Refillable gas cylinders - with it for us?

[Grianan]

can I put the question another way ... if we fit 2x11kg for ‘belts and braces’ but actually only ever used the first one ... is that a problem. Would the second one seize up? I presume there’s no BBE date on using gas ?.

 

[wasp]

When you think about it a 6 kg Calor is around 24 quid that’s 2quid a litre, an 11 kg bottle holds 22litres, filling 22 litres at 65 p a litre is really a no brainer. IMHO

 

[TUCANO]

When you fit the two 11kg bottles you will surely use the second one also, as the first one runs out I switch to the second one and refill the first, second one runs out, switch to the first and refill the second.

 

[Nixdorfer]

It's 53p around here.. ?

Its not just about saving money, you have the extra convenience of being able to just top it up whenever you like without having to wait till the bottles empty. And if travelling abroad its easier to get gas as don't do calor.

The fact over time it will actually pay for itself and then some is a great bonus.

You can always add a second bottle later, just need to alter the pipes to suit.

Gaslow have a different setup as they do a bottle 1 and 2, can be altered though. Gasit are all the same. So may make it a bit easier if leaving your options open. Alugas are lighter if you have limited payload.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

As you already have 2 x 6kg calor I would just buy 1x 11kg refillable as your usage is really quite low as you have not yet retired and only using at weekends and the odd 2 weeks in Europe. You can keep 1 calor at home as a back up. On your travels use the refillable and top up as and when. If you do run out switch to the calor as a back up until you can refill the refillable. Unless you are out on the road for a length of time you will not use your 11kg.to empty.

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[EX51SSS]

When you think about it a 6 kg Calor is around 24 quid that’s 2quid a litre, an 11 kg bottle holds 22litres, filling 22 litres at 65 p a litre is really a no brainer. IMHO

57 near me so 12 litres (around 6 kg apparently = £6.84 and last time I exchanged a calor lite it was £28, so on that alone, the saving was over £21 on one cylinder.
Yes the initial outlay is expensive but it's more the convenience that I don't have to go out of my way to find an exchange cylinder and messing around changing.
No humping cylinders in and out plus I can fill up anywhere in Europe when I want to not when I have to

 

[EX51SSS]

Unless you are out on the road for a length of time you will not use your 11kg.to empty.

Well we did 6 weeks in France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy and topped up when convenient as one thing is for sure, it doesnt go down that much in price and although we get at 57 a litre, you can get cheaper or a lot more expensive.
Once you've invested in the refillable, you'll never regret and they can be transferred to your next van.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Agree, we will top up at higher prices if out for a long period as its still half the cost of calor and convenient to top up as and when, especially if filing with diesel at the same time.

 

[Lazyboy]

Why bother with Calor at all. You never know how much you have used and unless you can use it all at home the chances are that you will be swapping a bottle that is not empty for a new one at a considerable cost compared to refillable. Bite the bullet and fit 2 refillable and as others have said swap from van to van.
Cheaper, easier and convenient. What's not to like?

 

[thebriars]

Ok thanks guys ... now we are BOTH convinced that refillable is the way to go ??.

We’re erring towards 2 x 11kg. So a couple more questions ...

- what would the advantage be of 1x11kg plus a spare 6kg Calor over 2x11kg refillable (more interested in functionality over cost tbh)
- from the responses I gather Alugas, Gasit/Gasit Plus and Gaslow are the main options?

thanks for helping our thinking ...

Consider just one 11kg refillable and a bluetooth cylinder monitor. That way you always have an accurate measure of how much you've used and how much left
Its refillable so easy to stop off and top it up any time. Advantages, big cost and weight saving, plus space freed up. I've been 9 days driving through the UK and France without EHU at night plus a further fortnight on EHU, but cooking with gas, and topped up today and put just 11litres of gas in. A full tank will more than last me until I get home.

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[Deleted member 68755]

Check out Safefill.

