Sometime the state/fed-? passed a new law regarding propane
bottles. the law became in effect April 1, 2002..... gee, I never
heard anything about this one... It basically says that all propane
bottle must now have a device known as an "overflow-prevention
device" installed (inside the bottle).......... It looks like a toilet-
float so when the liquid propane fills, once full, the liquid presses
against the little float, and stops the (over)filling of the tank.

it also indicated that forklift tanks are excluded from this new law.

so, now I have to go buy 2 new bottles for my cabover camper,
and 2 more for the bbq, and deep-fryer I just got from costco.


and, the RV bottles are special, (mine have special horizontal)
brackets welded to them that I've never seen any others like them.


so, did anyone else know about this law? and since I only have
my RV bottles toped-off once per year, (I don't see much of a
problem here) why is the law excluding the forklift bottles-?
(which get refilled NUMEROUS TIMES PER WEEK)????

damn state............

-Sherpa

PS: does anyone know if "brand-new" bottles come with any
traces of a flammable gas in them?? ---I need to cut the "special"
brackets off my rv bottles, and weld them onto the new ones I
HAVE TO BUY!

DOesn't Vince work at a propane place-? (Is he the assistant-
manager at Strickland Propane--?)

hehehe

Call the RV place. I don't think I'd chance welding on one, but that's me. I heard something about the law when it came about, but...

Bryan

I try to STRONGLY AVOID buying anything from the RV dealer.
anything/ and EVERYTHING they sell is BIG $$$ regardless of
what it is...

and the little RV accessory outlet store near me just packed up
and moved to Portland OR.... so, now it's a 35 mile drive to get
a friggen part if I need one. I'm affraid to ask about buying a
new bottle from those clowns.

--Sherpa

yea i think it's federal, i have to swap all of mine out also. or just find someone on a ranch near you that has a big propane tank to fill your bottles. not really legal but whoops. mike

yeah, my mom and dads 5-th wheel will be needing 2 new bottles, and my sister needs 1, and my other sister already
got 1.

so, just from my family, that's 8 bottles.......

--Sherpa

and why is it they don't ban the forklift bottles again-?

PS: you have to buy the WHOLE new bottle, they don't

sell just the OPD thingy.

Originally posted by SHERPA RIG
and why is it they don't ban the forklift bottles again-?


Probably because people that deal with them every day use them more safely than the folks that can't be trusted to keep their fingers out of their lawn mowers.

Bryan

I think the horizontal bottles are special because they are lying on the side they pick up tube inside needs to be different than a vertical bottle. I had this problem when I had to buy a enw one for my camper(damn thieves!)

The overflow valve thing hasn't hit us Canucks yet.

Originally posted by SHERPA RIG

PS: you have to buy the WHOLE new bottle, they don't

sell just the OPD thingy.

In MN they do. They charge about $20 to install the OPD Valve at most of the places that do refills here (standard grill type tanks).

Chuck P

Originally posted by Chet
I think the horizontal bottles are special because they are lying on the side they pick up tube inside needs to be different than a vertical bottle. I had this problem when I had to buy a enw one for my camper(damn thieves!)

The overflow valve thing hasn't hit us Canucks yet.

You wanna buy some very clean "used" rv bottles--? lol...

Originally posted by Chet
I think the horizontal bottles are special because they are lying on the side they pick up tube inside needs to be different than a vertical bottle. I had this problem when I had to buy a enw one for my camper(damn thieves!)

The overflow valve thing hasn't hit us Canucks yet.

Chet, you are probably correct..... I know that there are 2-types
of propane uses: gaseous, and liquid. and the intank-pick up
tube is probably what seperates the 2 types. so, I might "have"
to buy special RV bottles......


or, take the valve off of mine once they are empty, and look
inside to see how it is arranged.... then, if the "regular" stand-up
bottles can be changed, I'll just do the mod myself.

--Sherpa thanks for the input so far...........

Are you sure you can't just by the overflow device? In Colorado you can for about $20. Of course anything goes in wacky California.:flipoff2: Most people just switch out their tanks since it's about the same cost for a 20 pound bottle. BTW, this law only applies to 20 and 40 pound bottles. I heard about it last December and had mine filled in the middle of April.

yep... went into effect in april.. and you can just have them install the valve for like $25.. you're gettin screwed man.

Originally posted by CSP
Are you sure you can't just by the overflow device? In Colorado you can for about $20. Of course anything goes in wacky California.:flipoff2: Most people just switch out their tanks since it's about the same cost for a 20 pound bottle. BTW, this law only applies to 20 and 40 pound bottles. I heard about it last December and had mine filled in the middle of April.

Yep you should be able to, even in this damned state where the only legal gerry cans are almost impossible to operate.

all horizontal bottles are exempt from this new law

I traded in my old style BBQ tanks at Lowes for the new filled ones for about $16 each, but that only works for the small BBQ ones.

FYI:

My dad is a propane retailer. He has a printout of the laws.

