Roadtrek 170 propane tank swap time

[sehsteve@gmail.com]

Interesting question and issue and thanks to all for your comments but please be respectful to my home state which I love and support. We are the world's fifth largest economy and what happens here is coming to your state someday. Progress! BTW I just returned from a 6300 mile all October adventure, as far south as Florida, north to Indy, Ozarks, Taos and lots of good spots in between. My only comments is that I have NO trouble getting my propane tank filled here in SOCAL on my 02D190P.
Safe travels, enjoy the journey.
s

[RT1997]

Originally Posted by RT-NY

Perhaps it it also worth thinking about what the manufacture date is of the tanks that the MobilifeRV place in Canada is selling. I believe that they are selling old Roadtrek inventory. I wonder if some skittish propane vendors will rely on the tank date not its usage history, and if they think (incorrectly) that the limit is 12 years, you might run into that sooner than you hoped.

The vendors could not answer what they ment by "old"- model /type of valve or just manufacturing date.Possibly because their English was pretty basic or they did not know themselves.
Canadian rep. said the manufacturing date is current ( they are getting tanks on regular basis).
Anyway,since my RT has only 45 K original miles and I intend to keep it may be the expense is not a total waste.

[RT-NY]

Originally Posted by RT1997

Canadian rep. said the manufacturing date is current ( they are getting tanks on regular basis).

Did you order from MobilifeRV or from somewhere else? If they are getting tanks on a regular basis, I wonder where they are getting them from. If the manufacturing date is current then someone must be manufacturing them.

It is easy enough to check the date once you have the tank -- it will be stamped on a stainless steel plate that is welded to the tank.

[RT1997]

Originally Posted by RT-NY

Did you order from MobilifeRV or from somewhere else? If they are getting tanks on a regular basis, I wonder where they are getting them from. If the manufacturing date is current then someone must be manufacturing them.

It is easy enough to check the date once you have the tank -- it will be stamped on a stainless steel plate that is welded to the tank.

Yes,from MobilifeRV in Canada.Not sure about the manufacturer.But when I asked to double check if the tank would fit 170 ( on their website it shows 190) the rep.put me on hold and checked with some guy in service dep. who "was putting them together for years" and he confirmed.
I did not have time for further questions and not that I have places to shop around.
I will check the date , manufacturer and post it soon.
BTW,they are going to add 170 in their website description.

[RT-NY]

Originally Posted by RT1997

Anyway,since my RT has only 45 K original miles and I intend to keep it may be the expense is not a total waste.

I don't think that it is a wasted expense regardless of the date stamped on the tank. It is a new tank in any case. So you can tell any propane sellers who ask that it is new and even show a receipt for the purchase/installation date. I don't think anyone will refuse to fill it in any state.

[hbn7hj]

We have beat this topic to death but here is a link to a current discussion.

https://www.rvtravel.com/im-told-my-...ice-rvdt-2243/

How did you get MobilLife to talk to you? I would have bought a couple of things from them including that tank but they would not pick up the phone, return a call, or answer an email query.

[jjrbus]

We can get all the exerts to chip in, copy and paste all the NFPA regulations and any fill station can legally refuse to fill any tank! But absolutely no one can beat the misinformation on the net!

In my experience I just go to another LP place, always having vintage RV it is not unusual to have to go to 2 places my record was 3. Every time but one it was incompetence/ignorance on the part of the tech that caused the issue. That is over 20 years of owning an RV on my part with SAE and DOT tanks!

[RT-NY]

Originally Posted by hbn7hj

How did you get MobilLife to talk to you? I would have bought a couple of things from them including that tank but they would not pick up the phone, return a call, or answer an email query.

I ordered some fiberglass parts for my 1999 RT 170 from them in early 2020 and they were responsive -- I just e-mailed parts@mobilife.on.ca. It took some back and forth and there were some customs forms and such, but in the end I got a new storage compartment door and the repair worked out great.

[RT1997]

Originally Posted by RT-NY

I ordered some fiberglass parts for my 1999 RT 170 from them in early 2020 and they were responsive -- I just e-mailed parts@mobilife.on.ca. It took some back and forth and there were some customs forms and such, but in the end I got a new storage compartment door and the repair worked out great.

I delt with them twice.Several years ago odered a step.Mostly calls (thanks to T-mobile calls to Canada are free).Had email communication also (custom related paperwork and other questions).Never got any issues.

[RT1997]

Originally Posted by RT-NY

I don't think that it is a wasted expense regardless of the date stamped on the tank. It is a new tank in any case. So you can tell any propane sellers who ask that it is new and even show a receipt for the purchase/installation date. I don't think anyone will refuse to fill it in any state.

Thank you for your support.
It would likely be easier with newer tank.But at one of the 2 places I was denied service I was told that after that accident (fire) they decided not to serve vans at all.Probably it was very old van conversion in very poor condition that caught fire.
My RT is very well taken care of.And the guy probably never heard of Roadtreks.
That day I went to another place ( the same company,different owner) .Not a word on vans ,just old tanks.The guy even tried to help me one last time but after some vapor came out ( looks like he did not adjust connector properly) he stopped,said that he was scared.
Currently I had to drive twice as long to get propane.
With $6/gallon gas price making 40-50 miles round trip just to get propane (even if your RV makes more than 8-9 miles/gallon) - pretty soon paying for a new tank would not sound like such a bad idea.

