How to Check Propane Tank Level Without a Gauge! Super Simple!

If your propane tank has no gauge, it can be frustrating to run out of propane in the middle of cooking dinner. Here's a simple trick for checking the propane level in your tank, without a gauge!
Head over to our blog for more details:
www.thervgeeks...
If you want to connect your propane grill to your RV the way we showed in our recent post on that topic, you can view it all here:
www.thervgeeks...
AND HERE'S THE PARTS LIST TO CONNECT A BBQ TO YOUR RV'S ONBOARD PROPANE TANK:
Extend-A-Stay with 12′ Extension Hose: amzn.to/2El5j71
1″-20 Female Throwaway Cylinder thread x 1/4″ Male Pipe Thread Adapters: amzn.to/2BCxgV1
15psi Propane Regulator: amzn.to/2DMZ8rq
1/4″ NPT Brass Male-to-Male Nipple: amzn.to/2ElYKBf
1″-20 Male Throwaway Cylinder thread x 1/4″ Female Pipe Thread Adapters: amzn.to/2FrkVVO - you’ll need two
12′ Propane Extension Hose: amzn.to/2nnayuX
1.5″ Desk Hole Grommet: amzn.to/2DUwOql
1.5″ hole saw: amzn.to/2FueBgp
Propane 1/4″ High-Pressure Quick Connect - Female with Shutoff Valve: bit.ly/1_4NPT-H...
Propane 1/4″ High-Pressure Quick Connect - Male: bit.ly/1_4NPT-H...
Yellow Gas/PTFE Tape: amzn.to/2EG0LrQ
Weber Q1000 Portable Grill: amzn.to/2BBSHFD
Rolling cart for Weber Q1000: amzn.to/2BBSUZr
Cover for Weber Q1000: amzn.to/2DLi9dN
Table Kit for Weber Q1000: amzn.to/2BBSORu
NOTE: The above parts are listed in the exact order we assembled them, running from the RV's propane tank to the grill. So two of the items are listed above twice, due to being required at different places along the length of the hose assembly.
The only exception to the "listed in order of assembly" is first item above (the Extend-a-Stay/12' Hose combination), since we separate them to add the 15 PSI regulator in between). And of course the last item, the yellow pipe tape, is used throughout.
FOR MORE COMPLETE DETAILS AND A PARTS DIAGRAM:
www.thervgeeks....
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Full-Time RVers since April, 2003, we share DIY (do it yourself) RV maintenance, repair, travel, upgrade and operational tips & tricks.
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[@roadgeneral42]

Another simple, but often forgotten method for checking your propane level. RVgeeks continues to give us helpful tips to enjoy our RV experience.

[@RVgeeks]

+Stephen Hurlbut Thanks Stephen! 😊

[@RVgeeks]

+Stephen Hurlbut Thanks Stephen. 😊

[@FDRGREG]

Great tip. I use a lot of 20 lb tanks for multiple devices. When completely runs out ( usually on the grill) I turn it upside down for exchange but I have many in multiple states of use, turkey fryer, buddy heater, gas grill. I keep 6 in rotation for emergency heat in a power outage. Going to try this in a couple of weeks to see where I’m at with them.

[@ingaa6759]

This saved me from a deliver fee at my house when I didn't need a delivery (because I was half full.) Thank you!

[@cd619g74]

This was probably the most useful thing I've found on KZbin - no joke. Thanks so much for sharing this tip. :-)

[@RVgeeks]

We appreciate your comment, David. Glad you found the video useful. Thanks for watching!

[@luisvivoni7877]

I TOTALLY agree!

[@kim0007]

Great demo. I work at a store and propane is one of our services. I am breaking into it so, your helpful info will help when needed. Thank you so much.

[@jjgriffmn]

You’re the best! I haven’t seen your videos for a while, but you taught me how to hard boil eggs years ago! I thought I was subscribed. Obviously, I am not now I am again !!😊

[@rogerhamilton4961]

I agree that this is one of the most useful things I’ve seen on KZbin. I just tried it and it worked perfectly. Thanks a bunch!

[@banyarola2577]

This is a great tip and works as advertised. I just checked my two outside tanks on my house and it worked great ... Thanks again for this oldie but goodie..

