Onboard LPG in France

[snowie]

We have a "Stako" 25Litre refillable tank on our panelvan conversion, and having had a demo of the filling procedure I'm a little wary of having to fill it while we are in France in september!

 

It's not certain that we'll need to, but sod's law says it will be necessary.

 

I'm hoping that a nice French forecourt assistant will help me!

I've got the adaptor for France which I'll fit before we leave.

 

Has anyone any experience of French filling stations and LPG in particular?

 

I suppose ther might be a how to video on U-Tube? maybe not? I'll have a look anyway.

Advice, reassurance etc very welcome!

cheers, alan

[Derek Uzzell]

As long as you have understood the filling-procedure demonstration you’ve already had (presumably of how to refill your tank within the UK), then you shouldn’t have much difficulty refilling in France.

 

France uses a different filler to the UK, which is why you need the different adapter. The French filler is of the ‘claw-gun’ type and there is more than one version. The normal filler is a sort of ‘pistol’, but I’ve seen two other designs that are connected to the filler-adapter using alternative techniques. Whatever the design of claw-gun filler, the filler-adapter remains the same. There should be pictorial instructions at the LPG (called GPL in France) pump describing how to use it. It’s wise to wear thick gloves when refilling to minimise the risk of getting frost-burns on your hands.

 

There’s a short U-Tube video of how the pistol-type claw-gun filler is used on

 

http://www.autogasshop.co.uk/autogas-lpg-euro-dish-adapter-2-p.asp

 

French LPG pumps are often not ideally positioned for access by larger motorhomes, but you should be OK with a panel-van conversion. My experience has been that LPG is often (always?) only available at manned service-stations: although petrol/diesel is easy to obtain 24/7 via a credit/debit card from an automated fuel-pump, that’s not so for LPG. It’s also been observed on this forum that the number of French service-stations selling LPG has decreased over the last few years, though there are still plenty about.

 

I definitely wouldn’t rely on getting help from French forecourt assistants!

 

You say “I've got the adaptor for France which I'll fit before we leave”, which suggests you are currently driving around with a UK adapter fitted to your tank? I would have thought it’s more usual to fit the adapter only when the tank is about to be refilled and to remove the adapter immediately afterwards, replacing it with a protective ‘cover’ that will prevent any dirt from contaminating the tank’s filling point. Perhaps your tank is located so that it’s adequately protected from road muck but, if it isn’t, I suggest you leave the adapter off until you need to refill.

[snowie]

Thanks Derek; isn't You-Tube great!

 

Our tank is located under the van; effectively just behind the front seats, and the filler is located on the off-side, at waist level, under a locking flap.

Isolating it for Tunnel or ferry transit is a bit of a chore, but manageable; unless it's raining.

 

The demo, at a BP garage was a bit "iffy" as the demonstrator had not done it many times himself; very economical gas user I think!

 

I'd say it looks easier on the Autogas video than it did in the flesh, so I'm encouraged. A bad demo can scare the @%*$ out of you can't it!

 

I've read on other threads that filling a tank used for cooking etc as opposed to as an alternative to petrol is sometimes a bit of an issue. I assume this relates to different tax/duty rates?

Hoping not to fall foul of some bit of Euro legislation.

 

Thanks again

alan bell

[Derek Uzzell]

snowie - 2010-08-14 10:28 AM

 

...I've read on other threads that filling a tank used for cooking etc as opposed to as an alternative to petrol is sometimes a bit of an issue. I assume this relates to different tax/duty rates?

Hoping not to fall foul of some bit of Euro legislation.

 

Thanks again

alan bell

 

Refilling gas 'bottles' at LPG-selling outlets (particularly those in the UK) has sometimes produced problems in the past, usually when the filling-point is on the bottle itself rather than being remotely and securely fixed to the vehicle. That won't apply to you as your motorhome's gas-tank installation is much the same as a car's when it comes to refilling and will be treated similarly by any LPG service-station attendant who might be inclined to refuse the refilling of bottle-based systems where the bottles can easily be removed from the vehicle.

 

If you refill with 'autogas' at a GPL-selling service-station in France (or in any other country), you'll normally pay whatever tax /duty that country applies to LPG when it's used as a vehicle fuel. I guess you might be able to arrange with a UK LPG supplier prepared to refill your tank that you pay a lower non-vehicle-fuel rate of tax/duty as the gas in your tank won't be powering your vehicle, but I've never explored that possibility myself.

[maggyd]

Dont know if you know? but you have to show at the Tunnel that you have your L.P.G. switched off, they need to see it for themselves. And you cant travel through the tunnel if your van runs on L.P.G.

