Safefill bottles

[leann53]

Hi everyone , considering buying a safefill refillable bottle. Your opinion,s on them please ie any problems with using them in Europe.

 

[mikebeaches]

I don't have one, but there seem to be some advantages and some disadvantages.

Handy that they can be slung in the car boot to take them to be refilled.

But the downside, they have to be physically disconnected if to be filled in situ in the van (which is not the case with other refillable systems).

Unfortunately, can't offer any information concerning refilling on the continent.

 

[Stealaway]

Hi everyone , considering buying a safefill refillable bottle. Your opinion,s on them please ie any problems with using them in Europe.

One of my best buys over the past ten years.
No problem in UK or Europe except at French Total stations who just don't like any motorhomes trying to fill with LPG.
They have increased in price recently but you can easily take them with yo when you change vans.
I would recommend rubber tipped hand wheel pig tails to protect the connections.

 

[barny]

We have one of the original Safefill bottles and it has saved us a fortune over the past 12 years, as we "off grid" a lot.
We have taken ours to the local independent LPG outlet in our car we were charged VAT, but not if its in the moho, as its for heating and hot water.
I would buy another but that's from many years of use.

 

[tonka]

Have 2 X 10kg bottles. Lucky to have several fillers close to me so always start any journey with them all full. Take bottle down in the car. Only ever refilled once in Germany, no issues.

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[VXman]

Worth considering the alternatives - Gaslow or Gasit.

We have Gaslow. Can't think of any disadvantages. LPG availability in Europe is great, not as good in UK but good enough. Apps are available for finding stations. It's cheaper and easier than exchange bottles. We just have the one bottle and carry a spare Calor just in case we run out - which we have never needed to use in 18 months.

I have a external fill point so no need to enter the gas locker to fill up. This can be useful for stations that may not be as accepting of motorhomes filling gas bottles.

Gaslow R67 11kg Refillable Cylinder 1 with Level Gauge

The Gaslow R67 11kg Refillable Cylinder 1 is especially designed to meet the French R67 Gas Tank Standards. Gaslow have always held the view that the Gaslow Bottles are considered as "Cylinders" and therefore they are manfacturered to the cylinder standard EN1442:2006. Gaslow were not just alone...

www.gasproducts.co.uk

 

[Spriddler]

LPG availability in Europe is great, not as good in UK but good enough.

Blimey, you're lucky. For me, it's the complete opposite. Getting LPG in U.K. is a real problem. Few pumps and many empty. Many are being removed to make room for EV charging points.
I've always found LPG plentiful in Europe.

The pump shown at the yellow square under 'M23' (at Pease Pottage, 22 miles from me ) was removed last September and the yellow square under 'Brighton' (at Patcham,12 miles from me) hasn't had any gas since last October on each of several occasions that I've been in there. The dark blue pump shown at the BP station Golden Cross at the 'n' of Brighton was in the process of being removed last October when I called there.

 

[Toady]

I have 2 x gasit bottles in the gas locker which are great. I also have a safefill in the MH garage for the bbq. The bottles are bullet proof.

 

[Kayak Kid]

Hi Leann53

To answer your specific question.
I have a 10kg (largest) Safefill bottle holding around 19 litres of gas.

Positive Points:
1. Much lighter than steel bottles. Helps address payload issues
2. Translucent so you can see how much gas is in the bottle without the need for any type of gauge or guessing.
3. Refillable in EU using appropriate adaptor for each country as are other systems such as Gaslow, Gasit etc.
4. Lightweight bottle can be removed and taken in a car for filling.
5. Agreement between Morrison’s Supermarket UK wide to accept Safefill bottle refilling In its Filling Stations.
6. Can be easily transferred to another leisure vehicle using standard pigtail to an appropriate regulator - with no further cost or fittings.
7. Considerably cheaper than installing a fixed’ or Gaslow/ Gasit refillable type system.
8. Easy to install - just remove standard gas bottle and connect Safefill bottle using existing pigtail connection.
9. Gas refill much cheaper than ‘swapping’ standard Calor type bottle.
10. The 10kg bottle (19 litres) lasts ages and is more than enough for our annual 6 week+ tour in the EU.

