Propane options around Europe ? (1 Viewer)

[rolling rolling]

Hi there fellow campers

We are planning a trip this summer to go around Europe for several months we don't know which countries but at least 10 -15. We have been looking in to the LPG options as see the Gaslow / Gas it and other refillable bottles are very popular as you simply fill them up yourself at petrol stations at the Autogas pump or propane filling stations. These bottles are lots of money and the used ones get snapped up pretty quick.
I am trying to understand why you would have one of these bottles and what the differences are. From what i have learnt so far and please correct me hence posting here if i have it wrong. The Gaslow etc bottles have a built in safety shut off valve so you can not overfill as i believe all bottles should have a max of 80% in them. Also you can connect up other bottles with these makes to run in tandem.

Could I just get a Calor gas bottle and then buy the bayonet adaptor to screw on to the bottle and fill it myself at the petrol station making sure of course that i don't go over the maximum litres for that bottle.
i see you can buy adaptors to cover most of Europe.
Is there any one else out there touring Europe and not using Gaslow/ Gas It/ AluGas and going with my idea ?

Thanks for your input.

Rolling Rolling

 

[vwalan]

yes you could . mind in spain its usually cheaper to have a spanish bottle , the gas is cheaper than at the pumps.
if you should go to morocco gas is about 4 quid for a 12 kg bottle exchange . in portugal its amazing how many places will fill what ever bottle you have .
get your pop corn out .

 

[pappajohn]

An eBay seller was allegedly successfully prosecuted by the H&S executive for selling 700 of these unapproved and allegedly dangerous adaptors.
More and more fuel stations will not allow their use here and in Europe.
I wouldn't use one unless it was CE approved...which they never will be.

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[vwalan]

have seen folk with so called refillables being refused abroad yet havnt seen anyone with an adaptor.
mind have traded several adaptors to garages in spain . after all if you dont want to pay for a bottle they want to sell gas.

 

[Bigjohneaton]

Used to use propane bottles for years and fill with an adapter until last year in France could not fill them any where we went so went to Spain earlier than wanted stopped st at first auto gas station whitch was maned and the guy comes out to fill bottle up had to shout stop when he reached 12 litres as was a 6 kilo bottle so I France couldn't get it filled but in Spain more dangerous as wasn't filling myself so have bought a gasit bottle for next year as was really shocked at attendant not stopping and my Spanish is limeted

 

[peterc10]

You will find it increasingly difficult to fill single loose bottles with Autogas in many parts of Europe. In my experience the further North you are the more difficult it becomes. And, unless you are very careful and know how much gas is in the bottle to start with, it can be dangerous. If you DIY fit a Gasit/Gaslow system (very simple) it will cost a fraction of the amount of diesel you will end up putting in the motorhome to do your trip. So why risk it?

A properly fitted Gasit or Gaslow system with an external filler point is the best way to ensure that you will get served safely almost everywhere. And it is so much easier than humping heavy gas bottles out of tight gas lockers and then trying to wedge them back in again when full.

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[10tenmen]

Just fitted the Gasit system link below if it helps.

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/foru...tted-to-my-bessacarr-424.188181/#post-3117244

 

[Terry Sweet]

I have safefill bottles They come in various sizes. About to put into my third motorhome just put into gas locker in place of Calor bottles no cutting the panels up. Only place i was refused a fill was Shell. Used them around Europe no problems.

 

[mikebeaches]

Gas-it have the same 80% cut off stop as gaslow.

We have a single 11kg gas-it bottle and a 6kg Calorlite exchangeable bottle as a back up.

The gas-it system was professionally fitted ( on our drive at home) and has an external filler point. We also purchased the set of 3 continental adaptors. The total bill was just under £300.

Working well for us - we're on our way home now, but the van has been in Spain for nearly 6 months.

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[MisterB]

Dont forget you can also have an underslung tank fitted. That also frees up a locker for other things. Weve got a gaslow system but will probably change to an underslung tank in the near future

 

[Bigjohneaton]

I can still fill my calor bottles at a station in uk better not say where

 

[Wilbat]

Well worth getting a refillable system imo. I installed my gasit system before last summer and i would say after 5 months in Europe was probably only on site power for a week and it has pretty much payed for itself (13kg Calor patio gas = £40 never paid more than £13 to refill my 11kg gas it bottle) as well as the added convenience.

I thought a lot about refilling a calor bottle but there is always the chance they will turn you away which would be just a pain to especially as some autogas pumps can be over 100km apart.

Other thing to note is that not every country uses the same type of autogas - https://www.mylpg.eu/useful/lpg-mixture main difference being the propane to butane ratio. The main problem being butane has problem flowing at low temperatures. They also run at different pressures.

Also Finland doesn't use autogas at all, so if you go make sure to be filled up. I was lucky i had a back up calor bottle.

