The French Fuel Company 'Total' place ban on filling LPG tanks on their forecourts in France.

I carry a Campingaz cylinder as a reserve - with regulator and tube - Campingaz - expensive but available all over Europe (y)
 
Hmmm all very interesting reading for anyone who’s yet to commit to refillable LPG ….
I guess if …and I say “if”, other petrol retailers follow suit and if refillable LPG For heating/cooking does become hard to come by, diesel heating starts to become a more interesting option - diesel is still going to be outlawed eventually but perhaps later than refillable LPG…..
 
I believe the reason for not filling up in Italy was the tax difference between domestic and travel gas.
Whether this has had any bearing on the Total decision in France is unknown to me.
What I know is that it really doesnt matter to the Italian operators of LPG in the sticks where we filled up twice and I doubt its going to get enforced in France.
 
Brains said:
The fridge then runs on the 12v power whilst we are driving, which keeps things cool, but the fridge does warm up, especially on a long run on a warm day
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The fridge then runs on the 12v power whilst we are driving, The fridge then runs on the 12v power whilst we are driving, which keeps things cool, but the fridge does warm up, especially on a long run on a warm day

Should work almost as well on 12v
JJ said:
That might well be the case but they are not using diesel engines...

JJ :cool:
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They are or were diesel it's the modern common rail diesel's used in cars that can't be converted.

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Lots of supermarket have self service fuel and gas pumps. You pay when you drive out. Usually only one person there to take your money, can't see him/her getting out of their cash desk to see where you're putting the pump.
 
Brains said:
Hence, we, as have many others, gone with the dual option.

One 11kg refillable gas cylinder (GasLow at £5 to refill)
One 11 kg replaceable gas cylinder (Calor at £27 to exchange)

The only base that does not cover is the replaceable cylinders in France, Italy, Spain are not compatible with each other, or with the UK ones. So if there was no other option I would need to buy a pigtail for that country, and a local gas cylinder.
However I'd hope that before I needed to do that I could find somewhere to refill the GasLow, such as a fuel station late at night.
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I recently paid £31 for a 5 kg refill of Gaslite at Homebase for home bbqs !! Daylight robbery. But have an 11kg Gaslow for our main mh supply.
 
Cheshirecat57 said:
To me it’s just another reason not to visit France…….currently I’m at 175 reasons 👌
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I suspect Chris has even more than that 😏

We have Gaslow refillable bottles in a locker but have installed a side refill port in the skirt of the motor home to make it look as if we’re filling a tank.
As a previous poster wrote, refilling for domestic use is not allowed in Spain or Italy but we’ve driven to Greece and back a few times in the last few years, plus several trips to Spain, and have only once been refused - in Greece on the way to the ferry as the Italians are quite strict about it, often their tanks are housed in a locked cage. So we just drove to the next fuel station and filled up there.

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Nyvern said:
Lots of supermarket have self service fuel and gas pumps. You pay when you drive out. Usually only one person there to take your money, can't see him/her getting out of their cash desk to see where you're putting the pump.
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Unfortunately, at least in this area, its' not the case. I have an exterior filling point but have resorted to sticking the 'Certificat de Conformite CE/R67' inside the Gas Locker Door, one glance and they turn the power to the pump on.

Robert
 
Lenny HB said:
The fridge then runs on the 12v power whilst we are driving, The fridge then runs on the 12v power whilst we are driving, which keeps things cool, but the fridge does warm up, especially on a long run on a warm day

Should work almost as well on 12v

They are or were diesel it's the modern common rail diesel's used in cars that can't be converted.
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It's possible to run a Diesel on a mix of LPG & Diesel fuel. The Diesel fuel has to be there as a source of timed ignition. Conversion to full LPG is however possible but requires a lowered CR and a spark ignition system whereupon the engine ceases to be a Diesel engine.
 
EMS said:
like the certificate solution can you please send a photo/image so we could make a copy for our van, to be ready when we can again visit mainland Europe.
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Will do but 'Bertie' is currently on his 'Sunny Side', currently 31Deg C here. Do you have 'yellow tanks', if not re - spray them. Yellow is the colour to be be seen with and the Magic Word R67. Of course, should you have bought the less expensive option, non R67 you are in trouble.

Don't try faking a R67 cylinder, otherwise you will be in deep poo!

