gas query

[timofleeds]

Hi I have an imported motorhome, it was imported from Germany last year when it was new. It came with two large green gas bottles, these are now almost empty. My question is what will I need to fit an English bottle and a Camping Gaz bottle? My regulator is fitted to the wall of the gas locker above the level of the top of the bottles and is fitted vertically, I only have one gas pipe and did not want to go to the expense of fitting a refillable system.

 

Regards Tim

 

[Puzzled]

look at www.gaslow.co.uk and they will sell yo a hose to fit to your regulator

[Tomo3090]

I would say it depends how much you use your van and how much gas you use before you discount re-fillables. If you can afford the outlay and if you use gas regularly it will pay for itself within 12-18 months tops. If you long term or full time then that will be even sooner.

 

We've got it and can't understand why anyone with a motorhome who uses it a reasonable amount of times a year hasn't!

[Mel E]

Tomo,

 

Sorry to doubt you, but can you give us the figures to justify your 12 to 18 month payback - before this enters 'accepted legend'?

 

The way I see it is that a single refillable bottle, with fittings costs around £200. A refill costs around £12 at a garage for a 11 KG refillable. I have a refillable myself so haven't bought a Calor refill recently. But even if one costs £22 (surely that's over the top?), then your saving is £10 per refill, so break-even would be 20 refills. That sounds to me like a lot more than even 18 months' use!

 

Help!!!

 

 

Mel E

====

[Basil]

Hello Mel E,

 

Sorry to butt in here but just to give you our take on the cost comparison. Whilst our return was slightly longer than tomo's, just under two years, if you 'use' your vans facilities that time is feasable. We use approximately 1kg per day average through the year.

In our case we replaced only one 6kg Calor (we were unable to fit a larger Calor cylinder through our gas locker door), leaving the second for back up (which in practise we have never used) and with the thought that we would add a second refillable later when our Calor was used up.

Last time I looked 6kg Calors were £15.50 to replace. Our Gaslow 11kg cost £84.95 (now £90) plus filling kit £47 (now £60) plus Butane type pigtail £6.50 (now £7.50) making our total outlay £118.45 less 5% discount at the supplier (East Coast Leisure) for being a Caravan Club member means we actually paid £111.53.

The Gaslow costs around £11.34 to refill empty to full at present with LPG at £0.54p/litre, though back then it was much cheaper at around £0.39p making a refill cost around £8.19 for 11kg compared to £12.50 for 6kg for a Calor. So our saving then over Calor was around £14.73p per fill so we were in profit after 7.5 fills or the equivelent to 11 and bit weeks of use. Our longer breaks are always out of season (early and late) plus many long weekends all through the year means we broke even just before two years and we have been in profit since. Now we are at four years, or two years of profit, not to mention not having to lug cylinders about and change them and having no worries during our extended trips to Europe.

Strangely the difference in price between LPG and equivelent Calor has actually reduced the saving slightly,with a saving now of around £12.90 each refill.

 

Bas