Tiggy Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Oh well, taken the plunge and ordered a new motor home, arrives next spring. Looking for some gas advice. The van we've ordered doesn't come with a fitted tank, so it's cylinders, or fit the 'yellow' bottle system. Has anyone done this, and is it worth the money? Intended use is touring in France plus long weekends in UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 What size cylinders? Do you use ehu abroad? Will you be abroad for longer than the duration of your Calor bottles? One 6kg refillable with a Calorlite 6kg backup works well for us and we holiday mainly abroad, but some prefer a different setup depending on duration, locker size and depth of pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Listerdiesel Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 We use a 28 litre (net) refillable in the trailer and are fitting 2 X 32 litre (net) tanks to the Mercedes 614 we are converting. Our usage for three of us is about 12 litres of gas for a long weekend, that is fridge, water heater for showers and occasional use of the heater. Most of our trips are to shows and rallies as an exhibitor, most places have little or no facilities or electric hook up. We have solar on both vehicles, probably the best thing you can add to your vehicle next to refillable LPG. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Touring in France for how long? We go abroad for anything from one to three months. As a result I have a fifty odd ltr tank fitted. In France getting gas is no problem. If your visits are a month or so then the yellow cylinders you refer to would be adequate as you can refill them quite easily. Refer to Trackers post for what serves him adequately. It really is 'how long is a bit of string' It maybe you start with something like Calor and if that does not work then consider one of the refill systems for a quantity which will suite you. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 12 litres, which is about 6 kg, lasts us between about 8 and 16 days depending how hot or cold it is with the average being about a litre a day and if the van has diesel heating and hot water you can almost double the gas duration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 You ask is it worth it and my answer is most certainly yes. If you consider the cost of the initial 'rental fee' for for two bottles from Calor at around £40.00 per bottle (in essence lost money as refunds are negligible) then £30 per bottle (if you can use 2 larger ones) and there's £100 gone already. Refills (per bottle) will cost in the region of the initial £30.00 plus there's the hauling bottles about to be considered to/from the van/store. With the Gaslow system (others are available) the initial outlay is a lot more 'but' with Gaslow (can't comment for other makes/providers) you get a contract with 'Contrywide' (Locaions book etc provided) which means an equivalent refill will cost about £15.00 per bottle. So basically the gas is half the cost of Calor. Therefore whilst the initial outlay is considerably more you start clawing back your outlay from the first refill. Additionally you own the system and can transfer it from vehicle to vehicle should you ever decide to change. Alternatively if you decide to stop MH pursuits you can sell the system as an addition to the MH you're selling or take it out and sell it seperately. If you buy from Gaslow they supply the relevant adaptors for continental refill points. So is it worth it? I would say postively yes but only you can decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Concur with RogerC. Have just ordered a new van, and dealer is going to change my Gaslow system from old to new van. Cost of gas is significantly cheaper, and I haven't had to manhandle a cylinder for a long time. Plus, my one bottle (11kg) system has never been more than half empty before I've been able to refill it. Plus, I've got 2 x 7kg propane, 1 x 13kg propane and 1 x 15kg butane Calor bottles in my garage, because I never wanted to head off abroad with anything other than full bottles. Go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 candapack - 2015-10-17 9:16 PM Concur with RogerC. Have just ordered a new van, and dealer is going to change my Gaslow system from old to new van. Cost of gas is significantly cheaper, and I haven't had to manhandle a cylinder for a long time. Plus, my one bottle (11kg) system has never been more than half empty before I've been able to refill it. Plus, I've got 2 x 7kg propane, 1 x 13kg propane and 1 x 15kg butane Calor bottles in my garage, because I never wanted to head off abroad with anything other than full bottles. Go for it. At a guess I bet the authorities incldg Fire & Rescue are not aware of potentially 42kg of propane/butane being stored in a domestic garage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Tiggy - 2015-10-17 6:54 PM Oh well, taken the plunge and ordered a new motor home, arrives next spring. Looking for some gas advice. The van we've ordered doesn't come with a fitted tank, so it's cylinders, or fit the 'yellow' bottle system. Has anyone done this, and is it worth the money? Intended use is touring in France plus long weekends in UK. A single refillable cylinder is a good addition, you could then add a cylinder from the country you spend the most time touring. Seems to work well for the French etc. We tour Spain and carry a Repsol cylinder plus the refillable. Simples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggy Posted October 18, 2015 Author Share Posted October 18, 2015 Thank you for all your replies most helpful. We were quotes £666 plus vat for the work, does that sound reasonable ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve928 Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 It's worth bearing in mind that the forecourt lpg situation does seem to be in a state of flux at the moment with BP seemingly withdrawing pumps from all their outlets, Morrisons adopting a policy of refusing to serve motorhomes and Asda possiby going the same way. We may soon be left with just Shell, independents and others such as Countrywide (who are anything but country-wide) as mentioned above. Of course in mainland Europe it's a doddle and I would always continue to have a refillable system for that reason alone, but in the UK it does seem to be getting more difficult to get a fill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 The work fitting it yourself is simple and £666 sounds ridiculous. The bottle (or two) strap into the same place with the same fittings as calor bottles. The only difference is a connecting pipe and a pipe from your number one bottle to a filler point which can be on a bracket inside your gas door, or drilled through the lower part of the valance. This is unnerving but a five minute job. Don't fit an automatic valve like I did, as the gauges are unreliable and you need to know when one runs out, so that you don't empty both. I am paying 43p a litre, and of course you only need to top up before you set off rather than swapping a half empty bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 starvin marvin - 2015-10-18 2:18 AMcandapack - 2015-10-17 9:16 PMConcur with RogerC. Have just ordered a new van, and dealer is going to change my Gaslow system from old to new van. Cost of gas is significantly cheaper, and I haven't had to manhandle a cylinder for a long time. Plus, my one bottle (11kg) system has never been more than half empty before I've been able to refill it.Plus, I've got 2 x 7kg propane, 1 x 13kg propane and 1 x 15kg butane Calor bottles in my garage, because I never wanted to head off abroad with anything other than full bottles. Go for it.At a guess I bet the authorities incldg Fire & Rescue are not aware of potentially 42kg of propane/butane being stored in a domestic garage! They are probably not aware of loads of flammable/explosive stuff in tens of thousands of places/garages/homes around the country so the point of your post is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Tiggy - 2015-10-18 8:03 AMThank you for all your replies most helpful. We were quotes £666 plus vat for the work, does that sound reasonable ? Looking at the web site (Gaslow) the price for the 2x11kg bottles with stainless hoses, changeover valve etc is £540. So if the £666.00+vat is fitted with the bottles full then it's in the ballpark of todays prices. If you're not confident in fitting the system I would be inclined to have it fitted for the extra cost and peace of mind.....messing with gas is not something one want's to be doing. You should also check the price includes the continental filling adaptors and the Countrywide contract because if they are close to you it will save you a lot of £'s over forecourt prices. We had ours fitted at the Warners Malvern show for around £500+ (IIRC) which included stainless lines, 2x11kg bottles (full), auto switch over (waste of time but didn't know at the time) continental adaptors and Countrywide contract and that was 3 or 4 years ago so your quoted price really isn't so far out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 There's a full kit for a buy it now price of £290 on eBay. Mine cost £150 and I bought a second bottle for £60. Once you have to pay over £500 there will be no real saving with the cheaper gas. (In my opinion) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldi Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 Afternoon folks, First you need to decide whether you prefer campsites with hookup or more of the wilding side of motorhoming where much more gas is used. We use about £30 each year on our pvc for approx. 3.5 months away using standard 13 kg calor gas bottles, mainly in France where its warm, and we use hookup. I reckon that it would take at least ten years to get my money back with fixed tanks, but there is also the convenience with fixed tanks also. I would suggest that you wait awhile and you can always have fixed tanks fitted later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agaric Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 I've been looking at the the Gas-It system with two 11kg bottles plus auto changeover and remote fill comes to £356. If you add the triple adapter fill kit that's a further £19.95. I'm picking my van up tomorrow so I'm waiting until I've had a good measure up before ordering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 RogerC - 2015-10-18 2:07 PMstarvin marvin - 2015-10-18 2:18 AMcandapack - 2015-10-17 9:16 PMConcur with RogerC. Have just ordered a new van, and dealer is going to change my Gaslow system from old to new van. Cost of gas is significantly cheaper, and I haven't had to manhandle a cylinder for a long time. Plus, my one bottle (11kg) system has never been more than half empty before I've been able to refill it.Plus, I've got 2 x 7kg propane, 1 x 13kg propane and 1 x 15kg butane Calor bottles in my garage, because I never wanted to head off abroad with anything other than full bottles. Go for it.At a guess I bet the authorities incldg Fire & Rescue are not aware of potentially 42kg of propane/butane being stored in a domestic garage!They are probably not aware of loads of flammable/explosive stuff in tens of thousands of places/garages/homes around the country so the point of your post is?The point of my post that there is limit to the amount of flammable/explosive material you are allowed