Gas It / vs / Gaslow Refillable Systems

[kelly58]

I am thinking of fitting a refillable gas system to the motorhome and two company's come to mind although Gaslow seems to be the standard system has anyone fitted / used the Gas IT system. www.gasit.com As I can accomodate either 2 x 6kg or 1 x 11 kg and 1 x 6kg I am thinking of only having 1 x 11kg which would then give me some locker space for extra items .

[Mel B]

... I think you mean the UK website don't you Kel? :-D

 

www.gasit.co.uk

 

There doesn't appear to be much price-wise between the 2 systems although I've only looked at 'bottle' prices, not fillers etc.

 

Personally I wouldn't go for 2 x 6kg simply because there's no real benefit over having just 1 x 11kg, other than for you to pay a lot more money for the extra kg!!! Then, if you find that you could really do with extra gas capacity in the future you can then add a 6kg bottle to go with your existing 11kg bottle, but if you get 2 x 6kg now, you're stuffed as you wont have space to add another (technical term .... :D ).

[Derek Uzzell]

kelly58

 

A 'minimum' single-bottle system would comprise a refillable bottle, an on-bottle filler (with suitable LPG pump-gun adapters) and a 'pigtail' gas-hose to connect bottle to gas-regulator. It would be wise, approaching essential, to have an easy means of knowing how much gas remains in the bottle, which means having either a bottle with a contents gauge or obtaining a device like this one http://gaslevel.de/?lang=en

 

A remote filling-point could be fitted (replacing the on-bottle filler) and stainless-steel gas-hoses could be used instead of rubber ones.

 

It sounds like you plan to DIY the installation, so you can choose the make and capacity of bottle and the complexity of the overall system. I'm not sure who makes the GAS-IT bottles, and it may be that nowadays STAKO canisters are only marketed via GAS-IT, but there are quite a few suppliers of Alugas bottles.

 

I suggest you decide exactly what you want system-wise and then do a price comparison.

[mrs p hancox]

hi we brought the 11kg and 6 kg system from gas it, with all foreign adaptors, and the complete kit to fit it into the van ourselves. We did price comparison and found gas it the cheapest, They were very helpful, but did not supply any leaflets etc on how to drill the van, (Scary moment), but we phoned and asked a few questions and they assisted with technical info. I would recomend them. We were quoted £650 from gaslow, and got the same system from gas it for £320!!!

[Mel B]

mrs p hancox - 2012-07-15 10:04 PM

 

hi we brought the 11kg and 6 kg system from gas it, with all foreign adaptors, and the complete kit to fit it into the van ourselves. We did price comparison and found gas it the cheapest, They were very helpful, but did not supply any leaflets etc on how to drill the van, (Scary moment), but we phoned and asked a few questions and they assisted with technical info. I would recomend them. We were quoted £650 from gaslow, and got the same system from gas it for £320!!!

 

I suspect the Gaslow quote was for fitting too as their stuff isn't extortionate ... either that or you got a numpty who didn't have a clue!

[Matrix Meanderer]

Hi Kelly

 

We've had a single 11 Kg Gaslow bottle for a few years and find it perfectly adequate in the UK and abroad as it has a (reasonably) accurate gauge on the neck. Still not sure how this gauge works but it does! Never run out as there is a good reserve warning system built in.

 

We also carry a 6Kg BP lite bottle in the other side of the cupboard which we use outside the MH for BBQs. This allows us to place the BBQ well away from the MH/awning etc and downwind of us!

 

One point - I understand that the gas regs now do not allow external fitting of the filler unit. I may be wrong on this but would still recommend fitting the filler inside the locking gas cupboard. It keeps prying eyes and fingers off the kit. Plus of course you don't have to cut a hole in the MH sidewall.

Certainly recommend Gaslow - very reliable and solid system with stainless steel pipes.

[lennyhb]

We have 2 x 11kg Stako bottles (Gasit ones look different to the Stako). Stako's have accurate level gauges on the top of the bottle. Ours are fitted with a bottle top regulator on each bottle and the outputs from the regulators are fed into a TEE piece connecting to the main gas pipework. I like this setup as all the gas plumbing is low pressure also have a built in spare regulator if needed. Our external filler is much smaller & neater than the Gaslow one, it's under a 30mm square plastic flap.

[Derek Uzzell]

lennyhb - 2012-07-16 9:15 AM

 

We have 2 x 11kg Stako bottles (Gasit ones look different to the Stako). Stako's have accurate level gauges on the top of the bottle. Ours are fitted with a bottle top regulator on each bottle and the outputs from the regulators are fed into a TEE piece connecting to the main gas pipework. I like this setup as all the gas plumbing is low pressure also have a built in spare regulator if needed. Our external filler is much smaller & neater than the Gaslow one, it's under a 30mm square plastic flap.

