When you’re cruising along with a boatload of propane in your tank, you’re relaxed and carefree, right? But what happens as soon as your supply starts to dwindle? You get wound up and start trying to conserve all the energy you can.
If you search the Internet for RV propane near me or RV propane refill near me, you will get a lot of results, but are all these gas stations what you are looking for?
How much does it cost to refill or exchange an RV propane tank? Is it safe to refill a propane tank? A lot of questions come up in my head at this moment.
With our help, you’re going to become the master of finding propane refilling or exchange stations. We promise. Let’s get into the details then, shall we?
Table of Contents
National Chains That Offer RV Propane Refilling Services
Okay, if you are only looking to fill your camping bottles, you need to do it yourself. There are plenty of instructions online showing you exactly how to refill your 1 pound camping propane cylinders etc.
You can even find printable step-by-step instructions if you need a hard copy.
However, if you are looking for places to refill other portable propane tank sizes, you are in the right place. Let’s get into the details, shall we?
1. Amerigas
Amerigas is a huge company that has dedicated part of its services to campers. They have resellers spanning the entire country that offer boy exchange and propane refill stations near your locations.
You won’t have to worry about filling up again since there are so many of these locations dotted around the United States of America.
It’s really easy to find the nearest one to you. All you have to do is go to the Amerigas Propane Locations page. Then, filter by “Cylinder Refill”, “24/7 Self Serve Propane refill near me”, or “Tank Exchange near me” and away you go!
Under each category, you will find brands you recognize including the following:
- Costco
- Home Depot
- Walmart
- Shell
- U-Haul
- Chevron
- Walgreens
- CVS
- and a load more.
This website is the one-to-stop-shop for all the sites that carry Amerigas. Seriously, there are so many of them that it would be impossible for us to list them here!
But the best thing by far is the 24-hour program so you will never be caught out or left without propane until the morning.
We understand that the self-serve aspect can get a little confusing. Don’t worry, we are just about to explain how it works.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Using The 24-Hour Amerigas Propane Program
Step One: Locate the automated propane 20lb kiosks. This is where you will begin using the self-serve dispensing tanks.
Step Two: Use the keypad on the kiosk to select one of the following options, “Purchase A 20lb Tank” or “Exchange A 20lb Tank”.
Step Three: Slide your credit or debit card into the machine.
Step Four: For those of you who are exchanging, a door will open automatically. All you have to do is put your tank inside and close the door. Of course, if you aren’t exchanging, this step won’t apply to you.
Step Five: A different door will open which contains the filled tank. Simply take the tank out, close the door, and you’re all set!
2. Ferrellgas
Ferrellgas is another company that has lots of locations across the United States of America. The company offers you camper propane tank refills for competitive prices.
It is really easy to find the sites near you thanks to their interactive map. However, you can just type in the city, state, and zip code if you don’t feel like faffing around.
Once you’ve found the station closest to you, you should click on it. Then, search for the “Grill/RV Cylinder Service”.
If you can’t find that heading under the station you’ve selected, then it’s pointless traveling there as they won’t be able to refill your tank.
Unfortunately, you won’t know the prices until you get there. Honestly, this has to be one of the things we strongly dislike about Ferrellgas. It would be helpful to know how much your bank is going to break beforehand.
But hey, if you’re in a pinch, you probably won’t have much choice! Plus, unlike Amerigas, Ferrellgas “propane fill near me” stations are typically only open during regular business hours. So, you have to be prepared!
3. Propane Refill Costco
As long as you are a Costco member, you will be able to use their RV propane refill station. You kill two birds with one stone here too.
How? You can pick up some groceries while you’re there, which decreases your travel time by a fair amount.
So, how does Costco’s RV propane refill station work? Let’s have a look, shall we?
Step One: Drop your propane tanks at the station.
Step Two: Settle down while the attendant fills them.
Step Three: Once the attendant has finished, he or she will hand you a receipt.
Step Four: After that, go into the store. At this stage, you will want to get any groceries that you need.
Step Five: Place your items on the counter and hand the cashier your propane receipt too. As usual, the cashier will ring all your groceries up.
Step Six: Pay the cashier and leave the store.
Step Seven: Pick up your propane tanks.
Step Eight: Drive away!
As you can tell, it really couldn’t be simpler. Although, you do need to make sure your nearest Costco offers these services as some do not. It’s easy to check this beforehand though.
Just use their Costco Location Finder page on their website — yes, you’ll have to look carefully for the information as it’s not something they generally advertise. But, you’ll find everything you need after a couple of minutes.
The company’s website is really helpful when you’re looking for diesel fuel for your RV too.
