LITTLE KAMPER PROPANE FAQ
It’s beautiful, isn’t it? How it looks in the future depends upon the choices we make in the present.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Little Kamper
If you have a question that we haven’t answered, please submit it and we’ll get you an answer!
Do Little Kamper customers leave a deposit for their tanks?
THAT’S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION! We don’t use or accept deposits. Little Kamper tanks are sold and exchanged without deposits. Your purchase price includes buying the tank and it belongs to you when you buy it. When you need a refilled tank, we accept your empty Little Kamper as a core exchange that qualifies you for a discount off the purchase price. If you buy a Little Kamper and no longer need it, you can either give it to another person who will benefit from your kindness or drop it off at one of our retailers and they’ll return it to us. Your empty tank has no cash value in our program because your purchase price did not include a deposit.
Why should I pay more for a propane tank?
Quite simply, because our parks and campgrounds are getting stuck with paying the disposal cost of discarded propane tanks. When you use Little Kamper propane tank exchange, you’ll help reduce the tank waste left in our campgrounds and parks. Just like you should reuse a water bottle instead of throwing away plastic water bottles, our reuse program reduces waste.
Where can I buy or exchange Little Kampers?
At our quickly growing list of authorized Little Kamper retailer and campground locations. We have a growing list of retail partners, including the following;
– National Park stores – including Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Crater Lake, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks.
– The Little Kamper retailer location map – to find a participating store location near you or on the road when you are travelling.
How much does a Little Kamper cost?
GREAT QUESTION!
The purchase and exchange prices of Little Kampers depend on the location. Visit your local Little Kamper retailer for pricing information. Just like with your 20lb propane tank for your backyard BBQ, your exchange price is lower because you are returning an empty cylinder.
KEY FACT – our Little Kamper program starts with a better tank (built to last up to 12 years) and the retail price includes the cost of transportation to and from the stores where they are sold and exchanged. This makes an exchange tank cost more than a disposable tank HOWEVER there is no waste or recycling cost with the Little Kamper.
The value of our solution is that we reduce tank waste and help keep our campgrounds and parks clean and green!
How do I know the Little Kamper will work on my propane stove / BBQ / lantern / heater / etc?
The key is what kind of cylinder do you use for the appliance. 1lb propane tanks are all made with the same size external valve threads so if your device attaches to a 1lb propane tank, it will attach to a Little Kamper. Little Kamper propane tanks are not compatible with backpacking stoves that use butane or isobutane fuel canisters (like Primus, JetBoil and MSR stoves). If you have any problems with your device and our Little Kamper tanks, please contact us and share the details so we can see if there is a problem with compatibility.
How many times can a Little Kamper be reused?
SUPER IMPORTANT QUESTION!
First of all, don’t worry about it – that’s our problem. We’ll retire out-of-date cylinders when you exchange them so you won’t get stuck with aged-out tank. We also retire tanks that don’t pass our safety inspections during the filling process.
Having said that, the Little Kamper is DOT certified for a 12 year service period from the date of manufacturing. Unless the tank is subject to unusual wear and tear, there is no limit to the number of times it can be re-used in that period. If you buy 2 Little Kampers and use them 5 times a year for 10 years, you’ll get 49 refills out of each. That’s a lot of tanks that won’t be ending up in a landfill or left in a park!
May I refill the tank myself?
You may not. These tanks are DOT certified for refilling by trained and certified propane professionals. The professional refilling process also requires the use of a proprietary refill valve that CANNOT be connected to a 20lb propane cylinder. Please be aware that the correct process for filling Little Kamper cylinders requires training to comply with the National Fire Protection Association Code (specifically NFPA 58). This training requirement cannot be fulfilled by watching Internet videos.
Disposable (we call them single-use) 1lb propane tanks are designed to be used once and thrown away (hence the term “disposable”). There are equipment manufacturers who sell refill adapters that are designed to refill these disposable tanks. What these manufacturers don’t explain is that the 1lb disposable propane cylinder is certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation (or DOT) as a single-use container. If you refill a disposable 1lb cylinder, you are violating the terms of the DOT certification and the cylinder is no longer legal to transport on public roadways in the U.S. There are HUGE fines associated with this practice.
Can I become a Little Kamper retailer?
YES! We are actively recruiting retailers to become a part of our program. If your customers are interested in green products or they frequently purchase 1lb propane tanks you need to join our retailer program!
For more information about becoming a Little Kamper retailer, please use this form.
May I buy a Little Kamper refill valve?
We do not offer the equipment required to refill a Little Kamper for retail sale. Dispensing propane is hazardous and we only allow trained employees to handle that process. The cost of Little Kamper exchange is deliberately set at an affordable price so that you can save on propane and avoid the hazards of dispensing gas. Leave that to the trained professionals.
