Does A Food Truck's Propane Tank Need To Be Winterized?

Does A Food Truck’s Propane Tank Need To Be Winterized?

When I woke up this morning, I continued with one of my traditional morning rituals…check the projected weather for the day. While we’re still in October, my weather app told me that some parts of the country have a chance of getting snow today.

Yup, its that time of year again. Winter is coming and food truck owners need to start planning for their winter operations. Where will people come out of their warm offices to spend time in a line for their favorite food truck? How many people will brave the weather to make a lunch or late night food run? Do the tires on the truck have enough tread to keep safe while on the snowy or icy roads?

While we have previously provided articles covering some general tips for food truck owners who operate in the cold weather regions of the country, today we thought it would be good to answer a question we received the other day lately. This question was regarding propane tank usage in the winter.

Does A Food Truck’s Propane Tank Need To Be Winterized?

Question

During winter months my propane cooking equipment doesn’t get hot enough. Is this true that propane does not perform well in cold conditions? Should I get something to keep the tank warmer?

Answer

The boiling point of propane is the temperature in which it won’t vaporize from it’s liquid form. Propane will still vaporize at temps as low as -44 degrees. That is, unless you are running your food truck around in temps that low (and really, who is going to stand in line for your menu at those temps?), the propane in the tank will perform to the levels it does in warmer months.

With that said, when temps reach -20 degrees the pressure within the tank can decrease, but because your propane system runs with an inline pressure regulator this drop in tank pressure will not affect the temperatures in which your equipment needs to maintain to cook your food.

In regards to the second part of the question, we always suggest keeping your truck indoors over night, this will keep an unprotected water system from freezing up and will help keep your whole truck at warmer temps. Purchasing a blanket or warmer for your food truck’s propane tank will do nothing to help keep your equipment temps higher. So the simple answer is no.

BONUS TIP: To help maintain a high level of pressure in your propane tank in the winter, make sure not to run your tank too low. This amount will vary from tank to tank. By keeping more propane in the tank you are using, the better the pressure it will maintain inside.

The Bottom Line

With Winter right around the corner, you need to start planning ahead for operations in the extreme cold. Don’t get forced off the road because you didn’t get your truck ready.

Do you have any additional tips for Winter food truck operations? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section, our food truck forum or social media. Facebook | Twitter

By Richard Myrick|2019-10-25T09:10:32-04:00Oct 25, 2019|Under the Hood|

About the Author: Richard Myrick

Richard Myrick is an architect by degree (Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan) who began his career in real estate development and architectural planning. In September of 2010 he created Mobile Cuisine Magazine to fill an information void he found when he began researching how to start a mobile hotdog cart in Chicago. Richard found that there was no central repository of mobile street food information anywhere on the internet, and with that, the idea for MCM was born. Richard also wrote the "Running a Food Truck for Dummies" available in bookstores everywhere and Amazon. You can reach out to Richard by email at: [email protected].