RV Living: How to clean and maintain your propane tank 

Here are the materials I used: PRIMER: amzn.to/2BYpnLG PAINT: amzn.to/2SCWvzw BRUSH: amzn.to/2C4YfLc

Great Job, Pippi! Your enthusiasm is infectious! Happy Camping

Another excellent vid. My choice of methods is a bit crude for most, yet is very cost effect, convenient, and effective. The method will also treat rusty areas that are inaccessible. Simply buy a can of Break Free or CLP gun oil and hose down the entire tank before exposing it to moisture on the road, humidity, and seasonal changes. This oil is designed to penetrate, preserve or protect the metal surfaces of guns.

Nice job Pippi.

i had to see the video in full brightness and full screen, all because of you :-)

It's been really easy to leave all of the "rv work" to the hubs over the years, but watching your videos has given me the confidence to at least try to do more maintenance myself to help him! Thanks for the great videos!

Merry Christmas, Pippi Peterson or what ever you celebrate and a very good new year....

Excellent job! You take pride in everything you do and have great courage to tackle something you may not have experience with.

That is one bang up job. Best wishes for the holidays and new year, Pippi.

Nice job Pippi! Now for your last bit of maintenance add some vasoline on your threaded fittings.

...it looks Great Pippi!

Merry Christmas Pippi!

Thank you for sharing your efforts. Great job on maintaining and renovating your RV/Home. No skipped steps and shortcuts. Awesome. Merry Christmas.

Another great video, Pippi. Merry Christmas!

Good job!~John

Good job! Merry Christmas! Take care xxx

Pippi is very cute :)

Merry Christmas Pippi...you still crack me up with every video you put up. Good work done with your RV.

Great video. Happy holidays to you & Andiamo. Thanks again for your dedication to making us better RV'ers. Season's greetings.

From Sweden merry christmas Pippi

Also motorhome Propane tanks never have to be Certified! They never expire! The tanks are so over built they generally will last longer than the life of the motorhome! It is a good idea to change your valve about every 10 years and have your regulator serviced and or adjusted if they are adjustable! Great video!

Just something funny that seems to be in everyone of your videos ....,the BIRDS try to over modulate you in every one 😉🤣😂

good as new , good job thanks.

Thanks, Pippi, for another enjoyable and informative video. From now on, I will remember to make sure I get the proper paint before painting my metal things. ;-) You did a great job!

Don't get dirty Pippi!

PLEASE ensure there are no leaks of your system first and then only use NON-Ferrous wire brushes and or sand paper just to be safe there will NOT be any live sparks that might ignite any fumes.

Nice Job....

Hey, thats pretty neat, so according to the video, its only took 12 minutes to do all that. More people should be doing that this weekend then !! : -P

Hi Pippi!! Merry Christmas and thank you for the video I hope you christmass is as awesome as you are. :-) I was wondering if it would be better if you took your Home to a car was first then do a hand cleaning?? You have done a great job with the maintance of your propane tank. I think you have wonderful tips on your site. Thank you for the video, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. ;-)

Excellent job, that's way more than most people are willing to tackle to do it right and mostly cosmetic. Congrats. If you don't apply self etching primer you will rust out in a short time. That was surface rust, so a spray on rust blocker/Naval Jelly type paint on will take care of it for most people. Perhaps spray your tank with rubber undercoating on the down side to keep it from chipping from road debris now that it's looking so clean and pure. Nice job.

I replaced my 80lb tank with a mount that holds 2 20lb tanks. its much easier to refill. I just exchange the tanks as needed at the nearest walmart.

Pippi, I don't know how old you are, but your persona is delightful. I'm following along because I've had my 20-year-old RV only a couple of months and get a repair surprise about every other week. I'm so thrilled with it that I can tolerate everything so far. Learn or go broke, right? You inspire me. Your parents must be extremely proud.

