driving with your tanks

[colsonn]

I am wondering what you guys have to say about this:

During my OW, my dive instructor said, " When you put your tank in your truck, make sure the valve faces you, so in case of an accident and the valve pops off, the tank won't impale you, but the guy behind you."

However since then I have never seen anyone, including all my dive instructors since then, store tanks this way, they all have the valve to the rear of the truck. So was my first instructor nuts, or is everyone else in the rest of the world nuts?

thanks guys, Nick

 

[archman]

" When you put your tank in your truck, make sure the valve faces you, so in case of an accident and the valve pops off, the tank won't impale you, but the guy behind you."

Yeah, tanks impale people all the time. Better safe than sorry.

 

[scubapro50]

I was always told when loading tanks into a trunk to face the tank valve toward the rear of the car away from you. In case of a wreck the valve would go shooting off like a rocket in the direction of the car that just rear ended you and not at your back. There was more danger from the flying tank valve than from the tank itself.

 

[riguerin]

Most people probably point the valve toward the rear because it's easier to lift, load/unload and control the tanks from this orientation. The valve makes a nice little handle.

 

[archman]

In case of a wreck the valve would go shooting off like a rocket in the direction of the car that just rear ended you and not at your back. There was more danger from the flying tank valve than from the tank itself.

Yeah, tank valves impale people all the time too. Better safe than sorry.

Prudent people place their tanks sideways. Or maybe at an oblique.

 

[ItsBruce]

While it is not likely that a valve will get knocked off, it will go one way and the tank will go the other. If I were to lay tanks down, I'd lay them sideways. However, in the DiveMobile, an Astro Van that I've optimized for diving, I built a rack that holds the tanks vertically. Then, at the dive site, I just put the BCD on the tank, sit on the rear bumper, and put my arms through the BCD. If you need photos, let me know.

 

[colsonn]

...DiveMobile

I gotta get me one of those.

 

[tiburon72157]

In short, he's nuts.

 

[verona]

However, in the DiveMobile, an Astro Van that I've optimized for diving, I built a rack that holds the tanks vertically. Then, at the dive site, I just put the BCD on the tank, sit on the rear bumper, and put my arms through the BCD. If you need photos, let me know.

We need photos! Let's see this wagon

 

[daniel f aleman]

Sideways; in a special "don't roll around" rack.