[@WhiteFox011]

It is always good to see credit given when and where it should be given!

[@FIREST1X]

Extremely helpful. Occam's razor at its best. I appreciate the low tech, physics based solution. Greatly appreciated!

[@johnallen4455]

Great info! RVing in NC ...45 degree days ... don't want to run out of propane ... need to keep the furnace going! Thanks!!

[@wendybell460]

That's the best tip I have seen on the RVing subject. Always heard you could tell with hot water, but never saw the end of the technique. LOL Thanks so much.

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Wendy! :)

[@smacdiesel]

I love to see propane tanks cleaned and maintained like yours. It seems most people just let their tanks go to pot with road grime. Thanks for another great tip, I could have really used this advise about a year ago.

[@RVgeeks]

+smacdiesel Thanks! We do love keeping our stuff clean all right. 😊

[@mic982]

Helps a lot that its in an enclosed area, out of the elements. Hence bottle covers on most trailer RV's nowadays (with two bottles) or virtually all Class A & C motor homes.

[@RVgeeks]

+Mic Tod™ It's actually right behind the left front wheel in a compartment that's open underneath, so it gets filthy on the road, especially when driving in the rain!

[@mic982]

Oh. Then you do do a great job in keeping it clean. Mine (tucked neatly under a two-bottle cover) on the front of our trailer do get dirty, but at least the cover minimizes it, Comes up from underneath, no doubt. Anyway, nice trick and I'm here to confirm that it works! Thanks.

[@prince151ful]

Thank you so much that's the best tip. I tried it & I was so amazed not because it worked, but more because I am always on my grill, &I went and brought a gage & this costed me nothing, but a big cup of hot water. Thank you again.

[@you2tooyou2too]

In cool weather (

[@gypsybelle4757]

One of the Best RV Geeks Tips and Tricks to date. And that is saying something!👍Thank you, RV Geeks!

[@RVgeeks]

Thank you Belle! So glad you liked it. :)

[@ruthgumataotao1792]

Thank you for the fast, easy, no cost tip. I can take purchasing a gauge off the to do road trip prep list.

[@RVgeeks]

Our pleasure, Ruth! We love this little trick!

[@biggdogg285]

Just used this tip today, worked perfectly and there was no doubt how much propane I had left. Ridiculously cold down here in Orlando right now...brrrrrrrrrr. Thank you!

[@biggdogg285]

I Google'd it and your video was number two in the results. I told my wife, oh look the RV geeks show how this is done...lol

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks! Good to hear Adam (that we're coming up in the searches... not that it's cols in Florida! ;-)

[@slimbeaux]

You guys are such great teachers. Love to watch your stuff. This one is amazing. Going out next week end so I had better go try it.

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks Slim! It's one of those fun facts that makes us smile whenever we use it! :)

[@James-xq2it]

You should have a rv show on cable tv. You have great videos and a great "tv" personality. Hope you have a million stress free and safe miles ahead. !

[@RVgeeks]

Thanks so much. You just made our day. :)

[@BaysideBranding]

That is so cool. Thanks guys, that is the tip of the year for me as we head out for 3 months. Always entertaining and haven't missed one vlog.

[@RVgeeks]

+Tennants BEtrippin Awesome! Have a safe trip. 😊

[@user-lu9gt9jx1w]

Great simple advice, I love it, thanks

[@Spidz2k]

This is amazing. Don't even have to purchase a meter now for my BBQ grill. Thanks!

[@gjhard101]

Very neat trick. Makes perfect since, scents, cents, sense.

[@daughterbeloved9901]

Yes, it was very helpful! And in just a short time.

[@0HARE]

Thanks for another excellent video. This is a great tip, and very useful to me right now. Happy Camping

[@ATCDave1]

Thank you guys for the quick tip, great stuff as always. Enjoy the warmth. (minus 2*F this morning in New Hampshire, heh)

[@RVgeeks]

Yikes! Hope you have plenty of propane!

[@martinj7032]

Brilliant tip. Just used this on my mobile home which I had no idea how much gas I had.