Negative Points
11. In some filling stations in the EU, you are not permitted to refill directly into a gas bottle or into a bottle in the gas locker. It is however permitted to refill via a fixed connector on the outside of the vehicle - where you are fuelling your vehicle (running on gas) rather than for gas for habitation use. In my previous Motorhome (where I had a Gaslow system and connector on the outside of my vehicle) I was once challenged in Italy. I just told the attendant I was running my vehicle on gas. No issue - but had I said it was for our habitation area, I suspect it may have been a different outcome judging by his approach. This only happened once and on every other occasions I had no problem. I am unsure about the situation on refilling a permanently fixed ‘underslung type’ refillable tank for habitation use in similar circumstances.

12. When the bottle is empty I am unable to fill it with draft beer!

Others on here may have different experiences and views both positive and negative about the Safefill bottle (and indeed other systems) but my comments above are based on my experiences of using a number of different systems. I would not hesitate to buy again if I needed to - although the Safefill bottle will move to my next Motorhome if/when I change.

I hope these are helpful.

Jim

 

[ED O'DARAC]

Hi everyone , considering buying a safefill refillable bottle. Your opinion,s on them please ie any problems with using them in Europe.

Brilliant. Ultralight, I have had them for years.

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[TonyEmm]

Hi Leann53

To answer your specific question.
I have a 10kg (largest) Safefill bottle holding around 19 litres of gas.

Positive Points:
1. Much lighter than steel bottles. Helps address payload issues
2. Translucent so you can see how much gas is in the bottle without the need for any type of gauge or guessing.
3. Refillable in EU using appropriate adaptor for each country as are other systems such as Gaslow, Gasit etc.
4. Lightweight bottle can be removed and taken in a car for filling.
5. Agreement between Morrison’s Supermarket UK wide to accept Safefill bottle refilling In its Filling Stations.
6. Can be easily transferred to another leisure vehicle using standard pigtail to an appropriate regulator - with no further cost or fittings.
7. Considerably cheaper than installing a fixed’ or Gaslow/ Gasit refillable type system.
8. Easy to install - just remove standard gas bottle and connect Safefill bottle using existing pigtail connection.
9. Gas refill much cheaper than ‘swapping’ standard Calor type bottle.
10. The 10kg bottle (19 litres) lasts ages and is more than enough for our annual 6 week+ tour in the EU.

Negative Points

12. When the bottle is empty I am unable to fill it with draft beer!

Agree with all your plus points! I live on a 3 counties border (Norfolk/Lincs/Cambs) and we have 3 Morrisons within around 12 miles.
All do LPG (though it does happen that one is occasionally out of stock), but I take an empty in the car and just fill up when out shopping or whatever. As I have 2 cylinders, no issue as long as I keep on top of it.

You can check the app, https://www.mylpg.eu/ for availability but it does rely on folk updating it!

 

[cyberyacht]

I have a 10Kg plus a 7.5Kg. Only had to fill up once, in Verdun at Auchan, so far. I have pondered getting suitable fittings to add to a redundant Gaslow remote filler hose for those occasions where forecourt staff are twitchy.

 

[VXman]

Blimey, you're lucky. For me, it's the complete opposite. Getting LPG in U.K. is a real problem. Few pumps and many empty. Many are being removed to make room for EV charging points.
I've always found LPG plentiful in Europe.

I think you misread my post, although looking at it it was badly phrased.

LPG availability in Europe is great, not as good in UK but good enough. Apps are available for finding stations.

Yes Europe is much better than the UK. You do have to search around in the UK but I've never not found somewhere even if it's meant going a little off route occasionally. We are fortunate to have 2 locally but they are not always working and one is expensive.

 

[VXman]

Hi Leann53

To answer your specific question.
I have a 10kg (largest) Safefill bottle holding around 19 litres of gas.

Positive Points:
1. Much lighter than steel bottles. Helps address payload issues
2. Translucent so you can see how much gas is in the bottle without the need for any type of gauge or guessing.
3. Refillable in EU using appropriate adaptor for each country as are other systems such as Gaslow, Gasit etc.
4. Lightweight bottle can be removed and taken in a car for filling.
5. Agreement between Morrison’s Supermarket UK wide to accept Safefill bottle refilling In its Filling Stations.
6. Can be easily transferred to another leisure vehicle using standard pigtail to an appropriate regulator - with no further cost or fittings.
7. Considerably cheaper than installing a fixed’ or Gaslow/ Gasit refillable type system.
8. Easy to install - just remove standard gas bottle and connect Safefill bottle using existing pigtail connection.
9. Gas refill much cheaper than ‘swapping’ standard Calor type bottle.
10. The 10kg bottle (19 litres) lasts ages and is more than enough for our annual 6 week+ tour in the EU.