to store at home. Check with your LA. Should an incident occur, say a fire, the chance of an explosion and flying pieces of cylinder cutting a swathe through an attending fire engine and its crew doesn't bear thinking about.The likelihood of "thousands" of garages having such a stache of lpg is a red herring, its still illegal and a lunatic thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 starvin marvin - 2015-10-18 11:05 PMRogerC - 2015-10-18 2:07 PMstarvin marvin - 2015-10-18 2:18 AMcandapack - 2015-10-17 9:16 PMConcur with RogerC. Have just ordered a new van, and dealer is going to change my Gaslow system from old to new van. Cost of gas is significantly cheaper, and I haven't had to manhandle a cylinder for a long time. Plus, my one bottle (11kg) system has never been more than half empty before I've been able to refill it.Plus, I've got 2 x 7kg propane, 1 x 13kg propane and 1 x 15kg butane Calor bottles in my garage, because I never wanted to head off abroad with anything other than full bottles. Go for it.At a guess I bet the authorities incldg Fire & Rescue are not aware of potentially 42kg of propane/butane being stored in a domestic garage! They are probably not aware of loads of flammable/explosive stuff in tens of thousands of places/garages/homes around the country so the point of your post is?The point of my post that there is limit to the amount of flammable/explosive material you are allowed to store at home. Check with your LA. Should an incident occur, say a fire, the chance of an explosion and flying pieces of cylinder cutting a swathe through an attending fire engine and its crew doesn't bear thinking about.The likelihood of "thousands" of garages having such a stache of lpg is a red herring, its still illegal and a lunatic thing to do. Your comment was that the 'authorities' were 'not aware' which is a case of (as one comedian used to say) 'stating the bleedin obvious' not, as you do now commenting on the legalities of such hence my reply. As for your 'fishy' stuff comment.....I would consider there to be tens of thousands of gas cylinders scattered throughout the country in garages, sheds, outbuildings etc in various stages of use/storage/unwantedness etc otherwise the likes of Calor and other gas suppliers would be struggling for business ergo my comment still stands...your point is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I store empty gas bottles that might be needed in the future with their taps open to avoid the risk of explosion. When first opening the valve, leave them outside for a few days until the gas smell dissipates and then a light cover of masking tape over the outlet will keep your shed safe and smelling fresh as a daisy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Hi Tiggy, Having used both types of gas cylinders, normal and Gaslow refillable, I think it depends on how often and how much time you intend spending abroad. If you are giong to travel France regularly say then I would go for the convenience of a Gaslow type system. It is so easy to keep your gas topped up as you get fuel. Must say it is expensive to install but then very cheap to buy the gas IMO. cheers and good luck with your travels derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve928 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Tracker - 2015-10-19 9:12 AM I store empty gas bottles that might be needed in the future with their taps open to avoid the risk of explosion. When first opening the valve, leave them outside for a few days until the gas smell dissipates and then a light cover of masking tape over the outlet will keep your shed safe and smelling fresh as a daisy! Better safe than sorry I guess but I think you may be over-estimating the risk of explosion. There was a fire at our boatyard the other week which sadly resulted in a 35' yacht being burnt to the ground. It took the fire brigade 2 hours to put out. Although not easily seen in this picture there are 2 gas cylinders lying in the wreckage - but they didn't explode. http://s1051.photobucket.com/user/Steve928/media/P1010025_zpsdn9kws00.jpg.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Steve928 - 2015-10-19 9:57 AM Tracker - 2015-10-19 9:12 AM I store empty gas bottles that might be needed in the future with their taps open to avoid the risk of explosion. When first opening the valve, leave them outside for a few days until the gas smell dissipates and then a light cover of masking tape over the outlet will keep your shed safe and smelling fresh as a daisy! Better safe than sorry I guess but I think you may be over-estimating the risk of explosion. There was a fire at our boatyard the other week which sadly resulted in a 35' yacht being burnt to the ground. It took the fire brigade 2 hours to put out. Although not easily seen in this picture there are 2 gas cylinders lying in the wreckage - but they didn't explode. http://s1051.photobucket.com/user/Steve928/media/P1010025_zpsdn9kws00.jpg.html I think you are right Steve, but did not want to start another argument by saying that! Apart from that, it costs me nothing and as our dear friend Elfan would say - every little helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Made me think though, I just moved my two full calorlite bottles into a shed from my cellar. ( that's why Calor haven't got any, they are all stored "in case" they will be needed.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Back to the op. It realy depends on how much you use. Our van takes 2x13kg calor propane, and we use just over a cylinder a year, bottles where ones we had kicking around, cost per year about £30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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