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Carrying gas bottles.


jumpstart

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As long as you can suitably restrain them with straps etc I see no reason not to.

 

I have lashing points in my garage and I would certainly take a couple with me (even though I have refillables) if I planned a trip North in cold weather. Places that sell LPG are very thin on the ground the further North you go.

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The Department for Transport 2017 document on the following link provides guidance relating to the carriage of gas cylinders

 

http://www.bcga.co.uk/assets/publications/GN27.pdf

 

Page 2 includes this statement

 

The purpose of this guidance note is to highlight the key safety information necessary for drivers transporting gas cylinders in a vehicle whilst at work. This information is also valid when carrying small quantities of gas cylinders for personal, domestic, leisure or sporting use, but is not mandatory.

 

When we used to camp in a tent, we took with us a Campingaz 907 gas-bottle to fuel a stove and that bottle was carried in the boot of our VW estate car together with the rest of the camping gear (tent, clothes, sleeping-bags, etc.) I never made any positive effort to tether the 907 bottle down, nor to ventlate the vehicle, though I would have positioned the bottle to minimise the chances of it becoming a missile in the event of an accident. I’m sure what I did is common practice for tent campers.

 

Some years ago, when I was discussing with a ferry company their rules for the carriage of gas-bottles in a motorhome, I was told that it was necessary for LPG bottles to be carried in a dedicated externally-accessed compartment, but I don’t think that’s the case nowadays.

 

Brittany Ferries current rules are shown here

 

https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/information/faqs/travel-information/can-i-transport-gas-cylinders-on-board

 

and it’s likely that other ferry operators will advise similarly.

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jumpstart - 2019-11-23 8:32 AM

 

My thinking was that I have space for 2bottles and could borrow a third for French travel instead of buying a refillable. I would need three 6kg gas bottles for 30-40 days Sept/Oct.

An alternative would be to buy a French Butagaz Le Cube when over there. You will need a Le Cube fitting which you can get online over here. We have one Calor lite & one Le cube so always use Le Cube when in France and have the Calor as back up.
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jumpstart - 2019-11-23 12:40 PM

 

Yes that might be the option I’m happy with, not too keen on refilling exchange cylinders.

 

I believe you own a 2019 Elddis Autoquest 115 motorhome (example in photo attached below)

 

The Elddis website indicates that this model has the capability to carry 2 x 7kg gas bottles (or 2 x 6kg) and it’s evident from the photo that these are housed in the left-side locker. It’s also understandable (as you’ve mentioned above) that some manipulation will be required to insert/remove those bottles.

 

As Elddis refers to UK 7kg gas bottles, it’s probable that any gas container much larger cannot be carried in an Autoquest 115’s gas-locker. This will not only include larger UK 13kg or 11kg bottles, but also similar capacity French bottles.

 

7kg/6kg Calor bottles have a diameter of 256mm, but a Butagaz “Le Cube” container (suggested above by laimeduck as an option) has an approximatey 285mm square cross-section. So, if your motorhome’s gas-locker has been strictly tailored for UK 7kg/6kg bottles, the locker’s depth may be insufficient for a “Le Cube” to be housed there.

 

If a “Le Cube” won’t go in your motorhome’s gas-locker, no French gas bottle will go in - which would mean either carrying a 3rd UK bottle or refilling your present 6kg exchange-only bottles. The latter approach would avoid the possibility of exhausting all three UK bottles while abroad, but you’d need to be careful not to overfill and the refilling practice is definitely frowned on in France, and quite possibly illegal there too. And, of course, you’d be infringing your UK bottles’ rental agreement’s terms and conditions.

9205869_ElddisAutoquest115.jpg.034bde800251e4d9139396913dec7475.jpg

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Thanks Derek, I’ve remeasured the locker and as you say French bottles won’t fit. It’s not worth it for me to change to Gas it systems so I will go back to carrying a spare in France. I am not happy to self fill Calor bottles and it is illegal over here, 3bottles should last me in Sept/Oct.

 

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Deffheads,

 

Refilling an 'Exchange only' bottle such as a Calor cylinder is illegal and against the contract you signed with Calor, etc. when you initially rented the cylinder.

 

It is also extremely dangerous and as such cannot be recommended on ANY forum as the forum owner is then liable for any advice given.

 

I have moderated this thread to remove ALL advice to refill exchange only cylinders. Please do not post this 'advice' again.

 

If you disagree with my level of moderation please contact Daniel Attwood, the main forum administrator.

 

Keith (Assistant moderator).

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jumpstart - 2019-11-23 4:19 PM

 

Thanks Derek, I’ve remeasured the locker and as you say French bottles won’t fit. It’s not worth it for me to change to Gas it systems so I will go back to carrying a spare in France. I am not happy to self fill Calor bottles and it is illegal over here, 3bottles should last me in Sept/Oct.

 

As your Elddis motorhome is a 2019 model, I assume you plan to keep it for quite some time.

 

A brand-new Gaslow “Direct Fill” 6kg gas-bottle should be obtainable for around £150.

 

https://www.outdoorbits.com/gaslow-direct-fill-bottles-c-123_457.html

 

Installation in your motorhome would require an adapter for your present gas ‘pigtail’ and a refilling adapter for French ‘autogas’ (say £30 total for the two). Installatin would require minimal effort/DIY skills and the above photo of an Autoquest 115 suggests that refilling could be performed straightforwardly without removing the Gaslow bottle from the gas-locker (though the locker’s door would need to be open to permit refilling to be carried out). So, for under £200, you could have a safe refillable gas system.

 

Installing a remote filling-point

 

http://www.dicklanemotorhomes.co.uk/pdfs/gaslow-filling-instructions.pdf

 

would add to the cost and require extra work, but could be worthwhile if there is concern over having to open the gas-locker’s door to refill the bottle.

 

 

Of course, if you use 230V hook-ups a lot and your gas usage is extremely small, staying with exchange-only bottles could make financial sense.

 

 

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