# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Travel Gear

How to Prime a New RV Propane Tank

If you've purchased a new propane tank for your RV, it's essential to prime it before filling it with propane. Propane tanks are sold containing pressurized air that can make them difficult to fill, and more importantly, unsafe to operate unless they are primed with propane vapor before being filled and hooked up to your RV. The pressurized air combined with propane can lead to an increase in pressure inside the tank, causing serious propane leaks that put your RV at risk.

New propane tank
Functioning full propane tank
Connecting line with two-way purge valve and bleed port

Instructions

- 1
  Connect your new RV propane tank to a full, used propane tank via a connecting line that includes a regulator, bleed port and a two-way purge valve.
- 2
  Select "purge" on the connecting line valve and turn the valve on your RV's new propane tank counterclockwise until it is completely open. Release the bleed port on the propane connecting line.
- 3
  Turn the valve on the full propane tank counterclockwise until it is open all the way. Select "charge" on the connecting line valve. You will hear propane gas flowing into your RV's new propane tank. This should take less than 90 seconds for a 20 lb. RV propane tank.
- 4
  Select "purge" on the connecting line valve and wait one minute while the propane vapors are released from your RV's new propane tank.
- 5
  Repeat this priming cycle four times before hooking your new propane tank up to your RV.