Negative Points
11. In some filling stations in the EU, you are not permitted to refill directly into a gas bottle or into a bottle in the gas locker. It is however permitted to refill via a fixed connector on the outside of the vehicle - where you are fuelling your vehicle (running on gas) rather than for gas for habitation use. In my previous Motorhome (where I had a Gaslow system and connector on the outside of my vehicle) I was once challenged in Italy. I just told the attendant I was running my vehicle on gas. No issue - but had I said it was for our habitation area, I suspect it may have been a different outcome judging by his approach. This only happened once and on every other occasions I had no problem. I am unsure about the situation on refilling a permanently fixed ‘underslung type’ refillable tank for habitation use in similar circumstances.

12. When the bottle is empty I am unable to fill it with draft beer!

Others on here may have different experiences and views both positive and negative about the Safefill bottle (and indeed other systems) but my comments above are based on my experiences of using a number of different systems. I would not hesitate to buy again if I needed to - although the Safefill bottle will move to my next Motorhome if/when I change.

I hope these are helpful.

Jim

A good detailed response. However, I'm not sure about number 7 - price

Safefill Medium 7.5kg LPG Refillable Gas Cylinder

Safefill Gas Bottle 7.5kg LPG Refillable with Extension light, safe and easy to refill, has an integral overfill protection device (OPD) for autogas refill

lpgshop.co.uk

Gaslow R67 11kg Refillable Cylinder 1 with Level Gauge

The Gaslow R67 11kg Refillable Cylinder 1 is especially designed to meet the French R67 Gas Tank Standards. Gaslow have always held the view that the Gaslow Bottles are considered as "Cylinders" and therefore they are manfacturered to the cylinder standard EN1442:2006. Gaslow were not just alone...

www.gasproducts.co.uk

 

[stuartforrest]

We have one. Amazing. Get it. Saved us a fortune and also we can see how much gas we have easily before setting off and fill it if required. Never used our spare bottle. Have thought about getting another but we don’t use the MH enough

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[TonyEmm]

A good detailed response. However, I'm not sure about number 7 - price

Safefill Medium 7.5kg LPG Refillable Gas Cylinder

Safefill Gas Bottle 7.5kg LPG Refillable with Extension light, safe and easy to refill, has an integral overfill protection device (OPD) for autogas refill

lpgshop.co.uk

Gaslow R67 11kg Refillable Cylinder 1 with Level Gauge

The Gaslow R67 11kg Refillable Cylinder 1 is especially designed to meet the French R67 Gas Tank Standards. Gaslow have always held the view that the Gaslow Bottles are considered as "Cylinders" and therefore they are manfacturered to the cylinder standard EN1442:2006. Gaslow were not just alone...

www.gasproducts.co.uk

No 7 was certainly correct when I was looking to swap from Calor. IIRC, I paid £140 each for 2 x 7kg cylinders, plus, I changed the pigtails from the traditional ‘Calor spanner’ fitting to hand wheels with rubber seals. It’s so much easier!
I leave my blown air heating on a low setting all winter. refilling a cylinder probably once a fortnight, it’s less than £1 per day at Morrisons prices (£0.799/lt).
As a litre of LPG weighs 0.55kgs, it’s not difficult to compare with Calor refills. I’m paying less than £11 for 7.5kgs…

my last 6kg Calor refill was over £30.

 

[Steve and Denise]

I bought two 10kg for our Carthago but they were a tight fit getting them in and out of the gas locker to refill so fitted Gaslow with skirt filler and kept one 10kg as a spare but must keep an eye on filling as over filled twice although I just vented the excess off.