You've inspired me never to do that. Good Jul

Hi Pippi. How about a coat of lacquer to keep your paint shiny, and give it a little extra abbrasion resistance against road debris? Its amazing what people do on the lead up to Christmas. I was hoping to purchase a load of electrical parts for my garage for boxing day, but due to work commitments, I didnt get to the merchants to get the materials in time. I dont like plan B for boxing day, which is to stay inside and watch telly all day. Are you doing anything interesting over the Christmas/New years holiday period? Stay safe, healthy, happy and contented my friend. Merry Christmas.

Seriously? you need to train some guys I know on how to do proper maintenance. Great job! I leaned a lot.

Merry Christmas Pippi. Tanks allot!

Question does the propane system need adjustment due to change in altitude change like the generator system?

Merry Christmas Pippi,,wishing you a very happy,and prosperous 2016! Love Ya! C-Ya!,,,,Peace!!

Hi pippi, is your RV always parked on a campsite? Jase

lols job well done

What a great job you did! Love how you take the time to do your projects properly!

Have you ever had your tank recertified? The convenience stores that sell propane never seem to check. When I go to the RV/Camper dealerships to fill up they always check the certification date. I have been told there is a 7 year and a 12 year certification.

Do I need to wait until my propane tank is empty to do this?

Merry Christmas always enjoy your video's. Does your propane tanks have to be inspected? Like on a trailer tank that you take to get refilled.

Looks like your rig is in a decent condition how did you go about buying it? I'm looking for a travel trailer but not having much luck ,craigslist is kind of not cutting the mustard. I'm disabled its hard to find something

You have a fun, interesting RU-vid channel! I have watched many of your videos on improvements and remodeling projects you've done and you are a delight to watch as you discover your motorhome. You obviously have a cheerful and sweet disposition, and that makes watching even more enjoyable! However, I hate to break it to you Pippi, but "RV" simply stands for "Recreational Vehicle". It really has nothing to do with the LP tank(s). The term "RV" applies to any number of recreational vehicles; not only to motorhomes (class A, B and C), but equally applies to; travel trailers, fifth-wheel trailers, pop-up campers, truck campers, etc. I know "RV" is frequently (incorrectly) used to denote "motorhomes" only, in an attempt to distinguish them from other types of RVs, but this simply is not the case. Merry Christmas... Keep those videos coming. Good job!

GOOD JOB, GAL!...I GOT TICKLED AT ONE SEGMENT WHEN I SAW YOUR MANICURED RED NAILS UP UNDER THERE DOING THE SANDING!...ANYWAY, KUTOS TO YA'!!

cool

I was thinking when you first started that...Yay!!! Pippi is going to put pennys on or paint flowers on her propane tank...lol I thought you would have the coolest,prettiest propane tank in the RV world as we know it. Well,no pennys or flowers but I'm sure it probably still looks nicer than 99% of the RV's out there. You inspire me girl. Job well done...God bless and keep you safe.

Nice job. I couldn't imagine doing all that from underneath and threw that little door. Think i would have unbolted the tank and dropped it out to work on it in the open. Had it been taken out and all cleaned up id bet a good epoxy or pickup truck bed lining paint would have worked really good. Lots of work what you just did

Here in Reno, the propane co's won't refit my '96 36ft Bounder. They brought out their own 100 gallon tank and attached a hose to my regulator... No charge for the tank, just the 100 gallons... Guess I'm here for the entire (snowy winter...) so I need all this propane!

Merry Christmas Pippi ;) Maybe Santa will bring you some cool tools this year-IF you've been good! Glad to see your using your safety glasses.You might want to check out the face shields at Harbor Freight-they start at $4 and keep the grime off of you.There is a peel off protective coating on the lense when they are new-it's just for shipping,you can peel it off.Stay safe!

