Under slung gas tank - what cost please? (1 Viewer)

Jul 27, 2010
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If you use the Channel Tunnel there is a limit on the size of gas tank, not sure how they would check it though.
 

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Minxy

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Don't forget to deduct the weight of the tank and the gas from your availble payload - especially your rear axle loading so that it doesn't put you overweight. Best to go to a weighbridge and get checked before you do any mods that are going to add weight.

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Payload not a problem with over 900kg available. Even when I had the scooter on a rack, the rear axle was 80kg under
 
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Update
After arriving home, I got the tape measure out and the chassis depth is the same as Andy @Techno100 with plenty so space between the exhaust and waste tank at the front and also at the rear in front of the spare wheel like Andy's.
I called Wendy at Autogas 2000 and discussed the options. The good news is that the 55ltr tank is available and Chris confirmed that the chassis is suitable. Quote on the way but about £780 with dash mounted level gauge less Funster discount so about £750.
Option of electric solenoid cut off unit and crash sensor shutoff valve would be additional cost. Does anyone have a view on these? The Autogas figment will have a isolation valve in the bottle locker but it will be a crawl under to switch off the tank valve. The present setup has the Truma drive safe, so it never gets switched off unless on the ferry. I do want to have the gas on when driving for the heating so still need something similar but safe.
 
May 19, 2014
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I have a 100 litre tank from Chris at Thirsk. You will need the crash sensor valve to use heating on the move safely. My main valve on the tank (strictly the only one that should count for Eurotunnel but the staff don't seem to know that) is pretty accessible so I skipped the dash level gauge but I do have a manual valve in the old gas locker with an Autogas label that screams Gas off, which makes Eurotunnel staff happy, even though it's at low pressure by then.

He never mentioned the Fun discount so I missed out there :-(

Dave

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Thanks
Wendy said the crash valve is about £46 so I will ask for it then. Out of interest, if it operated, how do you reset it?
Someone else said ask for the discount which apparently is 5% but not on everything.
 
Apr 22, 2013
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Thanks
Wendy said the crash valve is about £46 so I will ask for it then. Out of interest, if it operated, how do you reset it?
Someone else said ask for the discount which apparently is 5% but not on everything.
To reset the crash valve you get under the MH and press in the button. It's a shielded button so you need a pencil or screw driver to fully press it. The Truma manual just says press it but as Chris at Autogas2000 showed me you need to hold it pressed in for 5 seconds to fully reset it. Something about a ball bearing and a spiral.

Ours tripped most journeys when we first had it, but I got a local mechanic to grease the AlKo rear axial, something the manufacturer and dealer are lax at doing, seemingly. Since the axial has been greased we get a smoother ride and the valve hasn't tripped

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I think it's a standard Truma crash-sensing (as in sudden large increase in flow) regulator:
Link Removed

As they say, easy reset.

Dave
Thanks Dave, it looks very similar to the one already fitted. Easy to reset them as they trip when a bottle runs out. This should not be an issue with the bigger tank as hopefully it will never run out.
 
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To reset the crash valve you get under the MH and press in the button. It's a shielded button so you need a pencil or screw driver to fully press it. The Truma manual just says press it but as Chris at Autogas2000 showed me you need to hold it pressed in for 5 seconds to fully reset it. Something about a ball bearing and a spiral.

Ours tripped most journeys when we first had it, but I got a local mechanic to grease the AlKo rear axial, something the manufacturer and dealer are lax at doing, seemingly. Since the axial has been greased we get a smoother ride and the valve hasn't tripped
I have always got the Fiat dealer to grease the axle as part of the service and stamp the book but it is easy to do at home as long as the axle is hanging down and not loaded.
 
Aug 18, 2014
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http://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/site-information/lpg/

Domestic use fixed gas tanks total max capacity: 47kg (93 litres) if one single tank, 50kg (99 litres) if more than one.

Correct but if you continue reading father down it states that when boarding they can only be at 80% capacity.
" The quantity of gas is limited to 47kg (or approximately 93 litres) maximum for a single container and to 50kg (or approximately 99 litres) maximum in the case of several containers. Each container must be no more than 80% full."
& across to the right it shows maximum amounts allowed. Very badly written but I doubt anyone would check that accurately.

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Techno

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I don't know if anyone has pointed this out? but Stako tanks have a built in shut off already.

4) Our gas outlet is of top notch quality. It is a manually operated unit which is turned to control the flow on or off of the gas vapour. In this unit there is also a high quality automatic shut off valve, so should any pipe or regulator on the tank leak or come off, the tank will automatically turn its sell off - every time! We also specify different outlet flow rates epending which market they are being used with, so for example a leisure gas system will be different to the flow needed b the road repair industry. The bottom line is we can offer full producs developed to your needs.
 

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Correct but if you continue reading father down it states that when boarding they can only be at 80% capacity.
" The quantity of gas is limited to 47kg (or approximately 93 litres) maximum for a single container and to 50kg (or approximately 99 litres) maximum in the case of several containers. Each container must be no more than 80% full."
& across to the right it shows maximum amounts allowed. Very badly written but I doubt anyone would check that accurately.
Not totally sure what you're trying to say, but the QUANTITY of gas the container(s) are permitted to have in them at the time of the crossing is what I'm talking about, it is not the SIZE of the container(s).

