Propane, that wonderful stuff

[Ralph L. Fullenwider]

Hi everyone:

Since it is a slow day on the Forum, I thought I might start a little
thread on LP gas. Ever wondered how long your tank will last during the
winter months with the LP heaters going?

Interesting facts on that:

1 gal of LP turns out 91,502 of BTU

The ASME tanks on the Birds run about 45 gallons but remember that the
tanks can only be filled to 80% of capacity so we actually have only 36
gallons available.

That means:
36 gallons X 91,502 = 3,294,072 BTU per tank fill

Now then the Lp heaters are usually 16,000 BTU units per heater, so 3
heaters would use 48,000 BTU per hour.

So 3,294.072 divided by 48,000 = 68.6 hours @ 24/7 100% run time at 70 deg
F at sea level.

Interesting:

Now we know the heaters don't run 24/7 @ 100 percent so lets say they run
25 percent of the time. This takes the BTU's used from 68.6 to 120.06 hours
and that divided by 24 hours comes to, a total of 5 days of continuous
heater run time. This does not include the refrigerator or cooking BTU's
demand.

And the colder it get's the fewer BTU's are available as pressure. Lp boils
at -44 deg F so at sea level on a 100 deg F day the available pressure from
the tank is 198 psi. then for every 10 F drop in temperature the pressure
will drop aprox 1.5 percent. So it could actually be that you have 1/4 tank
showing on the readout but 0 pressure available to feed the heaters or any
LP appliance. Hmm. if that happens, you can start the gen set and if you
have a trouble light with a 60 watt bulb and turn it on and lay the trouble
light inside the LP compartment, the heat from the lamp will actually heat
the tank to a certain degree and give you more available LP pressure for
cooking.

I have not read all of the tables on LP so am not sure how altitude would
be an effect on the BTU rate either.

Just thought this was interesting though. What do you think?

Safe travels,

Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm

[Curt Sprenger]

Ralph,
GREAT input! Thank you for your time and the information.

Curt Sprenger 1987 PT38, Anaheim Hills, Calif.



Ralph L. Fullenwider wrote:

> Hi everyone:
>
> Since it is a slow day on the Forum, I thought I might start a little
> thread on LP gas. Ever wondered how long your tank will last during the
> winter months with the LP heaters going?
>
> Interesting facts on that:
>
> 1 gal of LP turns out 91,502 of BTU
>
> The ASME tanks on the Birds run about 45 gallons but remember that the
> tanks can only be filled to 80% of capacity so we actually have only 36
> gallons available.
>
> That means:
> 36 gallons X 91,502 = 3,294,072 BTU per tank fill
>
> Now then the Lp heaters are usually 16,000 BTU units per heater, so 3
> heaters would use 48,000 BTU per hour.
>
> So 3,294.072 divided by 48,000 = 68.6 hours @ 24/7 100% run time at 70
> deg
> F at sea level.
>
> Interesting:
>
> Now we know the heaters don't run 24/7 @ 100 percent so lets say they run
> 25 percent of the time. This takes the BTU's used from 68.6 to 120.06
> hours
> and that divided by 24 hours comes to, a total of 5 days of continuous
> heater run time. This does not include the refrigerator or cooking BTU's
> demand.
>
> And the colder it get's the fewer BTU's are available as pressure. Lp
> boils
> at -44 deg F so at sea level on a 100 deg F day the available pressure
> from
> the tank is 198 psi. then for every 10 F drop in temperature the pressure
> will drop aprox 1.5 percent. So it could actually be that you have 1/4
> tank
> showing on the readout but 0 pressure available to feed the heaters or
> any
> LP appliance. Hmm. if that happens, you can start the gen set and if you
> have a trouble light with a 60 watt bulb and turn it on and lay the
> trouble
> light inside the LP compartment, the heat from the lamp will actually
> heat
> the tank to a certain degree and give you more available LP pressure for
> cooking.
>
> I have not read all of the tables on LP so am not sure how altitude would
> be an effect on the BTU rate either.
>
> Just thought this was interesting though. What do you think?
>
> Safe travels,
>
> Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
> Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
> http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm
>
>
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[Tom Warner]

Ralph I think that 36 gallons of LP contains 3,294,072 BTUs as you calculated.

three 16,000 BTU LP furnaces running 25% of the time would
consume 12,000 BTUs/hr

Consumption for 24 hours for the 3 furnaces is 288,000 BTUs.

Divided into 3,294,072 BTUS equals 11.44 days of operation not 5 days
you calculated.