 

GAS IT markets STAKO ' 4-hole' canisters like yours as well as their own "GAS IT" branded '2-hole' bottles, though I note that their STAKO products are advertised as 6kg, 13kg, 18kg or 21kg. The 13kg container holds 21.6 litres at 80% full (which is near enough 11kg of propane) so may be the same as your own bottles. Whatever bottle kelly58 chooses, it would be wise to be 100% certain that its dimensions allow it to be installed in a Nuevo's gas-locker.

 

Regarding Matrix Meander's comment "I understand that the gas regs now do not allow external fitting of the filler unit", I believe this is not so. Gaslow's latest installation instructions

 

http://www.gaslow.co.uk/pdf/Filling-Instructions-2012.pdf

 

show a number of ways to fit a filling-point, including the time-honoured method of drilling a hole in the leisure-vehicle's bodywork.

 

If the filling-point is to be positioned so that the gas-locker's door needs to be opened to carry out the filling exercise, with a single-bottle system (unless there are compelling technical reasons not to) I can't see any real advantage in fitting a filling-point on a bracket within the gas-locker rather than having a simple on-bottle filler.

[drako]

Matrix Meanderer - 2012-07-15 10:31 PMHi KellyWe've had a single 11 Kg Gaslow bottle for a few years and find it perfectly adequate in the UK and abroad as it has a (reasonably) accurate gauge on the neck. Still not sure how this gauge works but it does! Never run out as there is a good reserve warning system built in. We also carry a 6Kg BP lite bottle in the other side of the cupboard which we use outside the MH for BBQs. This allows us to place the BBQ well away from the MH/awning etc and downwind of us! One point - I understand that the gas regs now do not allow external fitting of the filler unit. I may be wrong on this but would still recommend fitting the filler inside the locking gas cupboard. It keeps prying eyes and fingers off the kit. Plus of course you don't have to cut a hole in the MH sidewall. Certainly recommend Gaslow - very reliable and solid system with stainless steel pipes.

 

The gauge monitors the last 50% of the bottle only. So when the indicator is in the middle of the green zone you should have 40% remaining, in yellow 30% remaining, by the time it hits red there is a maximum of 18% left - hence why the "reserve" appears very generous. :-)

 

[cagey1]

Gas it IS very much cheaper to buy and install than Gaslow. £300 for the twin 11KG kit, £290 for the twin 6kg kit and £60 to install including VAT!!!!!

All v good in my book and much cheaper than Gaslow for which I have been quoted £675 to fit 11kg and £645 to fit 6kg

 

I am going to get it fitted at Avon Autogas Ltd in Bristol website www.getgas.co.uk - found them at the Peterborough show last week

[Archiesgrandad]

We have the Gasit system with a single bottle and the filler inside the locker, it's been perfect. Now that we live in France we can also connect the local bottles because the fitting is the same.

AGD

[tonyishuk]

I have the feeling that some garages get rather pedantic about mhome filling up with lpg , even more so if the filler is "" inside the vehicle "" .

 

Maybe some garages are better informed now ?

 

Rgds

[johnfromnorfolk]

Matrix Meanderer - 2012-07-15 10:31 PM

 

Hi Kelly

 

We've had a single 11 Kg Gaslow bottle for a few years and find it perfectly adequate in the UK and abroad as it has a (reasonably) accurate gauge on the neck. Still not sure how this gauge works but it does! Never run out as there is a good reserve warning system built in.

 

We also carry a 6Kg BP lite bottle in the other side of the cupboard which we use outside the MH for BBQs. This allows us to place the BBQ well away from the MH/awning etc and downwind of us!

 

One point - I understand that the gas regs now do not allow external fitting of the filler unit. I may be wrong on this but would still recommend fitting the filler inside the locking gas cupboard. It keeps prying eyes and fingers off the kit. Plus of course you don't have to cut a hole in the MH sidewall.

Certainly recommend Gaslow - very reliable and solid system with stainless steel pipes.

 

Not sure you are correct reference external fitting of filler.

See my thread - L.P.G. filling at Morrisons.

[John Allen]

If you are planning to fill up at some French supermarkets I would recommend you have an external filling point fitted as I read on a previous similar forum topic that as soon as you open the locker door they refuse to turn the pump. Apparently they had an incident of which we never found out the details.

[Rayjsj]

tonyishuk - 2016-04-19 5:35 PM

 

I have the feeling that some garages get rather pedantic about mhome filling up with lpg , even more so if the filler is "" inside the vehicle "" .

