Gaslow refillable system

[vanfan]

Hi funsters
Hoping for some experience/ advice regarding a gas low refillable system.
Just read 2019 thread but still confused!
Chatting with our dealer today ( we expect delivery of our new 6m PVC end of June )
He showed us the gas low kit and it had 2 11kg bottles. I said surely if it’s refillable we only need 1 bottle? IE less weight and hopefully a bit of extra room for careful storage. He said he advises 2 incase we run out!
Doesn’t this defeat the object?
We will only use gas for cooking ( 2 burners, no oven or grill) and heating water when on aires. We are not really into cold weather motorhoming, so do not expect to need heating all that much and besides we intend to keep the bottle topped up regularly. Am I missing something?

 

[brynric]

You could get by with one but it leaves you open to "range anxiety". The gauges aren't wonderfully accurate and gas may not be available near where you are staying.
We have two bottles, one 11kg, one 6kg, We run the larger one til empty and then we know we have a few days leeway until we need to top up. If we were only doing short breaks and gas is available close to home we'd get by quite happily with one bottle and filling each time we went away.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Hi funsters
Hoping for some experience/ advice regarding a gas low refillable system.
Just read 2019 thread but still confused!
Chatting with our dealer today ( we expect delivery of our new 6m PVC end of June )
He showed us the gas low kit and it had 2 11kg bottles. I said surely if it’s refillable we only need 1 bottle? IE less weight and hopefully a bit of extra room for careful storage. He said he advises 2 incase we run out!
Doesn’t this defeat the object?
We will only use gas for cooking ( 2 burners, no oven or grill) and heating water when on aires. We are not really into cold weather motorhoming, so do not expect to need heating all that much and besides we intend to keep the bottle topped up regularly. Am I missing something?

No, you only need 1.
We've got 2 x 6kg, not filled up since 2021 and still on the first bottle.

It's the 3 way fridge that guzzles it and I changed ours to compressor.

 

[ChrisL]

I have 2 x 11kg cylinders, I have an oven which I use quite a lot and I'm full time, if i'm on hookup and just using gas for cooking it lasts months, literally 3 to 4 months, however if your off grid and using gas for the fridge, heating and hot water then maybe just 2 to 3 weeks. Something to consider is more and more fuel stations are stopping LPG so having extra capacity can be useful.

 

[Richard n Ann]

You could get by with one but it leaves you open to "range anxiety". The gauges aren't wonderfully accurate and gas may not be available near where you are staying.
We have two bottles, one 11kg, one 6kg, We run the larger one til empty and then we know we have a few days leeway until we need to top up. If we were only doing short breaks and gas is available close to home we'd get by quite happily with one bottle and filling each time we went away.

You must use your gas for heating or something, there is no way you'd get through gas like that with the ops usage

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[Jez1966]

It is very much personal preference and how you plan to use the van.
I'm going to take a wild guess that this is your 1st van?
Of the listed gas usage does the fridge run on gas?
Intent and actual can be very differnt.
Cost of 2 bottle, I'm guessing is little saving over 1 bottle, I'd install 2 untill I know real life usage.
BUT I would ensure design allow for easy conversion on 2nd bottle space to general storage?

 

[Andy MacD]

Depends where you’re travelling.

I just have 1 and have never run out or come near to running out.

We went to France mid March till end May, filled before we left and kept an eye on the gauge on to of the cylinder. At 1/3 left I topped up twice and we used the heater quite a bit off grid.

I’d just get 1 and if you struggle then it’s easy to add another.

 

[vanfan]

Thank you everyone
It’s not our first van, currently we have a van with huge 3 way fridge which held out for 6 weeks in France last year on 1 6kg calor bottle and a little of the second reserve bottle, we showered around half the stay as some days on sites.
The new van has a small compressor fridge. I still feel we could manage with 1 refillable if we make sure we keep it topped up!

 

[brynric]

You must use your gas for heating or something, there is no way you'd get through gas like that with the ops usage

Yes, we use our gas for heating, cooking and the fridge. When we’re off grid in the winter we can use quite a lot. In contrast we just spent 7 weeks in southern Europe and didn’t get through the larger bottle.

 

[vanfan]

Depends where you’re travelling.

I just have 1 and have never run out or come near to running out.

We went to France mid March till end May, filled before we left and kept an eye on the gauge on to of the cylinder. At 1/3 left I topped up twice and we used the heater quite a bit off grid.

I’d just get 1 and if you struggle then it’s easy to add another.

Thanks An

Depends where you’re travelling.

I just have 1 and have never run out or come near to running out.

We went to France mid March till end May, filled before we left and kept an eye on the gauge on to of the cylinder. At 1/3 left I topped up twice and we used the heater quite a bit off grid.

I’d just get 1 and if you struggle then it’s easy to add another.