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[Camping Gaza]

Do not fill non refillable bottles using an adaptor off ebay. It's illegal and dangerous to do so. It also makes the staff in the stations wary of motorhomes filling up with gas, rightly so because they automatically think you are charging non refillable bottles, ie the calor gas types. I have had endless problems filling up my legal refillable gasit system when I had the fill point inside the gas locker which I had to open to fill with attendants running over and refusing to turn on the pump. This happened a lot in Spain

I had an attendant go mental in the UK when he asked my why I only filled up a small amount of gas, and I said its because I have only small cylinders... he was going to call the police, until I said, sorry I mean my under slung gas tank...!!

I changed my fill point to the bottom skirt so I dont need to open gas locker doors, since then never had an issue.

If you go around filling calor bottles in service stations may cause problems for yourself and the motorhome community that have refillable systems and tanks fitted that are quite legal and safe.

Get a Gasit system, fit it yourself and save a fortune, I did its so easy to do, and put your filler point outside on the bottom skirt not in the door.

Would also recommend an adaptor hose and a spare regular small non fillable cylinder to take that you can connect to your fillable system and regulator if you find youself unable to get LPG, again Gaslow or Gasit people sell these. Great if you wildcamp and use a lot of gas ie winter.

 

[Bart]

I can still fill my calor bottles at a station in uk better not say where

Guess you don't care if you ended up like this MH in a ball of flames..as what you are doing is asking for trouble.

 

[Allanm]

I can still fill my calor bottles at a station in uk better not say where

I personally think that’s dangerous. You’re playing with fire ( or you soon could be.......)

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[romany]

Do not fill non refillable bottles using an adaptor off ebay. It's illegal and dangerous to do so. It also makes the staff in the stations wary of motorhomes filling up with gas, rightly so because they automatically think you are charging non refillable bottles, ie the calor gas types. I have had endless problems filling up my legal refillable gasit system when I had the fill point inside the gas locker which I had to open to fill with attendants running over and refusing to turn on the pump. This happened a lot in Spain

I had an attendant go mental in the UK when he asked my why I only filled up a small amount of gas, and I said its because I have only small cylinders... he was going to call the police, until I said, sorry I mean my under slung gas tank...!!

I changed my fill point to the bottom skirt so I dont need to open gas locker doors, since then never had an issue.

If you go around filling calor bottles in service stations may cause problems for yourself and the motorhome community that have refillable systems and tanks fitted that are quite legal and safe.

Get a Gasit system, fit it yourself and save a fortune, I did its so easy to do, and put your filler point outside on the bottom skirt not in the door.

Would also recommend an adaptor hose and a spare regular small non fillable cylinder to take that you can connect to your fillable system and regulator if you find youself unable to get LPG, again Gaslow or Gasit people sell these. Great if you wildcamp and use a lot of gas ie winter.

Does your adapter hose fit direct into your tank refill inlet or do you have another inlet fitted

 

[Camping Gaza]

Does your adapter hose fit direct into your tank refill inlet or do you have another inlet fitted

Fits into the external filler point, the same one you use to fill your cylinders in the petrol station/garage. No other filling point required

see www.gasit.co.uk

 

[Emmit]

I once had a 'Conversation' with an attendant because, on entering the garage I opened up the gas locker to pick up the gloves I wear when performing the action of refilling.

Apparently, they saw me doing so and came to the impression that I was about to fill a Calor (other makes are available) gas bottle.

I now take the gloves out on the day I'm going to fill up and don't open the locker.

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[thebriars]

Gas-It now do a Bluetooth remote which links to a smart phone giving the amount of gas in the cylinder to 1% (doubt its that accurate though, mine seems to be about 2-3% accurate). With being able to monitor levels easily it means I only need one 11kg cylinder and can top up whenever I'm near an lpg station.

 

[Bigjohneaton]

Now have 2 gaslow bottles and morrisons the local lpg pump refused to let them be filled told them all about cut off etc and was told that they are not on the course that 1 of them had done and that they were only allowed to fill 1 make showed me pictures they wernt gasit or gaslow but sefefil they took photos of mine to ask if they were included in other litrature they were missing so had to travel 10 miles to same place that i used to fill my propane bottles filled a propane bottle at same time could have been worse
still no fire so alls well that ends well hope alls well in spain next month

 

[bigalw35]

We have an underslung caritank which we fill here no probs, in the uk you can get all sorts of bottles replaced, generally in Europe they will not exchange or refill “calor gas” bottles, no such company in Europe

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[Guigsy]

We've got an underslung LPG tank with an external fill point. This year I have filled up in the UK, Spain, Netherlands, Germany and Italy. Note that in Italy, the first station I tried to fill-up I was told it was illegal. The second station, the attendant filled it for me, but it might have only been because he thought the van's engine was running on LPG.