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Old 03-21-2021, 04:55 PM   #1
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being able to connect extra propane

Hi,
I would like to be able to connect a 5 gallon refillable rhino propane tank to my rv propane system as a backup when I boondock. I have a permanently attached 12 gallon tank now and am having trouble finding the right size T adapter. Hopefully the picture attached has enoughinfo and if not I can try to find more I just don't know what to look for.

Thanks for any help.
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Old 03-21-2021, 06:36 PM   #2
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I don't think the photo gives enough information for an exact answer.

Most of us use a Camco Extend-a-Stay adapter (as opposed to a DIY "T" fitting) for this purpose (or a similar unit from another manufacturer). It's designed to go between your tanks outlet valve and your regulator. These adapters are available from Amazon and other vendors on a stand-alone basis or in a package with a hose or hoses to connect to your auxiliary tank. Trying to make up your own is likely going to be as or more expensive and possibly less safe. I see that the units without hoses sell for $30 - $35.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-59113-P...371915&sr=8-17

Looking at your photo, by installing the Extend-a-Stay to your outlet valve will move your regulator five or so inches to the right. The necessary brass fittings should be available at any hardware store, Home Depot or Lowes. Hopefully there's enough slack in your outlet hose to permit this move. If not, you'll need a short extension hose.

Here's a video that should be helpful:

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Old 03-21-2021, 07:30 PM   #3
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The extend a stay is a common item that is very popular but if there is reason to want to go a more DIY method, there is a lot of help online for the sizing of the parts that may help on this or other things like plumbing or electrical. We often skip over things that don't seem to fit what we want at the time and the "parts catalog is one of those which often has tons of good info but we skip it because we are not wanting to order parts!

It might be good to give this site a look for detailed info on your specific model and year:
https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm

Meanwhile I might guess that you will have 3/8 ID fittings and maybe this would be what you ask about? But there are tons of ways to tap in so lots of different options are out there.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt...1549/207176670
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Old 03-22-2021, 09:42 AM   #4
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If still shopping/thinking, this might be of interest as well?

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Flow-...-p/06-0244.htm
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Old 03-22-2021, 10:31 AM   #5
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So i generally understand but dont really know what to look for. The link below is to my model.



https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...GO/3wf329b.pdf
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Old 03-22-2021, 11:48 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rainbowdino View Post
So i generally understand but dont really know what to look for. The link below is to my model.



https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...GO/3wf329b.pdf
The Extend-a-Stay or the similar fitting that Morich posted are independent of your model and will fit pretty much any RV's propane system. There's nothing to "look for" other than what we've suggested.

Can you be more specific?
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Old 03-22-2021, 01:28 PM   #7
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You may want to consider:


In your stock configuration adding an extend-a-stay (EAS) or a ridged extension pipe with fittings at the end can act as a horizontal pendulum and amplify shock to the high pressure tank fitting (POL) area. In an RV road vibration is capable of cracking the fittings and gas joints.



Consider fabricating a bracket (if the bracket could be mounted on the LP tank mountings, all the better), mount the EAS with regulator on the bracket and use a high pressure flexible hose with POL connectors at both ends to connect the tank to the EAS.


Consider using a hi-pressure gas rated quick disconnect connector with integral on/off valve on the RV (EAS) side for the added tank in place of the 1/4 NPT EAS fitting. The added convenience to rapidly disconnect the auxiliary LPG bottle is desirable.


Get a a POL on one end and a male gas rated quick disconnect at the other end for the spare tank, (Amazon - MENSI 12fft Male/Female Quick disconnect RV Propane Extension Hose). Having a 12ft hose makes it possible to connect to a tall 25 gal LPG bottle for mega-extended stay.or you can get adapters at etrailer.com to use the high pressure hose included with the EAS.



I had poor luck at Amazon, Home Depot and other retail stores finding one-to-one adapters, by scouring the plumbing and propane heater/barBque departments you may be able to connect multiple adapters together to mach the hose connectors. All adapters that I needed I found at etrailer.com.
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Old 03-22-2021, 01:34 PM   #8
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Okay, no big foul!
It's all confusing the first time around! So some down to basics are needed, maybe?