Thanks Andy
Good to know we could add another at a later date if necessary

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[vanfan]

Thank you for all the input it’s really helpful.
I think we will ask for 1 bottle to start with and see how we go.

 

[enark]

You could just have the one gaslow and take another say 6kg Calor for assurance?

Use an lpg app for filling stations.

 

[Nanniemate]

I have 2 x 6kg one is at present empty run out last week will fill it up next time I pass lpg Station no anxiety at all

 

[The Old Man]

I'd compare it to having a vehicle with one petrol tank and no fuel guage. I had an old Beatle like this. A section of the fuel tank, approx 5L, when the engine failed a switch below the seat opened a valve and released the 5L. Fine as long as you 'reset' the switch before you fuelled up.

One Gaslow tank! You have to gasup regularly and keep a mental note of your approx useage and ensure a fill point is within range!

All additional problems/worries.

Do remember that the tank is programmed to run out, at night, when cold, it will be raining and in a dark place.

Get the second tank!

 

[VXman]

Hi funsters
Hoping for some experience/ advice regarding a gas low refillable system.
Just read 2019 thread but still confused!
Chatting with our dealer today ( we expect delivery of our new 6m PVC end of June )
He showed us the gas low kit and it had 2 11kg bottles. I said surely if it’s refillable we only need 1 bottle? IE less weight and hopefully a bit of extra room for careful storage. He said he advises 2 incase we run out!
Doesn’t this defeat the object?
We will only use gas for cooking ( 2 burners, no oven or grill) and heating water when on aires. We are not really into cold weather motorhoming, so do not expect to need heating all that much and besides we intend to keep the bottle topped up regularly. Am I missing something?

I have 1x 11kg gas low and a 6kg calor bottle for emergencies. It's still got plenty in as I have only used it twice in 3 years. As long as you keep an eye on the level you'll be fine and with your usage it will last a long time - although you don't mention fridge??

Our 11kg lasts about 2 weeks - fridge, cooking, hot water for shower once a day. Tend to boil a kettle for washing up.

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[PlacidoD]

I chose SafeFill bottles for lightness. Bought 1 brand new and then acquired a 2nd via an Ebay auction.
I have no electric elements in my Truma heater and thus will always be dependent on gas for both water and air heating. Factors in my thinking arise from the difficulty in knowing when a bottle is nearly empty and convenience in timing of a refill (The bottles are hidden away in a locker inside the garage on my Hobby T500.)
(a) I plan to SORN the van on my drive over winter and run the Truma heating etc on low to avoid problems. Sods law a single bottle would run out during a blizzard!!
(b) My main van use will be abroad. I don't fancy leaving an Aire/Sosta to fill up and somebody snaffling my space while I am away!!

A query has just occurred to me: Is it only when using gas that a three way fridge guzzles fuel? Or is electricity consumption a factor which might impact on an Aire EHU offering only 6 Amps? Not thought of that before! Might there be sense in switching to gas on the fridge during meal preparation with several mains electrical appliances in use? Hmnn - I will need to dig out the Dometic fridge manual and check.Or maybe some kind person on here knows the answer?

Chris

 

[scotjimland]

The new van has a small compressor fridge.

his second post ^^^^^^^

although you don't mention fridge??

 

[VXman]

No, you only need 1.
We've got 2 x 6kg, not filled up since 2021 and still on the first bottle.

It's the 3 way fridge that guzzles it and I changed ours to compressor.

Ok - no fridge but you mustn't use your motorhome much - or go on sites mostly?

I've used 166 litres (9 X 11kg refills) in the last year!

 

[VXman]

I chose SafeFill bottles for lightness. Bought 1 brand new and then acquired a 2nd via an Ebay auction.
I have no electric elements in my Truma heater and thus will always be dependent on gas for both water and air heating. Factors in my thinking arise from the difficulty in knowing when a bottle is nearly empty and convenience in timing of a refill (The bottles are hidden away in a locker inside the garage on my Hobby T500.)
(a) I plan to SORN the van on my drive over winter and run the Truma heating etc on low to avoid problems. Sods law a single bottle would run out during a blizzard!!
(b) My main van use will be abroad. I don't fancy leaving an Aire/Sosta to fill up and somebody snaffling my space while I am away!!

A query has just occurred to me: Is it only when using gas that a three way fridge guzzles fuel? Or is electricity consumption a factor which might impact on an Aire EHU offering only 6 Amps? Not thought of that before! Might there be sense in switching to gas on the fridge during meal preparation with several mains electrical appliances in use? Hmnn - I will need to dig out the Dometic fridge manual and check.Or maybe some kind person on here knows the answer?

Chris

Yes you do need to be careful on 6 amp when using a fridge. I think mine uses about 4amps. I just switch the fridge off when boiling a kettle for example or heating the water.

