Power Tank Worthington 6-pound propane bracket review

Bottle test fit before the roll bar clamps arrived.

Power Tank Stainless Steel Propane Bottle Mount

Having extra propane for our Hallmark Milner camper on long remote trips, or winter camping adventures that consume more fuel, has been a long-term goal. The question was how to mount another LPG bottle safely and securely. I’ve owned the tall, narrow Worthington aluminum 6-pound propane tank (#299494) for 10 years, which has been part of various camping setups, and was an obvious choice for extra Milner LPG. Six pounds is a small reserve, but some beats none.

Several months ago I visualized how a fire extinguisher mount could provide a solution, and did substantial preliminary research that convinced me a good match was available. Fitting the Worthington to an extinguisher bracket would be the first hurdle, and attaching it to my camper the second, and potentially more troublesome. Hose clamps to the roof ladder were planned if nothing better presented itself. I postponed buying the parts and making stuff work, but with a big, cold trip North in my immediate future, last month it became time to either create or buy something.

Power Tank’s small roll bar clamps will fit 1.5″ to 2″ diameters, using spacers for anything smaller than 2″.

Lucky Find

Additional Internet searches steered me to Power Tank, a company I was familiar with and known best for their portable CO2 on-board air systems. They also offer mounting brackets for many of their tanks, and I found one I thought would work well for the (299494) Worthington cylinder. A telephone call to explain my intended use and place an order was rewarded with a welcome surprise; Power Tank had just added a bracket made specifically for this 6-pound propane bottle to their catalog. It got better. The same roll bar clamps used to mount CO2 tank holders worked with the new propane bracket.

Excellent

Installation

After waiting for the backordered clamps arrive, it was time to get the parts fitted. My initial mock-up indicated mounting the bracket to the Hallmark Milner camper’s rear ladder would work as I’d envisioned. Power Tank’s small clamps are designed to work on 1.5″ to 2″ diameter tubing. Rubber spacers are provided for 1.5″ or 1.75″ bars, and the Hallmark’s ladder rails are approximately 1.5″ diameter. Needing spacers was a positive; the rubber mounting provides grip and protects the ladder finish. The clamps were tightened until a bulge appeared both above and below (tight). The bracket looks and feels very secure.

Using the larger rubber spacers, the clamps were tightened until a protective bugle appeared above and below the clamp lips.

With the bracket mounted the LPG tank was fitted. The padded band is just the right size when tightened, without excessive unused bolt thread. To slide my bottle past the middle welded seam, the nut must be removed and reattached after the slightly larger section of the tank has passed the clamp. The band above the seam makes it very unlikely the bottle will slip.

This Power Tank bracket and how it was mounted appear specifically made for this camper application. The Worthington tank is almost perfectly inline with the port side of the camper; just one inch of the base extends beyond the side of the camper.

Looks like this Power Tank bracket was made specifically for this application, it fits the space perfectly.

BOLT Locks

Theft happens. I’m a fan of prevention and helping keep people honest, which means locking my stuff when possible and practical. Over the past year I’ve become a huge fan of BOLT Locks one-key technology, using their locks whenever possible. One of their cable locks was used to secure the Worthington bottle to the top of the ladder. For more information about these fantastic locks read my article located here: RoadTraveler BOLT Locks review

BOLT Locks have earned my admiration over the past year, and I’ve added several to this ’14 Ram Cummins and Hallmark Milner camper. LOVE THEM!

Resource links:

BOLT Locks

Power Tank

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

Canadian Arctic trip countdown

2014 Ram/Cummins, cold testing for a Canadian Arctic trip

Canadian Arctic adventure countdown…we are less than four weeks out! Does it look cold? It was, but it’s nicer when the sun is out and the wind isn’t blowing. This was during a recent cold camp and drive test in Northern Nevada. The VisionX 4.5″ Light Cannons, Factor55 UltraHook, Fairlead 1.5, and a HitchLink 2.0 secured by a BOLT receiver lock, all look good mounted on the aluminum Buckstop bumper, which protects a Talon 12.5k Superwinch. Hard to see under the truck is an AEV front differential cover that completes the beam front axle. Surely the lights will see regular use on our big trip to the North. Hopefully the other stuff is not needed often.

