Most RVers have at least one good campfire story about running out of propane during the coldest night of the camping season. Viking Cylinders has set out to make sure no RVer has to experience that kind of misery ever again, with their new lightweight, translucent composite propane cylinders.
These unusual propane cylinders not only look nice but they’re light years ahead of standard RV propane tanks. According to Viking, the non-corrosive cylinders are far safer than ordinary steel tanks because their three-layer design won’t explode in a fire.
“Unlike steel and aluminum tanks, our cylinders tank will not BLEVE in a fire. BLEVE is the technical abbreviation for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion. In layman’s terms this means the cylinder with not explode in a fire. Instead, the resin will burn off and the plastic liner and casing will melt. The LPG will then “breathe” through the cylinder wall and burn in a controlled manner.”
Viking says that all composite cylinders are fabricated with some type of composite material, but the product design, materials, manufacturing process, and testing procedures vary significantly from one company to another. The company claims that no other company has produced the same number of composite cylinders or maintained the outstanding safety record that they have.
Although a 2013 recall of composite propane cylinders occurred because of safety issues, these cylinders were not made by Viking and none of the company’s propane cylinders were affected.
Viking Cylinders is the North American brand for Hexagon Ragasco’s composite LPG cylinder, a product that has been in production since 2000. With more than 9 million cylinders manufactured in Norway and sold around the world, the company has a reputation for producing the safest composite propane gas cylinders.
Why switch to composite propane cylinders?
- The tanks are translucent. This enables you to see the gas level through the wall of the UV-resistant cylinder, so you know exactly how much gas was put into the tank, and how much you have left. Fuel gauges, which never work consistently anyways, will be a thing of the past.
- Your RV will weigh less. Viking cylinders are 50 percent lighter than steel propane gas tanks. Some sizes are more than 60 percent lighter than steel and 28 percent lighter than aluminum.
- They perform anywhere. From an extreme temperature of well above 149°F (65°C) to -40°F (-40°C), these tanks work without a hitch (although the use of LPG in low temperatures is limited by the vaporization capability of the specific LPG mix).
As more RVers switch to Viking composite propane cylinders you’ll find more reviews like these around the web:
I have two. The 11lb and a 17lb. No problems at all. While the weight and soft edges are nice. I love, love, love the visual confirmation of remaining fuel. — MountainBuzz.com
Although Viking composite propane cylinders for RVs are new to the North American RVing marketplace, it’s only a matter of time before they become the de-facto choice for discriminating RVers who want a safer, more lightweight and better built propane tank–and other things to talk about around the campfire.
Viking Cylinders offer 17 lb composite LP tanks on Amazon here.
Often called “The O.G. of full-time RVing,” Rene Agredano and her husband Jim Nelson hit the road in a fifth wheel trailer in 2007, after their dog Jerry lost a leg to terminal cancer. Sixteen years later they are still traveling and sharing their nomadic adventures at LiveWorkDream. As a self-employed wordsmith, Rene shares her expertise for many RV industry videos, publications such as the Escapees RV Club Magazine, and has authored numerous books, including the Essential RVing Guide to National Parks, and Income Anywhere, a guide to earning money on the road. She has been featured in global media outlets including the PBS documentary “NATURE: Why We Love Cats and Dogs,” The Guardian Sunday Edition, and the Dan Pink book Free Agent Nation.
Do the Viking cylinders need to be inspected like the steel cylinders? Also steel cylinders are filled by weight, Is there a fill weight on the Viking cylinder so the person filling the cylinder knows the proper fill weight?
Do you offer 25 and 30 lb cylinders ? Our travel trailer has two 30 lb cylinders. Are we able to order direct? How often do these cylinders have to recertified? Or do become absolute.
Thank you,
Great info. Always learning something new.
cost to RETROFIT (belly mounted Tanks on RV’s
are they available in RETRO FIT Models
Each time I refill my steel cylinders I ask the attendant if they will refill composite cylinders. The attendant invariably says no. I then ask to speak to a manager or supervisor. That person invariably says no. I offer the information above. I offer to provide written documentation. The answer remains NO.
If I could be assured of widely available refills, I would buy 2 of these cylinders and help to spread the word.
I was going to have them on our new RV but there life is limited so had dealer change back to steel.
are they “retro-fitable’ for “belly” mount RV tanks?
or?
are they strictly stand alone extension hose units?
i have no external tank connection point on my ’99 class “C”