question about dropping the gas tank on camper

ok, Ive read threads about how to empty them and a hole has been punched and the fuel drained but I'm sure there is still some residue. The gas smelled like turpentine and wouldn't even hardly burn on the fire but you never know and I'd rather be safe than sorry.

my question, having never done this before and the hand tools I have wont turn the nuts n bolts they are so frozen - if I try and hacksaw them will that cause a spark or heat to cause any residue to ignite? I know some of you are probably laughing at that question but I have no idea.

This is the the scariest part of this whole operation and I have to drop the gas tank and the LP tank and I dont want to use my side grinder with the sparks it throws.

new, does the tank have straps holding it? If so, just use a pair of tin snips and cut the straps. Yes, you can use your hacksaw on the bolts if it doesn't have straps.

good thinking new! be careful with those things. i can't give you a lot of guidance on pulling one for scrapping, but can ensure you i'm every bit as cautious as you're being when i work with one of them.

Tank should have been cut free before punching a hole in it, stuff a rag int the hole then fill the tank with water is your absoloute safest option. Or you could run a hose from your exuast pipe if you truck uses gasoline, into the fille spout to fill the tank with carbon monoxide.

The LP tank is problably safer to deal with than the gas tank, the LP tank is made from thicker material and less prone to punture. Make sure all the valves a firmly closed crack the lines to purge them of any pressurized gas. Remember propane is heavier than air after purging the lines take a break to let any gas that may have pooled into low lying areas time to disisipate.

The guage held on by 4 screws, you could actually remove or in case of breakage no gas would escape. The guage has a magnet that reads from the sending unit located internally.

Also if the truck were operable and involved in an accident that severed the propane line the tank would only spew a small amout of liguid propane befor the valve automatically shut itself off from inside the tank. The line would have to be repaired then the valve would have to be manually shut off to reset the internal safety device.

In the case of a severed line the outgoing rush of gas or liguid activates the internal safety device.

Scrap Junky - I have tin snips! I can do that! Thank you for the idea!

Biscuit - :( I knew i was going to do something about this all wrong. darnit. I'm going to write your instructions down and take them with me for that LP tank.

Thank you for all the replies, I think just to be safe I'm going to fill it with water also just in case I'm not strong enough to cut the straps and have to hacksaw the bolts off in the end.

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Originally Posted by biscuit

Tank should have been cut free before punching a hole in it, stuff a rag int the hole then fill the tank with water is your absoloute safest option. Or you could run a hose from your exuast pipe if you truck uses gasoline, into the fille spout to fill the tank with carbon monoxide.

The LP tank is problably safer to deal with than the gas tank, the LP tank is made from thicker material and less prone to punture. Make sure all the valves a firmly closed crack the lines to purge them of any pressurized gas. Remember propane is heavier than air after purging the lines take a break to let any gas that may have pooled into low lying areas time to disisipate.

The guage held on by 4 screws, you could actually remove or in case of breakage no gas would escape. The guage has a magnet that reads from the sending unit located internally.

Also if the truck were operable and involved in an accident that severed the propane line the tank would only spew a small amout of liguid propane befor the valve automatically shut itself off from inside the tank. The line would have to be repaired then the valve would have to be manually shut off to reset the internal safety device.

In the case of a severed line the outgoing rush of gas or liguid activates the internal safety device.

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Filling it with water is a bad idea. Once filled he now has to get rid of the polluted water. If you say dump it down the drain, PM me your address so i can smack you.

No need to fill it. Just take it off and leave it in the sun for a few days.

I need to be smacked, Droz. I usually fill a kiddy pool and cut tanks up in those to eliminate any hot embers that could cause an ignite...But I don't really dump it...It kind of just disappears in a few days. Weird, right?

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Originally Posted by drozenski

Filling it with water is a bad idea. Once filled he now has to get rid of the polluted water. If you say dump it down the drain, PM me your address so i can smack you.

No need to fill it. Just take it off and leave it in the sun for a few days.

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The tank has no fuel left inside she already drained it, the water displaces any residule fumes left behind - eliminating a possible explosion. My 1rst choice would have been cabon monoxide which is easy to generate, cheap and very portable as you can drive your tuck within close proximity to the tank that needs purging.

Other choices for inert gas to purge a fuel tank of explosive fumes are carbon dioxide, helium or nitogen, portability of tanks makes their use inconveiniant in the feild.

If the tank is made iof metal, you could block off the vapor and fuel lines then install a hode into the filler neck which is attached to the intake manifold on yout truck, just remove the booster brake vacuum hose and use that port.

Now that the hose ports are blocked off and the vacuum hose is attached idle your truck engine, within minutes that fuel tank will be as flat as a pancake. Someday when you have nothing better to do try this on a 45 gallon steel drum and see what happens.

The drum first collaspes from the middle then the ends pull towards center making a very neat compact package of that fuel drum.

In regards to a hacksaw causing sparks, Useing a brand new sharp hacksaw blade is less likely to cause sparks than a well used dull one. The danger lies within the electric tools we use whuich have brushes that ride the armature that spark during operation. To see for yourself run any one of your tools in a dark room observing the armature through the air cooling ports located over the armature commutator.

Use an old fashion hacksaw with a new blade.

WoW We use sawsalls, have for years and have never had a fire or boom. Long sharp blade snip the tank bands, Use a curved carpet knife and a drip pan to cut the rubber hoses and catch the fuel that spurts. Take it over to the 2 tanks we have. tip it on its back, drill a 1/2 in hole in it take a sniff. If it smells old goes into the crappy tank, if it smells good into the good tank. We run equiptment on the good tank. After we dump them we toss em in cars bound for the crusher.

I may try the nipper idea. Seems safer but again 7 years no Boom,,, but tomorrow may be the day!

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Originally Posted by Rio

WoW We use sawsalls, have for years and have never had a fire or boom. Long sharp blade snip the tank bands, Use a curved carpet knife and a drip pan to cut the rubber hoses and catch the fuel that spurts. Take it over to the 2 tanks we have. tip it on its back, drill a 1/2 in hole in it take a sniff. If it smells old goes into the crappy tank, if it smells good into the good tank. We run equiptment on the good tank. After we dump them we toss em in cars bound for the crusher.

I may try the nipper idea. Seems safer but again 7 years no Boom,,, but tomorrow may be the day!

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Newattitude had previously cut a hole in the tank before thinking about cutting tha bands to remove the tank. The pecaustionary mesures I've given are for her safety now that the tank is opened up. It is our duty to see that our members work safe.

Had she cut the straps before holeing the tank I would not have made a fuss, Carry on with your pograme, I cut my tanks off the same way.

Use caution around the LP - it can cause severe freezer burns and it happens in seconds . Wear gloves when unhooking the line from the tank and when bleeding the line.

if your scared of sparks fill the tank with exhaust fumes from a another car leave it running while u cut with the fumes being piped into the tank.. i have welded leaks in tanks like this cut holes in tanks with the torch. the fumes eliminate oxygen from the tank so the gas cannot burn.

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Originally Posted by wescrapmetal

if your scared of sparks fill the tank with exhaust fumes from a another car leave it running while u cut with the fumes being piped into the tank.. i have welded leaks in tanks like this cut holes in tanks with the torch. the fumes eliminate oxygen from the tank so the gas cannot burn.

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Exaust fumes aka carbon monoxide - were going in circles here. It's been metioned above in an earlier post.

Hats off to forum member "Fumes" for mentioning that LP aka liquid propane can cause frost bite on exposed skin.

I need slapped as well. Whenever in doubt about fuel residue mixed with fire, flush it with water.