[@topazioazulazul]

Thank you so much!! I did find it very useful, winter is coming up and I had no idea had to check the big tank outside my home.. Now I do, now I just need to call around and find out who has the cheapest... thank you again :)

[@PidasianHippie]

Thanks for this tip. I was wondering a couple of weeks ago how I could test my tank. Now I know! :-)

[@timrover]

Great Tip John, although I would throw a caveat out there. Ensuring to clean the tank first, if the LP tank is not cleaned really well you will have a muddy mess.

[@RVgeeks]

+Tim Rover Dirty hands for sure! 😛

[@EOlaCasas]

Wow! I'm gonna go do this right now!

[@ElaineMacQuarrie]

Thanks for the useful info!!

[@nurse12320]

My gosh! This is exactly what I neeeded! Thanks👍

[@andygeorgiou2846]

An amazing quick tip!! Thank you Sir!

[@claypottinger7372]

Will this work if the tank is vertical rather than horizontal as the one in the demonstration? Just kidding. That is a great video, well explained, and utilitarian.

[@KristinaLouiseLombardi]

I learned that it is filled to 80%. I didn’t know that before! How much is in a 15 pound tank? How many of that size needed in northern Arizona winter? Last night was 39!

[@davidlawson7026]

Nice! And, excellent job at putting the explanation in layman's terms!

[@RVgeeks]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@nancynada7890]

Thanks for a portable any where test for propane levels.

[@RVgeeks]

+Nancy Castanien Glad you liked it, Nancy! It is a pretty handy trick. 😊

[@virgithbuena4051]

Very helpfil tip! Thank you!

[@LifeWithPaulLorena]

Nice tip guys....thanks!

[@pamil1923]

If a propane tank can only be filled to about 80%, then they should make the gauge say full there. In my humble opinion.

[@RVgeeks]

While the gauges on the tanks want generally go above about 3/4 full for the exact reason you mentioned, our tank monitor inside the RV is calibrated to show 100% when the propane tank is “full” which is 80%. So the internal one works great. We agree with you though - it would be nice if full meant full on the tank itself.

[@BlessedFollowers]

Thank you for this awesome tip!

[@sromo522]

Great info thanks guys

[@MrTubeman123456]

Great tip thanks

[@pebbyro]

That really works!! Thanks for the great tip.

[@pingidjit]

Brilliant tip! Thank you so much

[@dalehilltopfarm]

Excellent post!

[@mikethompson7406]

Thanks for sharing this! I'm sitting here wondering, "do I need to go fill my little 5lb tank before camping tonight, how much did I use last time, am I going to run out?" I'm going to go test this now!

[@TSchra37]

Thanks!

[@richardalvarado9807]

Thank you for your video.I did it and apparently I have just a little less than half a tank.

[@barbarabailey4714]

Great info!

[@FLIPSYDOODAA]

This is a really neat tip, thanks!

[@RVgeeks]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jesserodriguez9019]

👍🏼 awesome!! Thank you sir!

[@raysater4083]

Thanks will use your trick.

[@stevo4535]

Awesome tip

[@sarahdeason493]

Excellent tutorial / Thank You !

[@VGMurders]

Cool trick. Not sure my neighbor below will appreciate the water on their patio though.

[@montanaannie1253]

Can't wait to try it!!

[@enemyofthestate9358]

Thank you

[@jordanyesuras559]

Thanks f0r the ibfo

[@jamestaylor845]

Great tip.

[@n40tom]

Very clever, thank you.

[@marshasmith1808]

Thanks

[@dethmaul]

That was neat as hell lol

[@CanonNovice]

Great post. Thanks

[@InHisGrace33]

Thank you 😁

[@gaetanouellet6953]

Very Good thanks

[@Lex5576]

This is a nice tip to know. I’m about to transition from a propane to natural gas cook stove. Amerigas won’t refund any gas you’ve already paid for when you end service. I’m going to use all mine up and tell greedy Amerigas to come get their tank.

[@bust6665]

Thank you, I was just about to order some expensive electronic gauges.

[@primadonnagoingoffgrid4313]

Very useful tip!

[@meseahunt]

thanks

[@siuealangi9624]

Awesome. Thank you for sharing.

[@kevinburke4197]

Thanks. Great, easy tip.

[@RustyNail5856]

Great video thanks for the info.

[@Peachy65]

This is awesome. Thanks!

