Help Confused - Gaslow / Calor or Dual SYstem?

[campme24]

Hi All,

Not sure what to do so looking for advice from the experienced and experts among you all please. Due to pick up MH this coming weekend and still stuck on what to do with regards to the gas system.

Our options are as follows:

• We can source Flogas propane 2 x 6KG bottles for ~£120 (initial fill and hire charge included)
• Dealer will supply 2 x 6KG Calor for ~£200 or a single 11KG for £185
• One or Two Gaslow for either £410 or £725 – internal filling point (we read of potential refusal to fill at forecourts if you don’t have an external filling point)
• A dual Gaslow/Calor system (best of both which we like) with an 11KG Gaslow and 6KG Calor – total cost £510

Concerns are:

• More and more forecourts appear to be stopping selling LPG via fuel pumps
• Refusal to fill if we have to open the locker door
• £510 appears expensive when an 11KG Gaslow bottle can be had for ~£280 but I’m not sure how complex it is to install and I’m not a gas expert so don’t want to be messing about with it myself unless the steps are simple)

So, I guess my questions are:

• Would people tempted at £510 as LPG appears to be a fair bit cheaper?
• Could I safely do a self-install of a dual system for far less than the quoted £510?
• Have people on here experienced issues an internal Gaslow system at a forecourt?
• Is the wise decision to initially go with the £120 2 x 6KG propane as a starter?

Considerations:

• We will have four of us in the MH mainly – 2 x adults and 2 x young adults 18/19 so I imagine gas use will be fairly high
• Will use a Cadac or similar on the external gas point.
• We plan to take the MH abroad next year and will tour Scotland this year.

Any words of wisdom or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[BrianJane]

Are the gas pipes installed in the gas locker?
If they are, Ive seen loads of various gas bottles in the rubbish tip we dump at. Once you get 1 or 2 you can exchange for full ones

 

[Spriddler]

One 6kg Calor and one 6kg Gaslow. Both connected to the regulator. In 7 years I've never had to exchange the Calor cylinder as I only tour abroad where LPG pumps are plentiful.

 

[Jo662]

I would have 2 x Gaslow bottles fitted ,but with an external filler point.
You will always find places to fill up, even if you find them on the way to,a destination you have
chosen to have a holiday.

 

[hja]

Two gaslow with external filler. Still plenty of lpg out there in uk and new pumps being put in. Eg Newton Stewart where we filled up last year, went past this year and they had rebuilt the service station, couldn’t see the lpg pump. Oh dear I thought. Looked on line, they are having a brand new lpg pump put in. The app mylpg is your friend. And you don’t have to fill at service stations, our last fill was at some sort of goods yard. A call cylinder won’t help you once empty in Europe, but you can get lpg over there.

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[PlacidoD]

I have two SafeFill 11kg bottles on my Hobby T500. I dithered when I purchased the van earlier this year but being as I have gas only for air and water heating and plan to tour mainly in Europe I bit the bullet and ordered a new SafeFill bottle off Ebay. I have space for a 2nd bottle and spotted a 2nd on an Ebay auction which I got for a decent price. Hence two bottles rather than a 4.5 kg Calor spare.

Main reasons for choosing SafeFill and LPG:
(a) non-availability of Calor etc in Europe
(b) my gas locker is aft of the rear wheel and thus I want to minimise weight

My gas locker is in a cupboard inside the garage. I have NOT fitted a remote fill point and do not plan to. I take the empty bottle out and refill adjoining the pump as you would a Jerry can (or I take it in the car leaving the van on the drive). I have had zero problems at my local Morrisons. Most caravan owners will do likewise rather than taking car and caravan to the PFS.

SafeFill is lighter than other bottles. My advice would be to buy one new, fill up and look for a 4.5 kg Calor as a back up and/or look for a 2nd hand SafeFill (But take care with manufacture date if buying used).

P.S You can get a new 11kg Safefill bottle on Ebay for circa £195 and a fill up will cost you less than £20. Why spend more?

Chris

 

[Gellyneck]

We're similar to PlacidoD but have 2 x 11kg Safefills.
When needed just take to local gas place to refill.
About £17 for last empty to full.

 

[RayD]

We have an 11kg + 6kg Gaslow system installed. It was installed May 2023 and this year we travelled to France/Spain for 7 weeks. We did our first refill of system in April 2024 (after 4 weeks travel) 24ltrs used in just under 12months!! Last year we did lots of days without ehu and less than £20 for gas was a real bonus!!

