# Propane Exchange **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 8, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208 "2007-06-08T01:28:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/41 "2007-06-08T17:32:08Z")
[QUOTE=Scylla] Where do you put it once you got it? It’ll roll around in the trunk and if you seatbelt it into the backseat, it’s like your breathing propane from a crappy old leaky cylinder. Set it next to you kid, like a bomb? Drive real slow with the windows down? [/QUOTE] You can use [this](http://www.tanksetter.com/). Or just put it in a plastic milk crate. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/42 "2007-06-08T17:33:09Z")
[QUOTE=UncleBeer] No they don’t. _ **Real** _ real men do indeed use propane - they just use it with an [infra-red grill](http://www.rasmussen.biz/grills/whatsIR.html). There’s even a [portable model](http://www.rasmussen.biz/grills/portG.html). 1500 degrees of seared-meaty goodness. [/QUOTE] You guys are all screwed up. _Real_ men use a Weber Summit Platinum D that uses propane burners, has infrared (for the rotisserie), and has a smoker box that does ever so much better than charcoal, but this man also has natural chunk hardwood charcoal and a chimney starter for use at the local parks. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/43 "2007-06-08T19:17:36Z")
[QUOTE=kurilla] All right, I really need to go back to bed. Or I need an IV caffeine drip. Or something. I saw the thread title and figured it was going to be something along the lines of the Doper Shotglass Exchange… and isn’t mailing propane dangerous and probably illegal? [/QUOTE] Well, then how about a Doper Methane Exchange? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/44 "2007-06-08T19:22:04Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Well, then how about a Doper Methane Exchange? [/QUOTE] What? Like “I fart in your general direction!”? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/45 "2007-06-08T20:17:30Z")
Exactly! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/46 "2007-06-08T23:41:28Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Real men use white gas (Coleman fuel) in their campstoves! (A single-burner Svea 123, of course. 😉 ) [/QUOTE] So long as white gas remains legal to use in your area. Where we’re at, the stuff is banned because of fears that someone could spill it and have the whole valley go up in flames. As for filling vs exchanging, I refill at the nearby UHaul. Last time I was there, it cost about $16, and they now have a nifty wireless credit card terminal at the propane tank, so I didn’t have to go back into the building and wait in line to pay after someone stops ranting about how the door fell off the truck and someone else dithers over how many rolls of tape they need to buy. The Blue Rhino near home charges in excess of $25. During the summer, we’re going through at least a tank a month, so it would add up pretty fast. About the only thing Blue Rhino is good for is unloading crappy tanks and getting tanks that are at least modern enough to have OPD. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/47 "2007-06-09T04:17:16Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] You guys are all screwed up. _Real_ men use a Weber Summit Platinum D that uses propane burners, has infrared (for the rotisserie), and has a smoker box that does ever so much better than charcoal, but this man also has natural chunk hardwood charcoal and a chimney starter for use at the local parks. [/QUOTE] If that’s the case, real men are too broke to afford the hot dogs to go on that fancy grill~ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/48 "2007-06-09T13:51:58Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] So long as white gas remains legal to use in your area. Where we’re at, the stuff is banned because of fears that someone could spill it and have the whole valley go up in flames. [/QUOTE] Do you have a cite for that? When I search for ‘“coleman fuel” banned’ I get a lot of message boards with banned members. Is this a city ban? I ask because my impression is that this thread is about backyard cooking. Or is the ban only in parks? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/49 "2007-06-09T14:04:49Z")
This has to be the most appropriate thread ever for the BBQ Pit. I fill mine up at the local rental place. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/50 "2007-06-09T15:48:07Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Do you have a cite for that? When I search for ‘“coleman fuel” banned’ I get a lot of message boards with banned members. Is this a city ban? I ask because my impression is that this thread is about backyard cooking. Or is the ban only in parks? [/QUOTE] Since 1975 I have run my Coleman stuff on unleaded gasoline. Back in the day it used to cost me $0.07 to fill up my camping stove. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/51 "2007-06-09T15:57:38Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Since 1975 I have run my Coleman stuff on unleaded gasoline. Back in the day it used to cost me $0.07 to fill up my camping stove. 😃 [/QUOTE] I have a Dual Fuel Colman lantern around here someplace. (I have a bit of a collection of Coleman lanterns.) I don’t remember if I’ve ever run it on unleaded gas. The ones that run on Coleman fuel are at-hand, so I use those. I didn’t know you could run them on gasoline. I wonder where my stove is? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/52 "2007-06-09T16:22:12Z")