[@jayc7863]

Good tips

[@RJsadventures]

Great Tip, Thanks

[@hermes6587]

Nice tip, should be of help to us.

[@scottwall4669]

Adhesive strips are not accurate and the weather can change the reading. Also, when system is in use..like stove or Barbeque is running, the tank will be colder. It will actually freeze outside at the propane level. If near a beach with high humidity you will see the snow line on the tank. Locate a propane company when filling your tanks. The exchange stations(Lowes, Walmart, gas stations etc..) have low quality fuel and you will get a yellow flame. Also, a company like Globe propane with a 10,000 gallon tank will offer drive thru service and lower prices.

[@RVgeeks]

+Scott Wall Thanks for the great additional tips, Scott!

[@TNproud]

damn.. world is full of smart people

[@candyfuller5333]

Thank you!

[@zezo46322]

شكرا 👍

[@reinout1139]

GENIUS!

[@kathrynapatterson2702]

TU. What should I do when leaving for summer, & dtill propane in tanks? It gets to 125 here, tho its on shade side of my new-to-me RV

[@thomasbrustad5596]

Outstanding, Thanks!

[@LetsRVtv]

Great tip! Thanks

[@matthewmurafa5629]

you can also see the level early in the morning when its still cold out the condensation line.

[@RVgeeks]

+Matthew Murafa That does work great on cold mornings all right!

[@jponyboyace]

How do u keep so nice.....ok I need to paint

[@billlong5979]

Great tip. And it really does work. Is that an 80 lb tank? I need to send you guys pics of my install of the "Extend A Stay". I'll finish it up tomorrow but I came off for a line to my Buddy Heater with 2 valves inline. I have the possibility of swapping hoses for going to a grill but I carry a 20lb tank for the grill and outdoor stove.

[@RVgeeks]

+Bill Long Just a 32 lb tank. Looks bigger though. 😉 Shoot is a note when your Extend a Stay is done and pics are ready. Sounds like a great set-up, Bill.

[@ralphfairbanks9347]

Good thinking boss

[@dillonmoore7248]

You should review the mopeka Bluetooth propane tank gauge!

[@RVgeeks]

Hi Dillon! We'd never heard of this device before, so thanks for telling us about it. While we do love tech, we generally use propane so slowly that the cost of this might be just a little steep for something we only need to do once every few weeks at most. If we had a really small tank, or used it up faster, it might be worth spending more than our hot water method (which is free of course) to get continuous monitoring. Thanks for letting us know about it, but "free" is definitely a hard price to compete with. ;-)

[@jimmydeen58]

Great Video....

[@denismanace]

Thanx man 👌

[@normlor8109]

a fantastic tip as I never know how much is there but if I weighed this tank would this help?

[@RVgeeks]

+norm lor It sure would! That's how they sell it in some places.... by weighing the portable tanks. 😊

[@martinchewe]

Do you have to disconnect the tank when checking for the tank level or it's fine you can do it whilst it's connected to the system?

[@RVgeeks]

Great question! You can absolutely check the tank level at any time whether it’s connected to the system or not.

[@peteruski3156]

Nice

[@MililaniJag]

Hi Is there a vid on pros/cons of all electric vs propane heated DPs? Thanks!

[@RVgeeks]

Check this one out, Rob! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6HKioporbaqntE

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

That's an easy tip that I think we could even handle lol. We do have an unrelated question for you guys, about how much time do you think is spent in RV maintenance and up keep while full timing? Daily, weekly, Monthly or less? Have a Happy and Safe New Year!!

[@RVgeeks]

+Moving Forward It's not a constant thing, but more "periodic" depending on the maintenance item. Dicor inspection and fresh water tank sanitizing every 6 months for example. Water heater flush and waxing the paint annually, etc. of course engine & chassis maintenance as per recommendations of the manufacturer. And of course things do need repair sometimes. All part of keeping things working and as new as possible. Happy New Year to you, too!

[@MovingForwardAdventures]

This is a better answer than what we were expecting. We were really thinking the RV would be almost all consuming of our time lol. Thank you.

[@RVgeeks]

+Moving Forward Well, if you buy a really old RV.... 😉

[@johnr5545]

Thanks god bless

[@Grillhippie]

Will that work with helium?