 

[VXman]

No 7 was certainly correct when I was looking to swap from Calor. IIRC, I paid £140 each for 2 x 7kg cylinders, plus, I changed the pigtails from the traditional ‘Calor spanner’ fitting to hand wheels with rubber seals. It’s so much easier!
I leave my blown air heating on a low setting all winter. refilling a cylinder probably once a fortnight, it’s less than £1 per day at Morrisons prices (£0.799/lt).
As a litre of LPG weighs 0.55kgs, it’s not difficult to compare with Calor refills. I’m paying less than £11 for 7.5kgs…

my last 6kg Calor refill was over £30.

Of course - Calor is completly different. The post I quoted was comparing refillable bottles not exchange bottles.

 

[hadders]

Had mine for years plus a new one purchased earlier last year. Agree with all on post #9

 

[Platelet]

Am I right in thinking that the hand wheels replace the L/H threaded fitting on the pigtail? Is hand tight sufficient to get a good seal?

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[Hymerboy]

My nearest gas refill station is 60 miles away from me! By the way my gas service engineer told me that the rubber tipped hand wheel pigtails were not recomended as some older people were not strong enough to tighten them properly.

 

[Stealaway]

My nearest gas refill station is 60 miles away from me! By the way my gas service engineer told me that the rubber tipped hand wheel pigtails were not recomended as some older people were not strong enough to tighten them properly.

Really.
I'm an older person and have no problems. You will know immediately it not yet sealed because it leaks until it's tight

We always fill up along the way. You are sure to pass one every few days. We hardly ever use a local dealer.

 

[Stealaway]

Am I right in thinking that the hand wheels replace the L/H threaded fitting on the pigtail? Is hand tight sufficient to get a good seal?

It's to save your bottles connection. Brass on brass and a spanner don't matter with calor bottles.
I don't want to damage my ones.
A rubber seal is perfect.
In fact the French bottles only use a small hand tight rubber seal connection.

 

[TonyEmm]

Am I right in thinking that the hand wheels replace the L/H threaded fitting on the pigtail? Is hand tight sufficient to get a good seal?

You are correct, hand tight is sufficient. As it’s a heavy rubber insert rather than the solid brass POL fitting, it doesn’t need to be dogged up. Still left hand thread of course, which my wife can’t get her ‘ed round …. Surprising really as she always turned screws etc the wrong way anyway!

 

[TonyEmm]

My nearest gas refill station is 60 miles away from me! By the way my gas service engineer told me that the rubber tipped hand wheel pigtails were not recomended as some older people were not strong enough to tighten them properly.

How old do you have to be? I’m 77, left handed and partially arthritic, I manage ok! In fact, I find it easier than the brass fittings and a spanner (which never fits in anyway when it’s tucked away in a locker), that’s a real knuckle scraper!

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[Hymerboy]

How old do you have to be? I’m 77, left handed and partially arthritic, I manage ok! In fact, I find it easier than the brass fittings and a spanner (which never fits in anyway when it’s tucked away in a locker), that’s a real knuckle scraper!

Totaly agree

 

[Kayak Kid]

VXMan - the price comparison in the two links that you showed above excludes the ‘fill kit’ required for the Gaslow system. That adds a further circa £85 to the cost. The Safefill does not require that.

 

[Kayak Kid]

Also forgot to add an important safety benefit of Safefill to my list above - copied from the Safefill website.

“The Safefill cylinder, because of the materials it is constructed with, is designed to allow the LPG to leak out gradually ensuing a controlled flame. Our cylinders withstand a burst pressure that is twice as high as their steel counterparts and because they will not BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion), the risk of explosion, in case of fire, is eliminated.”

 

[Fdhadi]

Happy with my 10kg Safefill bottle. I only have one and also carry a Flogas bottle as backup.
Took mine in my car to be topped up 2 miles from home. Chap at the local gas depot filled it for me, 13.8ltrs @ 84p ltr = £11.59
Also exchanged a Calor 6kg (11.76ltrs) Propane for £27 which works out at £2.30 a ltr.

 

[Go_buddy_go_]

Happy with my 10kg Safefill bottle. I only have one and also carry a Flogas bottle as backup.
Took mine in my car to be topped up 2 miles from home. Chap at the local gas depot filled it for me, 13.8ltrs @ 84p ltr = £11.59
Also exchanged a Calor 6kg (11.76ltrs) Propane for £27 which works out at £2.30 a ltr.

Forgot to say it was only 10 months old with 180 miles on the clock!