He told me that if it is bolted down (like inside the camper) that it is excluded. And everything 20 gallons and bigger is also excluded.

OPD valves have been around for years. It's only recently that they became mandatory on things like gas grill tanks and the like.

The feds gave the masses PLENTY of time to make the switch.

cmk

Originally posted by CSP
Are you sure you can't just by the overflow device? In Colorado you can for about $20. Of course anything goes in wacky California.:flipoff2:

They would probably have to put the little warning about it causing cancer or something along with one that says "" WARNING: do not change while bottle is full"" or something to that effect

I made a post in Chit-Chat about the new propane laws... That was back in Sept '01. I posted again in the spring of 2002.


Any permanently mounted tank is exempt, so you should be fine there if you permenantly attach the tank to the camper. What I don't understand about it is that tanks have to be re-certified after 12 years, and every 5 years after that. They can only be recertified twice before you have to replace them. For those people that have to replace them, what do they have to do? Alot of people are telling me that they cannot find the replacement tanks anywhere...

ok.... testing........ since I know how the welding tanks have to
be retested; (Hydro-testing) who tests these propane tanks-?

this sounds more like a PITA.............. my camper tanks are
now out of hydro by 2+ years...........

the bbq bottle is only 6 years old, but OPD valve.

so, can I buy the OPD valve only--??

can I buy the adapter for use as the female/large male fitting
on the same end--??

thanks guys, keep these answers coming, I appreciate it!

--Sherpa

Originally posted by SHERPA RIG
ok.... testing........ since I know how the welding tanks have to
be retested; (Hydro-testing) who tests these propane tanks-?

this sounds more like a PITA.............. my camper tanks are
now out of hydro by 2+ years...........

the bbq bottle is only 6 years old, but OPD valve.

so, can I buy the OPD valve only--??

can I buy the adapter for use as the female/large male fitting
on the same end--??

thanks guys, keep these answers coming, I appreciate it!

--Sherpa


Any propane wholesaler or repair facility should be able to recertify your tanks.

Yes you can buy just the OPD valve and have it installed... roughly $23 here for a regular stand up BBQ bottle. Brand new is only $12 more.


unfortunatly, I don't understand what you are talking about with the adapter...

unfortunatly, I don't understand what you are talking about with the adapter... I think what he is talking about is the newer ones screw onto the outside instead of threading on the inside of the valve, but the new bottles i believe have the threads both inside and out so it shouldnt be a problem.

hey if you have to get new tanks for your RV...don't weld em DUH

to much risk..


but what about taking the new tank and just making a round clamp, around it and weld the brakets to the clamp...make a flexible hinge thing with a cinch clamp to keep it tight


tell us wht you find out though

LPG tanks for motor vehicles are exempt from the new Calif. valve law.

I have the exact wording around here somewhere.

K.

:usa:

take your tanks to any welding store and they will put the new valves in your old tanks so they comp[ly. Here it is under $20 if I remember right

Depending on what you have for tanks there are a couple of ways to deal with this. First (and most ethical) is to simply have the valves changed. Second (cheapest and least hassle) is if they are the 20 gal tank, simply take them down to one of those places where you swap an empty tank for a full tank. They never look at them around here. Also if you want to switch from an internal thread to an external thread, you can do that as they typically have both types.

Robert

OPD valves have internal and external threads....

Thanks for clarifying smurfsdad

Originally posted by smurfsdad
I think what he is talking about is the newer ones screw onto the outside instead of threading on the inside of the valve, but the new bottles i believe have the threads both inside and out so it shouldnt be a problem.

you are 100% correct on this one!!!

--Sherpa

I went to Home Depot and bought a new bbq cylinder on saturday. then went to U-Haul to get it filled, and asked alot
of questions:

Are "pick-up Cabover" cylinders that are horizontally mounted
(but removeable) exempted from this new OPD law?

answer: no. since they are not BOLTED TO THE VEHICLE FRAME
they are NOT excluded..........

he also went on to say: The RV bottles that are mounted to
trailer-coach tongues (as in bumper-pull trailers) are also
NOT EXEMPTED from the OPD law.

they are NOT permitted to refill these non-OPD bottles on the
RV's..........

and yes about the "adapter' thing, it is a gender-changer that
screws into the tank-female fitting, and has the same ID thread
female thread, as well as the very course male acme-looking
thread. thanks Smurfsdad.....

and for the comment on "don't weld on the new rv bottles...

I would do it this way: remove the valve/feedtube from my
old rv tanks to see how they are arranged.

then, using a die grinder on the tack welds, remove the old
horizontal brackets from my old tanks.

then buy new bottles. remove the tank valve/OPD/dip tube
assembly. shape it as required by design of old tank.
re-install valve assembly.

weld on old horizontal brackets. these tanks would have had
no propane in them at this point.

--thanks for all the answers, I'll leave this entire post here for
awhile since I think it's informative... it was for me anyway!

--Sherpa

soon to be a Star! (red)