Fitting an Extendastay

kijana

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C class Luton
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I posted this on the other site in response to an enquiry about domestic gas usage in Spain.

As most here will know, getting LPG isn't easy in Spain - it's much easier to buy a secondhand gas bottle & plumb it in to your RV system. A lot quicker to nip down the road in your TOAD to get a fresh gas bottle than drive halfway across Spain to an LPG filling point. . .

Here's some pix of how I did it on our RV.


Pic showing the extendastay plumbed in, and the gas bottle connector sitting on top of the propane bottle.

ExtendastaySmall.jpg



This pic shows a close up of the extendastay tee-piece fitted between the gas tank valve and the regulator. Note, you have to move the regulator to the right to make room for the tee piece.
plumbingSmall.jpg



Lastly, a pic showing the bottle fitting (bought in Spain from a camping shop or ferretaria [ironmongers]), with the Extendastay fitting cut off, and the tube pushed over the bottle fitting fir tree & clamped with a Jubilee clip.
joinSmall.jpg


A couple of points to note. When you get the Extendastay, one end fitting has to be cut off, as it won't mate with the bottle connector you're going to buy in Spain. Make sure you cut off the right end!!

The tube should be a good push fit over the gas bottle connector fitting. Clamp it with a Jubilee clip, and test it with soapy water for leaks.

I was able to buy a simple clipon connector for the gas bottle. These are readily available in Spain, to suit the propane or butane gas bottle you bought from a rastro/flea market. It does not incorporate a regulator, so it's important to plumb it in to the RV system before ('upstream' of) the regulator, otherwize you'll put full pressure into your system. :Eeek:

If you want a separate regulator on the gas bottle, it's probably best to plumb in the tee after the RV regulator.

Good luck

Bruce
 
Hi Bruce

I'm not keen on cutting the extend a stay pipe, I would suggest it's better to buy a propane/butane adapter rather than cutting off the propane connector which you may want to use at a future date.
At present we are using the extend-a-stay with 19kg bottles of propane..

Jim
 
Also worthy of note (i hav'nt used my extender stay yet, but imagine its important to turn OFF the main tank gas tap or you will just empty your cyl into that
Right or wrong ??
Geo
 
If you can find an adaptor, I'm sure that would work, too, Jim. I've used the system as described every day for nearly a year now without any problems.

Geo, I don't think it does empty into the RV tank. I've tried opening the RV tank valve with the gas bottle connected and I can't hear any gas flow. I think there's probably a check valve in the Extendastay to prevent that happening. There's certainly one to prevent the RV tank discharging through the bottle connector when you're changing bottles. You can leave the disconnected bottle fitting flapping in the breeze, open the RV tank valve, and walk away.
 
Also worthy of note (i hav'nt used my extender stay yet, but imagine its important to turn OFF the main tank gas tap or you will just empty your cyl into that
Right or wrong ??
Geo

Hi Geo

Yes and No, once the pressure is equal the LPG would only flow into the tank if you lifted the bottle higher than the tank and let gravity take over.. I believe JSW has used this method to fill his LPG tank..

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Had to cut my pipe and made me feel sick knowing the price of it:Doh:

BTW:- Bruce mine tank area is much cleaner than yours:Wink::Laughing:


Good useful post:thumb:
 
So no point in competing in the "How clean is your LPG locker?" comp then John? :Laughing:
 
:Eeek::Eeek::Eeek:
She still alive!!!!
Geo

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Hi Folks

I'm confused on this Extend-a-Stay fitting thing.

I have the Extend-a-Stay Delux version and I want to use it in the UK not abroad.

I haven't even taken the thing out of it's packaging as we were living close to an LPG fill, so didn't bother with the thing.

However, we are now 25 miles from the nearest fill and it will cost me approx £25 in diesel to get there and back, so I'm thinking it may be cheaper to use a large gas bottle.

From reading the forums, I take it you have to fit the Extend-a-Stay in between the fill-up nozzle and the actual tank itself (I couldn't even tell you where my tank is never mind climb under there to mess around with it).

So, it's not just a case of fitting it to the fill-up nozzle then?

Or, do I just need an adapter to fit the extend-a-stay to UK bottles?

Sorry for my ignorance.

Paul
 
Hi Paul the extender stay on my Rv is a permanently fitted device, you have to tee into the pipe work after the tank shut of valve and before the pressure regulator, this is to stop the extender stay filling your tank and maintain correct pressure for cooker fridge etc, it is to enable you to carry on on site when your main tank runs out, it is not designed to fill your tank (you would only get 50/50 anyway) unless you adopt the method in the pic filling a car Not recommended IMO.
To use properly the shut of valve on your tank should be closed and then open the cylinder to feed gas to RV reg and through to cooker etc, you will need to adapt the end of the rubber pipe to fit a UK cylinder of choice, remember strictly speaking you don't need a regulator on the cylinder as you will be using the RV fitted one
hope that helped
Geo
 
Paul, if you look at my original photos again they should help. In the middle photo, the filling valve for the tank is under the yellow plastic cover, so you can see it is quite separate from the Extendastay.

The Extendastay is 'teed' inbetween the tank shutoff valve (you can see the handwheel knob on the left of the Extendastay) and the regulator to the right.

If you take your Extendastay out of the box, and then look at my pix, you should recognize where it is in the photo. If you then open the LPG tank locker door on your RV you should find a very similar setup to mine - only cleaner!!

You then just need the appropriate connector to attach the flexi pipe leg of the Extendastay to your UK gas bottle. Shut off the tank valve first, leave it shut while tyou are hooked up to the gas bottle, and Bob's your unspecified relation.