[JohnnyFry]

That rule is typically intended for DOT Certified (portable BBQ tanks) tanks. Your tank is an ASME Certified tank which has no life or recertification requirements. These are permanently mounted tanks. They are NOT required to be recertified.

[RT1997]

The new tank was made by Manchester in 2023.
The manufacturing date was on the bottom among the other data.Actually hard to see.It was a palm size patch of indented printing that painted over .I made a picture but the text is barely seen on it. Most likely requires $$$ professional camera.
The only thing that concerns me that the tank is longer.The previous one is enclosed in some kind of
a tray (metal plates not only on the bottom but on both sides.
The new tank has only bottom plate.So it might fit.
I will find out in 2 weeks.

[hbn7hj]

Good luck. It would not fit in my 2003 190P without the end plates. My bet is it is the wrong tank. Mine does not have the front plate either. That doesn’t match the picture in the Mobile life catalog.

Did it come direct from Canada or did Manchester drop ship it?

My error 1997 is very different from 2002 and up.

[RT1997]

The tank came directly from Canada.
In my email to them it is cleatry stated that my RT is 170,1997.
And over the phone I asked if the rep.100% sure the tank is for 170.Because on their site it is listed for 190,same year.
I was told -yes.100% and the rep.even put me on hold to ask someone "in the know" and he also confirmed.
As I mentioned before,they were going to add 170 on the tank description on the site.
Despite all of that I still have doubts since the tank is longer.
Can not imagine the nightmare to ship it back to Canada.
Still curious - did the guy from RV place really could not find it in US or did not look hard enough since he was leaving the company?


P.S.On the photo my current tank in a "tray".

[RT-NY]

I have not heard of anyonr in the US stocking any parts for the vintage Dodge Roadtreks. It must be that MobilifeRV set up some sort of an agreement with Manchester to fabricate new inventory for them, which sounds like it could be good news even though the tanks are expensive. But, only if they fit!

But, on the other hand, if Manchester is making them for a retailer, shouldn't it be cheaper to get them directly from Manchester?

It doesn't look from the pictures that the tray will be a problem because that part on the new tank looks smaller. But I imagine the length could be a problem. The tank on my 1999 RT 170 is all the way in the back on the driver's side, but there is little extra space there so the size would need to be very close. Are you able to see the mounting brackets on the installed tank, if the new ones will line up?

[JohnnyFry]

Unfortunately, buying directly from Manchester is not a possibility because they do not deal directly with end users.

[RT1997]

Originally Posted by RT-NY

I have not heard of anyonr in the US stocking any parts for the vintage Dodge Roadtreks. It must be that MobilifeRV set up some sort of an agreement with Manchester to fabricate new inventory for them, which sounds like it could be good news even though the tanks are expensive. But, only if they fit!

But, on the other hand, if Manchester is making them for a retailer, shouldn't it be cheaper to get them directly from Manchester?

It doesn't look from the pictures that the tray will be a problem because that part on the new tank looks smaller. But I imagine the length could be a problem. The tank on my 1999 RT 170 is all the way in the back on the driver's side, but there is little extra space there so the size would need to be very close. Are you able to see the mounting brackets on the installed tank, if the new ones will line up?

In the perfect world it would be nice to arrange the business between Manchester and Canadian dealer
to exclude customs and huge shippment costs but...

As far as the brackets are concerned,they are not visible.But it is better to still have some hope before the appointment .

JohnnyFry - did you try to get a dealer to order a tank for you at Manchester ? I do understand that most likely it would require their installation but...

[RT-NY]

Originally Posted by RT1997

As far as the brackets are concerned,they are not visible.But it is better to still have some hope before the appointment.

From your picture of the installed tank, it looks to me like you might run into problems on the right side if the plumbing for the dump lines gets in the way, but I imagine that could be dealt with. It doesn't look to me that there will be any obstruction on the left side. But I am guessing now that the reason the installed tank has a tray around it is to protect it, especially the left side that is behind the wheel, from debris that the tire might kick up. I think, as you say, there is hope -- as long as the brackets line up, it might not be too difficult!

[RT1997]

Originally Posted by RT-NY

From your picture of the installed tank, it looks to me like you might run into problems on the right side if the plumbing for the dump lines gets in the way, but I imagine that could be dealt with. It doesn't look to me that there will be any obstruction on the left side. But I am guessing now that the reason the installed tank has a tray around it is to protect it, especially the left side that is behind the wheel, from debris that the tire might kick up. I think, as you say, there is hope -- as long as the brackets line up, it might not be too difficult!

After crawling under I discovered that the tank on the left side does not end by the visible side of the tray.Unlike the right side that next to the end of the tank and is a straight metal plate,the left side molds around the end.
So when I first measured the tank I did not include that bumping part that was not visible.Now it is pretty close to the new tank length.Otherwise the plumbing is too close .I was almost prepared to return.Now there is a real hope.
But I still want protection from debris and not willing to make major changes to the system .But there is no other Manchester tank for 170/1997.

[RT-NY]

Originally Posted by RT1997

So when I first measured the tank I did not include that bumping part that was not visible.Now it is pretty close to the new tank length.Otherwise the plumbing is too close .I was almost prepared to return.Now there is a real hope.
But I still want protection from debris and not willing to make major changes to the system.

Ah, I see. I bet, it's going to fit perfectly because I would think that Manchester fabricated the tank itself following the original spec but just used a different tray (which I think is attached later). And you still have the fittings protected on the left side and below -- I don't think the right side is a major issue unless your drive very fast in reverse!