Just heard -Italy won't refill any LPG anywhere??!! (1 Viewer)

[Jac Sprat]

Just had an alarming message from a friend who who says you can't refill LPG anywhere in Italy. There are signs up at all the garages with a picture of a motorhome and a line through it. They have the latest refillable R67 gaslow bottles fitted (,that have no escape valves internally)

We were planning to spend the entire winter there (we are heading there now) so this has put us in a real panic.

Does anyone have any suggestions or information?

Yours in a complete spin
Jackie and Martin

 

[Geo]

Make sure you have a "Proper" outside fill point and they wont know what your filling
Having to open a locker to fill makes you a target for refusal
G

 

[Jac Sprat]

Our friends have this too plus certification to say it's registered totally safe.
They know we do too which is why they texted us just now
The motorhome sign with a line through seems to have taken this to a different level.
The garage says they have had two explosions and can't risk it.

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[Dazzlin]

We filled up on tuesday no problems. in fact it was attended service.

High up in the Dolomites - but still Italy!

Good luck. We have needed the heating. Chucking it down here in Treviso but just staying put today and walking round the city walls with a brolly, then head in for a pizza.

Forecast is good for our anniversary on sunday in Venice

 

[Fletton]

I can offer no help or advice but I'll be keeping an eye on this thread all the same

 

[DBK]

The service stations on the autostradas won't fill MHs but away from it was OK when we were there. I seem to recall it is a tax thing. Gas for cooking is taxed more than gas for vehicles. But I could be wrong.

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[Deleted member 29692]

Our friends have this too plus certification to say it's registered totally safe.

Some random piece of paper from a foreign installer written in a foreign language will mean less than nothing in Italy. It's more likely to wind people up and make them refuse to help than it is to persuade them of your case.

 

[PeteH]

I am only surprised, that they are not saying "it`s because we want to leave the EU"!!.

Pete

 

[PeteH]

The service stations on the autostradas won't fill MHs but away from it was OK when we were there. I seem to recall it is a tax thing. Gas for cooking is taxed more than gas for vehicles. But I could be wrong.

I thought it was the other way round? Road gas was taxed higher than domestic? as in the uK?.

Pete

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[Just smiffy]

Morrisons apparently don't allow Motorhomes to fill either but people do.... I think it's just one of those rules that isn't always adhered too...

Try another garage...

 

[Lenny HB]

Last September we filled up on the Autostrada, first service station said no, next one was fine with it. A a garage in Portugal this year woman came out and said "we don't fill bottles", I told her it was a tank and showed her the external filler she said "that's OK".
As long as you have an outside filler I think you stand a fair chance of getting filled up, maybe not at the first place you stop.

 

[iandsm]

Just had an alarming message from a friend who who says you can't refill LPG anywhere in Italy. There are signs up at all the garages with a picture of a motorhome and a line through it. They have the latest refillable R67 gaslow bottles fitted (,that have no escape valves internally)

We were planning to spend the entire winter there (we are heading there now) so this has put us in a real panic.

Does anyone have any suggestions or information?

Yours in a complete spin
Jackie and Martin

Alarming yes, but with respect, has your friend been to "All" the garages in Italy, are there signs at "All" the garages, does he know for certain LPG is not available "anywhere" in the Country, I doubt it. Certainly he may have seen some garages are refusing and have signs but as in the rest of Europe, garages are operated by different companies and individuals, some may have a policy of refusal, others may not. There have been cases in France and Italy of refusal and people simply drive on to another where they will have no problem. I don't think I would change my plans but I would, as always, ensure I fill up at every opportunity.

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[Jac Sprat]

Thanks for pointing
But he texted saying he has been refused everywhere he had tried everywhere en route to and at Lake Guardia
,@Dazzlin could you tell me where you filled up? I want to try and collate obliging garages. Also we are heading to the dolomites for skiing later so that is good news. Is there any snow there yet,?

 

[44658]

Visited the main Calor Gas dealer in Norwich on Wednesday October 12th, and was talking gas and motorhomes. Gave me a photostat copy of UKLPG user information sheet 026 and 031. This states that refillable tanks can be refilled under the supervision of a qualified engineer. The manager said they refuse to fill motorhomes on the grounds nobody qualified on site re the safety test / leakage. Further said that this was a directive to all Calor main suppliers.
Am now thinking I may have done a wrong'un buy switching to autogas ali bottles instead of going for the permanent under slung bottle. Which they will allow the driver / owner to fill.

 

[Forestboy]

We filled up I'm Italy on the way back from Sicily about 2 weeks ago on the Autostrada near Naples. No problem filled with derv first then moved pumps and filled with LPG.