My .'Certifciat de Certificate Conformitie CE/R67' was supplied with the orignial GASLOW components and validated by the instatller who has to have the necessary qualifications to be able to so. I'm talking France here, not the UK. Bertie is also French registered LHD with a local/ Department 16 plate? but it still doesn't stop me from being 'Checked - Out' prior to filling - up.

No doubt France is following the UK. Ok may route of trying to force"
 
Had our gasit cylinder for 7 years now with an in locker fill point and we're yet to be questioned by anyone in UK France and Spain

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Barclaybasher said:
I carry a Campingaz cylinder as a reserve - with regulator and tube - Campingaz - expensive but available all over Europe (y)
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Can you connect Campinggaz cylinders to the Motorhome gas system? You use the current regulator or need a specific type?
 
Backdraft said:
Just been reading Le Monde du camping car, and if my French is correct (no guarantee) Total have banned the refilling of LPG tanks and cylinders unless the gas is used to run the engine, at all their filling stations. You can't fill if the gas is for domestic use.

https://www.lemondeducampingcar.fr/...s-interdits-de-plein-de-gpl-chez-total/198617

Could be bit of a pain when we can get back to France especially if other suppliers follow.
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"Two readers of Le Monde du Camping-Car deplore that they can no longer fill their motorhome with LPG at Total stations. The network effectively refuses to fill bottles for "domestic" use, and therefore only accepts vehicles that "run" on LPG."
Already, in October 2020, it was a reader who alerted us. A Total station had denied him access to LPG. The problem was not the type of vehicle (the motorhome) but its use of liquefied gas. We actually contacted the Total group. Instructions have been given to the pump attendants not to allow LPG tanks to be filled except for “mobility” use. And not for domestic use (cooking, heating, etc.). On this subject, read our article Total stations prohibit LPG in motorhomes. The testimonies of Ms. Travelle and Mr. Bonavita confirm that this ban is applied, even if in some Total stations, they were allowed to refuel. And then Total is not the only network ...
I have been crisscrossing France for fifteen years in a motorhome up and down. I've been banned from refueling with LPG twice now, despite my approved installation. This in two Total stations. They replied that they were applying the brand's guidelines (Total Access Stations in Mont-de-Marsan and Nîmes). In Nîmes, there is another (same sign) route d 'Alès and there I had no difficulty, the manager having confirmed to me that all motorhomes could refuel. I would like to know if these stations which refuse us are within their rights or if they are against motorhomes.
 
VXman said:
Can you connect Campinggaz cylinders to the Motorhome gas system? You use the current regulator or need a specific type?
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Just swap over the bottles (other ones are Calor) using the same connector and regulator fitted to the van (y)
 
Barclaybasher said:
Just swap over the bottles (other ones are Calor) using the same connector and regulator fitted to the van (y)
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Sorry - just to be clear. Campinggaz will take a Calor gas connector?

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We have an underslung tank, the fill point is close to the diesel filler. When abroad we always fill the lpg tank first. So far not had any problems, have had an attendant come over to the van in Limoges, I had just fill with lpg the went on to top up with diesel, he just looked shrugged his shoulders and walked away.
 
Who wants to fill up at total they are the most expensive stations, Bergerace is at least 10% more than anything nearby and yes nearby both have LPG too.
 
Guigsy said:
Still way cheaper than bottles.
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Not talking Gas specifically more the petrol, they are stagerringly more.

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STEVE4SONN said:
I would like to know if these stations which refuse us are within their rights or if they are against motorhomes.
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It is a retailer's 'Right' to determine who they do or do not supply. They are under no legal obligation to supply. Refusal can be challenged, say on the basis of racial discrimination, but I wouldn't want to argue in Court that motorhomers are a race.
 
We travel through Italy every year en route to Greece and have never been able to fill up with lpg there. Apparently They aren’t allowed to sell it for domestic use, just for propulsion and most if not all keep the pumps in locked cages. I think that rule is the same for all Eu countries but most filling stations in France, Spain, Greece etc have thus far turned a blind eye. It’s why we put an external filling point in the skirt of the van when we changed it to Gaslow from Calor when we bought it, to give the impression we’re filling a tank rather than bottles. We’ve never been refused in France or Spain and only once in Greece.

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