ASME tanks is they have a gauge to tell you how much propane is remaining in your tank.
In some cases, you can upgrade to a larger ASME tank, but this should be done by a professional and you have to take into consideration the space you have available for a larger tank in your motorhome.
ASME RV Propane Tank Sizes
The size of ASME RV tanks will vary. Smaller motorhomes, like Class C motorhomes, can have a single 20-pound ASME tank. However, a larger Class A motorhome propane tank could hold 80-100 pounds of propane. This is a large RV propane tank.
Motorhome propane tank sizes vary. If you are renting a motorhome, check with the outfitter for the size of the tank. They should be about to tell you about the different size propane tanks.
What is a DOT Cylinder Tank?
A DOT cylinder tank is usually found on towed RVs like travel trailers. DOT cylinders are not permanently attached to your RV and can be removed when it is time to refill them.
DOT propane tanks are also known as portable RV propane tanks because it is easy to remove them from your RV to refill them. You can also use them with portable camper grills.
RV Propane Tank Sizes
Cylinder RV propane tank sizes range from 5 pounds to 200 pounds. Obviously, a 200-pound tank would be too big to conveniently take RVing, so we are going to focus on the different size propane tanks convenient for camping in fifth wheels. The two most common portable tanks are 20 pounds (5 gallons) and 33 pounds (7 gallons).
20 Pound RV Propane Tank
Obviously, the 20-pound propane tank has a lower propane capacity however these tanks are available everywhere. You can exchange them at a local hardware store or even some grocery stores. There are a bunch of different places that do tank exchange – meaning you trade in your empty tank for a full tank. This is the most common propane tank size.
Check Prices for 20-Pound Propane Tanks on Amazon Here!
The downside is because it holds less, you have less propane with you while RVing, and you do have to exchange your tank more often. They do weigh less, and it is easier to have 3 or 4 tanks with you at a time because they are smaller. This is the most convenient RV propane tank size in terms of filling your tanks.
33 Pound RV Propane Tank
A 33-pound RV propane tank does have a higher capacity however it is not the most common propane tank in terms of size. Instead of exchanging a tank like the 20-pound tank, you keep this tank and get it refilled. You will be refilling it less because it holds more but depending on where you are, refilling it may not be as easy as an exchange.
Check Prices for 33-Pound Propane Tanks on Amazon Here!
Because they are larger, these propane cylinders are heavier. Usually, you will have two of these tanks at a time.
Before we got our motorhome, we had a small pop-up hybrid trailer. It came with two 20-pound RV propane tanks, but we choose to upgrade to the 33-pound tanks, so we had more propane gas on hand when we went camping and we did not have to fill them as often.
We had very limited space in this trailer and did not want to worry about finding storage for spare smaller tanks. If you do have the space and are worried about how to refill your 33-pound tanks, four smaller tanks is a popular and great option.
If you are looking for a bigger tank option, there is a 40-pound RV propane tank size. A 40-pound tank holds 9.2 gallons of propane. This is the least popular RV propane tank size but does give you more propane and you would have to fill it up considerably fewer times than the smaller tanks.
Filling RV Propane Tanks
While it may seem intimidating, filling a propane tank as an RV owner is really not that difficult. It is like putting gas in your RV, but an employee will do the fill-up for you! Self-serve propane is typically not possible.
The first option is filling up at a gas station. There are gas stations that will fill your gas tank for you. You simply pull your RV up to the large propane tank and the employee at the gas station will fill your tank.
It is a good idea to call the gas station ahead of time to make sure they can fill your tank. A propane filling station may not fill tanks an hour before sunset or may not have trained staff on hand at that time to fill your tank.
The second option is to check with RV parks and campgrounds you are staying at. A lot of campgrounds have propane stations.
Can you get propane delivered to your RV?
There are also RV parks that have teamed up with propane companies that will fill your RV propane tank from your campsite. We stayed at a campground just outside Sedona that had someone come around weekly to fill up propane tanks.
