Securing Your Van’s Water and Propane Tanks Safely

Van Life Safety: How (and Why) to Secure Your Water and Propane Tanks

When it comes to van conversions, there’s a lot of focus on aesthetics—wood paneling, cozy lighting, clever storage—but one area that’s often overlooked (and can be seriously dangerous) is how water and propane tanks are secured.

It’s not uncommon to see photos online of propane tanks and water tanks casually sitting under a sink or cabinet, completely untethered. It might seem harmless when the van’s parked, but think about what happens during an accident or even a sudden stop.

Let’s Do Some Quick Math

A 20 lb propane tank actually weighs about 37 lbs when full.
Water weighs about 8.34 lbs per gallon. A 20-gallon tank? That’s over 166 lbs of weight.

Now imagine driving at 45 miles per hour and suddenly hitting a solid object. All that weight becomes momentum—enough to send a tank flying like a missile through your van. That’s not just damage to your build—it’s a serious risk to your life.

Safety First: An Ounce of Prevention…

You know the quote:

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

When it comes to securing your van’s essentials, this couldn’t be more true. A little planning now can prevent a potentially catastrophic situation later.

How to Secure Your Tanks Properly

Here are a couple of smart, effective ways to safely secure your propane and water tanks in your van:

1. Use Ratcheting Tie-Down Straps

Heavy-duty tie-down straps can be modified to fit your setup and mounted directly to a solid part of your van—like a bulkhead or reinforced cabinet wall. Once the tanks are in place, you can ratchet them down to ensure zero movement, even on bumpy roads.

Make sure the straps are rated for the tank’s weight and that the mounting points are strong enough to handle the force of a potential collision.

2. Cabinet Cut-Outs

Another great method is building the cabinet base with a tank-shaped cutout that the tank drops into. This “nest” prevents any side-to-side or back-and-forth movement. Pair this with tie-down straps or brackets, and you’ve got a double layer of safety.

This method works especially well for fixed water tanks or propane tanks stored inside for cooking or heating (just make sure your propane setup is properly vented and meets safety codes).

Bonus Tips for Tank Safety in Your Van

🔥 Propane should always be stored upright and, ideally, in a sealed, vented propane locker.
💧 Water tanks should be drained before long-term storage to avoid freezing and expansion damage.
🚨 Label your tanks and setup emergency shut-offs where needed.
🧯 Keep a fire extinguisher easily accessible—especially if you use propane in your build.

Final Thoughts

Securing your propane and water tanks isn’t just good practice—it could be the difference between a safe trip and a life-threatening accident. It’s easy to overlook safety when you’re caught up in the excitement of building your dream van, but don’t let a loose tank turn into a flying hazard.

A few extra hours of planning, a couple of ratchet straps, and a solid cabinet build could save your life—or at the very least, save you from a major repair bill.