 

[peterc10]

can I put the question another way ... if we fit 2x11kg for ‘belts and braces’ but actually only ever used the first one ... is that a problem. Would the second one seize up? I presume there’s no BBE date on using gas ?.

We never let one tank run out completely. When one starts getting low we just switch to the other and start looking for a convenient place to refill. Otherwise you will find that the tanke will run out at 1am and your fridge will start beeping at 3am and you have to go out in your pyjamas to change bottles, and it will always be raining!

When you fill up both bottles get refilled.

 

[Minxy]

can I put the question another way ... if we fit 2x11kg for ‘belts and braces’ but actually only ever used the first one ... is that a problem. Would the second one seize up? I presume there’s no BBE date on using gas ?.

We just use one then when we refill we use the other one, then after the next refill, use the first one again, that way both bottles get a 'work-out'!

 

[Minxy]

We mamage four weeks in south of france on one 11 kg alugas without having to fill up removed the second bottle for weight and to fit my blow up canoe in its place

Please ensure that your canoe can't trap any escaping gas in it's 'folds' or bag and thus prevent it escaping through the bottom drop out vents. When I put anything in my gas locker in a bag I use 'net' ones so that they can't fill with gas and anything that could possibly hold escaping gas is placed high up in a door basket (hose pipe). If you need to put your canoe in there put it in a completely air-tight bag so no gas can get into it at all and obviously don't block the vents.

 

[Puddleduck]

We have one refillable and space for another but have never had an issue with just the one refillable one as once the gauge gets to the end of the green we just top it up as soon as we see somewhere.

If we were desperate we could get a calor or similar and feed through the BBQ point but the big advantage for us is no lifting in and out of heavy bottles of gas.

I should also add that generally we fill on the way home from a trip so have a full bottle to start off with

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[Simon Meadwell]

Thanks for warning re gas but im ok the canoe fits in a bag very similar size to gas bottle and gets strapped in as the spare bottle used to and then doesnt foul the floor vents so all ok thankyou though

 

[Minxy]

Thanks for warning re gas but im ok the canoe fits in a bag very similar size to gas bottle and gets strapped in as the spare bottle used to and then doesnt foul the floor vents so all ok thankyou though

Is it airtight though? If not gas 'could' get in the bag and get trapped in it and/or the folds of the canoe - I have had a few inflatable canoes and they all create some 'air pockets' when packed, no matter how well you do it. Don't want you to go boom!

 

[Nixdorfer]

We have one refillable and space for another but have never had an issue with just the one refillable one as once the gauge gets to the end of the green we just top it up as soon as we see somewhere.

If we were desperate we could get a calor or similar and feed through the BBQ point but the big advantage for us is no lifting in and out of heavy bottles of gas.

I should also add that generally we fill on the way home from a trip so have a full bottle to start off with

Basically how we plan to use ours.

Max we would be away is a week or two so a single 11kg should do us. And just top up if needed but unlikely. Then fill when we get home.

Also frees up some locker space so we can put the Cadac in there

If going away for longer or more remote, say NC500 then I may throw the spare calor in as we already have it.

If we retired and went away for longer periods then would look at a second refillable.

 

[thebriars]

Basically how we plan to use ours.

Max we would be away is a week or two so a single 11kg should do us. And just top up if needed but unlikely. Then fill when we get home.

Also frees up some locker space so we can put the Cadac in there

If going away for longer or more remote, say NC500 then I may throw the spare calor in as we already have it.

If we retired and went away for longer periods then would look at a second refillable.

Sensible. I would recommend getting a bluetooth level sensor though. The one on the top of the tank is really useless unless the tank is nearly empty. The bluetooth sensor is more than accurate enough to allow a good prediction on how many day left before empty as you can check usage day by day.

