Gaslow system

[Mick and Ruth]

Hi,
I have been researching what spec etc I would get buying our first motor home when I retired. I have made the jump and bought a new Apache 634 hi-line. Now as a newbe I was considering installing the Gaslow system as we intend to travel Europe and spend probably 4-6 weeks per trip and also do a fair bit in the UK all mostly site based.
I spoke to a mate who has a touring caravan who advises I wouldn't need the system and would be wasting money, as with the amount of gas I can carry ( 1x7 and 1x13 Calor)it would take an age to use. He told me to buy an empty Camping Gaz cylinder on e bay and then from the caravan accessory shop a Gaz adapter and use that if i ever run out.
From peoples motor home experience is it worth the investment? I will have EHU most of the time and it would literally be for cooking/BBQ and maybe the occasional wild camp and may need to heat the vehicle.

TIA

 

[Stealaway]

I would simply sign up for a French 13kg bottle at any supermarket chain. Exchange when nessasary

 

[63720]

If you can afford it go for Gaslow, it takes away the worry. Before I had it we came back once on the vapour because I ran out - not a worry now!

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Gaslow or similar is so convenient, no bottles to pull out and exchange, lots of garages have lpg on tap, certainly abroad,. Its cheaper in the long term for gas purchase. If you do keep you calor, I would use the larger bottle first and then switch to the small bottle when the first is empty. Don't use both at the same time. Then u can exchange as an when back home or as said buy a French or Spanish bottle to replace the 13kg calor.

 

[thebriars]

Gas It is much cheaper and does the same thing as Gaslow. You use more gas in a motorhome than a caravan, cooking, heating and the fridge. Also you really only need one cylinder as its refillable. Gas It do a really accurate bluetooth sender than sends the level to your phone, so you can fill up as and when you like and well before the cylinder is empty. There is a considerable saving in terms of the cost of gas. A 6kg Calor costs about £25, 11kg of LPG cost me £17.50. Camping Gaz is a horrendous price. Also consider the weight. You probably won't have unlimited weight in the motorhome and two cylinder weigh a considerable amount. Space is also a premium and the extra space available with only one cylinder is worth considering.

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[rickwiggans]

How long it lasts depends entirely on your usage, (obvious statement, I know!) and where and when you stay. We have two of the big Gaslow bottles. They easily last two months, in summer. When we are skiing, off grid, two bottles lasts about a week.

 

[pandas]

I would, and did, go for the Gaslow system.
Cheaper gas although haven’t factored in the initial outlay, really convenient, less mental hassle, less physical ( no humping has cylinders in and out of the locker).
We have 2 x 11 kg bottles and are away in Europe for 8 weeks at a time and never have to worry about filling up as there are so many fuel stations that have LPG pumps of need be. My view is you have made the biggest investment buying a motorhome so now just enjoy it and don’t worry about buying the small things that make the experience even better.

 

[pandas]

I would simply sign up for a French 13kg bottle at any supermarket chain. Exchange when nessasary

And when in Italy, Germany, Spain you get the idea

 

[Cat53]

We fitted a Gaslow system as those cylinders are heavy and I would be the ones lugging them about. For us, the system has been worth its weight in gold for sheer ease of use and convenience.

 

[clanjones]

If you go down the refillable route don't forget Alugas much lighter than both Gasit and Gaslow, especially if payload is an issue

Autogas2000 will install it as well. ( I don't work them either!)

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[Zigisla]

When we first started, we looked at refillables but dismissed it due to the initial outlay. I was also judging the amount of usage on previously having a folding camper and using only for cooking, hot water and fridge when not on EHU which wasnt that often. Our usage was much more in the MH – Heating, larger hot water tank and fridge freezer as very rarely on EHU. I am still young and strong enough to exchange bottles easily and with extra discount on “GO Outdoors” could get calor a lot cheaper than at garages.

But it was the convenience of refillables that made me change and 3 years later I may have “Broken Even” wrt cost etc, but so worth it.

During our last 3 weeks in France we ran really low, but it was so easy to fill up. A lot who have calor, exchange the bottles too early “just in case” and waste the LPG inside.

