There are so many benefits that propane accessories bring to outdoor life that it’s hard for us to imagine camping without them. For us, camping out of our overland vehicle, these include a hot morning cup of coffee and scrambled eggs cooked on our Coleman stove, and even a hot shower from our new Joolca HOTTAP system. While we have tried camping with electric cooking equipment – running an instant pot and induction cooktop off our inverter, it’s propane that’s still most reliable to cook with.
To keep up with our fuel needs, we normally carry either a 20 lb propane tank, or when packing lighter, a couple of 1 lb Flame King refillable bottles. When we can’t get to a propane filling station, 1 lb disposable canisters are widely available, just not quite as economical to use as the same-sized refillable ones.
(This article includes an affiliate link to the propane adapters we use.)
Propane Tank Adapters and Converters Are Must-Have Items for Campers and RVers
Whether you’re at home or out camping, it’s always a good idea to keep on hand several different types of “Swiss Army” propane adapters or converters, so you can use whatever kind of tanks or canisters you happen to have on hand. These adapters come in very handy if you ever need to downsize your tank to save space, or conversely, if you want to use a larger tank for more run time. For example, it’s not always convenient to carry a 20 lb tank to power our camping shower system, so an adapter that lets us to use 1 lb canisters comes in very handy.
#1 – Adapter Hose For Using 20 lb Propane Tanks Instead of 1 lb Bottles
One of the handiest things we’ve found are adapter hoses which let you use full-sized propane tanks to fuel appliances that were designed to use 1 lb bottles (such as the Coleman stove above). During an extended camping trip, or a multi-day power outage (like we experienced a couple of years ago) these 20 lb tank to 1 lb cylinder adapter hoses free you from having to swap out disposable propane bottles. (Be sure to get an adapter hose that’s at least 5′ long, so you can place the 20 lb tank a safe distance away from your cooking area.
#2 – Adapter For Using 1 lb Propane Cylinders Instead of 20 lb Tanks
Sometimes you might want to go in the other direction, using smaller 1 lb disposable or refillable cylinders instead of a full-sized propane tank. Full-sized 20 lb propane tanks are designed to be used when mounted outside an RV, or placed underneath a home BBQ pit, not carried around in the back of a vehicle.
Use of five-pound propane “growlers” is a great space-saving solution. Another alternative is using a 1 lb to 20 lb adapter, like the one shown below. We fuel our Joolca HOTTAP shower using 1 lb bottles instead of a full-sized tank. These give us one hour of shower run time (far more than we’ll ever use on a weekend camping trip) and the smaller canisters don’t take up as much space in our vehicle.
We Supplied Our RV With a 1 lb Disposable Propane Bottle!
When we owned an R-Pod travel trailer and were on vacation near Salida, Colorado, we even used one of these small adapters in a pinch to run the hot water heater and stove for the day, when all the propane filling stations were closed because of a holiday. The local Walmart was still open, so we bought a four-pack of Coleman cylinders, screwed the adapter onto our RV’s tank hose, and voila, we had propane! On that occasion, having one of these inexpensive adapters on hand totally saved our camping trip.
Cautionary Note – When using these, it’s best to choose one with a shut-off valve. Not all these small adapters have them. If you were to remove the hose side instead of the canister side of the adapter on the cheaper type adapter, propane gas would spew out. The model shown below has a shut-off valve which can help prevent accidents.
#3 – Adapter For Refilling 1 lb Propane Bottles From 20 lb Tanks
Sometimes it’s not possible to get to the store to buy more disposable 1 lb propane cylinders, such as during an extended power outage caused by winter storms. If you’re needing to run multiple appliances, such as a Mr. Heater Buddy for emergency heating, along with a Coleman stove for cooking meals, you’ll end up going through your supply of 1 lb disposable canisters pretty fast.
Unfortunately, while it is physically possible to refill disposable 1 lb propane cylinders, doing so makes them illegal to transport, as per D.O.T. rules.
This, along with having a refilled disposable cylinder leak on us on one occasion, is why we switched to using a couple of Flame King refillable 1 lb canisters. The initial cost of two of these cylinders was around $100, but they’ve quickly paid for themselves over this past camping season. The cost of refilling 1 lb propane cylinders from a 20 lb tank is about a quarter of the cost of purchasing new disposable ones.
We won’t get into how to perform this process, as it requires several steps and an abundance of caution, but you can watch the instructional video below to learn more about using the refillable Flame King 1 lb tanks.
See our article Why We No Longer Refill Our 1 lb Propane Canisters for more on why using DOT approved refillable ones is a much better solution.
Having these three essential propane adapters on hand might just save your next camping trip, or at least make it a more comfortable one. Be sure to always check each connection in any propane system for leaks and to never place tanks near heat sources or in direct sunlight. It’s also a good idea to wear gloves when working with propane connections, as cold gas can cause frostbite. Be safe and have a great camping trip!
Disclaimer: We don’t recommend refilling 1 lb disposable propane canisters – only DOT approved refillable ones. This article does not constitute instruction or professional advice. Be sure to follow all manufacturer’s safety recommendations for propane tank adapters and hoses. This article includes affiliate links to products we recommend. Our readers never pay any extra using these links.