Both of these methods apply to filling both ASME and DOT cylinder propane tanks. Remember if you have a 20-pound DOT cylinder propane tank, you can exchange the tank rather than deal with refilling it.
Propane Costs
The price of propane fluctuates just like gasoline does. The average depending on location and time of year varies between $2.00 and $2.75 per gallon. Over the last 5 years, the price of propane was highest at about $2.60 in January of 2018.
Is it Cheaper to Fill Propane or Exchange?
We have found this to be a debate between convenience and saving money. It is cheaper to refill your RV’s propane tank rather than exchanging it. You will save up to $1.75 per gallon by refilling compared to exchanging at third-party stores.
By filling a tank, you will also only pay for the propane you use and if there is any remaining propane in the tank it is still yours. If you exchange a tank with a few gallons left, that propane is left in the exchanged tank.
It is a lot easier and more convenient however to exchange your tank at a hardware store, gas station or grocery store. Exchanged propane tanks are also regularly inspected so you can feel confident in the safety of the tank you are using. If you are refilling a personal tank, monitoring and certifying the tank every 10 years is your responsibility.
When exchanging a tank, a lot of companies also do not fill an exchanged tank to full capacity. Some places have in their fine print that you are only guaranteed to get 15 gallons in a 20-gallon tank.
What is propane used for in an RV?
Propane is most often to run your RV furnace, burners on your stove, oven, and hot water heater.
There are also appliances that use propane when electricity is not available. For example, if we are plugged into electricity, our fridge uses electric. If we do not have electricity, our fridge can run on propane.
How to Estimate Propane Use in RV propane tanks
Estimating how long an RV propane tank will last is tricky for a number of reasons. If you are going to be in warmer temperatures, you will not need to run your heater as often. Depending on how often you shower will vary on how much propane your hot water tank will need.
We usually like to play it safe. If we are at a gas station and have less than 50% of our propane left, we will fill up our tank. We travel mostly during the summer months and fill up our propane tank on our Class A motorhome every week or two. This can also vary depending on the size of your ASME tank.
If you want to, calculating how much propane you will need is not hard – but remember it is an estimate. Here is how you can make those calculations –
Calculating How Much Propane You Need
Your first step in determining how long your propane tank will last in an RV is to determine the size of your tank. RV propane tanks are full at 80% capacity. If you are filling an empty tank, you can look at your receipt to see how many gallons were put in the tank.
You will want to take the number of gallons in your tank and multiply it by 91,502. This is the number of BTUs per gallon of propane.
You can then look at the BTU demand of your stove, water heater, and furnace. You can find this information in the owner’s manual or on a tag on the appliance. The BTU rating will vary by appliance.
Add these numbers together and that is your total BTU requirement. Divide this number by your total BTUs and that is the number of hours of propane you will have for the appliances you added to your calculation.
This can vary because certain appliances will be used more than others, but this calculation will give you a rough idea of how long your propane will last.
How long does 20lb RV Propane tank last in an RV?
How long a 20lb propane tank will last depends on a variety of factors. Do you have a small or large RV furnace? Do you run your furnace often? How often are you going to be using your hot water tank?
The average-sized RV furnace will burn about 1/3 gallon of propane when running continuously for an hour. This means that a 20-pound RV propane tank, holding 4.5 gallons of propane, should last about a week.
Again, this can vary depending on how much you use your furnace, hot water heater, and appliances that use propane. Because of these rough estimations, it is always a good idea to have spare tanks or use dual propane tanks.
How much propane does an RV furnace use?
The RV heater, or furnace, uses propane to heat. To roughly calculate how much propane your RV furnace will use, follow the calculating steps above to determine how many hours of furnace use you have based on the size of your RV propane tank and the BTU demands of your furnace.
On average, a 20-pound propane tank will run recreational vehicles furnaces for about three hours of continuous use. Keep in mind that your furnace does not continuously run.
Our furnace runs two or three times an hour for a couple of minutes to maintain the set temperature. This means our furnace is running about 5-10 minutes an hour. The number of hours a day you are using your furnace will depend on the weather conditions and what you like your RV’s indoor temperature to be.
