RE: Blue Rhino Propane Tank---Update

Foxyladies · Sep 28, 2003, 07:05 PM

Last week I traded in my old Propane tank for a tank that has the new part that was required as of April 2002. After coming on the board some members told me that only Blue Rhino or Lowe s could fill the tank. They had some special thing that wouldn t let other people fill my tank. Other members said it wasn t a problem. Well, this past weekend my other tank went empty so I went to Lowe s tonight to exchange it for another Blue Rhino. I asked the manager if there would be a problem to get it filled at another place and he said yes. It could only be done by Lowes. I told him that it doesn t say anywhere in there ad or when you go to trade
in your old one. I kept telling him that it wasn t right and bla, bla, bla. so he said I could get a brand new tank off there shelf in the store for the same price I had paid to get the BR. I asked " what is the regular price of the tank and he said $29." The only thing is that it doesn t have any gas in it. I only paid $18 for the tank. Then I told him about the one I got last week and I complained again that they don t say anywhere in there ad so he said I could bring it back and get another new tank off the shelf. I said what if it has still some gas in it, he said it was okay. So now I have to go back to the campground and take off the BR tank.

I can t believe they thought people would have to go to Lowes only for propane. They fill them at the campground where I m a seasonal so I wasn t going to go back home to keep doing it. Pays to be observent or a complainer[

]

GaryWT · May 28, 2003, 12:24 PM

FoxyladiesI always thought that the blue rhino system was a tank exchange. When your tank is empty to drop it off and get a new one, you never own the tank. If you buy your own, you can get it filled anywhere for $8-10.

Garrett · May 28, 2003, 02:26 PM

FoxyladiesI have to disagree you cannot get them filled ANYWHERE for 8 - 10 dollars. I cannot find anyplacea round here to fill one for less than 15. But I am still looking.

mike4947 · May 28, 2003, 03:44 PM

FoxyladiesNot quite true Gary, If you show up without a tank they hit you for the purchase price and fill price. I only use one of the " exchange" places when I have a tank out of date I can t get refilled.

Foxyladies · May 28, 2003, 05:38 PM

FoxyladiesI didn t want to have to go back and forth to Lowe s to get it refilled. My campground does filling for you for the cost of $12 (for a 20 lb tank)

SheBantam · May 29, 2003, 07:32 AM

FoxyladiesI am a BJ s member (a club like SAMs and Costco), they charge $7.99 to fill tanks, other places around are about twice that.

Our local mom and pop hardware store fill propane tanks as well as a lot of the gas stations, but can not beat the price at BJs

GaryWT · May 29, 2003, 08:57 AM

FoxyladiesLet me explain what I meant. A friend of mine just signed up for the tank exchange, I believe it was blue rhino. He did not have a tank he was just starting. He paid $50 and when the tank is empty he was told to bring it in and exchange it for the exchange price. I on the other hand went to BJ s last week and bought a new tank for $22 that is mine and can be filled anywhere. I had it filled at BJ s for $8 ($7.99 actually). The local hardware store fills them for $10.

wahoonc · May 29, 2003, 03:56 PM

GaryWT

QuoteI always thought that the blue rhino system was a tank exchange. When your tank is empty to drop it off and get a new one, you never own the tank. If you buy your own, you can get it filled anywhere for $8-10.

Gary,
That is just what Blue Rhino wants you to do. But they charge exhorbitant prices for filling that tank. I used to live in the burbs, the closest LP fill station was 15 miles away and only open during bankers hours. But there was a Lowe s less than 5 miles. The corner Stop and Rob carried exchange tanks too, your old tank and $15 for a new one. But they quit taking Blue Rhino because of BR s tricky valve. What was bad was Blue Rhino would take anybody s tank on exchange, but you had to be careful when you were getting another one from BR because you might get a regular tank or you might get one of the BR specials. I agree the best choice is to own your own tanks, we do, we have at least 8 on the property, between the gas grill, campers, and Buddy Heaters[

] But it is not necessarily convienent to get them filled. I have to drive about 20 miles to find a LP filling station that is open on the weekends, the only time I have to get the tanks filled.

Aaron[

]

mike4947 · May 29, 2003, 04:21 PM

FoxyladiesWhat evertyone is missing is no matter what you OWN the tank you ve got. If you exchange it you OWN the new tank. Gary, your friend when " signing up for tank exchange" payed $50; in other words he bought a tank from them.
As of the last I heard Blue Rhino " special valve" tanks are no longer entering service. But, there are still thousands of them out there and till they go out of date and can t be refilled don t expect them to be removed from service.
If worse comes to worse About $16 and a crescent wrench can refit a " special" Blue Rhino tank with a regular OPD valve.

hoosya · Jun 10, 2003, 12:09 PM

FoxyladiesLast June I took my old style tank (which I own) to Lowe s to exchange it for a full, OPD 20 lb. tank for $18.99. When it was empty, I took off the Blue Rhino label, drove to BJ s and got it refilled for $8. This past Sunday, Lowe s ran another ad for the same exchange program they did before April 02. I have one more tank and soon I ll be all OPD!

LKaskel · Jun 10, 2003, 02:12 PM

FoxyladiesI have many " Blue Rino" tanks (3 or 4) that I upgraded to when the OPD thing got big. I get all of them refilled everywhere. Ace, BJ s, campground. No one has ever said anything. I actually never thought it would be an issue so I never even asked.

Gone-Camping · Jun 10, 2003, 11:00 PM

FoxyladiesBlue Rhino has had problems in the past too. About 5 years ago their special valves had some " issues" and all the Blue Rhino s were under a general recall. That has since ended, but I learned then never to buy another Blue Rhino tank. If I really need a new tank, I ll just do an exchange at the corner convenience store, but otherwise fill them at U-haul or the local hardware store (U-Haul is usually cheaper)...

Foxyladies · Jun 12, 2003, 10:09 AM

FoxyladiesWhen I stopped by the campground where I m seasonal monday night, I asked them if they fill " Blue Rhino" tanks and they said no problem. They have the special valve or whatever it is that Blue Rhino tanks use. What a relieve! Now I don t have to change the one I got. I did buy a new tank for myself.

Firefyter-Emt · Jun 12, 2003, 10:22 AM

FoxyladiesYea, I will never play with those exchange programs... We just bought a sweet $300 BBQ grille. It was sold with a " free tank of propane" (now mind you, the grille comes with a new tank) Here is the catch.. They want me to take a used exchange tank.. and pay about $20 to refill it!! What the heck! I can get a tank filled local for half that.. With my NEW tank!! [:@] But having to bring it to them?? That is just insane!! That reminds me, I have to pick up a new pigtail to convert my camper to the new style so I can steal my tank off the grill for the camper..

Garrett · Jun 12, 2003, 12:28 PM

FoxyladiesFirefyter, your new tank should work just fine on the PU, mine does. The new style valves have both inside and outside threads to let youuse them on older appliances. Of course if you change the fitting on the PU then you do not need a wrench to install the tank.

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