On Monday 03 December 2007 19:33, Steve Shipley wrote:
> I've always been under the impression that it isn't a good idea to lay
> tanks down for transit. I've never been refused service when exchanging,
>but I've been offered safety tips from time to time.
>
> If you're serious about safety, shouldn't your tanks always be
> vertical? Valves don't
> get knocked off and there's something about using acetylene after the tank
> has been on it's side.
While I completely agree, it would have been hard to keep a tank vertical in a
95 Mustang.
The OP had a Scion IIRC, while roomy for their size, not enough head room for
upright travel.
For that matter how do you restrain a tank securely in a normal pickup without
a headache or ladder rack. The bed is less than 2 feet deep and the tank is
4-5 feet, making the side of the bed a great lever to flip the tank over, not
hold it in place. Up against the front of the bed, it will still not rest
against the cab, and if it comes in contact with the cab in a panic stop I'd
be afraid of it breaking out the rear window, and then still possibly leaving
the truck.
I think in a regular pickup I'd still lay it down, padded around the neck at
the front of the bed and brace it in, lashed to the side. If I moved them
semi-regularly I would probably make a wooden cradle for them.
In my Mustang I moved large Nitrous tanks (refilled little bottles for cars).
I could fit 3 full size tanks in and they would not move side to side, or
front to back for that matter. I always tried to move whatever number of
tanks would fit in the vehicle securely (when I had a mini-van I took however
many tanks filled it up nicely).
Sometimes you have to make do with what you have, and just make the best of
it, like deciding which way the tank should fly out of the vehicle if the
valve ruptures. Also while it probably doesn't apply to people on this
list, I'm afraid that many upright tanks in trucks are not restrained that
well (check out how many badly restrained towed cars/trucks/tractors are on
trailers).
Matt Wehland
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