Then again, Costco propane refill might not be your number one option for this service. Although, we would recommend using it! You can get groceries, fuel, cleaning supplies, tools, propane, and clothing all in one go.
What more could you ask for?
4. Ace Hardware Propane Filling Stations
Ace Hardware sites tend to offer both propane refilling and tank exchanging facilities. You can find them by using their Ace Hardware Store Locator online. Just enter your city, state, or zip code to get started.
Once you’ve found a store close by, click on it. Then, head down to the “Store Services” subheading. Here, you will find the type of services they offer. If you see a propane symbol, then you’re good to go.
5.U-Haul Propane Fill Stations Near Me
Whenever you see a U-Haul site, propane refilling services are almost guaranteed to be there. However, you should check the prices before you set off for the nearest location.
Why? Because you might not be able to afford it. U-Haul is notorious for being pricey. In certain circumstances though, you might just have to grin and bear it.
If you want to be doubly sure they have propane stations at your nearest site, you can head to their website.
Here, you’ll find a section named “PROPANE CYLINDER REFILL” which lists all their locations with this facility.
Make sure you type in the city or zip code. Otherwise, you’ll spend half your time flicking through the stations that are miles away from you — yup, not very helpful. Remember, work smarter, not harder!
6. Tractor Supply
The Tractor Supply website allows you to enter your zip code and search for their locations that offer “Propane Refill By the Gallon”.
Bear in mind, that you might be hard pushed to find a site since they aren’t as widely spread like the others on our list.
The best part is that you will know exactly how much you’re going to have to pay when you get there. Tractor Supply is very transparent about their prices and says as much on their website.
As for opening hours, they generally open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm but these changes rather frequently.
We’ve been caught out with their fluctuating hours from time to time, so it’s always best to check before you drive to the store.
If you’re lucky and the shop is open, you can grab some trailer supplies, hitch equipment, jeans, dog food, and more while you are waiting for the attendant to fill up your propane tank.
Just like Costco, you can get multiple items checked off your to-do list in one go.
I’m sure there are lots of good RV propane Tanks & Accessories out there and I haven’t done a head-to-head test or anything, but the one I ended up buying are the following:
Purchase: If you are interested in Propane Accessories then just follow the links to Amazon where you can see current pricing.
- Propane Tank Levek Monitor –> Tank Check LP with Monitor Kit
2. Propane Alarm Detector –> Kidde AC Plug-in Explosive Gas Detector Alarm
3. Propane Tank Cover –> Camco 40578 Single Propane Tank Cover
4. Quick Connect Propane Assembly –> Flame King (KT12ACR6) 2-Stage Auto Changeover LP Propane Gas Regulator
Propane Tank Buy and Exchange Choices
Okay, now you know where you can find your propane, let’s have a look at some exchange programs. People tend to get confused when it comes to these services — and rightly so! But don’t worry, that ends today.
But first, we’re going to take a look at the good and the bad side of these propane tank exchanges.
The Pros of Propane Tank Exchanges
In our opinion, the best thing about these exchange programs is that they are incredibly quick. You don’t need to stand around and wait while someone fills your existing tank. Not to mention that it is just easier to swap your tank.
The Cons of Propane Tank Exchanges
The bad side? Well, you don’t get any extra credit for your unused propane in your current tank. The exchange price will stay the same regardless of whether you have half a tank left or not.
Yep, we don’t think this is fair but, we’re not the ones running the show!
Anyway, let’s get into the specific tank exchanges that you might want to take part in.
Blue Rhino Propane Tank Exchanges
Blue Rhino has dubbed its program the “Drop, Swap, and Go”. You can exchange your tank or buy a new one from these locations.
Don’t stress, your current tank doesn’t need to be a Blue Rhino model, just be courteous and ensure it’s in good condition before handing it over.
Here’s how you use their system:
Step One: Go to the locked cages at the front of their stores. This is where the pre-filled propane tanks live.
Step Two: Leave your tank outside the locked cages (if you are exchanging it).
Step Three: Head inside the store and ask an attendant to help you out.
Step Four: He or she will hand you a filled tank from the locked cages and place your one inside.
Step Five: And that’s it!
If you aren’t exchanging, just go straight inside to get the attendant and they will hand over the filled tank. You will pay extra for this service but it might be worth it for you.
Home Depot Propane Exchange Program
Home Depot is part of the Amerigas Propane Exchange program that we briefly mentioned earlier. You can use their website to find an rv propane refill site near you.
But just bear in mind that you can’t enter a zip code, nor is there an interactive map. Instead, it takes you to a long PDF that lists all the stores offering the propane exchange or buy service.
It needs an update, but if you’re stuck, this might be the best (and sometimes the only) option.