Ha Ha.. a year ago I gave you idea to paint that tank!!!! I feel like a certified contributor to Pippi and you also followed advice on safety glasses!!! Great job. Your coach may have lived in Florida at one time, that rust was nasty and Arizona or desert rigs do not have that much rust. Only takes one trip in salt water to cause that if you do not hose off after doing the Daytona beach blast or similar salt water contact in Oregon, Pismo Calif, etc..... you have to hose salt off the same day. So easy underframe fix for DIYers for rust is that dirty oil you drain on regular changes. I use a throwaway sponge and wipe down the undercarriage. Each oil change I select a 15 foot section and take about a half hour to rub down all steel. Vehicles look new under there a decade later. Great job!! Check out RV geeks video on generator care. OMG their coach looks factory beautiful after 10 years!!!!

lots of work, but, it's an evil of rv living... NO RUST!!! lol Merry Christmas!

Pippi, as I motor through your videos to get to know you better, I can't believe what a work horse you are! No offense intended, horses are beautiful, it's just that you blow me away with all the projects you do all by yourself and it is so pleasant to see the things you accomplish. Great job even though it is Mar. 2017. :0D

Just a Thought - On my propane tank is 4 nuts plus hoses. Take it out have it Sandblasted then Have it Powder Coated to never do it again. It's a big job anyway. Great Job on what you did - What a lady to even think about it. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Hi Pippi, here's a product I came across that might be of interest. It's called " Corroseal rust converter" . The reviews are very positive and can be purchased at Home Depot on their website. As always, thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas!!

Pippi you can buy a rust converting metal primer, it is available at Home Depot and it comes in 1 quart bottle, the name is corroseal. It is like a milky color, and all you need to do is brush on your propane tank and let dry, it will turn rusted into black then you can paint it. Do this in the future when it rust again. You can remove your propane from your RV, but it's a pain to take off and heavy.

Im watching king of the hill right now.

Trailers like camping trailers fifth wheels anything use for recreation is a recreational vehicle, not just motorhomes. Not all RVs are motorized.

I did this to my 41 year old tank. I had it inspected by a local propane dealer. They replaced an older brass valve and pressure tested it. I used Rustolium primer and paint. I've honestly never seen anyone get this excited over a propane tank.

Wondering if it's necessary to use seemingly so many chemicals in the maintenance of rvs as that's a major factor given I'm chemically sensitive and plus it must be nasty on the environment. I've gotten away from them in my stationary home to a very large extent so it would be interesting to see if it's possible to be green on wheels. Tricky thing since there's nothing more natural that rot lol...sigh

Pippi you are amazing babe. Another job well done. Merry Christmas xx

I had an old propane tank when I lived in the santa cruz mountains. My son and I painted it with navel jelly (a rust dissolver) to remove the rust, then brush/washed it clean, dried it, then painted with the appropriate paint.

You are a can do girl! Where were all the women like you when I was your age? Motivates me to check out the propane tank at a desert property a club I'm an officer in has this next weekend.

I have a small class C motorhome that uses the removable tanks like you would use with a propane grill. Much better system if you don't use a lot of propane.

I have a '99 bounded and have learned SO MUCH from you. I was about to get rid of it and now I'm so inspired to get it to where my family and I can enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your videos Pippi and God bless you.

I wasn't implying that men should know more about women when it comes to maintenance on an RV I was talking about how you go into detail explaining how to do it. sorry about the misunderstanding

Do I need to wait until my propane tank is empty to do this project?

very good job....Merry Christmas and happy new year...keep up the good work

I love the fact your a woman and you're doing this yourself, I'm in the same boat. Atta Girl.

Brass brush, right ? Thanks for sharing.....sweet job.

Thanks for sharing this and for inspiring me since I am an older female to try something WAY outside my comfort zone. I do have a question, was your propane tank empty when you started the project? I watched twice and if you said I missed it both times. Thanks and please accept my apologies if you said it in your video. I plan on getting started on the project soon.

