Best Method for Propane Level guesstimates?

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   The warm water side is probably the cheapest and most accurate method. Don't spend extra on tanks with gauges. Green, yellow, and red are only relative with these gauges. Red does not mean "empty" but merely "low" instead. This makes the gauges pretty much useless as on our trip out west, we had another day or two of use out of a tank where the needle had bottomed out in the red.

The ultrasonic reader is a nice high-tech gadget, but I would not say it is going to be any more reliable than the warm water method.

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StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288	Topic: Best Method for Propane Level guesstimates? Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 2:37pm
	The warm water side is probably the cheapest and most accurate method. Don't spend extra on tanks with gauges. Green, yellow, and red are only relative with these gauges. Red does not mean "empty" but merely "low" instead. This makes the gauges pretty much useless as on our trip out west, we had another day or two of use out of a tank where the needle had bottomed out in the red. The ultrasonic reader is a nice high-tech gadget, but I would not say it is going to be any more reliable than the warm water method.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

furpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128	Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 12:07pm
	Pour warm water down the side, the warm area is empty.

TheBum Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Feb 2016 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 1407	Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 12:06pm
	I have that sensor and the only problem with it is when the gas level gets in the range of the tongue bracket band. In that case, you just have to check the levels above and below; if above is red and below is green, you know the gas level is somewhere within the width of the bracket band.

CharlieM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797	Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 11:58am
	The most accurate method is weighing, but it's a PITA to remove the tank. Pressure types that screw on the valve don't work: they're only accurate when the tank is actually empty. Mag strips, hot water, etc. are inaccurate at best. I've tried them all. The best method I've found is the ultrasonic sensors. A few bucks, but they work great and very easy. Be sure to watch the video regarding good contact to the bottle. http://www.amazon.com/Dometic-LPGC10-LP-Gas-Checker/dp/B00Q7379X0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459353128&sr=8-1&keywords=dometic+propane+tank+gauge
	Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD

Retroactive Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 15 Mar 2016 Location: Bolton, MA Online Status: Offline Posts: 270	Posted: 30 Mar 2016 at 11:40am
	Here is my noob question of the day: what is the best method for determining a guesstimate on propane tank level? The tank gauges get very mixed reviews. And I am not sure if those stick on magnets actually work well. If there is no better method, I will just use my Bow Scale to weigh it before trips.