Refillable cylinders hold the equivalent of the below at 80% fill and these are the figures stated on the Gaslow website:

Gasit 6kg = 12.5L of gas
Gasit 11kg = 21.0L of gas
Alugas 11kg = 21.7L of gas​

When you look at fitted tanks however the capacity is often given as 'water' capacity at 100%, so for example:

Gasit 25L tank = 25L water capacity which equates to 20L gas capacity
Gasit 30L tank = 30L water capacity which equates to 24L gas capacity
Gasit 38L tank = 38L water capacity which equates to 30.4L gas capacity​

So if you have a fixed tank the maximum litres it could carry of gas is 93L which is a tank size of 116.25L water capacity, but if you have a bigger tank it should not make a difference so long as the amount of gas it contains is no more than 93L.

It is worth remembering that gas tanks litre capacity is stated at 100% where as gas cylinders are 80% as some people think they can swap a couple of 11kg gas cylinders (holding 42L of gas at 80%) for a single 55L tank and get a lot more gas on board, but in reality it only allows holds 44L of gas at 80% ... that's a lot of money for an extra 2L of gas!
 
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Now booked in at Autogas 2000 in three weeks time. They will fit a 55ltr tank and a drive safe regulator with a dash mounted contents gauge.
Net result will be the equivalent of carrying three and three quarter 6kg bottles so no more complaints from Mrs M about my reluctance to use the heating off grid ( hopefully) :)
May have a barbecue point fitted while I am there to save carrying the cadac bottle as well.
Thanks for all your advise.

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Peter A Forbes

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Regarding the electric solenoid shut-off valve:

LPG-fuelled cars have this, it is part of the single gas multivalve on single-hole tanks.

We are using these on the Mercedes build with a switch inside to turn the gas off and to select one of the two 40 litre (gross) tanks. A Mercury tilt switch is also there to cut off the supply to the gas solenoid should the Mercedes have an accident and roll over.

Peter
 

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Domestic use fixed gas tanks total max capacity: 47kg (93 litres) if one single tank, 50kg (99 litres) if more than one.
Casually curious:
I'm wondering why the arbitrary limits?
Does 100 litres (or whatever) make a significantly bigger bang?
I appreciate it'll be for "Elf'n'safety" but how do they come up with those particular rules?

[A bit like the 6 metres apart rule - was there a test, did a neighbouring van catch alight at 5 metres?]
 

premiere99

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Also booked in with Chris at Autogas 2000 in early November for my 60th birthday (my present to me, sad I know!!!) getting the 60L tank to give a usable 24kg of LPG so doubles the 2 x 6kg Calor (rip off) cylinders I have at present. Decided on the monocontrol CS regulator and the 9 LED dash mount gauge is also on the list, can't wait especially as it will free up the gas locker for 2 x extra batteries and storing/charging the ebike batteries.
Still undecided if I need the remote gas solenoid switch as I can't see us going to Europe any time soon as that seems what most people use it for, toured France twice in the 80's and both times broke down, not going to try for three in a row!!!

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I decided the solenoid is not needed as everyone says the lever valve fitted in the empty bottle locker seems to be acceptable to the ferry operators.
Just in case they did insist on the tank valve being closed, I would be happy to watch them crawl under to close it (y)
Can't see it being worth the extra £100 to use once or twice a year especially as i have not switched off the existing bottles in over three years apart from swopping them for a full one ( won't miss that chore especially in the dark).
 

premiere99

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I will not have any gas pipes left in the locker so I will ask for a manual switch to be fitted near the side but will see what Chris advises..but as you say not worth £100 and I can't remember the last time I turned off except for swapping out gas cylinders and that will soon be a thing of the past. Just hope they don't close all the LPG stations before it gets fitted :LOL:
 

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I changed my installation to move my regulator out of the elements into the gas locker where I also isolate. All my pipework is now solid and I rely on the Stako tanks own emergency shut off as I quoted above.
CA_04171513112260-XL.jpg
 
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I changed my installation to move my regulator out of the elements into the gas locker where I also isolate. All my pipework is now solid and I rely on the Stako tanks own emergency shut off as I quoted above.
CA_04171513112260-XL.jpg
I was hoping to do the same but Chris uses a direct to tank regulator and as i want the drive safe unit I do not see any alternative to having it under the van. Hopefully it won't be a problem but keeping the manual tap in the locker would make fitting the original regulator and hose easy for using a bottle if anything failed.
 

Techno

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I bought an adapter to overcome the need for a direct to tank regulator

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The only downside is that it is high pressure to the regulator and I am unsure if that would pass the regulations for driving while switched on. With the drive safe unit on the tank, any pressure loss would activate it and make it safe.
 

Techno

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I don't know if anyone has pointed this out? but Stako tanks have a built in shut off already.

4) Our gas outlet is of top notch quality. It is a manually operated unit which is turned to control the flow on or off of the gas vapour. In this unit there is also a high quality automatic shut off valve, so should any pipe or regulator on the tank leak or come off, the tank will automatically turn its sell off - every time! We also specify different outlet flow rates epending which market they are being used with, so for example a leisure gas system will be different to the flow needed b the road repair industry. The bottom line is we can offer full producs developed to your needs.
 

Techno

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The onus as a paying customer is on you to ask Chris why you need a drive safe? perhaps he isn't using stako tanks.
It would take a dive over a cliff or a cataclysmic accident to affect my gas safety. I doubt I would be too concerned after that :LOL: about reseting my gas safe :ROFLMAO:
 
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Techno

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I recall a thread earlier this year but not the OP username.
They had just filled up with gas but it wasn't getting through to the appliances. They had a drive safe it transpired and I told them to try resetting it. This had no effect. I then told them to shut off the tank valve, wait a while and slowly re open it. This cured the problem. The Stako's own shut off had operated. I can only theorise that this happened due to trying to force more gas in after the 80% fill shut off had occurred as they believed they were low on gas but apparently not.

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