How To Refill Your RV Propane Tank: Tips, Locations & Costs
Got questions about How To Refill RV Propane Tanks (SERVICE, COSTS, LOCATIONS). Whether RV Living camping in a motorhome, travel trailer, or exploring van life, you’re eventually going to need an RV propane refill. Propane Gas = (LP). In this post, I’ll share my recent experience refilling a small RV propane tank plus some helpful tips I’ve learned along the way.
I used an RV propane tank service at a gas station for this tutorial, but there are other options and RV propane tank refill locations — Depending on your RV! Also, learn how much refilling our RV with propane costs! This is just another day of RV Life!
🛢️ RV Propane Tank – How to Refill Your RV Propane (Cost, Service & Location Tips)
If you’re new to RV life, figuring out how to refill your RV propane tank can be confusing—and maybe even a little intimidating. Don’t worry, I’ll walk you through what it’s like to get propane for your RV, where to go, how much it costs, and what you need to know about safety and usage.
The first time I needed my propane tanks filled, I was clueless. So I made this video to help all the first-timers figure it out!
🔥 What Is RV Propane Used For?
In an RV, propane is a vital part of everyday life. We use it for:
- Heating water (for showering in your RV)
- Cooking on the stove (some RVs now have electric cook tops)
- Running the RV furnace or coach heat (aka heating your RV)
- Powering the generator (if your rig is set up that way) — some RV generators run off gas or diesel
- Fridge – The refrigerator in many RVs is designed to run off propane as well as, 120V system and 12V batteries.
Even though our propane tank is on the smaller side, it still powers a lot of essential systems inside the RV. And every RV is different in terms of which systems are required to use propane.
🛑 Where Do You Refill RV Propane?
You can refill your RV propane tank at Propane refill stations places like:
- Truck stops (Love’s Travel Stop, Pilot, Flying J) — some offer refill services
- Some Hardware stores (ACE Hardware)
- RV parks or campgrounds (some offer refill services)
- U-Haul and Tractor Supply locations (some offer refill services)
- Gas Stations – (some offer propane refill services)
In our case, we stopped at a Love’s Travel Stop, which had a large propane tank and a technician on-site to help fill our RV tank.
Keep in mind: some RVs like Travel Trailers might have portable RV tanks you can just do a propane tank exchange — in this case, you would just take your propane tank off the RV and go exchange it just like if you were grilling out at home and needed more propane for cooking.
TIP: Are you thinking of parking your RV in one spot for a while but not certain how to refill your propane tank without moving? There are ways to do so! Want to know how to REFILL your propane tank WITHOUT MOVING your RV? Use an EXTEND A STAY RV PROPANE KIT.
>> Check out the Extend A Stay RV Propane Refill Kit I’ve used on some of my RVs.
💰 How Much Does RV Propane Cost?
During our refill:
- We had a 9-10 lb tank (very small)
- It was partially full before refilling
- The cost was $2.50 per pound
- We added 3.3 pounds, which cost $9.04 total
RV propane is typically sold by the pound for smaller, portable tanks like those used for grills or RVs, and by the gallon for larger, non-portable tanks used for home or business supply. A 20-pound propane tank, for example, holds approximately 4.7 gallons. — Depending on your tank size and current fuel level, your cost will vary.
⚠️ Propane Refill Safety Tips
One thing to know: Propane tanks are never filled 100% full—and that’s on purpose!
RV propane tanks are typically filled to about 80% capacity. This is for safety reasons, because propane expands with heat. Especially when you’re driving, bouncing down the road, your tank needs a little room to allow for that expansion.
So, if your gauge never reads “full,” that’s totally normal. It’s usually capped around three-fourths full, even after a fresh fill-up.
💡 Tip: Always make sure the person filling your tank is certified to do so. Propane handling requires safety training. And FYI, you will never be refilling your propane tank yourself unless using some type of propane extender kit.
🔌 Our Setup: How We Use Our RV Propane
We have a smaller tank, but it’s enough to power:
- Hot water heater (for showering in your RV, especially when boondocking)
- Gas stove for cooking
- Using the Coach RV heater during cold weather (how I stay warm in my RV)
- Generator, which also runs off propane (though we try to use that sparingly—it burns fuel quickly!) FYI, NOT all RV generators run off propane! Some use gas or diesel.
Even though our tank is on the smaller side, it still lasts us a decent amount of time depending on how often we cook, heat the rig, or run the generator.
🧠 Final Thoughts: Refilling Propane in Your RV
Getting your RV propane tank refilled might seem intimidating at first, but once you’ve done it once, it becomes part of your regular RV maintenance routine. Just make sure you:
- Know where to go (truck stops like Love’s are great!)
- Understand how much you’re paying per pound/gallon
- Monitor your usage and tank levels
- Leave room for expansion when refilling
- Always TURN OFF your propane when storing your RV
- And Always TURN OFF all the appliances that use propane when refilling
Your propane tank is an essential part of RV living—so treat it with care and respect!
🎥 WATCH THE VIDEO
Want to see what it’s really like? Be sure to check out the video: “RV PROPANE TANK – HOW TO REFILL RV Propane Tanks (SERVICE, COST, LOCATIONS)”
Let me know in the comments: Where do you usually refill your propane? And how long does your tank usually last?
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