Other Places You Can Find Propane Refilling Services
So far, we’ve discussed the main propane refilling stations. However, there are plenty of other places that offer this service too.
Nowadays, it’s pretty easy to find them. Follow our advice below to learn how (it’s easy, we promise).
How to Find RV Propane Refill Places Near You?
Use An App
There is, quite literally, an app for that. And by “an” app, we mean lots of apps. Our favorite is AllStays. This one offers two ways to find a nearby propane refilling or exchange station.
Firstly, you can simply click on the “Supplies-LPG Propane” under the “Filter Map” section. This will show you standalone propane centers (i.e. businesses with no other purpose).
You’ll quickly discover that this won’t help you much as there aren’t many places that offer propane and nothing else.
Don’t stress, you can sort this out.
Head back into the “Filter” section and choose the “Turn Off” switch. This will ensure the previous filter selection is turned off.
Then, go into the “Advanced Filters” part. Here, you can scroll down to find the word “Propane”. Toggle this to the “On” position. All you have to do now is hit the “Filter Map’ button.
This will now show you all the facilities that have RV propane refill or exchange programs in place, as well as the other services they provide!
Best Propane Refill Near Me For RV
RV Propane Refill Chicago, IL
RV Propane Refill Chicago, IL
RV Propane Gas Refill Los Angeles,
Rv Propane Refill in Miami, FL
Rv Propane Refill in Las Vegas, NV
Rv Propane Refill in Houston, TX
Rv Propane Refill in Phoenix, AZ
2. Ameri Gas
How Much Does It Cost To Refill a 20 lb Propane Tank?
How much does it cost to refill a 20 Lb propane tank? So a refill would be somewhere around 4.73 gallons at an average cost of $3.44 per gallon, so you are looking at around $16 a refill. Bear in mind that, like petrol, propane prices may rise and fall over time.
Although a 20-lb propane tank can hold 5 gallons of propane, propane suppliers will never fill your tank to capacity.
They will always leave a percentage of your tank free, to allow for the pressure in propane to expand under temperature from 60 psi (30℉) to 200 psi (100℉).
How Long Will a Generator Run On a 20-lb Tank of Propane?
How long will a generator run on a 20-lb tank of propane? Depending on your generator’s size and the amount of load that your generator is powering, you should be able to get four 1/2hours out of a 20-lb propane tank at half load.
If you plan to power a generator at full load, you should expect to burn about 2-3 gallons an hour.
The beauty of 20lbs propane tanks is that they are portable enough to keep spares; just make sure that you never operate a propane gas next to your stored tanks.
How Many Gallons Are In a 20 lb Propane Tank?
According to Elgas, a ‘’full’’ 20lbs propane tank should hold about 4.73 gallons of propane.
Most grilling propane tanks weigh about 17 pounds when empty and hold about 20 pounds of gas, so to measure how much is left in your tank, weigh the tank, and subtract the tare weight to calculate how full your propane is in the tank.
Be sure that you don’t make the mistake of filling your tank to its 5-gallon capacity because you need space to allow the gas to expand.
Propane gas will expand 270 times as it moves from liquid to gas. In a pressurized tank, I gallon of liquid propane will release 270 gallons of vapor is released in one press.
Can a Propane Tank Be Too Full?
Can a propane tank be too full? Yes, the 80% rule states that a propane cylinder should only be filled to 80% of its capacity, for safety reasons. Propane expands in the heat, just as water does, but propane increases nearly 17 times in volume greater than water.
It may not seem to be overfilled during the cool of the day, but once the temperature increases, it may leak through the Pressure Release Valve.
Overfilled propane cylinders cause a fire or explosion risk when leaking PVRs come in contact with an ignition source.
Does Propane Go Bad?
Does propane go bad? No. Unlike many fuels, sources propane does not expire and can not ‘go bad’ even after 30 years of storage. The problem that arises with older propane is the RV propane cylinders age before the gas does, and by law, they need to be recertified or exchanged after 12 years from their manufacture date.
This expiry ensures that the tanks have not degraded over time and created potential risks to users. It also ensures that tanks have the latest safety valve updates installed.
So, instead of worrying about your RV propane, keep an eye on the expiry date of your propane tanks, because they will fail long before the propane gas will.
How Can I Make My Propane Last Longer?
Propane can add up over time and can be costly. There are a couple of simple ways to save money on propane and make it last longer. These include:
- Install solar power panels. Solar panels are an efficient way to harness sunlight to provide power without having to use your propane. Unlike propane cylinders, they fit onto your chosen area without taking up space and need no fuel to run.
- Use electric power to heat your water tank. Hybrid-heat conversion kits allow you to toggle between electricity and propane when you choose.
