What Are the Common Camper Propane Tanks?

These propane tanks and cylinders come in a range of sizes.

propane tank Hazleton, PA Late summer and early fall are ideal times to take your friends and loved ones out to the open road and to the parks and campgrounds across Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania and beyond. If you have an RV or another kind of camper, it might be time to fill up the propane for your next trip. In this article, we’ll discuss the different propane tank sizes involved in campers and how they should be filled and maintained.

What Does Propane Do for Your Camper?

Propane powers many of the appliances and systems that make life on the road comfortable, including:

Grills, stoves, and cooktops
Hot water generation
Refrigerators
Space heating

Because propane can be compressed into a liquid for safe, compact transport, it’s an ideal fuel choice for recreational vehicles of all kinds.

What Size and Type of Tank Does Your Camper Use?

The tank size and type your camper needs depend on the kind of RV you have.

Larger RVs, like motorhomes, typically use an ASME tank, named for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which sets the manufacturing standards for these containers. ASME tanks are permanently mounted, usually on the exterior of the vehicle, and are the same type of tank used for stationary home and business propane systems. On an RV, an ASME tank generally ranges from 20 to 100 pounds. Refilling one means visiting a propane station equipped to service vehicles.

Smaller campers more commonly rely on portable DOT cylinders, named for the Department of Transportation regulations that govern them. These cylinders can be detached from your camper for easy refilling or swapping, giving you more flexibility while you’re away from home. Common camper DOT cylinder sizes include 20 pounds, which is the same size used for a standard grill tank, 33 pounds, and 40 pounds.

Keeping Your Camper’s Propane System Safe

Follow these tips to travel safely with propane on board:

Regularly check tanks for corrosion, damage, or wear, and have a professional inspect them if anything looks off.
Inspect propane hoses for kinks, abrasions, or fraying.
Transport tanks exactly as your camper manufacturer instructs, and never transport a cylinder inside the camper itself.
Schedule a professional safety inspection of your camper’s propane system once a year.
Make sure your camper has working propane, carbon monoxide, and smoke detectors, along with at least one properly rated fire extinguisher.
Shut off your propane supply while driving.
Turn off all propane valves, appliances, ignitors, and pilot lights before refilling a tank.
Never smoke near your propane equipment.
If you smell gas or hear a gas detector alert, leave the camper immediately, avoid any ignition sources, close the propane valve if it’s safe to do so, and call 911 once you’re clear.

Refill Your Camper’s Propane Cylinders with Koppy’s Propane

Ready to hit the road? Stop by any Koppy’s Propane office during normal business hours, and our team will refill your empty cylinder on the spot. We can also safety-test and requalify your cylinder, a step the U.S. Department of Transportation requires 12 years after manufacture, and every five years after that.

Visit us Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at our Williamstown, Carlisle, or Wapwallopen locations. Not sure which station is closest? Contact our team. We partner with fill stations throughout the region and can point you to the nearest one.