T,
I know the feeling.
Now that I know you've got a 23', I might be able
to offer a suggestion or two. I've got an early
1973 23' Glacier on which I'm redoing the tank
and compartment.
My compartment is made of wood and was
"lined" with some kind of terribly deteriorated
black foam. So if yours is similar, and you're
positive the tank is completely empty:
1. If you haven't already, try to figure out some
way to keep that confounded door up and out of
the way. That will reduce both the width and
length of the blue streak accompanying this task.
2. If you can, remove the main, overfill, and fill
valves. This will help to give you some
clearance for a later step. If you are going to
replace them anyways, it won't hurt to bugger
them up. They are in there really tight, and you
may not have the leverage, but give it a try. If it
just doesn't work out for you, leave them. The
tank should come out with them installed.
3. Remove the regulator from the main valve (if
you haven't already) and if you can, disconnect
the main supply hose from the fitting in the
bottom of the compartment. This will be one
less thing to get in your way. Wrap duct tape or
electrical tape over the exposed open fittings on
both the regulator and compartment fittings.
This will help to keep schmutz out of the
regulator and gas lines. Lay regulator aside. If
you're going to replace the regulator with a new
two-stage unit (highly recommended) and hose
assembly, go ahead and toss them, but not
before you actually have the new components in
your possession and you know they are going
to fit.
4. To get the tank out, push it as far back into
and backward in the compartment as you can.
Pull the forward end of the tank toward the
opening (kind of angled in the hole), and with
both hands (and possibly the hands of someone
else) roll the tank toward you so that the valves
rotate downward and the mounting
feet/brackets rotate upward while at the same
time pulling the tank out through the hole. It's
sort of like "unscrewing" it out of the
compartment (best way I can describe it). Turn it
right over if you have to. You may have to keep
rolling it over and back on the way out for it to
clear. Once I figured how much and how far to
roll tank after a couple of tries, it came right out.
Total time from start (after removing mounting
bolts) to finish -- about 5 minutes, although I
didn't remove valves. Be aware though that the
tank is kind of awkward and heavy even though
it doesn't seem like it when it's in the
compartment. When it comes out, it's going to
fall in your lap or on your foot. Just be sure to
have a good grip and expect about 65 lbs worth
of weight.
(I had mine sandblasted and repainted
anticipating installing new valves. Manchester
Tank (one of our suppliers) will sell me a new
tank with new code-approved valves for about
$130, so I'll probably do that instead of putting
the old one back in. I have to send them pix of
my old one and they'll match up to something or
will build to suit. The mounting arrangement is
the only thing I want to preserve.)
Replacement should be the reverse of removal.
If you line the compartment with something, it
may be a little tighter getting it back in, and
you'll probably scar up a new paint job on the
tank, but it will work.
You may have tried all this already without
success. In that case, you may have to cut part
of the compartment (ouch!) a little for clearance
or resort to other drastic measures.
BTW, you may wind up getting a new tank
anyways. Rob Reifschneider of Manchester
mentioned to me that some LP fill stations will
not fill a tank on which they can't read the data
plate. Mine was rusted to the point that the only
way I could read it was to clean it off the best I
could and then hold a piece of white paper over
it and rub a pencil over the surface and create
sort of a negative image of the stamping(s). It's
readable, but barely. I got the dimensions of the
tank (30 X 12), the manufacturer (Brunnell of
Indiana) and some other data. Just a heads up
that a refinished tank may raise an issue at fill
time, depending on where you get it filled.
Reifschneider tells me that regulations are
getting stricter, and LP fill stations aren't
interested in fines or lawsuits resulting from
filling substandard tanks.
Hope this helps.
Toby Maki
73 Glacier 230
From: TStier1986
Date sent: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 23:13:47 EDT
Subject: Re: GMC: Propane Tank
To: gmcmotorhome
Send reply to: gmcmotorhome
> For 2 Days I' ve been trying to remove my propane tank from its compartment
> to clean up the area and do some corrosion control on the tank. Seems like
> they put a 3 foot piece of equipment into a 2 foot space. Any ideas on how
> to remove it without taking off the chasis? I can live with what I got but
> am curious has to how they got it in there in the first place. Talk about
> f---ing a football. Any ideas are appreciated. T. Stier Canyon Lands
> TZE033V101851
>
I know the feeling.