To save a bit of cash, we went for 1 x 11Kg refillable and have a 13Kg calor as backup, which has never been used.

 

[Clarky]

I will have EHU most of the time and it would literally be for cooking/BBQ and maybe the occasional wild camp and may need to heat the vehicle.

You say now that you will mainly be on hookup but once you have been abroad once or twice in your new van you will probably change your mind.
You will soon find all those wonderful Aires de Camping-Car and your touring life will be transformed.
Make sure your van is fitted with a decent amount on solar, then fit Gaslow or similar and you can then be free of expensive prison camps aka camp sites.
Once you get used to the concept of aires you will never look back.

After changing from being a ‘tugger’ it took us a while to realise how much we were missing out by insisting on sites and hookup.
We are now coming to the end of our second 5/6 week trip to France this year and haven’t taken the hookup cable out of the locker.
Independence rules!!!

 

[Hettie's Crew]

We have the Alugas system (2x11kg) and wouldn’t be without it for the way we use it, though reading how you use it I would take the advice from Stealaway because you can use your 7kg as reserve/back up so you can run the 13kg dry.

 

[eddie]

Hi,
I have been researching what spec etc I would get buying our first motor home when I retired. I have made the jump and bought a new Apache 634 hi-line. Now as a newbe I was considering installing the Gaslow system as we intend to travel Europe and spend probably 4-6 weeks per trip and also do a fair bit in the UK all mostly site based.
I spoke to a mate who has a touring caravan who advises I wouldn't need the system and would be wasting money, as with the amount of gas I can carry ( 1x7 and 1x13 Calor)it would take an age to use. He told me to buy an empty Camping Gaz cylinder on e bay and then from the caravan accessory shop a Gaz adapter and use that if i ever run out.
From peoples motor home experience is it worth the investment? I will have EHU most of the time and it would literally be for cooking/BBQ and maybe the occasional wild camp and may need to heat the vehicle.

TIA

We always say to people with Gaslow, wait until you have tried what you have and see if you have an issue. If your 4 -6 weeks are in the dead of Winter you may have an issue but unlikely you will need it if your trips abroad are during the warmer weather

 

[Zigisla]

We always say to people with Gaslow, wait until you have tried what you have and see if you have an issue. If your 4 -6 weeks are in the dead of Winter you may have an issue but unlikely you will need it if your trips abroad are during the warmer weather

That was the advice the Bitzmeister gave to me. Then a few months later after we used the MH as we wanted, fitted our Gaslow system. and then and then and then -

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[Lenny HB]

As Richard Clarky says your the you use the van will probably change. With a caravan you are stuck with using sites with a Motorhome we rarely use site or EHU.

Not just about cost who wants to lug back breaking cylinders about and then there is the convenience of being able to get gas in any country.

We have 2 X 14kg Alugas one cylinder in the shoulder seasons lasts us 15 - 20 days.

 

[Stealaway]

And when in Italy, Germany, Spain you get the idea

Keep the 13kg Calor bottle in reserve as a spare for when run out outside of France. You never seem to be far away from France.

 

[Mick and Ruth]

Thank you for your replies they have been most helpful. One issue which people have mentioned and that had slipped my mind, was I had a cpl of discs in my back shaved having been injured 25 plus years ago and occasionally one of them prolapses out because I stupidly forget im not in my 20s any more if i can avoid bending down and lugging weight I will.
Having had quotes the cost is more than justified on that reason alone.
Also well pointed out that once my confidence and knowledge builds I will be wanting more freedom.
Thanks again

 

[WynandJean]

Hello and welcome from West Midlands. ? Another convert to refillable. It would be costing us a fortune in our new van for exchange bottles as we can get through a 6kg bottle in a week, presumably because of the Alde heating system (it's very good though)

Wyn

 

[Mick and Ruth]

Hello and welcome from West Midlands. ? Another convert to refillable. It would be costing us a fortune in our new van for exchange bottles as we can get through a 6kg bottle in a week, presumably because of the Alde heating system (it's very good though)

Wyn

Hi Wyn, I was looking at the Bailey Autograph 79-6 which had Alde and have been away in my mates and i was really impressed with it. However when we looked at the Apache 634 as there's only two of us I had to agree with "she who must be obeyed" it was more suited to us, and our requirements, so I didn't get my Alde system

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[WynandJean]

Hi Wyn, I was looking at the Bailey Autograph 79-6 which had Alde and have been away in my mates and i was really impressed with it. However when we looked at the Apache 634 as there's only two of us I had to agree with "she who must be obeyed" it was more suited to us, and our requirements, so I didn't get my Alde system

Too late now but maybe the 68-2 would have been worth a look. That's what the two of us went for and love it.

