Refillable Gas Systems
Comments
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David, you only need one Safefill cylinder due to being able to fill it at your convenience. However, can’t you carry the other somewhere else? I carry mine under the bed. I use my 10kg bottle as the main one and my small 3.5 kg SF as a backup.
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I think I'll have to have a think about whether we can house a second bottle elsewhere. I really like two gas bottles: one for the caravan and one for the cadac. We've been known to use the cadac and the caravan oven the same time, and I don't like using the BBQ point on the side of the 'van.
I'll continue to think it through. No real rush at the moment as we'll be OK for gas until the Spring.
David
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With most caravanners carrying all but a swat LPG cylinder under the bed will mean it is not carried upright, totally against recommended industry practice. Plus of course it is within an "occupied space" and one containing electrical equipment and naked flame potential ignition sources, again against best advice.
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Last until spring. I will be lucky if our gas lasts the weekend!
Which Bailey have you got David? We will be on a Rally this W/e and I am certain that both safefil and Bailey vans will be in evidence, I will ask what people do if you want.
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Thanks Boff. We have a Bailey Unicorn 3 Valencia (2016). Any info. would be useful.
We only use gas for cooking as we're on EHU all the time and are not ralliers. We have another 3 nights away later on in the month and if we manage to get away in December it will probably be a miracle as the diary gets hectic.
Thanks
David
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I am surprised that you use enough gas to warrant a change David and more so given the cost of replacement bottles and the availability of calor on sites.
I spend 4 months of the year on EHU and suspect that (given I already have calor bottles) the cost of buying one empty safefill gas would pay for 6 years of refills for my 3.9kg Calor bottles. By the time I have refilled them as needed break even time would be when the bottles were almost due for pressure retest in 10 years. True, with a 7.5kg bottle I would only need one refill a year as opposed to one and a half exchanges on site but the extra faff in transporting the bottle to a particpating garage would make it a no-no as a light user.
For those regularly off grid I can see a definite attraction though.
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We are away for about 140 +nights a year in all seasons and as you use EHU on all our stays,we also only normally use gas for cooking (unless a power cut),we find a 6kg lite lasts over a year,so we could never justify,or recover the large investment in a refillable system
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Yes, I know what you mean about taking a long time to be 'in profit', but its more a question of weight, to be honest. Had calor not have withdrawn calorlite, I would probably have stuck with them, but I don't really want to go back to the heavier steel cylinders.
David
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Weight is why I carry two 3.9kg bottles - that and ease of handling. Weight for the 2 full is 20kg. (That also adds around 10kg to noseweight I think from memory).
Full 10kg safefill is 15kg. If you are talking a second bottle where is the weight saving David?
JVB uses one 6kg bottle and a bit in 130 weeks. I use a little less than one and a half 3.9kg bottles in 120 weeks and so very similar. For a low user I only see the Safefill lower weight as being useful if you insist on carrying twice as much gas as you will use in a year of touring.
I have similar views regarding Calorlite
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DSB
You’ve written We've been known to use the cadac and the caravan oven the same time, and I don't like using the BBQ point on the side of the 'van
Can I ask , is there a particular reason for not using the exterior BBQ point?
I use both the oven, gas hob and the exterior BBQ point for the Cadac quite regularly at the same time
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I'm not a fan of using the BBC point. I like the flexibility on moving the gas bottle (next to the cadac) exactly where I want it on the pitch according to the lie of the land, the wind by direction (shelter etc), position of other units/ cars etc. I don't like long pipes trailing, as we don't trust ourselves and find them a trip hazard. We also have a dog on a lead which can cause tangle problems. Just my preference.
David
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At the moment, I use 2 x 6kg calorlite, one which is connected to the caravan, the other which I remove from the gas compartment when I want to use it on the cadac. These weigh 10.52kg each (total 21.04kg) when full. The 3.9kg bottle weighs in as between 9-10.5kg according to my efforts on Google a few moments ago. So 2 x 3.9kg is another option.
We do use a lot of gas with the cadac and wouldn't be really happy in taking any less than a full bottle of 3.9 into Europe for a 7 week stint - and that may well be cutting it fine for us.
Another option is to keep a 3.9kg and to go for a 7.5 safefill that weighs in at 11.5kg. That wouldn't be a million miles away with the weight (at between 20.5-22kg) and giving me a max of 11.4kg of gas (as opposed to 12kg) and the flexibility of filling up.
I may have talked myself Into this configuration....
David
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Another option is to keep a 3.9kg and to go for a 7.5 safefill that weighs in at 11.5kg. That wouldn't be a million miles away with weight (At between 20.5-22kg) and giving me a max of 11.4kg of gas (as opposed to 12kg) and the flexibility of filling up.
Seems a far more sensible option to me David
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David, i agree with your thinking...
sounds like the gas bottle for the Cadac is the one that you need the flexibility on....ie, you use plenty of gas for outdoor cooking when away in Europe.
so, with the appropriate adaptor, this should give you piece of mind, when away, that with a GPL pump at many FRench supermarkets or at loads of Spanish filling stations, there will always be enough gas to burn the sausages...
as a by product, the Safefill could always work as back up, should you run out on your 'main' (smaller) bottle...
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The consensus of opinions here is that a safefill and a Calor 6kg will fit in a U3 gas locker. The person next us has an original safefill and a Calor light in his. I don’t think that the original bottle was any slimmer than the current one. Ironically there is raffle here first prize is a safefill bottle.
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Getting closer to making the decision on safe fill. I've actually contacted webbs motorhomes down in Warminster to see if they actually stock the bottles.
My question would be, will the current regulator (red) and rubber tube we have connecting our calorlite to the autochangeover regulator we have fitted on the bulkhead, or will we need a replacement?
Also what typically would be the current cost to fill a 7.5 kg cylinder.
Very surprised that they have been out of stock for some time of the small cylinder and now don't have any 10kgs either.
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So I've got another confirmed location. I've spoken to the owner of Monkton Combe Garage on the outskirts of Bath (BA2 7HY) They allow safe fill bottles to be re-filled.
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It is the same connection as a Calorlite so no need to buy anything to make it fit
in terms of cost, 7.5kg of gas, is about 14.5 litres. So at 60p per litre, that’s £8.70, which is about £7 for 6kg as in a Calorlite. These are very rough and ready calcs but won’t be too far away. So what’s that on 3 bottles of Calor a saving of £45 or so, gives you a payback of 3-4 years. Only you can tell if it is worth it.
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We've just lost our one and only LPG station in Perth. I've had a look at a few web sites trying to find a list of places that we could fill up, both when at home but also when out and about in the UK.
So I ask the question is there a reliable website that list possible places to fill up.
Many thanks.
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