I know system is not cheap, but for convenience we don’t think it can be beaten. We use MyLPG app to find refills and not had any issue not finding a location on our route!!

 

[campme24]

We have an 11kg + 6kg Gaslow system installed. It was installed May 2023 and this year we travelled to France/Spain for 7 weeks. We did our first refill of system in April 2024 (after 4 weeks travel) 24ltrs used in just under 12months!! Last year we did lots of days without ehu and less than £20 for gas was a real bonus!!

I know system is not cheap, but for convenience we don’t think it can be beaten. We use MyLPG app to find refills and not had any issue not finding a location on our route!!

Ah, this looks like what we have been offered for ~£525. Is yours an internal or external filling point?

 

[RayD]

Ah, this looks like what we have been offered for ~£525. Is yours an internal or external filling point?

We have an internal filling point, as we were advised by dealer that as and when we trade moho in, then any dealer would remove Gaslow system. No tell tale sign of external modification.

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[PlacidoD]

P.S. If you are not having an external fitting nozzle there is no installation to do for either Gaslow or Safefill (Or Calor or whatever). Every new van will come with a tail to connect to any bottle. There is nothing to fit!!! So I would DIY and save yourself a few hundred!!

Do try the weight of an 11 kg Calor bottle if you have any fitness problems. They are a tad heavy when full. Hence my choice of SafeFill built with aluminium and glassfibre.

Chris

 

[campme24]

We have an internal filling point, as we were advised by dealer that as and when we trade moho in, then any dealer would remove Gaslow system. No tell tale sign of external modification.

Cool thank you, so I guess you have had no issues then with the refilling by opening the locker door? I assume yours is the "direct fill" cyclinders then?

 

[Speve]

Cool thank you, so I guess you have had no issues then with the refilling by opening the locker door? I assume yours is the "direct fill" cyclinders then

Have you considered Gasit they are cheaper and use virtually the same cylinder I fitted a twin 11KG system and had no problems with it I don’t think I would bother with Calor twice the price of gas and cannot exchange in EU

 

[Gellyneck]

P.S. If you are not having an external fitting nozzle there is no installation to do for either Gaslow or Safefill (Or Calor or whatever). Every new van will come with a tail to connect to any bottle. There is nothing to fit!!! So I would DIY and save yourself a few hundred!!

Do try the weight of an 11 kg Calor bottle if you have any fitness problems. They are a tad heavy when full. Hence my choice of SafeFill built with aluminium and glassfibre.

Chris

If it were to come with a nut / spanner required pigtail I would swap it over for one of these as much easier to disconnect the cylinder.

.5Mt Overbraided Handwheel Pol X W20 Nrv Pigtail Caravan Propane Gas Hose - Huddersfield Gas

OVERBRAIDED HANDWHEEL NO SPANNER NEEDED .5m (20″) POL x W20 standard hose this hose conforms to the new EN16436-1:2014 code High quality 20 inch POL x W20 LPG hosing designed for use with Manual & Auto changeover gas Regulators and wall blocks. For Caravanning & Home use FITTED WITH NON RETURN VALVE

www.huddersfieldgas.co.uk

Just replaced one in five minutes as it was coming up for 6 years old.

 

[campme24]

I have two SafeFill 11kg bottles on my Hobby T500. I dithered when I purchased the van earlier this year but being as I have gas only for air and water heating and plan to tour mainly in Europe I bit the bullet and ordered a new SafeFill bottle off Ebay. I have space for a 2nd bottle and spotted a 2nd on an Ebay auction which I got for a decent price. Hence two bottles rather than a 4.5 kg Calor spare.

Main reasons for choosing SafeFill and LPG:
(a) non-availability of Calor etc in Europe
(b) my gas locker is aft of the rear wheel and thus I want to minimise weight

My gas locker is in a cupboard inside the garage. I have NOT fitted a remote fill point and do not plan to. I take the empty bottle out and refill adjoining the pump as you would a Jerry can (or I take it in the car leaving the van on the drive). I have had zero problems at my local Morrisons. Most caravan owners will do likewise rather than taking car and caravan to the PFS.

SafeFill is lighter than other bottles. My advice would be to buy one new, fill up and look for a 4.5 kg Calor as a back up and/or look for a 2nd hand SafeFill (But take care with manufacture date if buying used).