Back in the day the problem with running Coleman stuff on gasoline was the lead. When unleaded came out light bulbs lit up above the heads of myself and several of my friends. So we started using unleaded fuel in our Coleman products. None of us have ever had an issue. Coleman makes a “unleaded” version of their camp stuff, but I have always stuck with the standard and used either Coleman fuel or unleaded gas. As always YMMV ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/53 "2007-06-12T18:07:56Z")
In this town, the profane dealer will fill a big tank, but they’ve joined the Rhino herd for 20s. They make more money this way. At one local Kwiik-E-Mart, the cashier handed me the key to the cage, leaving me to make the exchange myself. She didn’t know me from Adam’s off ox, and I could have taken more than one tank while she was busy. I didn’t. Recreational theft is no longer fun for me. At the supermarket, they send a sackboy out to open the cage, and he’ll offer to heft the tank for me. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/54 "2007-06-12T18:14:12Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] In this town, the profane dealer will fill a big tank, but they’ve joined the Rhino herd for 20s. They make more money this way. At one local Kwiik-E-Mart, the cashier handed me the key to the cage, leaving me to make the exchange myself. She didn’t know me from Adam’s off ox, and I could have taken more than one tank while she was busy. I didn’t. Recreational theft is no longer fun for me. [/QUOTE] As a comment - she may not have been as security unconscious as you might think. Given the recent concerns about pump and run drivers most convenience stores have CC cameras recording everything that goes on around them, these days. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/55 "2007-06-13T17:07:49Z")
A real man would cough up some coal dust and use it to grill a dead canary. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/56 "2007-06-14T01:32:56Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Real men use charcoal. [/QUOTE] Bullshit. Real men use a Bernz-O-Matic. But then again, I like my meal at a reasonable hour, so I use a Char-Broil. Even so, I have my tank filled up. A refill cost me around $7.00 whereas that quick-o change-o of the cylinder-o costs about $17.50. I have done it once in an emergency, but no more. . . Tripler Because every solid barbecue man has a spare. ---
**Author:** ![quilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/839c29/32.png) [@quilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quilter)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/57 "2007-06-14T01:35:42Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Coleman makes a “unleaded” version of their camp stuff, but I have always stuck with the standard and used either Coleman fuel or unleaded gas. As always YMMV [/QUOTE] I wish MMwouldV! This Real Woman is having an awful time finding Coleman fuel – or white gas – out in the wilderness of Long Island. Much as I’m looking forward to moving west in a couple of months, I expect to need to use my Coleman stove for one last camping trip on the east coast. I’ve tried Target and local (non-chain) sporting goods stores – any suggestions where I might find white gas? Perhaps my west-coast upbringing has tainted my perspective, but it seems odd that I can’t find something as simple as fuel for a Coleman stove! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/58 "2007-06-14T01:37:41Z")
[QUOTE=quilter] I’ve tried Target and local (non-chain) sporting goods stores – any suggestions where I might find white gas? Perhaps my west-coast upbringing has tainted my perspective, but it seems odd that I can’t find something as simple as fuel for a Coleman stove! [/QUOTE] Try an independent hardware store. One of the old, dusty ones populated by old men and old dogs. ---
**Author:** ![quilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/839c29/32.png) [@quilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quilter)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/59 "2007-06-14T01:45:26Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Try an independent hardware store. One of the old, dusty ones populated by old men and old dogs. [/QUOTE] :smack: Like the one where I found canning jars? Thanks, **silenus**! Some days I’m slower than others… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208/60 "2007-06-14T02:54:05Z")
De nada. I’ve found some of my greatest treasures at such places. Like my cast aluminum hand-cranked meat grinder with sausage-stuffer attachment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/propane-exchange/407208.md?page=4)