This is what I would do for mine and might work to clear some confusion.
Two ways to go about it though!

Step one is safety, so you don't want gas blowing around all over and you don't want fire anywhere close! So if you go inside and light the stove to burn some propane, leave it burning and then go out and close the big knob to the left in your picture so that the gas in the line will go out the stove and be burned to remove any pressure before you take the pipes apart! Released and burned off in controlled way-- not with a swoosh and bang!

Then when the fire on the stove has gone out and all pressure in the line is gone, take the fittings at 1 and 2 loose, so that you can pull item 3, the elbow, out. Since these are kind of tender brass things, get a couple wrenches of the right size to hold the el while taking the fittings off so you don't twist things in the wrong place!

Then you can take the el to the store and find a part that matches size and threads to replace the el with a tee of the same size and threads to give you a new end for your new parts.
Notice the shape of the end of the fitting that I first suggested and if the old part you remove has the sloped shape at the end, that is called a "flare fitting" as the end of the tubing or new fitting you might attach has to be flared to meet that shape.

Or you can go as suggested and use the setup that is planned for this and has the large "POL" fittings and parts to add at about the first joint after coming out of the tank valve. That way is super handy and if one might have trouble finding the right parts to build your own, it can certainly be lots easier and quicker with not much more expense at all.

Using the kit of parts, leave 1,2 and 3 all together but take the male "POL" fitting out of the female POL at 4 on the tank valve and screw the new set of fittings in the kit in that space by moving the reg, etc to the right four or five inches. Easy to do if the space works out okay. The kit then has you a space to screw a hose on to go to the new tank. You keep one tank closed until it goes near dry and then open the other, so that only one goes down at a time.
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Old 03-22-2021, 02:02 PM   #9
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The most difficulty that I encountered was to identify the connectors, POL?, NPT?, FPT?, NPTF?, Flare?, inverted Flare and then all the flexible hose possibilities. Most Home Depots have a board in the plumbing dept than has samples of the fittings mounted on it with the threads exposed so a customer can tryout his fitting on the samples to identify them.


Also it is sagacious to mention that I assumed a person would use pipe thread tape, in this case hi-temp yellow PTFE pipe thread tape or suitable thread compound and then leak check before utilizing.
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Old 03-22-2021, 02:08 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shedboy View Post
I had poor luck at Amazon, Home Depot and other retail stores finding one-to-one adapters, by scouring the plumbing and propane heater/barBque departments you may be able to connect multiple adapters together to mach the hose connectors. All adapters that I needed I found at etrailer.com.
Ace Hardware seems to have a good selection of fittings along with knowledgeable sales people.

And, ditto on securing your regulator. If the only option is to secure a bracket to the tank, you might want to consider using 3m VHB tape, making sure both surfaces are clean and roughed up a bit with fine sandpaper.
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Old 03-22-2021, 02:16 PM   #11
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Thanks for dumbing that down for me. So grateful!
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Old 03-22-2021, 02:20 PM   #12
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Thanks for dumbing that down for me. This is exactly the explanation I needed.
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Old 03-22-2021, 02:37 PM   #13
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Good luck and, if you find it's too much for you, a commercial propane shop or independent RV shop should be able to do the install for a reasonable price. Dealerships and Camping World are likely to be more expensive.
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Old 03-22-2021, 03:49 PM   #14
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Small parts plumbing seems to be just designed to keep the DIY folks guessing as there seems to be an unlimited stock of different sizes and shapes and with now more and more of the fittings and parts being out of the US, we get a whole new flood of ideas for what to call things.
We all know about metric but then we have to figure in some British standard sizes as well as the things that only fit propane like POL!!

I could not figure what POL might mean, so did a check and found this, which really should mean nothing at this point but still does!
"A POL valve (originally for Prest-O-Lite) is a gas connection fitting used on LPG cylinders. The oldest standard for such connections, it was developed by the Prest-O-Lite company, hence the name. It is still the most common such fitting in some countries such as Australia."