Now that I know you've got a 23', I might be able
to offer a suggestion or two. I've got an early
1973 23' Glacier on which I'm redoing the tank
and compartment.
My compartment is made of wood and was
"lined" with some kind of terribly deteriorated
black foam. So if yours is similar, and you're
positive the tank is completely empty:
1. If you haven't already, try to figure out some
way to keep that confounded door up and out of
the way. That will reduce both the width and
length of the blue streak accompanying this task.
2. If you can, remove the main, overfill, and fill
valves. This will help to give you some
clearance for a later step. If you are going to
replace them anyways, it won't hurt to bugger
them up. They are in there really tight, and you
may not have the leverage, but give it a try. If it
just doesn't work out for you, leave them. The
tank should come out with them installed.
3. Remove the regulator from the main valve (if
you haven't already) and if you can, disconnect
the main supply hose from the fitting in the
bottom of the compartment. This will be one
less thing to get in your way. Wrap duct tape or
electrical tape over the exposed open fittings on
both the regulator and compartment fittings.
This will help to keep schmutz out of the
regulator and gas lines. Lay regulator aside. If
you're going to replace the regulator with a new
two-stage unit (highly recommended) and hose
assembly, go ahead and toss them, but not
before you actually have the new components in
your possession and you know they are going
to fit.
4. To get the tank out, push it as far back into
and backward in the compartment as you can.
Pull the forward end of the tank toward the
opening (kind of angled in the hole), and with
both hands (and possibly the hands of someone
else) roll the tank toward you so that the valves
rotate downward and the mounting
feet/brackets rotate upward while at the same
time pulling the tank out through the hole. It's
sort of like "unscrewing" it out of the
compartment (best way I can describe it). Turn it
right over if you have to. You may have to keep
rolling it over and back on the way out for it to
clear. Once I figured how much and how far to
roll tank after a couple of tries, it came right out.
Total time from start (after removing mounting
bolts) to finish -- about 5 minutes, although I
didn't remove valves. Be aware though that the
tank is kind of awkward and heavy even though
it doesn't seem like it when it's in the
compartment. When it comes out, it's going to
fall in your lap or on your foot. Just be sure to
have a good grip and expect about 65 lbs worth
of weight.
(I had mine sandblasted and repainted
anticipating installing new valves. Manchester
Tank (one of our suppliers) will sell me a new
tank with new code-approved valves for about
$130, so I'll probably do that instead of putting
the old one back in. I have to send them pix of
my old one and they'll match up to something or
will build to suit. The mounting arrangement is
the only thing I want to preserve.)
Replacement should be the reverse of removal.
If you line the compartment with something, it
may be a little tighter getting it back in, and
you'll probably scar up a new paint job on the
tank, but it will work.
You may have tried all this already without
success. In that case, you may have to cut part
of the compartment (ouch!) a little for clearance
or resort to other drastic measures.
BTW, you may wind up getting a new tank
anyways. Rob Reifschneider of Manchester
mentioned to me that some LP fill stations will
not fill a tank on which they can't read the data
plate. Mine was rusted to the point that the only
way I could read it was to clean it off the best I
could and then hold a piece of white paper over
it and rub a pencil over the surface and create
sort of a negative image of the stamping(s). It's
readable, but barely. I got the dimensions of the
tank (30 X 12), the manufacturer (Brunnell of
Indiana) and some other data. Just a heads up
that a refinished tank may raise an issue at fill
time, depending on where you get it filled.
Reifschneider tells me that regulations are
getting stricter, and LP fill stations aren't
interested in fines or lawsuits resulting from
filling substandard tanks.
Hope this helps.
Toby Maki
73 Glacier 230
From: TStier1986
Date sent: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 23:13:47 EDT
Subject: Re: GMC: Propane Tank
To: gmcmotorhome
Send reply to: gmcmotorhome
> For 2 Days I' ve been trying to remove my propane tank from its compartment
> to clean up the area and do some corrosion control on the tank. Seems like
> they put a 3 foot piece of equipment into a 2 foot space. Any ideas on how
> to remove it without taking off the chasis? I can live with what I got but
> am curious has to how they got it in there in the first place. Talk about
> f---ing a football. Any ideas are appreciated. T. Stier Canyon Lands
> TZE033V101851
>