Bruce
 
Thanks Guys

My LPG tank really is hidden under the vehicle somewhere - all I can physically see is the fill point and an emergency cut-off switch. Any pipework after that just goes behind a panel never to be seen again. :cry:

I think I will sell the Extend-a-Stay and use the money for the diesel to/from the garage - at least the RV will get a run out. :thumb:

Paul

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You then just need the appropriate connector to attach the flexi pipe leg of the Extendastay to your UK gas bottle. Shut off the tank valve first, leave it shut while tyou are hooked up to the gas bottle, and Bob's your unspecified relation.

Hi Paul
The hose connection supplied with Extend a Stay fits a UK propane bottle and there are adaptors available from Gaslow for most european bottles..
We are using the 19 kg Calor propane bottle, at around £18, delivered.
There must be access somewhere to your regulator/pipework.. it would be well worth finding and fitting.
Great bit of kit, wouldn't be without it.. :thumb:
 
Hi why not one of these, cut the end of and modify it to take a hose, so you can connect a cylinder directly into your tank.
 

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Thanks Chaps,

I guess I was just expecting the E-a-S to connect to the fill point and the LPG just be drawn into the tank for use.

I could see having to find an adapter to fit the UK bottles but you say (Jim) that it fits UK bottles anyway.

I'm due to drive out to fill her up today so when I move the jack pads I can have a look underneath.

Cheers
Paul
 
Extenda stay fitting(or not as the case may be)

Am I correct in thinking that you have a transverse LPG bulk tank? if so it is virtually impossible to fit an extenda stay kit without removing the tank( on some transverse tanks you cannot fit an extenda stay kit at all!). Also don't even think about fitting it at the filler valve it won't fit there and is not designed to fit there. With all due respect to olley cutting the filler adapter won't work either, a dutch bayonet filler at the filling station opens the valve mechanically not by gas pressure, the pressure required to open a filler valve by pressure alone is in excess of 350 psi not a good idea to cut and link pipes at this pressure. In other words you are probably stuck without an easy fit for an extenda stay, fit it where it designed to go or not at all!Also the longest hose that marshall brass make for bottle fitting is 5 ft so you may not have enough hose length to get to a propane bottle.
Dunc (acops lpg qualified)
 
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Hi DD

Thanks for the input.

I've no idea if my set-up is a transverse LPG bulk tank - I just know I cant see the tank, just the fill point.

We just drove down near to Telford to fill up at 53.9p/litre (we were paying 42.5p in Somerset but it's as high as 62p near here).

I've just taken a look at the CountryWide Farmers free card account as there are 2 locations within 20 miles of me in Shrewsbury, so will probably sign up for their discount card.

Paul

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Paul let me know how the card works as my Jeep is LPG and the bus may soon become LPG too!:Wink:

Looking at £200+ in fuel just to do the New Years meet:Doh::cry:
 
With all due respect to olley cutting the filler adapter won't work either, a dutch bayonet filler at the filling station opens the valve mechanically not by gas pressure, the pressure required to open a filler valve by pressure alone is in excess of 350 psi not a good idea to cut and link pipes at this pressure.

Hi Duncan I think you misunderstood my post, I also believe you are wrong, I will explain. The dutch filler from the pump (Gun) has a valve in it which as you say is mechanically released but this cannot be released by any amount of pressure as its a check valve, designed precisely to prevent the escape of gas at any pressure except when connected to your tank.

If your saying that the bayonet connector on my van for the propulsion tanks is mechanically opened, then how come I can fit a french adaptor and fill up?

My idea is to cut the dutch connector off the pipe that I pictured, and then modify the cut end to take a high pressure hose which would be connected directly to a gas bottle without a regulator, leaving me with the acme which I then screw to the tank in the normal way. The tank fitting also has a sprung load check valve but is easily pushed of it seat by the bottle pressure, if it wasn't we wouldn't be able to fill it from a pump.

All modern eurovans now use high pressure hoses to a regulator mounted close by, not on the tank anymore, so what I am suggesting is similar to what they do.


Olley (50yd swimming certificate):BigGrin:
 
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Hi John

Here's the link = http://tinyurl.com/yhsz7p

They have a few places dotted around South Wales - Im not sure where you are.

The account card is free, you can use the machines 24/7 and there is supposed to be a discount of retail LPG prices too.

Paul
 
Hi John

Here's the link = http://tinyurl.com/yhsz7p

They have a few places dotted around South Wales - Im not sure where you are.

The account card is free, you can use the machines 24/7 and there is supposed to be a discount of retail LPG prices too.

Paul


Do you pay up front? theres a garage in Cardiff doing it but to far for us:cry:
 
Hi John no its monthly account, I have one, had it for 2 years now, never filled up once.:BigGrin:

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At the moment Morrison's is doing LPG at 45.9 and getting £5 vouchers quite rapidly but cant get the RV on their forecourts:Doh::cry:
 
Hi all
Not quite following this discussion to well, but if the question is one of using pipe to connect the bottle to the tank then I use a company for flexible hoses and they supply push fit hosing and fittings in a variety of sizes that have safe working pressures of around 350 psi (24 bar) and the minimum burst pressure is 1200 - 1400 psi (82 - 96 bar). I have attached a link Link Removed so that you can see the hose and the fittings, just scroll down to page 17.
I am more than happy to help out if anyone would like assistance dealing with this company or if they have questions about the products. I am not an expert but I can surely find out for you:thumb:
I hope this helps

Keith
 

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