P.S You can get a new 11kg Safefill bottle on Ebay for circa £195 and a fill up will cost you less than £20. Why spend more?

Chris

Just been looking into these on ebay and can pick up 2 x 10kg bottles for £365. Do you link them together or are they seperate and i assume no issues with space in the locker?

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[Gellyneck]

Just been looking into these on ebay and can pick up 2 x 10kg bottles for £365. Do you link them together or are they seperate and i assume no issues with space in the locker?

We've got one pigtail connection to the regulator and just swap it between the cylinders as and when required.
The one I linked to above makes this easier as no tools required.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

We have an internal filler . Never been refused 1 x6kg and 1 x11kg gaslow

 

[Brains]

I also did all the research and weighed up all the options.

I went with an external filler point, in my locker door.
One 11kg GasLow and retained my 11kg Calor as backup.

Now, 5 years later, the Calor bottle is still over half full.
Which means I have paid a lot to lug a heavy bottle half full of gas for 25,000 miles for no real reason.
When the van goes in for it annual service next spring, I'll be swapping the 11kg Calor for a 6kg GasLow as the backup.

A note on fitting external filler points.
Ideally you;

1. want them on the same side as the fuel filler point.
2. want them at around the same height, above the knee and below the elbow.
3. want them as close to the bottle as you can get, to ensure the filler pipe does not run through the habitation section.

As long as it properly done, using armoured gas pipe, by a proper fitter, who will be issuing a normal commercial gas safety certificate, then often the best place to mount the exterior filler point is the gas locker door.

It should be noted that there are at least two experienced gas fitters on this site with differing opinions about locker door mounted filling points.
But I've yet to hear of any failures when professionally fitted with the right kit. It's an option done on a regular basis by a number of suppliers with good reputations.

Locker door mounted exterior filler point have the advantage that should a future owner not want the GasLow system (or we all switch to nuclear power cells or something), then doing an invisible repair on a locker door could be a DIY job. (or even replacing the door would not be expensive)

Remember all gas hoses only have a 10 year life.
So don't fit what can not be removed

 

[PlacidoD]

Just been looking into these on ebay and can pick up 2 x 10kg bottles for £365. Do you link them together or are they seperate and i assume no issues with space in the locker?

1. SafeFill are actually 11kg bottles (holding 19 litres when full (but you fill only to 15litres on first fill to purge the air from the system))
2. Most people will have one "tail" and just swap that from one bottle to the other when the first runs out (or is low, is night and it is pouring with rain! Remember you don't need the bottle to be empty when you refill) It is possible to get systems which automatically swap bottles with two tails but they cost
3. Space in the locker - If the dealer says it will take two 13kg Calor bottles you will be OK. In my case being an internal ply door standing proud of the wall (rather than fitting inside the jamb) I was able to widen the access by 1 cm to make two bottles fit comfortably . If you have a flush fitting door opening to the outside world you will need the assurance of the dealer that that will work (I would make him demonstrate loading two Calors in to be on the safe side and be sure). BUT I suggest that you get one SafeFill which will last you months then carefully check diameter and height for a 2nd bottle if at all concerned. A 6 KG bottle may well fit even if an 11kg does not (Shoulder height is what is critical)

P.S. Good point about external filler being on the same side as the petrol filler. In my case they would be on opposite sides!!!

Chris

 

[Spriddler]

should a future owner not want the GasLow system then doing an invisible repair on a locker door could be a DIY job.

Easiest is to put a plastic vent grille over the hole in the gas locker door. What could be more natural than a vent in a gas locker door?

Cheap as chips..........

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[Brains]

We have an internal filler . Never been refused 1 x6kg and 1 x11kg gaslow

It depends on where you go.

In most countries (including the UK) 'Auto gas' LPG and Domestic gas LPG are taxed at different rates.
With domestic LPG usually be taxed at a lower rate than transportation LPG.
Therefore a place that sells LPG for transportation should not be selling it into the domestic market and certainly not vice versa.

Italy is well known for declining self fill bottles. (Italy is probably the country with the most LPG fueled cars)

As long as you have an external LPG point, I always make a point of filling with LPG before filling with diesel so if anyone asks, I tell them my motorhome is a hybrid!
Fill up with LPG and then drive off (and fill up with diesel some other place)

 

[Lenny HB]

Disadvantage of safe fill is they are single hole bottles so you have to disconnect and possibly take them out to fill.

