Need LPG help in Southern Spain

[roseheath]

I'm currently in Spain and I'm really struggling to find a way of filling my Safefill LPG gas bottle. I thought I had the correct adaptor, but I don't. Is there anyone in the Estapona area that could lend me an adaptor? Does anyone know of an LPG filling station in this area that might have adaptors to loan or buy? Are there any other options available to me?

 

[Gingernuts]

I thought the Spanish stations all have a box of adapters under the counter! Have you been and asked?

 

[Emmit]

There is a motorhome spares place (shop) in the hills behind Estapona. Do a search online.

 

[tonka]

The issue you have is the safefill use left hand Pol Propane adapter and different to those used by gaslow / gasit / alugas etc. Very much doubt you will find a garage with them .
Maybe check if they are on Amazon.es Spanish site and could get a set delivered to a locker.

Update.. Cant find any reference on Amazon spain. However found some on UK site and it allowed me to change the delivery address to Spain, obviously adding a charge and a longer delivery time. May be worth investigating depending how long your out there.
Also a bit late now but carrying a Spanish jumbo adapter and butane hose lets you connect a Spanish bottle into your system.

 

[Gingernuts]

The issue you have is the safefill use left hand Pol Propane adapter and different to those used by gaslow / gasit / alugas etc. Very much doubt you will find a garage with them .
Maybe check if they are on Amazon.es Spanish site and could get a set delivered to a locker.

Didn’t know that so learnt something new today
Thank you

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[roseheath]

The issue you have is the safefill use left hand Pol Propane adapter and different to those used by gaslow / gasit / alugas etc. Very much doubt you will find a garage with them .
Maybe check if they are on Amazon.es Spanish site and could get a set delivered to a locker.

Update.. Cant find any reference on Amazon spain. However found some on UK site and it allowed me to change the delivery address to Spain, obviously adding a charge and a longer delivery time. May be worth investigating depending how long your out there.
Also a bit late now but carrying a Spanish jumbo adapter and butane hose lets you connect a Spanish bottle into your system.

Thanks for your help. That's really kind of you to check out the Amazon route, but unfortunately I'm only in Estapona 9 days. I normally do my homework before leaving UK but I underestimated the difficulty in filling the Safefill bottle in Spain. I can't believe that Safefill would use a different connector to Gaslow - seems daft! Could you please elaborate on the Spanish jumbo adapter. My only option might be to buy a Spanish gas bottle and a Spanish regulator, but I'm still unclear what I need. I'm also told that UK residents can't buy Spanish gas bottles?

I'm meeting a friend from Gibraltar tonight. I'm wondering whether he can help? Perhaps I can get him to purchase a bottle using his Gibraltar address?

 

[roseheath]

There is a motorhome spares place (shop) in the hills behind Estapona. Do a search online.

The only one I found was Surcaravaning Estepona, but its not clear whether they're still in business. Is this who you meant? I saw another mention of somewhere visible from the N340 as you approach Estapona from Marbella. Anyone know if that's true too?

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

You can buy the spanish bottles second hand from boot sales and the rasta shops and then exchange them for full ones at the gas depots or the trucks that go around. The connectors if not available in the spares shop are usually available in the Chinese bazaar shops.

 

[Emmit]

The only one I found was Surcaravaning Estepona, but its not clear whether they're still in business. Is this who you meant? I saw another mention of somewhere visible from the N340 as you approach Estapona from Marbella. Anyone know if that's true too?

I CAN confirm that Surcaravan IS the place I visited and at that time it was open.

 

[Emmit]

Thanks for your help. That's really kind of you to check out the Amazon route, but unfortunately I'm only in Estapona 9 days. I normally do my homework before leaving UK but I underestimated the difficulty in filling the Safefill bottle in Spain. I can't believe that Safefill would use a different connector to Gaslow - seems daft! Could you please elaborate on the Spanish jumbo adapter. My only option might be to buy a Spanish gas bottle and a Spanish regulator, but I'm still unclear what I need. I'm also told that UK residents can't buy Spanish gas bottles?

I'm meeting a friend from Gibraltar tonight. I'm wondering whether he can help? Perhaps I can get him to purchase a bottle using his Gibraltar address?

First things first.

You said, (above) "My only option might be to buy a Spanish gas bottle and a Spanish regulator"

You DO NOT require a regulator. Unless your van is Pre 2002 you already have a Reg. You will need a Jumbo Adaptor. This fits on a Spanish bottle but has no innards to regulate the flow of gas.

The entry point (or pigtail) is a LHT Pol, the same as the pigtail that connects the small (being taken out of circulation) butane 'dumpy' bottle

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[tonka]

Pics below of the jumbo adapter.

HOWEVER you may find it very difficult to obtain one in Spain, I know i looked many times in all sort of places.
One of these with a Butane pigtail will allow you to connect a spanish bottle straight onto your bulkhead regulator thats already fitted on the van.
You cannot use one of the standard regulators that you see everywhere unless you backfeed that via a BBQ point. Many do that but i used to prefer the jumbo and onboard regulator.

Ref Bottles, as Jim mentions above. Car boot, campsite notice boards, Rastro's and facebook selling groups are places to pick up a cheap spanish bottle. Exchanges are then easy at many places. Repsol are most common but steel heavy bottles, Cepsa are lightweight but not as many outlets but still plentiful.

 

[namwaldog]

Might be worth contacting these people....

Gas bottle refill

Based in Marbella.

 

[roseheath]

I'm currently in Spain and I'm really struggling to find a way of filling my Safefill LPG gas bottle. I thought I had the correct adaptor, but I don't. Is there anyone in the Estapona area that could lend me an adaptor? Does anyone know of an LPG filling station in this area that might have adaptors to loan or buy? Are there any other options available to me?

UPDATE: Sorted!!
I'll post a proper update when I'm on site. We managed to find a Repsol station with a suitable adaptor. Thanks everyone for the fantastic advice. I'm sure it will be helpful to more than just me! I also have good advice, which I'll give when I have time to post.

 

[Littlewheels]

The only one I found was Surcaravaning Estepona, but its not clear whether they're still in business. Is this who you meant? I saw another mention of somewhere visible from the N340 as you approach Estapona from Marbella. Anyone know if that's true too?

I CAN confirm that Surcaravan IS the place I visited and at that time it was open.

It’s currently closed for Holidays.

 

[Drum Major]

Another funsters sorted with all the really fantastic people on this forum With great advice.

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[roseheath]

Might be worth contacting these people....

Gas bottle refill

Based in Marbella.

I did in fact contact this guy but he was very rude and impatient.

I phoned him last Wednesday with a view to meeting up on Friday. We drove to the meeting point (shown on his Google map), but it was impossible to park a motorhome there, and we ended up finding a small layby on the opposite side of the road. Well he wasn't happy about that! He was a right old misery when he arrived. He said he'd take the bottle away and refill it, and meet me at the next junction down. I showed some reticence at the thought of handing over my shiny new Safefill bottle to a stranger I'd only met 30 seconds beforehand, and he got into yet more of a strop! In the end he said he couldn't fill that type of bottle, which was probably a blessing since he wanted 30-40euros. In the end I managed to refill it at a nearby Repsol for 14euros.