How do you transport your gas bottles for refill?

[woodlandfarms]

I am actually looking for specifics on this question. How and where you strap it? Do you use a frame or some other rig, do you put it in the corner of your bed? Leave the ranks in its dolly?

 

[tcartwri]

This is a tough question, as most ( lets just say all ) private vehicles do not have anything remotely strong enough to properly restrain a cylinder in an upright position.

 

[Shield Arc]

I lay all my bottles down on there sides, except for my acetylene bottle. I stand it up next to the cab, but I also have a lumber rack on the pickup.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I hide them lying down under the cover in the back of my truck. Then I throw in a four by four or something similar so they don't roll around.

A friend of mine had a forklift tank in the back of his truck which for unknown reasons was open. Somehow it got away, rolling a short distance into the lot of a small Ford Dealer and came to rest wedged under the rear axle of a new truck. Re retrieved it and drove off! There are still advantages to living in a rural area.

 

[Reverser]

The acetylene bottle needs to be stood up because if you lay it down acetone liquid will spew out your hose when you go to use it. If I remember correctly, it's acetone in a porous material to keep it stable and has to set upright a while for it to settle back down.

If you have to lay it down, then you need to let it sit upright a while before use. I believe it's at least a few hours. It would be best to ask the people where you buy it what the time period would be.

 

[alia176]

I have a SUV so the head room is not enough to stand up the bottles so I lay them down with the cap screwed on of course! As stated already, you need to wait a while before using the bottles.

 

[George2615]

All our local propane refill stations say all tanks must be transported upright and not enclosed but open to the air. Also they won't let you lay the tanks on their side. If they see it come in thst way they may not refill it. If they do they will tell you it must be upright when it leaves.

Bar-b-q style 20 lb'ers are stood up and strapped to built in tie down hooks in an open to air pickup bed. I also have a 100 lb. (about 4' tall) that I take strapped upright with 4 straps on a 6 x 8 utility trailer.

I think other gas suppliers are the same such as for oxygen / acetylene. That is how they transport them (upright). But they haven't said anything to me when I lay them down as long as the cap is on and they can't roll around.

 

[Reverser]

I set mine up in the back of my pickup at about a 45º angle with wooden blocks and secure it the best I can. So far the gas place has never said anything about it. If I had a headache or ladder rack it would certainly be easier.

 

[lostcreekranch]

All of our 20 lb. propane bottles sit in plastic milk crates, the old real crates, not the cheap crap one they sell at Walmart. The bottles fit snug and can't roll around back of truck. The big acetylene bottles are a PIA as no way to secure them properly in a normal pickup bed. We have a 6' x 10' trailer with drive on ramp that is about 5' tall when raised. I can strap bottle to our two wheel dolly, roll up onto trailer, raise / pin ramp, them strap dolly and bottle to the ramp. Leave bottles to settle for a day or two after transport. So far, no problems but, still a PIA.

 

[Arc weld]

Cylinders shouldn't be transported inside a vehicle but many are. Laying down high pressure cylinders isn't a problem, however there are some safety policies on job sites that don't even allow welding trucks to have the cylinders horizontal. Lots of welding trucks have the oxygen horizontal. The safety police are getting carried away with some requirements. Acetylene should stand upright but if it is laid on its side, needs to stand upright for a several hours. Overnight is best.