 

I think my O.H. has a couple of different fittings for the filler! he seems to get everything off the internet so I would Google those if you havent got them! we filled up on the way back last year in Calais Shell garage we lasted 5 weeks but I wanted to make sure we had it for the last couple of nights (it was nearly empty) 8-) . I too worried that he would have a job doing it! but No he was fine if you do it over here before you go! you wont have any difficulty over there. Fingers crossed. :-D

[starvin marvin]

Derek Uzzell - 2010-08-16 9:06 AM

 

snowie - 2010-08-14 10:28 AM

 

...I've read on other threads that filling a tank used for cooking etc as opposed to as an alternative to petrol is sometimes a bit of an issue. I assume this relates to different tax/duty rates?

Hoping not to fall foul of some bit of Euro legislation.

 

Thanks again

alan bell

 

Refilling gas 'bottles' at LPG-selling outlets (particularly those in the UK) has sometimes produced problems in the past, usually when the filling-point is on the bottle itself rather than being remotely and securely fixed to the vehicle. That won't apply to you as your motorhome's gas-tank installation is much the same as a car's when it comes to refilling and will be treated similarly by any LPG service-station attendant who might be inclined to refuse the refilling of bottle-based systems where the bottles can easily be removed from the vehicle.

 

If you refill with 'autogas' at a GPL-selling service-station in France (or in any other country), you'il normally pay whatever tax /duty that country applies to LPG when it's used as a vehicle fuel. I guess you might be able to arrange with a UK LPG supplier prepared to refill your tank that you pay a lower non-vehicle-fuel rate of tax/duty as the gas in your tank won't be powering your vehicle, but I've never explored that possibility myself.

 

On my old IH panel van I had a small Stako with the filler point in side the gas locker. Whenever we filled it up in France, Spain or Portugal and an attendant could see what we were doing, we were only ever met by interest in the system and a thumbs up.

 

It was "fun" filling it for the first few times because every station seemed to have a different "pistol", or ways of clearing the previous sale from the pump, and getting the "pistol" off the filler point was also interesting.

 

Certainly in France if you try to figure out how the damn thing works and you pull the trigger before attaching to the filler point, the claws shoot out and you can't get the blasted thing to retract without calling the attendant from a warm booth. You can tell when people hate you just by their body language!

 

Good luck if you can get a reduced vat rate, my enquiries in the UK have generally been met with a puzzled look and "sorry pal its done automatically by the till".

[TonyHilary]

'Dont know if you know? but you have to show at the Tunnel that you have your L.P.G. switched off, they need to see it for themselves. And you cant travel through the tunnel if your van runs on L.P.G.'

 

 

Hi Maggyd, Did you have to turn the LPG off at the tank or were they happy to see a more accessible tap in the off position? We had hassle this time with a keen French guy who was not happy with our easy access tap and wanted to see the green light indicator of the level as well. Next time I wonder if we'll have to show him the tank tap being off as well?!

[snowie]

We're off on the ferry, and I'll reach underneath just before we leave the site @ Dover and turn tank supply off; hopefully no hassle then?

regards and thanks to all

alan

[maggyd]

Tony+Hilary - 2010-08-24 7:54 PM

 

'Dont know if you know? but you have to show at the Tunnel that you have your L.P.G. switched off, they need to see it for themselves. And you cant travel through the tunnel if your van runs on L.P.G.'

 

 

Hi Maggyd, Did you have to turn the LPG off at the tank or were they happy to see a more accessible tap in the off position? We had hassle this time with a keen French guy who was not happy with our easy access tap and wanted to see the green light indicator of the level as well. Next time I wonder if we'll have to show him the tank tap being off as well?!

 

 

Sorry if Ive missed you!! they check themselves to see if the handle is in the off position.

[Tony Jones]

We have a Gaslow system, bottle in gas locker, tap on top of it, and filler on side of vehicle.

 

The only comment I've ever had when filling it is from the friendly Asian guy who runs my nearest LPG garage. He always makes some remark along the lines of "Going away AGAIN?"

 

Only used the Tunnel once since we got this van, and a pleasant chap came aboard to check for himself that the main tap was "off." Don't know what the response would be if the tap was remote from tha tank though.

 

I know that in theory we should pay less duty on LPG for "domestic" as opposed to "road fuel" use, but filling stations aren't tooled up for that distinction - you'd have to find a "bulk" LPG supplier I suppose, but it's so much cheaper already than "exchangeable" bottled gas that I've never looked into it.

[snowie]

Thanks to all of you who replied to my enquiry; we've just got back from 6 excellent weeks in France. As I thought, I had to refill the Stako tank, at a small filling station in Brive la Gaillard, and I was really impressed by the helpful guy on the till, he showed me exactly what to do. It was one of the push-pull type hoses, rather than the petrol filler type, that looks a bit more complicated. Had a very pleasant conversation with the guy who pulled up behind me, a combination of sign and "O-level", as it was taking some time to fill, but all very friendly. The "You-Tube" videos were helpful, but a hands-on rig would help Autogas sales I think.

Looking forward to the next trip, and I'm so impressed with France, on most fronts, a really pleasant holiday, helped by 41 out of 42 days of sun and blue sky!,

thanks, and regards, Snowie.