Flexible gas solution for new motorhome

[BarleyRiser]

I've just moved from a caravan to a motorhome. I have 2 6kg Flogas cylinders.
I've been relatively happy with these (run out of gas twice but thankfully only in this country), but would really like to change them to 11kg ones. This would have been too heavy in the caravan. If this was possible, nothing about at present, I would probably have to pay another £80, plus the cost of the gas.

An alternative is to keep these and add one refillable cylinder.

I'd be happy with Safefill if I had a guaranteed local source. LPG in petrol stations seems to be reducing and filling loose cylinders frowned upon.

Gas-It looks possible as it looks like it can be filled in the van without having to disconnect the cylinder.

Gaslow is expensive and doesn't give any flexibility. It should be the way forward but I'm not convinced.

Am I right in my analysis? Any thoughts?

We usually use CL sites with hookup in the UK and ACSI sites on the continent. Not a great use of gas but you notice it when it runs out.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[mitzimad]

the tipping point here is your use abroad you really need at least one refillable cylinder either gasit or similar gas it and gaslow are just brands of the same system depending on your van and plans you could also consider underslung tanks which would free up a locker but of no benifit if your already close to weight limits

 

[gpat]

the tipping point here is your use abroad you really need at least one refillable cylinder either gasit or similar gas it and gaslow are just brands of the same system depending on your van and plans you could also consider underslung tanks which would free up a locker but of no benifit if your already close to weight limits

Thats right. We have one 11kg refillable and one 6kg Calor. Works for us

 

[Eggs]

You can swap your 6kg bottles for 11kg bottles, they are in the same range.

Will I be charged for the cylinder? | Flogas

When you buy gas from us in a cylinder, you'll be asked to pay a 'cylinder charge' for each cylinder. This is because it will remain our property and it is b...

www.flogas.co.uk

 

[BarleyRiser]

They won't at present. I have changed sizes in the past. They were very good at it, unlike Calor!

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[BarleyRiser]

Thats right. We have one 11kg refillable and one 6kg Calor. Works for us.

What refillable system do you use?
I assume you take it out to fill?
Where do you fill up?
Are there any problems, here or abroad?
Sorry, lots of questions.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

I had a Safefill for years and NEVER ONCE filled it at a petrol station, only ever at the local lpg independent wherever we were

 

[Phill D]

What refillable system do you use?
I assume you take it out to fill?
Where do you fill up?
Are there any problems, here or abroad?
Sorry, lots of questions.

You can have either although both have some limitations.
We have a gadit sustem and fill at the pump when needed, you can also get adapters to fill up while abroad

 

[gpat]

What refillable system do you use?
I assume you take it out to fill?
Where do you fill up?
Are there any problems, here or abroad?
Sorry, lots of questions.

No problem. Its gaslow. Its got an external fill point. Never had problems anywhere but keep a full calor just to be safe but never had to use it

 

[Brains]

Like many of the above, we have one GasLow and one Calor.

The Calor was last swapped in 2018 and cost £27 for 11kg.
The GasLow we fill at fuel stations, we have had no problem so far in finding a location to fill it at about £6 for 11kg

If you are intending to travel outside the UK for over 2 weeks, then Calor gas is not an option.

Although the number of fuel stations that provide LPG is reducing in the UK, there are still 100's remaining, particularly in the main towns and cities, as taxi fleets often run on LPG.
On the European mainland LPG is available in many fuel stations

https://www.mylpg.eu/ website and App you can download to your phone which will give you the nearest stations with LPG and the current price.

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[Gellyneck]

One Safefill and one Calor Lite (as emergency back-up) for us. Morrison's Supermarkets are an "approved" Safefill filling point (if the branch has lpg of course).

 

[Bobby-gg]

Why do you suggest that gaslow is expensive? They are around a similar install price

I fitted twin 6kg in my pvc because I couldn't fit anything bigger and have never had an issue with refilling anywhere - just filled up as I ran one empty and the other low this last month and it cost a tenner at a morrisons as I was passing

 

[BarleyRiser]

Why do you suggest that gaslow is expensive? They are around a similar install price

I fitted twin 6kg in my pvc because I couldn't fit anything bigger and have never had an issue with refilling anywhere - just filled up as I ran one empty and the other low this last month and it cost a tenner at a morrisons as I was passing

Sorry, you're right. I was looking at a complete twin cylinder system that the dealer offered. I wanted the backup of the Flogas, with just one refillable bottle.
I'll look again as they seem to work as stand alone as well as in a fixed system.

