Guest Tracker Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Does anyone know whether these people are still trading as their website is unobtainable and their telephone remains unanswered? I'm considering a refillable now, but I'm still not totally convinced and the gaining of one 6 kg Gaslow and using one existing 6 kg Calor as backup (can't get the bigger ones in) looks like costing about £160 from Waudby's with the two European adapters included. I hoped to get a cost comparison from MTH - specially as they are only 130 miles away! The alternatives;- 1. Get a small French or/and Spanish exchangeable propane bottle and adapters or pigtails (already have a UK butane pigtail which should maybe fit French propane?). 2. Carry on with two 6 kg Calor and use a 907 Camping Gaz (which I already have) as backup for overseas trips longer than about 7 weeks. 3. Find another refillable bottle and fittings supplier. 4. Consider an expensive fixed gas tank and gain a locker. I know that this is such a well aired topic and a search brings up a mountain of useful threads so there's no real need to get into deep and meaningful comparisons and personal preferences about cost, convenience - or lack of, and weight again shall we - unless you want to that is! Decisions, decisions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zulurita Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 We had our refillable Aluminum cylinder fitted in March this year at MTH premises in Forest of Dean. I guess in todays economic climate they could have folded but I haven't heard anything. Shame if they have as I think they are better than Gaslow. Somebody else I know had a tank fitted in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEEANDEM Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Hi Try this company for a L P G filler fitting adapter,They also sell alloy gas bottles. paellastore.com I have used them i found that i got good service & advice from them. Derrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Ord Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I've decided to stick with the French cylinders that I currently use as I spend most of my time there. When I go elsewhere I have the opportunity to use local gas with an appropriate pigtail. It's simple and cost effective and cylinders can be easily returned for a full return of deposit. I currently use 1 Le Cube which can be propane 5kg or 6kg butane and 1 Viseo 10kg. They are light in weight being plastic, reasonably priced and readily available. The Le cube will fit your locker but there are many other choices. Make sure when you buy that it is held in stock by the majority of supermarkets and you won't go far wrong. Bill Ord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Rich, I have a friend who lives near MTH, he will be passing in the next day or two so I'll keep you informed. Since the Eastern Europeans took over the business from Richard Cecil things have not gone well for them. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neillking Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 As a purveyor of one and user of the other I feel I can comment on the differences. Actually you'll find no practical difference in use between the two. The idea that the MTH system was better was founded on the difference in the gauges but as from 2008 there is no longer any difference, they both now use internal float gauges. The need for lighter cylinders is not common for most refillable users. Once instaled you'll never lift the cylinder again and you have to be pretty tight on payload to be worried about a couple of kilos! I really don't see much advantage in alloy/plastic/lightweight-steel cylinders once you ceased to be impressed by picking up an empty one.What is important and seems hard to grasp for those yet to experience it - is the sheer joy of no longer having to actively manage the gas. Once you've got used to your normal rate of comsumption all you do is peer into the cupboard to see the gauges every few weeks and top up at the nearest LPG pump whenever you feel like it, or indeed when the opportunity presents itself. No more lugging cylinders in and out, no more looking for the right brand supplier, no concern about managing empties & fulls, no worries over finding and fitting and disposing of foreign cylinders, no more getting soaked to the skin making the change at the worst moment ... bliss!!It is true that the best systems will offer more gas but there is no other reason to have two refillables because you no longer have to manage 'emties' and 'reserves' (just top up whenever). 