# Anyone Tried This



## Chabbie1 (Dec 3, 2006)

Has anyone seen or used this:

http://www.truckspring.com/maccoupler-1-lb...maccoupler.html

or this from Mr. Heater?

http://www.gas-space-heater.com/catalog/pr...a9b007942f0a531

any thoughts?

Chabbie1


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

That looks pretty cool!


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Personally, I'd get the smallest refillable tank out there and an adapter hose. I'm not real excited about refilling those flimsy things with propane.


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## AZthunderations (Aug 21, 2008)

I've used this type of refiller a lot. I don't think you get the tanks as full as the factory, but they still work real well. I have had a problem with an off brand tank leaking once. Might have been just that one tank, but I have stuck to coleman tanks only since then. Takes just a couple minutes for each tank to fill. You refrigerate the small tank first to get it cold and then attach it to the larger tank. Turn the larger tank upside down and open the valve. This is to fill with liquid instead of gas. Once the small tank is filled you turn off the valve and unscrew from the adapter. All done.


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

I saw that in cabela's a few weeks ago and thought it was pretty cool. BUT, read the label on the canister, there's a pretty strong warning not to refill them.

Mike


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Very dangerous. There is no way to tell if the tank is overfilled. Just my .02 worth from working in propane industry.








Propane needs room to expand that is why regular tanks have bleeder valve, to know when it's 80% full. These little tanks get too filled up and the propane has no room to expand.


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## AZthunderations (Aug 21, 2008)

You have more knowledge about LP then me, I'm sure. I think the "saftey" factor here is that you can't get any more pressure, (PSI) then what is in the larger tank. Once the same pressures are reached, the flow will naturally stop. The directions ask for 1 minute of time with the valve open. In my experience doing this, one minute is longer then the time it takes to reach equal pressure, but is used as a guideline. As I stated before, the small tanks do not fill as much as when new, so are propably well within standards. I know a lot of people that use these refillers and have had no problems other then an ocassional small tank that doesn't seal after refilling. Directions instruct you to use soapy water to check for this. It's happened to me just once, on an off brand (Chinese) tank. I'm not advocating using refillers, just answering the original question that was asked. Please don't shoot the messanger









Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> Very dangerous. There is no way to tell if the tank is overfilled. Just my .02 worth from working in propane industry.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Chabbie1 (Dec 3, 2006)

Thank you for your thougths. Just was wondering what everyone thought, not that we are going to buy it.
I'd rather be safe than sorry!


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## AZthunderations (Aug 21, 2008)

camping479 said:


> I saw that in cabela's a few weeks ago and thought it was pretty cool. BUT, read the label on the canister, there's a pretty strong warning not to refill them.
> 
> Mike


If they didn't put that warning on the tanks, they would be liable for anything that happens after the sale. We all know that many warnings are to cover ones a__ from the ever happy to sue lawyers. If your business is selling filled tanks, you would warn against refilling them too. Check the warnings on your folding camping chairs, and almost every other item you have. Most of them seem pretty silly to most of us, but not to the person that makes a living in court.
Reminds me of the new motorhome owner that put the RV on cruise, got up from the drivers seat to get something from the rear of the coach and the unit crashed. Now the owners manual warns against that so that the manufacturer won't be sued..........again.


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

I'm not sure that it would be that dangerous since you are only filling it from a static tank and not using a pump. I doubt you would get it anywhere near full. Usually propane is pumped into a tank as a liquid and the tank in your trailer outputs propane as a gas. You would have invert your tank to get it to come out as a liquid and then the receiving tank would need to be vented and you would have weigh it in. If it were me I would buy the smallest refillable tank you can buy and use that.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Weight the bottles before and after and you can be sure you put the correct amount in.

There could be some issues though as the new OPD valves on the propane tanks do not like to be flipped over. Some may work but others will stop the flow.

As for the pressure, you are trying to put liquid in the small bottles (that is why you turn the tank over) so the flow will continue even once the pressure is equal, as long as there is gas volume to displace.

