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Old 11-29-2018, 03:57 PM   #1
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Viking composite propane tank tray.

Hi all,


First post...


My wife and I have ordered a new 17B and we are looking to minimize weight. An easy and effective weight reduction that I see is switching to composite propane tanks (Viking). Lighter tank and it seems many people go forward just keeping one tank full since it's easy to see what's left.



After searching this forum, it seems there's one or more people that have made this upgrade. My question is what was done for the tank tray? Was it changed to the Viking tray they recommend or was the original tray modified?


I'm hoping to have Escape just use the Viking tray during the build but I'm getting some resistance.

Thanks in advance for any comments,



Chris P.
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Old 11-29-2018, 04:18 PM   #2
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I remember maybe 10 years ago switching to fg propane tanks and then they were taken off the market for some reason. That said, saving tongue weight on an Escape may cause sway issues so it is a double edge sword so to speak. But the tray, that is metal and subject to rust and allowing the tanks to rust, perhaps a switch to a fg tray could address that component?
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Old 11-29-2018, 04:30 PM   #3
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Thanks for the quick reply.


The previous generation of tanks were recalled as you say and also from what I've found online. The Viking ones are a different company and newer/different design so hopefully no recalls in the future but who knows.



The tray itself is metal I think. It's different from a standard tray in that it's made to fit the wider bottom of the composite tanks compared to a standard propane tank.


We are going with the front storage box as well so I don't imagine we'll have tongue weight issues but that's definitely something for us to keep in mind.
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Old 11-29-2018, 05:26 PM   #4
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A little secret here, purchase some automotive clear door edge and cut off 6x3" pieces and install on the tanks bottom. Should keep the rust away...............
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Old 11-29-2018, 05:33 PM   #5
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My tray is ten years old. I don't expect it to rust through for another thirty years.
I'd also be concerned about reducing tongue weight.
Given that it's under a tank cover, I have no aesthetic issues.
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Propane tray.jpg   Propane screw.jpg  
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Old 11-29-2018, 06:29 PM   #6
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Now I actually see how the tray is mounted. Thanks gbaglo! That's useful as I wasn't sure how easy/hard it would be to replace a tray but it seems like it could be done without requiring any new holes in the frame.



Will likely hold off for now then and see how things pan out with the trailer packed for the road before making any change. There doesn't seem to be any advantage to having the composite tray installed from the beginning.
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Old 11-29-2018, 06:39 PM   #7
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With in a month of taking delivery of our trailer I adjusted the location of the batteries and the tanks. When I removed the 4 screws that held the tray down I found what is pictured below. It was not unexpected as I know someone on the forum has had some tray bolts disintegrate.

It looks to me that they place the tray on the tongue, drilled the holes, then did not remove the tray to clean the filings or add paint/sealer before screwing it down.

It is not the end of the world, but if you have an older trailer you might want to check it out.
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Old 11-29-2018, 08:51 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Eggscape View Post
With in a month of taking delivery of our trailer I adjusted the location of the batteries and the tanks. When I removed the 4 screws that held the tray down I found what is pictured below. It was not unexpected as I know someone on the forum has had some tray bolts disintegrate.

It looks to me that they place the tray on the tongue, drilled the holes, then did not remove the tray to clean the filings or add paint/sealer before screwing it down.

It is not the end of the world, but if you have an older trailer you might want to check it out.
I found the same thing some time ago, but mine was a bit worse because I'd had the trailer for over 2 years at the time. I wire brushed off the rust, spot painted it with a gloss black with rust inhibitor, swapped out the screws for stainless ones, and before putting them back in, applied a bit of TremPro 651. It's basically butyl in a caulk tube.

Probably overkill, but at least I know the A-frame rails won't be weakened over time by rust from those holes.

Ideally, I'd have preferred them using U-bolts to attach the tray rather than drilling holes in the frame, but it is what it is.
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Old 11-29-2018, 08:57 PM   #9
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I don't have a picture … but my tank cover, where it rests on the trailer "A" frame, has chaffed through the frame paint to bare metal. Of course it is rusty and a fix here is on my "to do" list when I can re-join my trailer.


I'll probable sand that area of the frame and repaint. To keep it from happening again, I'll likely glue down some kind of wear strip.