tom warner
1982 FC35
Vernon Center,NY



At 01:53 PM 1/14/2006, you wrote:
>Hi everyone:
>
>Since it is a slow day on the Forum, I thought I might start a little
>thread on LP gas. Ever wondered how long your tank will last during the
>winter months with the LP heaters going?
>
>Interesting facts on that:
>
>1 gal of LP turns out 91,502 of BTU
>
>The ASME tanks on the Birds run about 45 gallons but remember that the
>tanks can only be filled to 80% of capacity so we actually have only 36
>gallons available.
>
>That means:
>36 gallons X 91,502 = 3,294,072 BTU per tank fill
>
>Now then the Lp heaters are usually 16,000 BTU units per heater, so 3
>heaters would use 48,000 BTU per hour.
>
>So 3,294.072 divided by 48,000 = 68.6 hours @ 24/7 100% run time at 70 deg
>F at sea level.
>
>Interesting:
>
>Now we know the heaters don't run 24/7 @ 100 percent so lets say they run
>25 percent of the time. This takes the BTU's used from 68.6 to 120.06 hours
>and that divided by 24 hours comes to, a total of 5 days of continuous
>heater run time. This does not include the refrigerator or cooking BTU's
>demand.
>
>And the colder it get's the fewer BTU's are available as pressure. Lp boils
>at -44 deg F so at sea level on a 100 deg F day the available pressure from
>the tank is 198 psi. then for every 10 F drop in temperature the pressure
>will drop aprox 1.5 percent. So it could actually be that you have 1/4 tank
>showing on the readout but 0 pressure available to feed the heaters or any
>LP appliance. Hmm. if that happens, you can start the gen set and if you
>have a trouble light with a 60 watt bulb and turn it on and lay the trouble
>light inside the LP compartment, the heat from the lamp will actually heat
>the tank to a certain degree and give you more available LP pressure for
>cooking.
>
>I have not read all of the tables on LP so am not sure how altitude would
>be an effect on the BTU rate either.
>
>Just thought this was interesting though. What do you think?
>
>Safe travels,
>
>Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
>Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
><http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm>http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm
>
>
>
>----------
>YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
>
> * Visit your group
> "<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WanderlodgeForum>WanderlodgeForum" on the web.
> *
> * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> *
>
Wanderl\
odgeForum-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> *
> * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the
> <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>
>
>----------

[Ralph L. Fullenwider]

Tom:

Thank you, your right, I had inadvertently dropped a zero, which of course,
changed the equation. Well, that just means that, THAT is one goose egg
that can be cooked in the coach before running out of LP hey?! 11
days is correct.

Safe travels,

Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm

At 03:24 PM 1/14/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>Ralph I think that 36 gallons of LP contains 3,294,072 BTUs as you calculated.
>
>three 16,000 BTU LP furnaces running 25% of the time would
>consume 12,000 BTUs/hr
>
>Consumption for 24 hours for the 3 furnaces is 288,000 BTUs.
>
>Divided into 3,294,072 BTUS equals 11.44 days of operation not 5 days
>you calculated.
>
>tom warner
>1982 FC35
>Vernon Center,NY
>
>
>
> At 01:53 PM 1/14/2006, you wrote:
> >Hi everyone:
> >
> >Since it is a slow day on the Forum, I thought I might start a little
> >thread on LP gas. Ever wondered how long your tank will last during the
> >winter months with the LP heaters going?
> >
> >Interesting facts on that:
> >
> >1 gal of LP turns out 91,502 of BTU
> >
> >The ASME tanks on the Birds run about 45 gallons but remember that the
> >tanks can only be filled to 80% of capacity so we actually have only 36
> >gallons available.
> >
> >That means:
> >36 gallons X 91,502 = 3,294,072 BTU per tank fill
> >
> >Now then the Lp heaters are usually 16,000 BTU units per heater, so 3
> >heaters would use 48,000 BTU per hour.
> >
> >So 3,294.072 divided by 48,000 = 68.6 hours @ 24/7 100% run time at 70 deg
> >F at sea level.
> >
> >Interesting:
> >
> >Now we know the heaters don't run 24/7 @ 100 percent so lets say they run
> >25 percent of the time. This takes the BTU's used from 68.6 to 120.06 hours
> >and that divided by 24 hours comes to, a total of 5 days of continuous
> >heater run time. This does not include the refrigerator or cooking BTU's
> >demand.
> >
> >And the colder it get's the fewer BTU's are available as pressure. Lp boils
> >at -44 deg F so at sea level on a 100 deg F day the available pressure from
> >the tank is 198 psi. then for every 10 F drop in temperature the pressure
> >will drop aprox 1.5 percent. So it could actually be that you have 1/4 tank
> >showing on the readout but 0 pressure available to feed the heaters or any
> >LP appliance. Hmm. if that happens, you can start the gen set and if you
> >have a trouble light with a 60 watt bulb and turn it on and lay the trouble
> >light inside the LP compartment, the heat from the lamp will actually heat
> >the tank to a certain degree and give you more available LP pressure for
> >cooking.
> >
> >I have not read all of the tables on LP so am not sure how altitude would
> >be an effect on the BTU rate either.
> >
> >Just thought this was interesting though. What do you think?
>

Safe travels,

Ralph and Charolette Fullenwider
Ralph's RV Solutions, Duncan, Oklahoma
http://home.swbell.net/rlf47/index.htm

[orbitalsolutions]

Great Topic...

When I bought my bus I thought I'd most likely have to install a diesel
heater as I do a fair amount of extended dry camping -- I was wrong.

Now keep on mind that I am alergic to any variety of cold weather. I
am also convinced that Birds' were built with wheels so that one would
be able to keep himself in a favorable temperate climate.

So, I spend all winter months in the southern lattiudes and only
venture north to destinations where it never gets colder than about 40
degrees.

I have found that I only need to use one of the propane heaters in
these environments to keep the bus warm and cozy. On a few occasions I
have fired up two furnances to heat the bus up quickly when I've been
away for several hours, but then I shut one down after 20 or so minutes.

Obviously where you are, and how cold it is, will be a big varible in
LP consumption.

To stay toasty warm in the areas I inhabit you can multiply your 11
days by something, I'm not a math guy, and you get about 30 days
without having to refill the tank. I think this is great!

Here's hoping you all have warm extended dry camping in your Birds' !!
And remember, use your head and not your LP, keep yourself and your
Bird' in areas where they can't build snow-men.


--James
78FC33SB
LasVegas NV