Gaslow installation - what else do I need?

[rupert123]

Been running on Gaslow for two years now, have filled in UK, France, Germany, never had a problem. My fridge documentation gives no warnings about using autogas. Do not use a gauge but have an automatic changeover system, this goes to red when a bottle runs out, I then have about three weeks, summer months, to top. Why rely on a gauge that be be very wrong.

[Derek Uzzell]

rupert123

 

Dometic's autogas prohibition has had plenty of coverage on this forum. I think this was the last thread that referred to it.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=14569&posts=15

 

The Dometic manual for my 2005 fridge/freezer also contains no warning about autogas, but later manuals do, so maybe the manual for your motorhome's fridge is not a recent publication, or your model of fridge has been in production for some while and the manual for it has not been revised to include the warning. I seem to recall that the advice about not using autogas is not where one might expect it to be in the manual (perhaps it's in the Installation section?), so you may just have missed it. Whatever the case, Dometic's advice still stands.

 

While your 2-bottle + changeover-device arrangement undoubtedly works for you, the system reflects traditional exchange-only-bottle practice. There's no logical reason for a motorhome to have more than one adequate-capacity LPG reservoir provided that it can easily be established how much gas is in that reservoir and provided that it is easy to get the reservoir refilled. After all, you don't get cars fitted with 2 fuel tanks, a change-over device and no fuel gauge. Why choose to have a 2-bottle system, when a simple 1-bottle system with an accurate contents-gauge will do just as well and save considerable money and weight?

 

I don't know what size Gaslow bottles you have, but I'm guessing that it's a pair of 6kg ones. Mel B's 11kg Gaslow bottle provides slightly less LPG capacity than such a system but its contents-gauge potentially improves user-friendliness. In her case, when the gauge's reading begins to drop from the Full mark, she knows that about 10.5 litres of gas has been used, and subsequent readings will provide information of how much gas remains. When your changeover-device swaps bottles you know that you've used 50% of your overall gas capacity but, once you begin to use your 2nd bottle, you have to resort to educated guesswork as to how long the gas in it will last (eg. 3 summer weeks) before refilling is required. If we assume that Mel's summer LPG usage matches yours, she should only need to top up her single Gaslow bottle every 5-6 weeks, surely a sufficiently long interval to make a 2nd refillable bottle superfluous.

 

In order to operate a single gas-reservoir system successfully, without forever worrying about how much LPG one has left, there needs to be some way of accurately knowing the reservoir's contents. While the gauge on Gaslow bottles may not provide contents readings from 100% to 0%, 50% to 18% is a lot better than educated guesswork. Of course, if a gauge cannot be trusted to perform properly, or its readings are unpredictably inaccurate, that's another matter - which is what Mel was complaining about.

[lennyhb]

As Derek say my cylinders are the Stako ones and the gauges are very accurate although I rarely use them as I have 2 bottles each with it’s own regulator fitted with the outputs joined via a tee fitting. It makes for a simple changeover & I never run out of gas.

 

As for the constituents of autogas it’s very difficult to find any info, Shell state that various additives are added depending on the quality of the gas.

From my own experience running on autogas I have notices a fair amount of sooting on the oven thermocouple whereas previously with caravans running on bottle gas I’ve not noticed this.

 

[Basil]

We have been using Gaslows for four years now with absolutely no problems whatsoever, we use a lot of gas as we avoid electric hook ups prefering to use our own facilities, this is normally on CL's or Aires in France. We also have filled in France and we have seen no difference at all in performance and no need to service the appliances any more often than the usual annual service.

 

Bas

[njw]

i also have been using gaslow for 4 years now,but when recently decided to change my motorhome and remove my gaslow system i found that the rubber washers were badly perished when i remove it ,also i had the filler point fitted in the door which the gaslow fitters wanted 4.95 for a round vent ,until i looked at o,leary store they were selling vents for 95p for the same item but will be fitting to the new van very soon