- Cut down on preheating your stove or grill. Preheating your stove or grill for extended times is a waste of gas. Have your food ready to cook in your oven or stove comes to temperature, so you didn’t have delays before cooking. Switch your propane off promptly after cooking.
- Use that campfire. Summer months are a great time to enjoy the mild afternoons with a campfire barbecue; winter is great to make a good old-fashioned campfire. Plus, you will be saving on propane.
How Do You Empty A Small Propane Tank?
It’s often a good idea to empty a smaller propane tank completely. The pressure and gas inside the tanks make it unsuitable for them to be recycled easily.
The residual gas left inside the tank still retains its flammable properties. It may also be a safer option to empty all the propane gas traces from your tank if you wish to store or transport it.
- Disconnect all hoses and attachments and find a suitable outdoor location away from trees and shrubs as propane may harm them.
- Put on a pair of protective gloves and turn the tank so that the valve turns sideways
- Open the valve to the maximum, and step away as the propane exits the tank
- When they are no longer any propane sounds coming out of the tank, seal the tank once more.
Alternatively, you may link your propane to an attachment such as a light source grill and allow the canister to run to the end of its fuel, safely and with monitoring.
Be aware that if you dispose of your propane canisters with the usual trash or recycling, you may harm solid waste workers both in the landfills and dump trucks that use compression for their trash loads.
Get in touch with your local Department of Local works and find out the protocol for the safe disposal of your used propane canister.
I really like this RV Propane Tank Check LP with Monitor Kit. It’s not terribly expensive but gets amazing reviews. Just follow the link to Amazon where you can see current pricing.
What Is A Blue Flame Propane Heater?
Unlike the radiant heaters, most of us are used to, blue flame propane heaters don’t use electromagnetic radiation to heat the objects in their path directly.
What is a blue flame propane heater? The blue flame heaters deliver a constant warmth that heats the air in your room, first warming the wall where it is installed and then moving across the ceiling and the entire room. blue flame heaters gradually heat the room to your chosen temperature.
A clean-burning blue flame heater uses convection to circulate the warm air around your living space. Blue flame heaters heat the air instead of directly heating the objects in the room, so they are great to place in insulated areas.
The slow heat build is not as quickly felt as the radiant heaters, but they eventually heat an insulated space to a consistent temperature over time.
Blue flame heaters offer more precise heating control than the radiant propane heaters and generally are less invasive than the radiant type.
Radiant heaters have been known to fade furniture over time, which blue flames will not do. The downside of using the blue heaters in more insulated settings is that it is not ideal for those with sensitivities to propane or suffering from allergies.
How Much Propane Does A Blue Flame Heater Use?
If you are running your blue flame heater at maximum (30,000 BTUs), you should be consuming propane at a rate of ⅓ of a gallon per hour.
This consumption is due to propane’s burn rate, which is an average of 10,000 BTUs per hour.
How Much Does It Cost To Refill a Propane Tank at Lowes?
Not all of the Lowes branches offer propane services when they do; they generally partner with a nationwide propane gas distributor like Blue Rhino.
How much does it cost to refill a propane tank at Lowes? You can either do a tank exchange by having an attendant swap your tank or charge you for a new-filled tank ($34-$45 for the tank and $15-$20 dollars for the propane.) They do not offer propane refill services.
Is It Safe To Refill 1-lb Propane Bottles?
The safety factor of refilling a 1-lb propane gas bottle depends on what kind of propane bottle it is. The 1-lb disposable propane bottles that are the nightmare of every national park clean up crew and landfill operator are not safe to refill.
The metal walls are very thin and not manufactured for the repeated expansion and contraction of repeated refilling.
The disposable valve is designed for one-time use and is not made to withstand the rigors of refills.there is also no bleeder valve to ascertain where the overfill limits are. All in all, the disposable 1-Lb bottles are a disaster waiting to happen.
The internet is riddled with tutorials on how to refill a disposable 1-lb bottle, but for what end? To save you $8?
There is an alternative to possibly blowing yourself up, and that is the refillable 1-lb propane bottles such as the Flame King.
It is built to withstand the pressures of refilling and fits neatly onto your larger propane tanks for refills (attachments included.)
My Recommended Accessories
Propane Tank Levek Monitor –> Tank Check LP with Monitor Kit
Propane Alarm Detector –> Kidde AC Plug-in Explosive Gas Detector Alarm
Propane Tank Cover –> Camco 40578 Single Propane Tank Cover
Quick Connect Propane Assembly –> Flame King (KT12ACR6) 2-Stage Auto Changeover LP Propane Gas Regulator
References
https://www.allstays.com/apps/crv/h/find-propane.htm
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