Pelfreybilt Off-Road

Waiting patiently

 

We should soon! We just have a ton going on over here but we are working on it!

 

I’m having doubts with my dual Jerry can versus single Jerry + propane decision.

I ordered single Jerry and propane.

I currently carry 1x COTS easy swappable 20-ish lb propane bottle and 2x Jerry cans (1 gas, 1 water) on the majority of our camping trips.

My thought was to keep fuels outside my truck, easy to access, and not have to carry the awkward shaped propane bottle in my shell. The water Jerry can would remain inside, which is fine. It’s easy to pack.

The downside of this setup is requiring to buy a new propane tank, and I can no longer swap it at a gas station/Lowe’s/anywhere else. I’d have to get it filled during normal business hours. Full disclosure, I’ve never tried to do this, so it may be a non-issue.

@ETXTacoma ’s suggestion is to get dual Jerry can mounts, use them, and put my current propane bottle in an acquired milk crate, sacrificing a little space to keep the convenience of the larger tank.

What does the internet think about this?
@hoarder23
@dwaltdtx
@trekker

 

I camped with a 20lb propane tank for a long time, strapping it in the bed while traveling and pulling it out when camping. It wasn’t the worst but wasn’t the best senario. And I started feeling that 20lbs of propane was overkill and could cut some weight. So I bit the bullet and ordered an aluminum 6lb Worthington tank. I fabricated a mount off the spare tire and now I can easily carry 2 5gal jerrys and my propane tank. My wife and I went cross country for 3 weeks living out of the truck and about 2/3 through the trip we stopped to top off the propane tank, I asked them to weigh it prior to filling and I wasn’t even close to empty.. Also I have a local propane fill station where I live and they have no troubles filling it, it’s like $5. I’ve heard gas station/Lowes tank swaps are a rip off cuz like a bag of potato chips they’re never completely full, fill stations will fill the tank the whole way.

Before: 20lb tank in a milk crate




After: 6lb tank never moves

 

Do you keep the tank on there all the time and did you build the dual jerry can holder or was that from Pelfrey?

Some googling looks like that tank runs a pretty penny online now, but I can see what you mean about the potato chip analogy when it comes to exchange bottles. I guess in the long run, it could make more sense to have the smaller tank if you have a easy access to a propane place to refill it or have it checked before a trip.

 

I like this idea, until I look at the price for one of those tanks. If I were going to travel long distance and stay in the truck for a few weeks then I’d bite the bullet. Until then, I’ll have to figure something out.

 

Exchanging cylinders is the most expensive way to purchase propane. Easiest, and you pay for the convenience.

Some refill places charge for the entire fill - 20 lbs in this case - even if your cylinder is not empty.

The best refill places only charge for what actually goes in the cylinder. Are you a member of Costco? Some of them refill propane, and they have the cheapest price around.

You could always do what I started doing - carry and use 1 lb cylinders. Smaller, lighter and pack anywhere. Best of all - you can refill them, getting the convenience of the small cylinders and the low cost of the bulk, larger cylinders. The refill adapter is about $20 - pays for itself in no time.

When we take our trips out west, over a 2 week period, we will use 4 - 5 pounds of propane. We bring five 1 lb cylinders, and are set. If for some reason we need more, we can easily find a 1 lb cylinder.

Yes, there is debate about refilling cylinders, but to date (several years) I have not had any issues with it.

 

This is a good point, I guess I will start looking and waiting to see if I can snag a smaller bottle from camping world if I can get a sale or something from them... I guess as long as I take care of it and have it inspected and such, the bottle should last a pretty good while to be able to hold the propane and such anyways.

I also carry spare 1lb cylinders and I also have some MSR cylinders for a small single burner stove I take for solo trips and use for freeze dried foods, and those are always easy to find at any outdoor retailer.

 

I refill the 1lb cylinders too! I typically have two with us; one for my lantern, one as a reserve to finish dinner in case I misjudge how much propane we have in the big tank.

Super easy to refill; I bought the adapter from Amazon.

That said, I agree with you on all points about the big bottles. I was reading that the exchange places usually only put ~17lbs into their tanks, but still charge $19ish for them.

 

That’s fair, to a point.

I’m looking at $50-60 for the bottle, then fairly cheap refills vs $20 refills forever.

 

Same here... which in the long run, would prob be cheaper if you used it a lot or used it at the house as well?

 

I like this idea. I need to explore making my own mount so I can do all three.

 

It would be cheaper. I think everyone agrees about that.

But where is the break even point?


I’d like to see @Chux ‘s mount so I can do all three, instead of having to pick two.

 

No idea on that on where the break even point is... I know that I just got a new bottle exchanged... so will need to use it up somehow since I don't really own a grill besides my camping one and my 2 burner stove.

 

BTW...

Some of the cylinder exchange places now only put 15 lbs of propane in a 20 lb cylinder.

Of course, the price is not an less.

 

A five pound tank (1.1 gallons) is $60 and costs about $4 to fill. Disposable one pounders run about $4 also. It takes four refills of the 5lb to break even ($60 +$4 +$4 +$4 +$4) compared to 1lb bottles (20 bottles at $4 each).

 

Where did you find $50-$50 for the tank? The alumnium one mentioned before was $224 but I’m assuming they make a steel variant that would cost much less.

 

Yes, steel.
Flame King YSN011 Steel Propane Cylinder with Type 1 Overflow Protection Device Valve, 11-Pound

Flame King 10LB Steel Propane Tank Cylinder with Type 1 Overflow Protection Device Valve, Great for Camping, Fire Pits, Heaters, Grills, Overlanding, White

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KOLF1IQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hrjyBb6B5E9B4

 

That’s much more reasonable. I love cutting weight as much as possible but their is a large price point difference there.

 

This isn't Pelfrey related, but just chiming in due to the propane cylinder talk. Another option is the 1-gallon cylinder. Holds just over 4 pounds of propane. Works well for my needs (and mounting solution). Costs about $3 per refill at my local station. (I also carry a back-up 1-pounder just in case.)