 

[TheMachMan]

We‘re hoping to tour Europe next year and currently have a couple of 6kg calor gas bottles.
What are my options?

 

[Phill D]

We‘re hoping to tour Europe next year and currently have a couple of 6kg calor gas bottles.
What are my options?

that very much depends on what time of year for heating and how long off grid, assuming your fridge freezer uses gas. and how long you will be away.

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[TheMachMan]

that very much depends on what time of year for heating and how long off grid, assuming your fridge freezer uses gas. and how long you will be away.

Hopefully it would be a couple of months at least, during the warmer weather. Fridge is electric.

 

[Spriddler]

We‘re hoping to tour Europe next year and currently have a couple of 6kg calor gas bottles.
What are my options?

I run off my refillable, touring mostly abroad not on sites and have a Calor connected just to tide me over if I can't find an LPG station when the refillable runs out, but in 8 yrs I've only needed to switch over twice to the Calor and even then only for just half a day.
I've posted these pics many times, but on the basis that a pic is worth a thousand words.......

 

[mikebeaches]

Thats right. We have one 11kg refillable and one 6kg Calor. Works for us

This is the set up, which works really well. We used to have 2 X 6kg exchangeable Calor bottles - but it was no good for overseas.

Now have a 11kg Gas-it refillable bottle with external filler.

A single 6kg Calor acts as an emergency back-up. But we've never needed it. Just keep the refillable topped up. And no more carrying or swapping gas bottles.

 

[TheMachMan]

So is a refillable gas the same performance as the calor, if you have them both connected into the same system. Or does each have its own different regulator.

 

[Spriddler]

So is a refillable gas the same performance as the calor, if you have them both connected into the same system.

Yes. Both are connected to the same regulator as in my photo above. To change from one cylinder to the other I just close the valve on the empty cylinder and open the valve on the other one. Nothing else needs to be done.

And in case you're wondering, gas cannot pass from one cylinder to another due to each cylinder having a non-return valve in the supply side.
The cylinder outlet tap on a refillable cylinder must be closed when refilling. Refilling occurs through a separate refilling inlet which is integral with the refillable system and which has its own built-in non-return valve.

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[TheMachMan]

Yes. Both are connected to the same regulator as in my photo above. To change from one cylinder to the other I just close the valve on the empty cylinder and open the valve on the other one. Nothing else needs to be done.

And in case you're wondering, gas cannot pass from one cylinder to another due to each cylinder having a non-return valve in the supply side.
The cylinder outlet tap on a refillable cylinder must be closed when refilling. Refilling occurs through a separate refilling inlet which is integral with the refillable system and which has its own built-in non-return valve.

Cheers for the info, which brand is your system? I wouldn’t want the external filling valve through the bodywork though.

 

[Spriddler]

Cheers for the info, which brand is your system? I wouldn’t want the external filling valve through the bodywork though.

Gaslow. I chose it because they supply s/steel braided covered piping and their techy help people were brilliant.

You can fit the filler unit on a stand-alone bracket rather than through the bodywork as long as it isn't too close to the ground and liable to get damaged. Mounted too low will also make it a struggle to kneel down (probably on the oily and wet ground) to connect the fairly heavy and rather awkward pump gun.
If I wanted to remove my system I would simply fit a plastic ventilation grille over the outside and inside of the filler hole in the locker door and nobody would know that there ever was an extra 'hole' .

I fitted my entire system from scratch in an hour and a half, including a break for a brew (and I can only use one arm).

If you fit the filler unit inside a gas locker which you have to open you may be refused gas if the person in the kiosk doesn't accept that you aren't refilling separate cylinders, which I've read has happened to some folk when using Safefill (i.e. 'uninstalled') cylinders.

If you use the 'Search' facility on this site (top right of this page) you will find all aspects of this topic have been done to death discussed many many times.