The filler in the locker door is bad practice and should only be used as a last resort.

When we changed vans last week dealer swapped our Alugas bottles over they said they couldn't fit the filler in the sill where I wanted it so they fitted it inside the locker at the top.
Another job for me as its flipping dangerous as its at eye level.

Have a look at Autogas 2000, the owner Basildog is a member here. They supply Gaslow, Alugas and a couple of other makes of refillable bottles and do fitting.
If you pay your subs as a Funster you will get a discount.

 

[PlacidoD]

Lenny - "Disadvantage of safe fill is they are single hole bottles so you have to disconnect and possibly take them out to fill."

True. You certainly have to disconnect if you only have one bottle. "... possibly take it out". Yes if your gas locker door is inside the garage as mine is. So not a problem for me as I need to take it out anyway. If you gas locker door is in the side of the van you would just need to disconnect any connected bottle. Main advantages are (a) lighter weight (b) cheaper (and both mean I am not paying for the weight and cost of the double nozzles and extra valves). I am most concerned about minimising weight behind the rear axle. You can work our where my gas locker is looking at the photo to the left.
I am visiting a weighbridge on the way to West Wales on Friday while fully loaded. I have done things like brace the spare wheel to the inner wall of the garage rather than lying loose on the floor as it was on collection (and presumably has been for almost 17 years!!) and other stuff save for Fiamma ramps and electric hook up cables (so outside chairs etc) are tied down on the bed essentially over the gas bottles while driving and the Ebike goes behind the driver's seat. We will see what the weighbridge says but I am expecting to be 250kg light of 3500 kg all up and full of fuel with plenty of spare capacity on the rear axle. (P.S. - Travelling solo). Fingers crossed. I am confident I will be well under 3500 kg. It how much weight is on the front axle of this FWD Transit chassis that I am most interested in knowing.

P.S. How are you enjoying RHD?

Chris

 

[RayD]

Cool thank you, so I guess you have had no issues then with the refilling by opening the locker door? I assume yours is the "direct fill" cyclinders then?

No we don’t have DIRECT FILL, there’s an adaptor fixed inside our gas garage with pipework that feeds into both tanks.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

It depends on where you go.

In most countries (including the UK) 'Auto gas' LPG and Domestic gas LPG are taxed at different rates.
With domestic LPG usually be taxed at a lower rate than transportation LPG.
Therefore a place that sells LPG for transportation should not be selling it into the domestic market and certainly not vice versa.

Italy is well known for declining self fill bottles. (Italy is probably the country with the most LPG fueled cars)

As long as you have an external LPG point, I always make a point of filling with LPG before filling with diesel so if anyone asks, I tell them my motorhome is a hybrid!
Fill up with LPG and then drive off (and fill up with diesel some other place)

Like I said never had an issue and haven't yet been to Italy in the van.

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[Orion]

All this talk of which system is best, filler in door or skirt, one refillable one calor, etc, etc.

It’s all irrelevant if you can’t do this to impress the neighbours!



Edit: apparently ‘age restricted’ but does that really apply to Funsters!

 

[Lenny HB]

P.S. How are you enjoying RHD?

Horrible, I keep hitting the kerb, peddles offset to the left and closer together than in a LHD, haven't got a drivers door, handbrake on the wrong side.

 

[PlacidoD]

Horrible, I keep hitting the kerb, peddles offset to the left and closer together than in a LHD, haven't got a drivers door, handbrake on the wrong side.

Feeling just a tad smug in my elderly LHD Hobby T500!!

Chris

 

[bigtwin]

A dual Gaslow/Calor system (best of both which we like) with an 11KG Gaslow and 6KG Calor – total cost £510

There is no logic that I can see where this should ever be an option. Why compromise your system by having a calor bottle?

Now, 5 years later, the Calor bottle is still over half full.

Your experience fully supports my view that one of each is pretty futile.

Ian

 

[TrudeandDall]

There is no logic that I can see where this should ever be an option. Why compromise your system by having a calor bottle?



Your experience fully supports my view that one of each is pretty futile.

Ian

Generally I agree about lugging a calor around alongside a Gaslow 11kg. However if you travel for longer than your Gaslow bottle would last out, in some of the remote parts of the UK where there is no Autogas at all, such as the Orkney Islands - then there is absolutely logic in having a 6Kg Calor to use once your Gaslow is getting low. You can exchange the readily available calor on the islands as and when needed.......

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