Dual Battery Isolator Location

[tgwms]

I am installing my second battery. The selected location is the driver's side rear corner along next to my propane. Few questions...

1) Is this stupid? ...putting my battery right next to my propane tank? It is a sealed AGM battery, so I don't expect problems, but does anyone see anything wrong with this?

2) Would it be better to put the isolator close to the front battery? Or is it fine here? I'm guessing it doesn't matter, but I have not found anyone stating explicitly so. The hot line will be fused at both ends regardless.

Thanks!

[Herbie]

I am very uncomfortable with that arrangement, but mostly because you shouldn't have the propane inside the vehicle AT ALL.

Propane is heavier than air, and inside a vehicle it will pool. Adding a ready ignition source like a set of battery terminals, or science-forbid a battery isolator (which may be a contactor? In other words a big relay that is frequently making and breaking the circuit - which WILL eventually cause arcing), seems beyond stupid.

Why why why do you not have your propane in a sealed vented box? This is super important for a variety of reasons, and not blowing yourself up is just one of them.

I don't have great pictures for how GTRV handles this on an Astro, but you can sort of see it on a photo of my donor GTRV after I'd gutted it:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3cJC ... AG0242.jpg
Here's the same sort of thing on a Ford GTRV:

The propane is basically in the same area where you have it currently, but there's a fiberglass enclosure built around and an access door is cut in from the outside. You access the tank from there, and the fiberglass "box" vents out through the side and through a tube in the bottom to the outside.

Your other options are to mount the tank outside. I put a 5lb tank on the dutch door:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IlDr ... 121143.jpg

Also, I have taken some basic measurements and I believe that a small-diameter horizontal tank (like the VW Westy's use) might fit in the space under the floor near the step for the slider door. There is a long/skinny recess in that area that is up enough that a tank might work there. I have also seen at least one conversion-van astro that had the underbody spare tire removed and a horizontal tank mounted in that space.

Please move that tank out of your van!

[VanGoGo]

Maybe move the propane outside the vehicle, or under the van like Westfalia style campers. I had a propane valve go bad during filling on my Vanagon once, for safety reasons the attendant had to call the fire department, which closed off the area until the leak had stopped (the liquid propane expands, 1 cu.ft of propane will expand to 35.79 cu.ft in atmosphere), As mentioned earlier the propane is heavier than air and will pool inside, it seems safer to have outside to prevent potential leaks from accumulating. Search on Google for propane explosions inside vehicles...its nothing short of a bomb going off.

[Smiliesafari]

By all means....move the propane tank to the outside. [-X Everything that has been stated is true. Any spark...BOOM...you're a crispy critter.

[tgwms]

All good input. Thank you.

Herbie I dig your setup. I do not see the reg or hose on the tank. How do you route the gas into your van?

[Herbie]

All good input. Thank you.

Herbie I dig your setup. I do not see the reg or hose on the tank. How do you route the gas into your van?

I don't. I don't cook in the van using propane, and I don't yet have a heating system. The propane tank is for cooking outside and for running my portable fire pit (burn bans in CA sometimes). On the rare occasion I need to cook inside, I have an indoor-rated butane catering burner.

When I finality save up enough for the heater system, it will be the new Propex unit that mounts outside and ducts the heated air in. I will either run a temporary hose/regulator to the bottle placed on the ground, or I'll fit the underbody tank like I described above.