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

Resources: 

AEV: AEV

BOLT: BOLT Locks

Buckstop Truckware: Buckstop

Factor55: Factor55

Hallmark Campers: HallmarkRV

Superwinch: Superwinch

VisionX: VisionX 

 

Amalgamated TDR-WDA diesel fuel additive

Amalgamated’s 2.5 gallon jug of TDR-WDA additive. Well worth the $97.

Got Diesel? Got cold temps? I’ve been using Amalgamated’s TDR-WDA additive for several months, and just bought another 2.5 gallon jug before heading to the Canadian Arctic in a few weeks. Prevention vs. repair and downtime is the goal.

Resource: amalgamatedinc.com, 260-489-2549 

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

Power Tank Worthington 6-pound propane bracket

Power Tank’s BKT-2287 bracket for 6-pound aluminum Worthington bottle

NEW from Power Tank, I don’t think it’s even on their website yet! Power Tank part number BKT-2287, a stainless steel bracket for a Worthington aluminum 6-pound propane tank (#299494), and part of my endless Arctic trip prep. Surely I will use extra fuel keeping the camper thawed, and until now I’d not found a practical solution for carrying extra propane. Since 2007, after the purchase of my AT Overland Chaser trailer, I’ve used one of these Worthington bottles. Though not large, some extra propane beats none. Power Tank’s roll bar mounts are backordered, but once they arrive I’ll test my mounting location.

Resource: Power Tank, 209-366-2163

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

WAGAN Tech SlimLine 1500 watt inverter

WAGAN Tech SlimLine 1500 watt inverter initial mockup

(For those not following my Instagram feed, plus a few more tidbits…)

A few weeks ago I test fit, then performed a quick and dirty installation of this WAGAN Tech 1500 SlimLine inverter on my 2014 Ram/Cummins 2500. The idea is to use the almost free power from the engine to run an electric heater inside my Hallmark Milner camper while driving to keep things thawed. Why? Because in about two months I’m heading to the Canadian Arctic Ocean. It is probably the last year to drive the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, before the all-weather road is completed.

The inverter and heater worked, briefly, but the inverter kept faulting. Likely overheating because of the flush mounting (no air circulation) atop the fuse/relay box, combined with engine bay heat. After a -7 degree Fahrenheit overnight camp test running a Lasko Stanley electric heater through the night on a generator, I was ready to ditch the electric heater idea and rely completely on the propane furnace (still might), which works extremely well.

WAGAN Tech inverter wedged behind a Ram 2500 grille

However, I found another unconventional, relatively easy spot to stuff the inverter, immediately behind the grill, and the appropriately short, provided cables are still long enough. The vertical, hanging installation is not ideal, though I’m willing to gamble and test it, and a chat with WAGAN was encouraging. While a flat, horizontal installation is recommended, the vertical orientation is not as big a negative as I’d feared. The more serious concerns remain debris, moisture, and vibration.

The cold front covering the grille should keep most debris away, the inverter’s outlets are more protected than shown in the photo, and hopefully there is enough airflow for cooling. Overheating should not be a big concern in the Arctic.

A high-idle driveway test produced no faults over 1.25 hours, and the inverter continuously ran the 1500 watt heater on low, presumably drawing about 750 watts. Most important, the temperature inside the cavity holding the water tank and main supply lines, measured with a remote sensor, continued to rise. This idea may still work for supplemental camper heat while underway. An upcoming long drive before another cold night camping systems test should be informative.

Sources: 

WAGAN Corporation:  WAGAN.com

Copyright James Langan/RoadTraveler. All Rights Reserved.

Best Map of the USA

The quotes and links below tell the story well, but let me say that I still love printed, paper maps. We are all using computers right now, and they can be fun, terrific tools. And who would have imagined a GPS in a cell phone just ten years ago?

However, when I’m traveling in the backcountry I still primarily rely on my good sense of direction, traveling during daylight so I can see where I’m going, and paper maps. Paper doesn’t crash or need batteries, it just works.

I will buy one of these great maps, frame it, and put it in my shop, and another to use.

Created by one man in Oregon!

Imus Geographics, the creator’s site.

“This object—painstakingly sculpted by a lone, impractical fellow—is a triumph of indie over corporate. Of analog over digital. Of quirk and caprice over templates and algorithms. It is delightful to look at. Edifying to study. And it may be the last important paper map ever to depict our country.” Seth Stevenson, Slate.com Jan 2, 2012

The BEST paper map of the USA story

The Essential Geography of The United States of America

Kelso Cartography Link

 

Copyright © 2012 James Langan