Transporting cylinders

[2airishuman]

So, I've been transporting cylinders in the trunk of my car and the bed of my truck, with some blocking to keep them from rolling around. To and from dive sites, to and from the place where I get my fills.

Recent events have led me to question this approach.

What do you do? Have you found a reasonable way to secure cylinders in place?

 

[Storker]

What's the alternative?

I transport my tanks either in the bottom of my trunk, with other stuff piled around and on top of the tanks, or securely tied down with ratchet bands in my trailer. Can't imagine any other way to do it

 

[northernone]

No options I know of beyond walking everywhere, constructing a blast cage in your vehicle or an armoured trailer. I do lay them cross ways so if a tank valve is truly severed it is less likely to missile into my back.

An easy note, if the recent events are the blown CGA style burst disk rupture mentioned a few days ago, the good preventative measure is to simply use the other style of multi ported retainers.

 

[RayfromTX]

Transporting tanks of air carries a certain measurable risk. When you carry tanks of oxygen for deco diving or rebreathers the risk is far different. Some on this board know firsthand just how different that can be. Puts my stomach in a knot just thinking about it but I spent 7 weeks in a burn ward when I was 20 so I may feel differently about it.

 

[rhwestfall]

For the last decade or more, they travel lying down, base against the bed wall of the truck, and strapped (wrap around each neck) in a daisy chain to the bed cleats. Gear piled on top. If I've got soft weights with me, they serve as blocking.

YMMV

 

[2airishuman]

What's the alternative?

Try a google image search on "scuba cylinder rack", but meanwhile....

Pelican 6 Tank Rack

Roll-Control Adjustable Tank Bracket, Set of 2 (TA-80)

The UbiquiRack for scuba tanks, bikes, and anything else. One rack to rule them all.

 

[2airishuman]

No options I know of beyond walking everywhere, constructing a blast cage in your vehicle or an armoured trailer. I do lay them cross ways so if a tank valve is truly severed it is less likely to missile into my back.

An easy note, if the recent events are the blown CGA style burst disk rupture mentioned a few days ago, the good preventative measure is to simply use the other style of multi ported retainers.

I have this problem that when I start to think I don't know when to stop.

Cylinders pose various hazards beyond burst disc failure. The main one is a sheared-off valve in a collision.

A relative of mine has told me that one of his coworkers was cited for carrying SCBA cylinders laying flat. DOT requires them to be vertical and secured, he said. Rules are enforced more for commercial/industrial operators but nonetheless recreational scuba poses the same risks.

 

[Storker]

Try a google image search on "scuba cylinder rack", but meanwhile....

Pelican 6 Tank Rack

Roll-Control Adjustable Tank Bracket, Set of 2 (TA-80)

View attachment 412993

The UbiquiRack for scuba tanks, bikes, and anything else. One rack to rule them all.

Bungee cord? Me, I prefer ratchet bands. I don't trust bungee to keep stuff in place even in a hard turn.

 

[Storker]

When I transport my cylinders in my wagon, I put them with the base against the back seat. There are no eyelets in my car's trunk, so I can't tie them down, but I always make sure to put the tanks in the bottom, and everything else on top. I've made a rope ladder from some rope and some pieces of roundwood (broomstick, in fact) that somewhat prevents the tanks from rolling around. With a couple of full dive bags on top and other bags on the sides, it stays pretty well in place. And I have a luggage grid between the back seat and the roof, so I won't get loose stuff flying forward in case I have to brake hard.

I've made a rack for my trailer. It's made from 2"x2" and has a 8"x2" front which I put the tanks' bases against. The rack is secured with a 5cm/2" ratchet band in the rear eyelets on the trailer floor, and the tanks are tied down with a 1.5" ratchet band. If something happens which make that construction come loose, I probably have other immediate problems...

 

[TrimixToo]

One big hazard is having them come forward in an accident and hurt you. I had an accident in which tanks destined for hydro in the trunk caused the fold-down rear seat to fold down, so they wound up in the passenger compartment. That was at about 25 mph. I'm really glad I wasn't going 60! Now, when they go into the trunk of a car with fold-down seats, the seat belts and shoulder harnesses are fastened to reinforce the seat back latches.

In my CR-V they were transported upright against the front seats, and strapped down to the seat strikers by the neck or manifold. In my Pilot...well...this thread reminds me I need to buy the plywood to make the bed liner so I can do something similar to strap them in. The weekend is coming, I suppose.