Wyn

Wyn

 

[BusyBuilder]

Word of advice are the refillable.
Watch a video on filling as it can be quite nerve wracking, especially when you've filled up and take the filler off !!
We have the Alugas fitted and wouldn't be without it.

 

[autorouter]

First thing I did with the new-to-us MH 5 years ago was fit a 60 litre Gasit horizontal tank. Probably not 'cost-effective' but then that's not always the object when motorhoming. I have a set of three adapters, and can fill up from an LPG pump anywhere in Europe, including UK and Ireland. I simply never think about gas any more, top up whenever I want. There's a gauge to show gas contents to the nearest eighth of a tank.

For anyone thinking of doing this, I had to add reinforcing brackets to support the extra weight in the locker. Also had to fit a gas-tight box and ducting around all the taps and connections, so that any gas leak goes straight outside. All standard fittings from GasIt.

I'm sure I could have fitted it all myself, but autoroutress insisted on having it done by an autogas fitter we know.

I had to modify the latch for the locker door, because the gas-tight box was in the centre where the latch is, and the door wouldn't close properly. Not a difficult job.

 

[63720]

Word of advice are the refillable.
Watch a video on filling as it can be quite nerve wracking, especially when you've filled up and take the filler off !!
We have the Alugas fitted and wouldn't be without it.

Agreed. I have a cheap pair of rigger type gloves, bought at the 99p shop, and use them every time.

 

[TUCANO]

We had two 13kg gaslow in our Apache 634u, removed the carrying handles which were redundant.

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[Campervan_man]

Gaslow, Gas-it or a torpedo underslung tank used in conjunction with a 12V dashboard mounted LPG guage is another option.
The Torpedo tank frees up your gas locker so creates more external locker storage.
I also recommend fitting a diesel air blow heater. I have fitted an 8KW version in My own Motorhome and a 5KW version in My box van. 2KW, 5KW or 8KW heaters are available. Heating uses lots of LPG and is a 'wet' heat that makes lots of unwanted condensation. Diesel heaters are a 'dry' heat. You can buy diesel 'anywhere' so no issues about supply of fuel.
I'm fitting a diesel blow heater in a river boat in a few weeks time but using a ''through hull skin exhaust mount'' as you can't drill holes in the bottom of the boat for obvious reasons, glug, glug, glug.

 

[Reallyretired]

Dont underestimate how much gas you might use. I reckon on 2L a day in summer, mainly for fridge and hot water. Occassionally have ehu which reduces it. In winter probably at least double that unless you like freezing.

 

[BishBosh]

It seems quite an expensive option to have installed, we asked the dealer to include fitting the Gaslow system as part of the deal. One way or another they get paid for the MoHo but at least this way we think we’re getting it for nothing ?.
When we hired earlier this year that had a refillable system and was very easy to use as well as very cheap to refill. Seems the way to go.

 

[daveandsan]

Although the refillable systems are not cheap to install we had 2 x 11kg Alugas fitted in our first motorhome and had it swapped over to our new motorhome.
For me it’s not having to lug gas bottles around with my bad back that convinced me to have it fitted.
Another bonus is that if you do run out of gas when abroad you can buy a fitting to fit in your gas filler and use a local bottle or if you have an external gas outlet fitted you can back feed with a local bottle as long as you use a pressure regulator.

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[addoaddo]

If cost if an issue just fit one refillable bottle and keep a non refillable bottle as a back up. keep this turned off and only use it if you need it. Generally one large bottle will last us 2 weeks but it is very dependent on temperate and use of hook up.