Also I doubt very much if having FB tanks VS Metal tanks will make any difference at all on a '17'...… '17's' tend to get tongue heavy very easily …. or at least my "A Lister" version does. I have to pay attention to keep my tongue from getting too heavy.

Tom
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Old 11-29-2018, 09:03 PM   #10
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While we are on the topic of propane tanks, I have found my propane rubber pigtails severly cracked and much in need of replacing. Looking on Amazon, I find stainless steel wrapped12" pigtails and 24" pigtails. Will the 12" pigtails be long enough? My trailer lives out of state and I can't measure.

Thanks ahead for any help!

Tom
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Old 11-29-2018, 09:09 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by StarvingHyena View Post
While we are on the topic of propane tanks, I have found my propane rubber pigtails severly cracked and much in need of replacing. Looking on Amazon, I find stainless steel wrapped12" pigtails and 24" pigtails. Will the 12" pigtails be long enough? My trailer lives out of state and I can't measure.

Thanks ahead for any help!

Tom
The 12" are fine. That's the size that came with the trailer. Get them too long and they'll just get in the way.

As for the stainless steel braiding, that doesn't necessarily make them any better. Several folks have had problems with the brand new stainless mesh ones leaking. Likely they were made in some 3rd world factory with inadequate quality control. Check the reviews carefully.
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Old 11-29-2018, 09:20 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by StarvingHyena View Post
While we are on the topic of propane tanks, I have found my propane rubber pigtails severly cracked and much in need of replacing. Looking on Amazon, I find stainless steel wrapped12" pigtails and 24" pigtails. Will the 12" pigtails be long enough? My trailer lives out of state and I can't measure.
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Originally Posted by rbryan4 View Post
The 12" are fine. That's the size that came with the trailer. Get them too long and they'll just get in the way.

As for the stainless steel braiding, that doesn't necessarily make them any better. Several folks have had problems with the brand new stainless mesh ones leaking. Likely they were made in some 3rd world factory with inadequate quality control. Check the reviews carefully.
These pigtails by Mr Heater are very good quality and were what I bought to replace ours. 12” length.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 11-30-2018, 02:28 PM   #13
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Thank you Robert and Dave. This seems to be a re-occurring problem and I think everyone should check their trailer and make sure their propane pigtails are in good shape - my trailer is only three years old. My cracking was quite obvious.

Tom
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Old 12-05-2018, 10:33 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Eggscape View Post
With in a month of taking delivery of our trailer I adjusted the location of the batteries and the tanks. When I removed the 4 screws that held the tray down I found what is pictured below. It was not unexpected as I know someone on the forum has had some tray bolts disintegrate.

It looks to me that they place the tray on the tongue, drilled the holes, then did not remove the tray to clean the filings or add paint/sealer before screwing it down.

It is not the end of the world, but if you have an older trailer you might want to check it out.
BATTERY BOXES ALSO.
Thanks for the heads up. I have the exact same 2018 trailer. It is a good idea to also check the battery boxes and screws. I removed the batteries after 6 months and found the boxes with water in the bottom and the screws very rusted. In another year I think the screws would have to be drilled out as the heads would be useless. There are no drain holes and water gets in through the vents at the top. Luckily the boxes are screwed into the cross pieces and not the frame as they were rusting as in your pictures for the tray.
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Old 03-31-2019, 12:26 PM   #15
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I'm not sure if this post was ever answered for you. We also have had the Viking tanks on two of our trailers and yes you do need to order the larger tray which also comes with the hold down that is designed for the tanks. Sure do love the fg tanks!
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Old 03-31-2019, 02:19 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by StarvingHyena View Post
I'll probable sand that area of the frame and repaint. To keep it from happening again, I'll likely glue down some kind of wear strip.

What worked well for me was to just get some self-adhesive black velcro strips, cut out a couple of generous-sized pads, and stick them to the frame. Quick and easy.
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Old 03-31-2019, 09:03 PM   #17
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On the four locations where our tank cover wore through the paint I placed a patch of black Dicor on each and buried two 1.5" lengths of 8ga wire in the Dicor running parallel to the frame, perpendicular to the cover. They're really not noticeable, especially after a little road dirt, and the wire will keep the cover from ever reaching the paint again, and the copper will never touch the metal frame. We're going on several thousand miles and so far so good...
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