 

[Lenny HB]

We have 2 x14kg bottles and we wouldn't want any less nearly run out a few times when not near anywhere to fill up. We use about 150 Lt (75kg) a year but our fridge gobbles Lt (½ kg) a day.

The OP doesn't have a gas fridge or do cold weather camping so could get away with a lot less. Alugas bottles are a lot lighter they come in 11 & 14 kg bottles.
I think I would start with one bottle and see how you get on, very easy to add a second bottle if you find you need it.

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[vanfan]

Good Morning all
Thank you for your advice and I think having given it more thought we will start with one bottle and see how we get on.
We are planning a long winter break somewhere warm and that will probably make the decision for us!
If we decide to do more all weather touring in the future we can always add another tank as a couple of you have advised.
Have a great day everyone

 

[Dall]

Thank you for all the input it’s really helpful.
I think we will ask for 1 bottle to start with and see how we go.

I have a pvc with a compressor fridge and only a gas hob and truma 6Kw heating ( which gets used a lot in winter) running of the gas. I started with 2x 11kg Gaslow and lugged the second one around for a year, never using it at all. I sold the second one and now run with just 1 x 11kg. Never had range anxiety, and always fill up well before it gets low. If I am going to somewhere where there is no gas, such as a month in the Orkney's, then I just take a 6kg calor along for redundancy - but never needed the calor either.
On the continent - refillable is the best option!

 

[Geistguy]

Like others we have 1 refillable and 1 Calor bottle as backup, had ours fitted 5 years ago and never needed to use the backup bottle. It does stop "gas anxiety" though.

 

[treblid]

I have a pvc with a compressor fridge and only a gas hob and truma 6Kw heating

We also have this set up except we also have a small gas oven that only gets used very occasionally. We use the van all year round including long trips in cold weather to get somewhere warm.
We have used 120L (60Kg) of LPG in the last year. I went for two 11Kg Gaslow cylinders. I did consider a 11 + 6 Kg set up but pleased I didn't. We alternate use between the cylinders and fill up once one is empty and we pass a LPG station.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Ok - no fridge but you mustn't use your motorhome much - or go on sites mostly?

I've used 166 litres (9 X 11kg refills) in the last year!

We don't use the van in winter so don't use the heating much. Never have EHU. The main use nowadays is hob for coffee in the morning and cooking, oh and hot water for showers. I'm expecting the first bottle to empty any time now, can't be much in it.
Usage: Last year we had a week in Scotland, then a few long weekends away.

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[Blisteringblue]

Our autocruise can only fit 2 x 6kg Gaslow. About to head to Outer Hebridies and I'm getting low in 1 bottle. Gauges are only a basic guide, ours tends to stay on zero for ages before it changes over.

We've a few nights off grid on the way up so as long as I top up before the ferry I'm quite happy.

I do think a single bottle would make it harder to manage without a more accurate gauge.

 

[Richard n Ann]

query has just occurred to me: Is it only when using gas that a three way fridge guzzles fuel? Or is electricity consumption a factor which might impact on an Aire EHU offering only 6 Amps? Not thought of that before! Might there be sense in switching to gas on the fridge during meal preparation with several mains electrical appliances in use? Hmnn - I will need to dig out the Dometic fridge manual and check.Or maybe some kind person on here knows the answer?

The 3 way fridges usually have about a 150w power consumption so that is only 0.62 amps at 240v

 

[Brains]

Good Morning all
Thank you for your advice and I think having given it more thought we will start with one bottle and see how we get on.
We are planning a long winter break somewhere warm and that will probably make the decision for us!
If we decide to do more all weather touring in the future we can always add another tank as a couple of you have advised.
Have a great day everyone

Have the plumbing done for two bottles.

You only need to fit one, but it means fitting a second one then just a case of connecting it.

I have one GasLow and one Calor bottle.
I've run out a few times, but the Calor bottle is still half full after 5 years of occasional use.

At some point I'll swap the 11kg Calor bottle for a 6kg Gaslow bottle as the 'emergency back up'

 

[Langtoftlad]

My PVC came with a single underslung tank - I have no range anxiety.
The famously inaccurate gauge means about half full when showing 'empty'.
Means keep an eye out for a refill when I next move the van.

 

[hja]

We have 1 x 11kg and 1 x 6kg. We have two burner hob and are more than often on non hook up sites or pitches. We have a compressor fridge. Somewhere along the way we have been told not to use the 6 kg just for back up but to make sure it is used to ensure no valves stick. We don’t winter camp but do camp March and October when we are likely to want some heating. Even if on hook up I often start water or heating on gas and then move to electric because it heats quicker on gas.
We are camping in the uk, have always been able to fill up, probably fill up once or twice a year. Problem is that it seems, in uk, some outlets, particularly non fuel stations, are wanting to put minimum charge on sales so frequently filling one cylinder could fall foul of this. After all it only costs about £10 to fill our two, not totally empty.