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How to Build a LP Storage Locker for Your Boat

Liquefied petroleum (LP) gas is made up of butane, propane and other hydrocarbons that are liquefied under pressure and used for cooking, cutting metal and lighting. LP gas is stored on boats for cooking appliances because it heats quickly, it is quieter than a generator and you can easily tell when it is turned on. The standards for building a storage locker are very strict and leave little room for customization: The locker must be completely sealed to prevent gas leakage in the boat or must be away from the interior of the boat, so that any leaks will not drain into the boat.

Things You'll Need

Drill
3/4-inch plywood
Fiberglass
Fiberglass resin
Measuring tape
Weather stripping
Hinges
Screws
Foam insulation
Table saw
Lock
Staple gun
Sandpaper

Instructions

- 1
  Choose the location of your LP locker. This will determine how large you can build your locker and how much gas you will be able to store on your boat. Lockers should not be placed near walkways or heat sources. Cylinders must sit so that the valves are up -- never on their sides. The LP locker will be placed outside the hull or interior of the boat, so that if any gas leaks, it does not pool inside the boat and cause a fire hazard. The locker must be placed so that any leaking gas can be drained outside the boat̵7;s hull.
- 2
  Measure the diameter and height of the LP tank. Your storage locker will fit the tank snugly so that it is not knocked around in the boat. When you are measuring the height, include the valves.
- 3
  Cut your side plywood pieces. Two sides of the box will be the height of the tank plus 1 inch by the diameter of the tank plus 1/2 inch; the other two sides will be the height of the tank plus 1 inch by the diameter of the tank plus 2 inches.
- 4
  Screw the sides together so that the wider two sides screw into the outsides of the shorter two sides; this ensures that your tank will fit properly into the storage container. After you are finished, set the tank inside the box to make sure it fits.
- 5
  Measure the top and bottom of the storage locker and cut your pieces. Screw the bottom onto the box.
- 6
  Apply the fiberglass according to its instructions. Apply two to four layers of fiberglass so that the locker is completely sealed. Apply the fiberglass to the lid separately, so that you can still open and close the locker; cover the sides and top of the lid with fiberglass so that it seals. Sand down any protruding fiberglass so that it does not affect the lid closing.
- 7
  Measure out your weather stripping and staple it onto the top of the box, so that it seals the locker when you close the lid. Attach the lid to the storage locker using hinges on the back and a lock on the front.
- 8
  Drill a hole at the bottom of one side of the locker so that any liquid that leaks out of the tank can drain.
- 9
  Secure the locker onto your boat. The locker must not move readily, so that the tank is not jostled around. Also, the hole you drilled in the bottom of the locker must drain off the boat our outside the hull so that the liquid will not pool on the craft.
- 10
  Place the tank inside the locker. Insert foam insulation on the sides of the tank so that it is tight within the locker.

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