MaureenHB Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Hello all from a newbie. What are your views on dual fuel petrol/ LPG ? Thinking of buying a small campervan already converted. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 Good, will do slightly less MPG than running on petrol, but with LPG at roughly 72p a litre does that really matter. Guess it's a Japanese one with a large petrol engine, and probably Automatic transmission ? These vans have a great specification, lots of whistles and bells. And are R/H drive, as the Japanese drive on the Left,the same as us. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 The only downside that I can think of is that you will not be able to use the Channel Tunnel (if using the 'van abroad is in your plans). Autogas is quite widely available and there are APPS available that list the locations, so filling-up should not be a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 The advice on the following website may be helpful http://www.autogas.ltd.uk/buying-a-second-hand-bi-fuel-vehicle/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Plus you'll be LEZ compliant............. Petrol with LPG conversion that's the future............diesels are for dinosaurs :D............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallynnette Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 We had our automatic CRV converted about 4 years ago, cost approx £1200 and we got our money back (you need to do the miles) within the 1st year. I find it actually runs better on lpg, make sure your valvelube is kept topped up and set up correctly. Small road tax discount, our lpg price here is about 55p ltr, most we've paid was 83p when prices went daft but now its cheaper than what it was when we converted. As yours is already converted you're laughing all the way to the bank. Word of warning though, get the gas system serviced (we pay £75 yr) it does vary though, oh! make sure you get/got a certificate you'll need for DVLA to get it classed as dual fuel if its not been done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Apart from very thirsty petrol-engined American RVs, for which LPG conversion is more or less mandatory, I doubt that many MHs will do the mileage necessary to justify the cost of converting and the trouble of finding LPG as a vehicle dual fuel, despite the road tax and envirnomental advantages. I live near Preston, Lancs which is quite a large and well-connected city, just off the M6. Yet we don't have many autogas refuelling stations in our area, so that to top up with autogas for our re-fillable gas bottles I have to drive right over to the other side of Preston. There is autogas at Charnock Richard services but only Northbound - and of course on motorway services you pay a premium price for LPG as well as other fuels. If I was looking for LPG evey time I refuel with diesel, I think I would be struggling, even in France, where LPG is relatively common. The LPG pumps in France are often tucked into tight/low refulelling locations designed only for cars, so that getting at them with a big MH can be impractical. Different matter if you are buying a vehicle which has already been converted and you do lots of miles in your MH and have a large LPG tank so that you can plan ahead for relatively infrequent fueling stops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaureenHB Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Wow, thank you all so much, given me lots of helpful hints to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John J Thompson Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Another problem I can see is a number of forecourts are now refusing to sell Autogas to Campervans. Morrisons decided this last year. A few Rontec stations have also refused to turn on the pump. This has come about by a fire on a Morrisons forecourt while a van was filling bottles in a locker. It was not disclosed if these were refillable bottles or not. Rontec have misread the instruction by UKLPG not to allow bottles to be filled. They say their staff are not trained to determine in a bottle is refillable or not. The easy option is to refuse to turn on the pump for any Motorhome or campervan even if it has an outside filler and a tank. The sale on ebaY of adaptors to fill Calor bottles has not helped the situation. Because of this misuse we could all suffer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Being more campervan orientated, than motorhome, I occasionally find myself looking at the older, Japanese imports, a good many of which are V6 petrol. Assuming that any existing LPG conversion checked out and was up to spec' etc, one of my quires would be, as the tank would presumably be *quite small( ?),just how realistic a range would it have between fill ups?.. *Just how big a tank is likely to be shoehorned under a RWD(possibly even 4x4?) campervan? :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Just to echo some of the comments above, and to add, do not rely on information being updated as to the location of filling stations, three listed in our area no longer have LPG pumps, also when in France last year at one point we had to travel around 120 miles to find one, as ones listed along that route had either their pumps removed, or never had them to begin with. Considering I don't think any cars now come with LPG as an option, and converters finding fewer and fewer customers due to engine / valve damage, and better economy engines, it makes you wonder about all us folk with refillable tanks and the seemingly shrinking opportunities to refill them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 My experience of LPG power in my Renault Trafic was that the engine was slightly down in power and miles per litre was around 10% less than when on petrol. Provided the van has a powerful engine and the tank can give a decent range, go for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 pepe63 - 2015-01-19 11:08 AM Being more campervan orientated, than motorhome, I occasionally find myself looking at the older, Japanese imports, a good many of which are V6 petrol. Assuming that any existing LPG conversion checked out and was up to spec' etc, one of my quires would be, as the tank would presumably be *quite small( ?),just how realistic a range would it have between fill ups?.. *Just how big a tank is likely to be shoehorned under a RWD(possibly even 4x4?) campervan? :-S It will have a switch, to swap between Petrol and LPG, so you will never get caught out. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Rayjsj - 2015-01-19 5:30 PM pepe63 - 2015-01-19 11:08 AM Being more campervan orientated, than motorhome, I occasionally find myself looking at the older, Japanese imports, a good many of which are V6 petrol. Assuming that any existing LPG conversion checked out and was up to spec' etc, one of my queries would be, as the tank would presumably be *quite small( ?),just how realistic a range would it have between fill ups?.. *Just how big a tank is likely to be shoehorned under a RWD(possibly even 4x4?) campervan? :-S It will have a switch, to swap between Petrol and LPG, so you will never get caught out. Ray Yes,I'm aware of that Ray.. I suppose my point was, it's all very well folk quoting how cheap LPG is but if the van only has room for a tiddly little tank, and with LPG stations being so few and far between, you could spend most of the time having to run in petrol mode (in a 2.7-3ltr V6, possibly 4x4, campervan).. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallynnette Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 We get about 450 miles range on petrol plus an extra 300 miles per tank of gas (60 ltr tank) so at 55p - 60p per ltr. Car drives beautifly on it, automatically switches over. Provided the conversion has been done by a decent reputable converter and is serviced when its due and valvelube kept up and dripping at the correct rate there's no problem. We've never found a problem with getting the gas other than the petrol shortage they had a few yrs ago, then everyone wanted gas and it got a bit tight but other than that never been short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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