Hate to break it to you but propane tanks rust from the inside out the out side can be perfectly rust free the inside is rusted to the point the tank can start leaking. The only way you know if your propane tank is safe is have it tested by a company that deals with propane systems. The reason why propane has the rotten egg smell so you can detect leaks. For a propane tank explode it takes the right about of air fuel mixture. You did a good job on painting the tank keep in mind painting the outside is only cosmetic.

you can also paint it with a rust converter unless it is rusted too bad then you dont have to sand the rust off first and the converter can be painted over

after sanding, clean with thinners , merry Christmas.

you go girl on that propane tank fix up!!!!! I was a single parent of 3 for many years & learned to fix up my vehicles. We can do it. I re-married & I am a grandma of 5 kids now & we have a 1984 RV and we repair it but I enjoy these important tips that help us too. thank you so much. :)

Now show us how to do routine maintenance on the generator. Thanks.

Something I did not tjink about or see on otger videos. Thanks

Very informative. Excellent job you did there Pippi! Have a safe & wonderful Holiday Season...Cheers!

Wow! That was really neat! Looks like a nice tank NASA would use. You are like Mark Watney from The Martian movie! Fix anything! Merry Christmas!

Pippi, what do you think about the Roadtrek all electric eTrek class B? It does not use propane at all. I am looking into one of those because I like the idea of not having to have any propane on board. Could you do a review of that vehicle or give your thoughts on it?

This is called pride of ownership. Ownership of the RV, but in this case, ownership of a job well done. I loved her reaction because that is what we all hope to feel after a tedious task; even if it is something hidden like this tank. This lady has a very healthy work ethic, and the smiles from her job prove that.

Great job Pippi, I had my concerns of the knob and fill labels but I saw you kept them and didn't either remove them or just paint over them as I have seen some people do. Great video and Great job of painting .It looks amazing.

Awesome Pip!! :o) And you remembered your PPE. You never cease to amaze me. Merry Christmas! ;o)

On the bounder I am going to be doing this on the propane tank and the water heater inside.. Also on self leveling jacks I heard it is good to keep those lubricated and free of rust or pitting on the cylinder shaft to keep it from harming the seals.You always make videos so interesting. Merry Christmas!

Looks nice, btw propane or any type of gas cylinders are very durable most air gas guys will throw them off the truck on the ground because they are that sturdy. Only weak point in them is valves fittings they have that's why welding tanks have screw on caps to protect them when they are transported or dropped .

Love your videos! If you're every in Winston-Salem, NC stop by my dealership! I'd love to meet you! Bill Plemmons RV World.

Merry Christmas to you and Andialmo.

Not too shabby, except that you really don't want to paint over the warnings and other labels that were placed in the tank by the manufacturer. Looks nice!

as usual, great subject and presented in such a different style only you can do. Thanks Pippi. Love your videos. vin

I'll come and clean the rust out of those pipes.

You did something that is never done, most rv's I see have very corroded propane tanks, I like to keep my bays clean, nice to see this video and how to refinish a propane tank. Thanks for the video!!

I need to do the same thing. Thanks for the demonstration.

Great topic. I have been thinking about doing our propane tank. Your blog whit its step by step procedure has covered it nicely.

To do this properly, the tank should be completely removed and taken to a Propane business that inspects and most importantly Pressure tests the tank for it's integrity. These tanks can corrode on the inside as well as the outside. Sanding and painting a tank can lead to a false sense of security. Get it checked BEFORE you bother sanding, priming and painting.

DIY vids are useful and inspiring, thanks! What brand multi-tool do you like?

Te amo, eres muy hermosa. You make things fun to watch.

That's a great paint job you did Pippi, I can understand why you're proud of it. like the saying goes "rust never sleeps" With the high pressure in the tank you're right it needs to be kept in good condition. Living here in a marine climate it's important to keep metal protected. I use phosphoric acid on the bare metal before painting, it's completely safe. The rust reformer is like the same thing I've used that too. Merry Xmas 🎅

Wow,It's an awesome Job you did on the propane tank. Keep up the good work,until next time.