6Kgs is the worst case because refills may then be needed quite frequently so 2x6Kgs is fairly common. A single 11Kg is perfectly workable but 2x11s last longer of course - about 6 weeks for us. (Do note that the Gaslow 11Kg is quite a bit smaller than the Calor 13 and will often fit in Continental cupboards where the Calor won't). Mixed systems with 1x refillable and 1x exchangeable also work but you don't then get the complete freedom that you do with a full refillable system. This is best regarded as an easy way in with an upgrade quite likely and quite soon too.Although the initial investment is fairly high these systems can be moved from van to van (we even sell a dummy filler head if you need to fill a bodyside hole) or you can use them as an added selling point.We use ours throughout Europe, have done for some years, and I'd never be without them now - as I said ... bliss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 A phone call to the MTH number was answered by a bloke who said "Richard has gone, its now a warehouse". Pity. I found them helpfull. C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Clive - 2008-10-29 6:58 PM A phone call to the MTH number was answered by a bloke who said "Richard has gone, its now a warehouse". Pity. I found them helpfull. C. At least you got an answer Clive which is more than I did! Shame - I feel sad for the poor guys that lost their jobs and their business through probably no fault of their own - but that's a recession for you - it show's no mercy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 An addendum to Neilsking's comments... MTH began by offering two types of refillable LPG bottle - a composite translucent design with no level-gauge or 80% cut-off valve, or a Stako-made steel design with mechanical level-gauge and 80% cut-off valve. More recently MTH has ceased to market the composite containers, concentrating instead on a 11kg "ALUGAS" refillable cylinder that has a 80% cut-off valve but no level gauge. If you wanted to monitor the amount of LPG in ALUGAS bottles you'd need an add-on (and expensive) sonar-type system not (I believe) available through MTH. When I visted the MTH stand at the last Malvern Show the leaflet relating to the ALUGAS bottles quoted a price of £185 for a single bottle + 'fill-kit' or £370 for a pair of bottles + fill-kit. These prices excluded fitting charges. MTH's ALUGAS leaflet carried details of six other installers. Probably the most well-known of these was Conrad Anderson (advert in MMM) and it's quite possible they will know whether MTH is still in business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Interesting point of view Neil. The weight issue is not an issue for us and neither to a certain degree is the cost - within reason. The issue is convenience - or rather the sheer inconvenience of running out of gas. Whatever system you employ you still have to either change the bottle or stand outside whilst it refills but more importantly you still need to find a supply point and this is as much a location lottery as it ever was with no clear winner as far as I can see. Autogas or similar, as I understand it, is not always easy to source in Spain or Portugal where a lot of us spend the colder months - whereas a country specific exchangeable bottle also has it's own obvious limitations. On balance Neil I remain to be convinced that Gaslow is the best way forward for holidays that only outlast the on board gas supply by a week or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neillking Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Each to their own as they say - but I can say that we've never had any difficulty finding LPG. In Spain there are 29 listed stations at the moment so you need to take a list and plan when and where, whereas in the UK and France there are many and we've never planned at all. As to standing outside, yes in a garage forecourt under cover for a couple of minutes, definitely not the changing bottle with head in cupboard with spanner in the rain that I now recall with some horror. And no lifting - a very important point for some. I've corresponded with a number of doubters but I've never heard a word of regret from anyone who has made the change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 29 suppliers in the whole of Spain is not a lot in a big country, and our sort of nomadic wanderings preclude us forecasting where we will be when the gas runs low. I also understand that some of them are not located at easy to find petrol filling stations on main roads but specific LPG filling depots often tucked away in a less than obvious location. Don't get me wrong I'm not knocking Gaslow (or similar) and I can see the benefits if it suits your style of motor homing. If the Iberian peninsular had a few more filling points in easy to find locations it would be a lot more worthwhile. On the other hand if I filled it up just before leaving France I would probably only need one top up to cover a 6 week holiday as long as the Calor bottle was also full. So maybe refillables is the way forward? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 You can't beat a refillable system for sheer convenience and cheapness of the gas, once you have had the system fitted. Most of the major cities in Spain have filling stations and you can get a POI free download for your TomTom showing where they are. Also on the MHF website there is are links to maps showing where all the stations are in Europe, so you can print off the addresses and take them with you. I can't understand why any motorhome owners still use Calor or non-refillable gas bottles. But it would be a sad boring old world if we were all the same! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Gaslow bottles are £85 each on this web site :_ http://www.waudbys.co.uk/products/refillable_cylinders.html C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Clive - 2008-10-29 9:08 PM Gaslow bottles are £85 each on this web site :_ http://www.waudbys.co.uk/products/refillable_cylinders.html C. The 6kg bottles are only £69.95 and all the bits are discounted too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob b Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Clive, I notice that the web site shows cylinders with 1 or 2 valves. The photographs appear identical. Whats the 1 or 2 valves all about ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I know I have said this before but having had a Gaslow system for two years I feel the best way is to have two bottles and an auto changeover valve. After a couple of weeks away I look in the locker every few days and when one bottle is showing as empty just fill up the next time I go for diesel. I have two 6kg bottles and one will last about four weeks in the summer months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Bob b: You may need to ask Waudbys about the 1-valve/2-valve references on their website as both adverts appear to deal with the same design of Gaslow bottles at the same prices. Gaslow bottles have always been '2-valve' type, with a 80%-fill valve on the inlet side and an ordinary 'wheel' shut-off valve on the outlet. A fairly recent improvement adds a mechanical level-gauge using a float within the bottle (similar in principal to the Calor-Lite arrangement), but (to the best of my knowledge) the basic bottle design has never altered regarding the number of 'valves' involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 bob b - 2008-10-29 9:20 PM Clive, I notice that the web site shows cylinders with 1 or 2 valves. The photographs appear identical. Whats the 1 or 2 valves all about ? Hi Bob, Waudbys is a ten minute walk from my house if you want anything checking out it won't be a problem. Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 My problems with MTH were discussed at length on here when they installed a system last year. I spoke to Richard recently as one of the filler adapters they supplied was warped and could not be used, he changed it immediately. A shame if they have gone...as they seem to make an effort and get it right eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neillking Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 "6kg bottles are only £69.95 ". Assuming these are the new type of cylinder(?) and not the old no-gauge type I'm horified to hear that Waudbys are now so desperate. That sales margin won't even cover the cost of a phone call let alone any credit card charges! The route to ruin without doubt.We have always discounted Gaslow cylinders and fittings and I can say that SRP is £95 and a price of around £85 is a realistically good one, ten quid off for the buyer and sustainable for the seller - to service normal costs, including our friends the banks, and to continue to be around for after sales service, warranty, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neillking Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 One or two valves? Some confusion here I think. All Gaslow refillables have two valves, one inlet and one outlet. The No1 cylinder has a single inlet attached to the in-valve while the No2 has a twin inlet (sideways 'T') attached to the in-valve, this is to allow a bridge between twin cylinders for simultaneous filling.LPG Locations? Links on this page http://www.motorcaravanning.co.uk/shopuk/gaslow_refillables.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 A friend called in to MTH today and this was his comments "On our way to family we went by MTH premises. The whole area is scattered with vehicles - as normal, but the gates were locked and no one was there as far as I could tell. The sign has also gone off the road so the signs are not good. Either they have folded or moved and it isn't clear." Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Thanks Don - it is such a shame for all concerned to lose your job, business, income, assets and the only winners generally are the banks who, it seems, are allowed minimal integrity and maximum protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob b Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Don Madge - 2008-10-30 8:17 AM bob b - 2008-10-29 9:20 PM Clive, I notice that the web site shows cylinders with 1 or 2 valves. The photographs appear identical. Whats the 1 or 2 valves all about ? Hi Bob, Waudbys is a ten minute walk from my house if you want anything checking out it won't be a problem. Don Thanks Don, I just rang them actually to make an enquiry, but they've bunked off early.At present I've got two propane cylinders, with the automatic changover device. I would like one 11kg re-fillable and keep the original 6 kg as a back up.Correct me if I'm wrong, but I imagine all I need to purchase is the cylinder and the filler apparatus ?The original changover device will still function as normal and doesn't require changing/updating ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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