No-corrosion, composite propane tank

[CapnK]

Ran across this the other day, a much more affordable product than the aluminum tanks I have considered, while still lightweight and corrosion-free. Neat that you can see the fuel level just by looking...

Dreaming: Maybe they'll come out with a slightly smaller version - I'd like to have a tank in the 10-15# range, with a more-cylindrical design than the usual 20# tanks... :)

Lite Cylinder



Cheapest price I have seen for it so far: US$79.95 at the time of this post...

[Joe Pyrat]

Now that is interesting.  I'm going to need a couple of tanks in the near future.  Grog's on me!   :)

Edit:  Just emailed them asking for more information and inquiring how they would hold up under exposure to constant sunlight. 

[AdriftAtSea]

Joe-

Don't you have a propane locker for the tanks, or do you just store them on deck??

[Joe Pyrat]

AdriftAtSea,

I rack mount them on the stern rail. 

I looked at trying to install a propane locker, but space is so tight on a Triton there just wasn't any place that would really work for the size of tanks I wanted to run (I'm going to be living aboard so I wanted a couple of fairly healthy tanks). 

[CapnK]

Joe -

Thought I'd pass this along for your consideration - An idea I've had is to mount the propane tank in the forward end of the cockpit footwell, with a solid cover over it (to hide it/make it look nice, and protect it). It should allow any leaking gas to drain away easily, while also reducing the amount of water that the boat has to deal with in the event of a boarding sea. It should also result in less plumbing needed, and puts the tank a bit closer to the middle of the boat, and her CG. I'm not sure what the Triton cockpit looks like, you may have engine controls there or something, but on my Ariel it seems like it'll be a good use of that space. :)

[Joe Pyrat]

Thanks for the suggestion Cap'n.  I have considered a couple of locations for the tanks.  One friend of mine has his mounted just aft of the main mast horizontally on the deck.  James Baldwin built a storage locker in this location on his Triton Atom which could be modified to allow a tank, but probably only a single tank.  Putting them under cover would be a good, but you would need to figure out some kind of drain and on a A4 equipped Triton any leakage would probably wind up below due to the shift lever opening (except for those with the screw in cap of course).  I originally thought of putting it under the stern deck, but this area is so limited I wouldn't be able to carry much fuel. 

In my case, I'm going to install a large watertight inspection plate here so I can get at the cutlass bearing if need be.  Hanging them off the stern isn't as fair as it could be, but it gets them out of the way and eliminates any drainage problems.  Of course the drawbacks are that they are exposed to the elements, possible damage from being hit from the stern and a longer fuel line.  One of the small boat sailors many trials and tribulations I guess...   :)

Here's a picture of a similar inspection plate installation.


This picture shows a plastic hatch but I'm using an aluminum watertight hatch from Hamilton Marine.

[CapnK]

That hatch looks plenty sturdy. :)

Do you happen to have/know it's dimensions? Is it supposed to be *very* watertight?

[Joe Pyrat]

I'm pretty sure it is 21" x 12" cutout; 19-1/2" x 10-1/16" opening.



http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/4,2552.htm

It is suppose to be "very" water tight.  The removable part has a couple of tabs on the side opposite the latches that slip into holes in the frame.  Then the latches are secured to  hold it in place.  There is a rubber gasket around the edge.  I'm going to use two more for lazerette hatches and seal up the old access panels located on the vertical sides of the cockpit seats.

[castawaysailor]

got one of those tanks, thanks for the info; pretty interesting and a good idea on a boat; a bit large for a small boat but we still need gas-so I went for it and now have a 6 lb aluminum tank on my rail and this tank as a backup.

[CapnK]

Cool!

Castaway - a few Q's -

Who did you get the tank from?

How was their customer service?

Has the price gone up or down?

And last, build quality - does it seem that the tanks are 'well found'? :D

Appreciate any info!

[AdriftAtSea]

And how large are the tanks?  Are they 20 lbs. propane tanks? or do they make a 10 lbs. tank??

[castawaysailor]

currently, I think they only make a 20 lb and a tank for forklift trucks.  They show a 10 ob tank on their website but no prices.  do not remember the place I ordered from but I think it was referenced here on sailfar; customer service excellent

build quality is good, the tank itself if fiberglass is very good quality, the frame is plastic and seems strong enough.  You can see the propane level through the tank, that is kinda cool

size is 12.4 dia; 18" long; weight about 12 lbs.

price about $80

[AdriftAtSea]

do they make a horizontal tank yet??? :D  The 18" is a bit high for the propane locker i'm designing. :(  Of course, I could revise the design a bit.

[castawaysailor]

do they make a horizontal tank yet??? :D  The 18" is a bit high for the propane locker i'm designing. :(  Of course, I could revise the design a bit.

only the forklift tank but I think it is a 30 lb tank, a bit big for most of us;  the technology is still a bit new so I am sure more will be coming as they get approved

[s/v Faith]

These composite tanks are very cool, and I see a ton of them in use out here aboard cruising boats.

Just a heads up though, don't buy one used without researching the manufacturer.  There was a recall back in June.


June 27, 2013

Composite tanks have been very popular with cruising boaters and Rivers since they are lighter than metal tanks, are rust-proof, and are translucent so that one can see how much propane is left in the tank. This recall is for only composite tanks made by Lite Cylinder (10#, 20#, 25#, 33#) due to increasing failure rates (leaking), among other problems cited in the notice.

On May 24, 2013, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued an emergency recall order for all cylinders manufactured by The Lite Cylinder Company, Inc., citing that the cylinders "constitute or are causing an imminent hazard to public safety."

Under no circumstances should a cylinder described in this emergency recall order be filled, refilled, or used for the transportation of hazardous materials.

http://www.uscgboating.org/news/default.aspx?ArticleId=704

[mitiempo]

There is currently only one brand of composite propane tank approved for use and sale in North America. It is made in Europe by Rugosa and sold in North America under the Trident name. It is a good tank without the issues that the Lite Cylinder had. I would bet that all tanks will be composite eventually.