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[hilldweller]

Just had an alarming message
Jackie and Martin

Maybe not that alarming. We've spent a long time in Italy and I don't recall ever filling with gas. Going at the warm times that we enjoy our 12kg tank lasts over a month. Admittedly we are usually hooked up so the only gas is for cooking and washing. Make sure you arrive full.

Our first trip to Morocco was panic time, would the gas last ? A month and we brought a load back to Europe.

Hard luck for the skiers though.

 

[magicsurfbus]

I find it hard to believe that the Italians would knowingly shut down a way of earning tourist Euros - very out of character

However, if the OP's suggestion is correct there'll be MH mayhem in the Italian Alps this winter, so I can't see the restriction surviving into the new year, if indeed it is across all suppliers.

 

[Jaws]

Filled up at a Morrisons a couple of weeks ago.. Not gonna say where in case they get in trouble but def was not questioned !

If I am ever asked what I am doing I always say the same.. filling up the on board generator tanks..
Well I aint exactly lying.. The stuff is used to generate heat !

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[jtp890]

calor will take allsteps possible to maintain their near monopoly on bottled gas.

 

[magicsurfbus]

Not Italy, but the local Shell station where I top up the Gaslow has just had a campsite open across the road and they're cock a hoop with the increased business at the gas pump.

 

[peterc10]

You must remember that Italy is in Southern Europe. And there the EU allow them to pass laws but not enforce them.

We were in Italy in the Spring and filled up 4 times. All were attendant fills, in fact I don't think I saw a self service gas fill point. The first time (near Milan) we got a firm "no". We then headed South. The next time I was asked if it was for the engine and said "yes" and got filled up After that nobody bothered asking.

We have an external fill point. After the first refusal we took off the LPG gas sticker from the gas locker door, which is close to the fill point. After all I have never seen one of those stickers on a continental registered van.

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[Mr Milliemobile]

I filled in Italy on an autostrada, the attendant asked if it was for cooking or engine. I said engine even though it was for cooking but he topped off the tank, cost 8 euros. We have an underslung tank with the filler cap on the outside of the van not in or on a gas locker. Never had any issues in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy or Greece.
Nige

 

[Tootles]

I filled ours at 'The Greasy Pitza Garage', Skegness, no problems. ......................Does that count as Italy?

 

[Wildbill]

Looks like a bit of scare mongering sum one I know gas just come back after spending a month over thare with no problems
He did her sumthing in a air over thare abut sum one being refused one a motorway service
Bill

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[Jaws]

And something not mentioned..
I have come across a few places ( esp in Germany ) that had a gas pump.. And a very weird connector..
When asked it turned out the pump was for natural gas, not LPG !!!

It may be the case, given language barriers etc., that the refusal is not strictly a refusal as such, but just saying no, the stuff in the pump aint the stuff you are looking for !!!

 

[Tootles]

And something not mentioned..
I have come across a few places ( esp in Germany ) that had a gas pump.. And a very weird connector..
When asked it turned out the pump was for natural gas, not LPG !!!

It may be the case, given language barriers etc., that the refusal is not strictly a refusal as such, but just saying no, the stuff in the pump aint the stuff you are looking for !!!

What would natural gas be used for in a vehicle context John??

 

[vwalan]

What would natural gas be used for in a vehicle context John??

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas_vehicle
there was a crowd up north bringing in buses from japan or somewhere a few years ago. and converting them to lpg . here in uk.
nissan buses , they sold several on ebay .
but its a good fuel.
trucks and buses run it here as well. plymouth buses ran on it . think they still are and some cornwall county trucks .

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[Jaws]

What would natural gas be used for in a vehicle context John??

As said..A lot of commercial vehicles run on it..
London experimented for a while with it on buses

My son in law ( desnDonut on here as was ) bought a natural gas powered 15 seat bus at auction many years ago.
The closest place to fill it was north London
So off he trotted to fill it up so he could sell it on
By the time he got back to Thetford there was JUST enough left in the tank to get back to refill it LOL !!

 

[gerry mcg]

so is "Natural gas" Methane (CH4), vs LPG, which is "liquefied Petroleum gas" i.e propane / butane (C3H8 / C4H10) ?
http://www.uklpg.org/advice-and-information/what-is-lpg-2/

 

[Tootles]

As said..A lot of commercial vehicles run on it..
London experimented for a while with it on buses

My son in law ( desnDonut on here as was ) bought a natural gas powered 15 seat bus at auction many years ago.
The closest place to fill it was north London
So off he trotted to fill it up so he could sell it on
By the time he got back to Thetford there was JUST enough left in the tank to get back to refill it LOL !!

Therefor if you own a car converted to run on LPG, it will also run on natural gas?

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