So that is where I like to take things to the store and actually SEE them fit with the other parts before buying!

But on this idea, the two methods have upsides and downsides to consider. The kit is handy but it does mean you may have to figure a way to support the reg and all that plumbing when you stick it out far more OR the other choice can be going half batty getting a handful of parts together to leave the reg in the same location and only adding in the tee to the length of the lineup.
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Old 03-23-2021, 08:40 AM   #15
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Morich's solution has a lot going for it -
1. Simple
2. Retains the "pendulum" in a vertical orientation, dampening the road vibration in the vertical axis, probably the dominate vibration/harmonic axis.
3. Satisfies the regulator vent directional requirement. (Vent must be pointed downward.) The EAS solution may or maynot result in the proper orientation of the regulator vent.
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Old 03-28-2021, 04:12 PM   #16
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I did this when a friend was living in our rv for a while. I just unscrewed the fitting from the tank valve and screwed it right into the bbq tank, regulator and all with it. Much simpler than adding extra valves in my opinion.
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Old 03-28-2021, 04:24 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rainbowdino View Post
Hi,
I would like to be able to connect a 5 gallon refillable rhino propane tank to my rv propane system as a backup when I boondock. I have a permanently attached 12 gallon tank now and am having trouble finding the right size T adapter. Hopefully the picture attached has enoughinfo and if not I can try to find more I just don't know what to look for.

Thanks for any help.
As others have suggested - there are a number of adapter kits & hoses listed in Amazon for doing exactly what you want. I did this a few years ago on our 2005 Adventurer, buying a kit which included 2 different hoses and a large brass adapter which enables me to both connect a 4.5 gallon propane tank externally (which is what you want) as well as being able to utilize my fixed propane tank to run a hose over to my grill utilizing propane from my big tank.

A word of caution on using those common household grille propane tanks -

(1) It has been revealed that many times those "exchange" tanks, like Blue Rhino, are not filled to capacity, so you are not getting the full 4.5 gallons which they can hold. There was a Class Action lawsuit against Blue Rhino - which they lost for $6.5m - because they were doing this. See link below.

(2) Most places charge $20-24 for a tank exchange, but if you take your tank to a propane station (many located throughout the West, as well as most U-Haul stores) you can get it filled for far less - $12-15, depending on what they charge for propane. (Was $2.29/gal in Quartzsite, AZ recently vs $3.43/gal here in CA). AND - you will get your tank totally filled to its max allowed capacity.

(3) Tank aging - Typical household grill propane tanks have a lifetime limit of 12 years, after which no propane supply store will fill them (as it is illegal). Each tank is stamped with a date of mfg. So you have to be careful with exchange tanks - because you could easily exchange your tank and get a very old one in exchange which would not be refillable very soon.

I bought a completely new tank at Home Depot last year. I know it is new by it's stamped date of Mfg.. I therefore also never exchange it because I know that any tank I get in return will not only be older, but also very likely to not be completely full.

See this link re: Blue Rhino lawsuit -

https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-...on-settlement/
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Old 03-28-2021, 04:35 PM   #18
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I bought a completely new tank at Home Depot last year. I know it is new by it's stamped date of Mfg.. I therefore also never exchange it because I know that any tank I get in return will not only be older, but also very likely to not be completely full.
On the other hand, if you have an aging or aged out "owned" tank, you can exchange it for a newer model via Blue Rhino or one of the other exchange services. Except for my small 5lb tank, I think my three propane tanks are now exchange tanks. I've gotten lazy recently but need to start getting them filled instead of exchanging.
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Old 03-29-2021, 09:15 AM   #19
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I have a similar model to your, Here is a blog I made for installing one: https://rvcampfire.wordpress.com/202...green-bottles/

I needed a new hose when I installed mine. I went to our local propane supply store and they custom made the needed hose. They are usually very helpful there and they are experts.

My biggest problem is figuring out a safe way to transport an extra 20 lb tank in a 31' Minnie
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Old 03-29-2021, 09:39 AM   #20
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Great, that looks very helpfull!
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