Personally I don't like to refill, yes it is cheaper but I prefer to use a 11 pound bottle with an adapter hose. Easy to move and easy to fill and it is safe.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

​Info from internet:​There are two main differences between refillable cylinders and non-refillable cylinders.​Refillable cylinders are uniformly heat-treated after all forming and welding operations. The​steel is thicker and the cylinder is equipped with an overflow protection device. Heat treatment​increases the elasticity of the cylinder allowing it to be refilled time after time. A single-use​cylinder cannot be refilled because their structure is such that they will rupture when under the​stress of refilling. Despite this danger, single-use cylinder "refill kits" can be found advertised​on the Internet.

*

Feasibility of substitution of non-refillable cylinders to refillable​*Non-refillable propane cylinders have a thin wall thickness and are not heat-treated. Refillable​propane cylinders are heat-treated after all forming and welding operations are complete. Heat​treatment softens the metal and restores its elasticity. Refilling non-refillable cylinders is​dangerous because the inelasticity of the metal concentrates stresses and fatigues the steel.​Because non-refillable type cylinders are not heat treated, they are much thinner-walled than​refillable cylinders. DOT standards for refillable cylinders are DOT 4BA. A DOT 4BA cylinder​is a cylinder with a water capacity of 1,000 pounds or less and a service pressure that ranges​between 225 to 500 psig. These kinds of cylinders are made from two seamless hemispheres and​joined by the welding of one circumferential seam. Minimum wall thickness should be 1.9939​mm (0.0785 inches).​Technically, it is possible to make a 465 g capacity refillable cylinder. The thickness of the nonrefillable​propane cylinder is 0.7112 mm (0.028 inch). To change this cylinder to a refillable​design would increase the weight of the cylinder to approximately 1.3 kg. Valve systems should​meet refillable standards and an overflow protection device must be mounted in the cylinder.​Manufacturing of a refillable 465 g capacity propane cylinder using thick aluminum sheet would​reduce the weight of the cylinder by half of a comparable steel vessel. There is no authorized​company in Canada to refill or transport used cylinders to the U.S.​In reference to phone conversations with single-use propane cylinder producers, it is technically​possible to make single-use propane cylinders refillable and feasible to do so, but from​marketing standpoint, producers are reluctant to take on this change.


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## Chabbie1 (Dec 3, 2006)

Thank you all for your $.02.

Don't think we will be purchasing this. 
Safety is more important than convienence!


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> Very dangerous. There is no way to tell if the tank is overfilled. Just my .02 worth from working in propane industry.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


X2. I knew a Scoutmaster who used one of these for a long time to fill "Coleman" tanks that his boys used for their camp stoves and lanterns. (He was just trying to save the troop some money.) One day, a very insightful boy went to him and told him that the tank smelled bad and wondered if it was leaking. Sure enough - upon examination, it was leaking at the little valve on the side/top of the canister.

After that, he quit refilling them. It could have spelled disaster had the boy not paid any attention and started cooking dinner with it attached to the stove.

And with the price of propane - bulk costs about $1/pound around here - and considering the price of the two-packs at Wally World (about $3.75), it's not worth sacrificing the safety aspect for the few dollar's I'd save over time, in my opinion.

(Imagine carrying one of these in the back of your enclosed truck topper and the back end filling with gas from a leak. Then think about the consequences of a spark. And I store these in our Outback's Pass-Thru storage, for lantern and grill, too.)

Just weighing in on the question that was asked.

Mike


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

AZthunderations said:


> I saw that in cabela's a few weeks ago and thought it was pretty cool. BUT, read the label on the canister, there's a pretty strong warning not to refill them.
> 
> Mike


If they didn't put that warning on the tanks, they would be liable for anything that happens after the sale. We all know that many warnings are to cover ones a__ from the ever happy to sue lawyers. If your business is selling filled tanks, you would warn against refilling them too. Check the warnings on your folding camping chairs, and almost every other item you have. Most of them seem pretty silly to most of us, but not to the person that makes a living in court.
Reminds me of the new motorhome owner that put the RV on cruise, got up from the drivers seat to get something from the rear of the coach and the unit crashed. Now the owners manual warns against that so that the manufacturer won't be sued..........again.
[/quote]

I'm sure they are covering themselves for liability but tje label also cites a federal law that prohibits refilling or transporting one of those canisters after it's been refilled.

Mike


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## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

x2 on safety and the danger warnings - its not worth it....


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