Based on the calculations we outlined above, if your RV furnace has a 20-gallon tank, your propane will last about six or seven days if the furnace is the only appliance you are running.
Getting the Most out of your Propane
There are ways to conserve your propane to make it last longer. This will save you money and trips to fill up or exchange your RV propane tank.
A lot of air escapes through your RV door. Whether it be hot or cold air. Make sure to keep your door closed as often as you can and limit going in and out of the RV. You can place a door snake or a rolled-up towel at the base of the door to help with this.
You can better insulate your windows. A lot of heat is lost through windows. Black-out shades or reflective foil covers will help prevent heat loss.
Keep your hot water heater turned off. We only turn our hot water heater on when we are going to use it for showers or washing dishes. About 30 minutes before we are going to use hot water, we turn on the water heater.
Run your fridge on electricity when you can. Our fridge runs on electricity when we are hooked up and we use propane as a backup.
Find alternative ways to cook your food. You can use an electric cooker to make yummy crockpot camping meals or cook over a fire. Bringing along a strand of RV awning lights will make cooking outside so much fun!
RV Propane Tank Gauge
If you are using a DOT cylinder tank, you can add an RV propane tank gauge to help estimate your propane level. It is the worst to run out of propane in the middle of a cold night with no propane left to heat up your RV.
The Camco Propane Gauge fits on DOT tanks that have the ACME/OPD connector. It will work great connecting to your RV as well as gas grills and boats. The fuel gauge will not read the levels immediately but begins working as propane is flowing.
The RV propane tank gauge does not work like a gas tank with specific measurements. It measures pressure so it is fairly accurate but not perfect. It is more accurate than lifting the tank to estimate how much is left or tapping on the side.
Check Prices for Propane Gauges on Amazon Here!
RV propane tank gauges will also help you save money if you are exchanging DOT cylinder tanks. You will have a better idea of when your tank is empty so you aren’t exchanging a tank with propane left in it.
RV Propane Regulator
An RV propane regulator is an important piece of managing your RV propane tanks. It is a small tool that controls the flow of propane from the tank to your RV or appliance. It is an important safety feature that helps prevent ruptured hoses or an explosion.
Whether you’re using a DOT cylinder tank or a permanent ASME propane tank, you will need to use an RV propane regulator.
Check Prices for RV Propane Regulator on Amazon Here!
RV Propane Tank Covers
You should store your RV propane tanks outside so protecting them from the elements will make sure your tank remains clean and that there is no damage to them. An RV propane tank cover provides protection to your tanks when you are driving down the road. Plus, the covers are more visually appealing than the propane tanks.
We used this propane tank cover on our pop-up trailer with two 30-pound propane tanks. It is easy to take on and off. It is also compatible with two 20-pound tanks.
Check Prices for Propane Tank Cover on Amazon Here!
Tips for Using RV Propane tanks
Do Not Use Propane When Driving – Tanks should be stored and secured to the frame of the RV. When driving through some tunnels you are required by state law to turn the propane off.
You Can Smell Propane – If you do smell propane, do not turn on any RV appliances and make sure all appliances are turned off. Sometimes a stove knob will accidentally get turned on. You should leave your RV if you cannot determine the source of the propane leak.
Regularly Inspect Your Propane Tanks – Along with the tanks, be sure to look at the regulator and lines. Clear rust and dirt to prevent leaks and cracks. This is one of the most important safety measures you should take with your propane bottles.
Maintain Your Detectors – Most RVs come with propane, smoke, and carbon monoxide detectors. Inspect these regularly and replace batteries when needed. Make sure your carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors are working before each trip.
It is recommended to change carbon monoxide and smoke detectors at least every 10 years and batteries should be replaced every six months. This is a very important safety feature of RVs as people are killed from carbon monoxide poisoning. Making sure your carbon monoxide detector is working before every camping trip is one of the important safety measures you shouldn’t skip.
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