 

[Scotch mist]

I have 2 x 11kg refillable , in Scotland during winter they only last me 5 days ! (8.6 x 3.3 van )
5 weeks in France , the 2 bottles lasted with some to spare ( water & fridge only )
I also have a external barbecue point which I can connect a external cylinder if need be
( ideal for north of scotland )

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[Gellyneck]

I also have a external barbecue point which I can connect a external cylinder if need be
( ideal for north of scotland )

You can also connect the patio heaters to it, as well!

 

[Geistguy]

We have just had a Gas-it 11kg fitted but retained a Calor 13kg as back up, we have only filled up once but that saved £14, even at the inflated price of lpg in rural Aberdeenshire. Our main reason for this set up was that I was finding it difficult to lift and position a 13kg cylinder in place, it was so simple to fill the Gas-it bottle I shall be replacing the back up Calor bottle asap.

 

[Puddleduck]

Basically how we plan to use ours.

Max we would be away is a week or two so a single 11kg should do us. And just top up if needed but unlikely. Then fill when we get home.

Also frees up some locker space so we can put the Cadac in there

If going away for longer or more remote, say NC500 then I may throw the spare calor in as we already have it.

If we retired and went away for longer periods then would look at a second refillable.

Ours (not sure if it is 11kg or 13 kg but it's an alugas) lasted us more than 6 weeks but we often use places with EHU.

When thinking about more remote places think about how homes are heated - if places have LPG heating there will be a depot somewhere ...... you "just" need to find it and see if they can fill your bottles for you. One of the oil suppliers here has an LPG pump although he knows what to charge for a refill - it's often cheaper at a Shell station.

LPG is widely available in France and Italy - you will need an adapter though.

 

[Glas Robin]

Our current usage pattern is not dissimilar to yours.

I have 1x11kg refillable and I've never run out. We did 3 weeks to Croatia last summer with 4 on board, reasonable amount of cooking and heating water for showers, fridge going all the time and we didn't run out.

Haven't done an extended winter trip with heating on yet - but refilling is simple and supply common enough on the continent not to be a problem. I've bought a wifi tank level gizmo...must remember to fit it!

Plus the space I save in the gas locker is convenient for storing the life jackets and Cadac.

I can't think of a reason to carry two cylinders with our current usage. As soon as we enact plan B and leave the ratrace behind then I will re-evaluate.

 

[Stealaway]

Check out Safefill.

Can you refill them in Europe?

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[ShaKen]

Can you refill them in Europe?

Watching this thread with interest. I’m considering getting a Safefill bottle myself for future trips to France (mainly) and of course the UK.

 

[Brains]

Watching this thread with interest. I’m considering getting a Safefill bottle myself for future trips to France (mainly) and of course the UK.

I'm also watching

My understanding is that the SafeFill bottles are available with all the European adaptors required.
http://www.safefill.co.uk/our-cylinders.html

However the main issue seems to be, in Europe as well as the UK, turning up at a petrol station and filling an LPG bottle will not be permitted if they see you doing it.
(Same as they don't like you filling emergency fuel cans)
However fitting a fill point to the outside of your van and filling it like a LPG tank is OK.

So my understanding is, it's a case of what you can get away with!

Having said which I'm swapping at least one of my Calors for a refillable of some sort, as I don't want to be in the middle of France with a week of holiday to go, and no gas!

SafeFill
AutoGas
Gaslow

Are there any others ?

 

[Brains]

can I put the question another way ... if we fit 2x11kg for ‘belts and braces’ but actually only ever used the first one ... is that a problem. Would the second one seize up? I presume there’s no BBE date on using gas ?.

There may be no BBE on the gas, but there is a 10 year BBE on all portable gas bottles, Calor, Gaslow, SafeFill etc.

It's not an issue with Calor, as they presume no one will store gas that long, but for the refillables, check the date on your bottle!

 

[Nixdorfer]

According to Gasit the date on refillables only applies if you are using it for business purposes, Burger van etc

For personal use there is no legal requirement to have them tested or swapped out.

 

[Brains]

SafeFill
AutoGas
Gaslow
GasIT

Are there any others ?

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