 

Maybe some garages are better informed now ?

 

Rgds

Seems that many dont like folk opening cupboards to fill with gas, So, an exterior filler seems the best idea, some supermarkets in the UK wont even allow Motorhomes to fill with gas, dont know how that affects vans that come with underslung tanks as standard, like Autosleeper and Autotrail ? The wording in the LPG sellers handbook, is definately Anti-motorhomes.....why ?

[hallii]

 

In previous years in Spain the Repsol stations have shown no interest at all in my external LPG fill point. This year I filled twice at Repsol, both times the attendant came out to have a look before turning the pump on. In one case he actually did the filling. Most unusual.

 

I just wondered if the staff have had some sort of instructions? Or maybe I just chose two jobsworth Repsols.

 

I strongly suspect that an adaptor on the bottle as opposed to an external filler would have raised concerns.

 

My new (ish) Spanish connector/adapter was used both times for the first time.

 

I have a "Autogas" decal around my fill point, 90p ebay, it might have some effect, a bit like a lucky pixie or something :-D

 

H

[witzend]

Could this be the end of refilling motorhome tanks I think I'll give it a year or two and see what happens

 

http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Filling-L-P-G-at-Morrisons/41481/

[veletron]

Hi

 

I fitted a Gas-It system to my Campereve PVC, complete with external filler, 2x11KG. The gauges on the cylinders I have are utter mince - they are-float based, but only cover a small portion of the tanks capacity. Gas-It has new cylinders this year, available from end April, titled 'Gas-It Plus' http://www.gasit.co.uk/leisure-gas-refillable-products/3-gas-it-plus-4-hole-bottles/4-hole-6kg-12-ltr-gas-it-plus-upright-refillable-cylinder.html

 

These have a full float based capacity gauge and a number of additional safety features. I would wait for these rather than get the basic Gas-It system. They will also accept a remote LED guage so you can read gas level inside the van, and they still represent a good saving over Gaslow.

 

Nigel

[Derek Uzzell]

I believe you’ll find that GAS IT has been marketing "GAS-IT-PLUS” canisters (in various capacities) for quite a few years. (See my posting of 16 July 2012 9:55 AM above).

 

The ‘Plus’ canisters are made in Poland by STAKO, whereas (my understanding is that) the ordinary 2-hole containers like you have come from the same Portuguese factory that produced Gaslow’s same-specification bottles prior to the introduction of Gaslow’s current “R67” products.

 

Just like Gaslow’s earlier bottles, the contents-gauge of the cheaper GAS IT canisters has a very restricted range. Gaslow’s gauges also gained a reputation for unreliability to the extent that Gaslow eventually chose not to fit a gauge at all to their 2-hole bottles!

 

The snag with the type of simple price comparison made earlier by cagey1 is that it isn’t necessarily on a like-for-like basis. A couple of GAS IT 2-hole 11kg bottles will be cheaper than a pair of Gaslow R67 11kg bottles, but the R67 bottle is a superior product. As far as I can see Gaslow R67 canisters are actually cheaper than GAS-IT-Plus bottles.

 

http://gasproducts.co.uk/caravan-marine/gaslow-refillable-gas-cylinder-systems.html

 

Plainly if Gaslow’s stainless-steel gas-hoses are used rather than ‘rubber’ hoses, the overall cost of the system will be elevated significantly.

 

On a like-for-like basis It should be no more difficult to install a Gaslow system than a GAS IT system. £60 sounds pretty reasonable to me if the filling-point is to be embedded in the motorhome’s bodywork, though it’s academic in your case (and mine) as the installation work was DIYed.

[veletron]

Yep, don't think I was comparing like with like. Gas-it claims that their 'plus' models are better featured than the R67's but then they would, wouldn't they! The 11KG R67 on its tod can be had for £150.

 

I get the impression that the new Gas-It plus available April 2016 differ from what they were previously selling as 'Gas-It Plus'

 

In my installation, the change over regulator that came with the van never changes over despite the full capacity of both tanks being available. I thought my Gas-It 2-hole cylinders had valves on the fill points, but it looks to me like the contents is equalizing over the link hose meaning that the entire capacity is available through one side of the regulator.

 

Nigel

[Steve928]

veletron - 2016-04-26 2:52 PM

I thought my Gas-It 2-hole cylinders had valves on the fill points, but it looks to me like the contents is equalizing over the link hose meaning that the entire capacity is available through one side of the regulator.

 

Nigel

 

I don't think that's the case - at least it shouldn't be. I've removed my (full) Gas-It bottle a couple of times and there is no escape of gas from the fill hose connection.