Driving Class B on parkways !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Etzu]

I think its for the large tankers because propane powered buses go through.

[HitchNride]

I wish there was a sure way to know. The signs do say "no RVs/campers" though on the lower level of the GW bridge, I noticed the last time I went through. I used to think it meant industrial scale tankers too, by saying "Hazmat", but from what I've read, the reason tunnels have the restriction is, if the low point of the tunnel is in the middle, then ANY amount of propane leakage will accumulate there, and their exhaust vent systems won't extract it, leading to a dangerous accumulation of propane gas right in the middle of the tunnel. Thus, downhill tunnels like the Eisenhower in Colorado have no such restrictions, because the propane will just fall out the other end.

The annoying thing though, is that in other places, they simply have a "turn propane off" rule, which they will sometimes stop and inspect before allowing passage. I don't know why they can't just do that on the NY tunnels.

When you say gas-powered buses, I think those are natural gas? Natural gas is lighter than air, and rises, which is why they would allow it. I've read that tour buses that use propane for heating or what not are not allowed through.

[Davydd]

The only time I encountered "turn propane off" is when boarding ferries. Then you had to queue up and wait for the ferry and usually inspectors came around and asked if you had it turned off or sometimes asked you to physically show them. They had the time to do that. I would think that would slow bridge traffic down.

[HitchNride]

I didn't know ferries had that requirement too! The forum I was reading about turning off for a tunnel (rv.net perhaps, or another one) was regarding some other tunnel, not the NYC or DC ones, so they probably had space for a "check propane" lane.

I just wish the NYC signs said "no Hazmat - campers turn propane OFF"... Then I could just take any tunnel and use a regular GPS.

[avanti]

LP-GAS PROHIBITED:
Maryland/Baltimore: Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry (I-95) tunnels. Alternate route for RVs with propane over the Francis Scott Key Bridge is I-695.
Massachusetts/Boston Harbor: All.
New York/East River: Between Manhattan and Brooklyn: Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. Between Manhattan and Queens: Queens Midtown Tunnel. New York and New Jersey/Hudson River: Between Manhattan and Jersey City: Holland Tunnel. Between Manhattan and Fort Lee: Lower level George Washington Bridge (I-95 South) and George Washington Bridge Expressway. Lower level Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Between Manhattan and Weehawken: Lincoln Tunnel.

LP-GAS RESTRICTIONS:
Virginia/Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel: RVs equipped with ICC-approved compressed cooking tanks not exceeding two 45-pound capacity tanks (or two permanently mounted containers with maximum total capacity of 200 pounds) may cross the facility provided that, in the opinion of the toll collector or police sergeant after inspection, the tanks are completely shut off and securely attached.
Texas/Houston Ship Channel: Washburn Tunnel between Pasadena and Galena Park: Maximum of two 7½-gallon containers (30 pounds gas each) or one 10-gallon container (40 pounds gas) of DOT (ICC)-approved type, with shutoff valve at discharge opening. Valve must be closed when in tunnel. LP-gas as vehicle fuel prohibited. 7½-gallon containers (30 pounds gas each) or one 10-gallon container (40 pounds gas) of DOT (ICC)-approved type, with shutoff valve at discharge opening. Valve must be closed when in tunnel. LP-gas as vehicle fuel prohibited.

From:
https://www.goodsam.com/article/defa...icleID=2377513

[michaelingp]

It's definitely more complicated than that for the Baltimore Harbor tunnel. The actual restriction is:

vehicles carrying bottled propane gas in excess of 10 pounds per container (maximum of 10 containers) [are prohibited]

I always took that to mean if I had less than 10 pounds of propane (say half a 20 lb tank) I'd be OK. (Might take some explaining if I was stopped, but with the EZ pass lanes, there's really no place they could easily stop you). Note that I'm not condoning going through with more than 10 pounds. My current van uses the little 4 pound camping tanks so I don't worry about it any more.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by michaelingp

It's definitely more complicated than that for the Baltimore Harbor tunnel. The actual restriction is:

vehicles carrying bottled propane gas in excess of 10 pounds per container (maximum of 10 containers) [are prohibited]

I always took that to mean if I had less than 10 pounds of propane (say half a 20 lb tank) I'd be OK. (Might take some explaining if I was stopped, but with the EZ pass lanes, there's really no place they could easily stop you). Note that I'm not condoning going through with more than 10 pounds. My current van uses the little 4 pound camping tanks so I don't worry about it any more.

Interesting.
That actual text of that regulation specifically applies to bottled propane. As far as I know, it does not address bulk propane tanks. I don't know whether this technically means that bulk propane is prohibited or whether it is allowed without restriction. I suspect that this is just sloppy drafting of the regs.

[Nic7320]

I went into a parking garage once with a conversion van, which was under the posted limit on height. Only problem was when I went up a ramp to another level, the vehicle got taller when the front wheels were on the ramp and rear wheels were still on the flat, and a low-hanging pipe sheared off my roof vent.

Oops!

I also found out I can't drive on a road across a dam with a class B, regardless of size. One ton service trucks were going across, yet they wouldn't allow a 3/4 ton Roadtrek across.

This was a small town in Colorado, and they found some Homeland Security money to employ their older folks to 'guard' the dam. Obviously, someone didn't do the math; you can't carry enough explosives or whatever to damage a dam in a van. But the rule still applies.

[HitchNride]

Sorry to hear the garage got you... yeah they aren't reliable as far as true heights accounting for the ramp angles. I took my large pickup through one once and wow, it was very, very close on those ramps, especially the departures!

Interesting story about the dam blocking you. Perhaps it was worth it for laughs and the story? Or not.

[avanti]

You can't even WALK across most dams any more. It's a 9/11 thing--possibly not the most important one.