No Calor Gas bottles
Comments
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I wonder too but assume its a motorhome thing all this gas.
Probably because they are more mobile and tend to stopover in places without electricity more than caravans. I have had Gaslow systems in both my motorhomes and they have more than paid for themselves in terms of consumption and convenience over 20 plus years of use.
peedee
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We bought a used outfit on Monday and were warned by the dealer that cylinders were not easy to get - sure enough all retail suppliers are ‘refill-only’, Calor have said there are no new-issue cylinders being made available for now until who knows when.
I managed to find a 6kg propane Calor with a decent amount left in it on Facebook Marketplace - a Facebook acquaintance has also said they have an empty one I can have, so I should be OK now but for a while it was looking bleak.
Then all the sites are booked up and awnings are all out of stock... this lark needs some planning!
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In my case, our decision to go to Safefill was really to do with the weight of the cylinders rather than the cost, now they it is more difficult to get calorlite. In reality, the cost maybe, at best, quite similar over a ten year period, as we don't use a lot of gas - but then, could be quite difficult to work out with any degree of accuracy. However, if you add in the cost of replacing a caravan axle because of possibly overloading the caravan, it may perhaps, be the more economical option??
At least I have a local source of refilling my cylinders, so the current shortage/ problem of swapping a calor cylinder has been overcome by swapping to Safefill. They have also assured me that they have every intention to continue to refill Safefill cylinders because of the investment they have made in installing the system.David
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I've just looked up the Safefill system - looks interesting. As an aside I was close to the development of the BP Gas Light cylinders for a while - an innovation I was pretty excited about back then. I do recall there was one small issue with them, that being the evaporative cooling effect on gas pressure; in use the cylinder would cool down to a point that the LPG wouldn't evaporate readily enough to maintain decent pressure. This was really only an issue for high-flow use, like a patio heaters - with metal cylinders being thermally conductive this is mitigated somewhat by environmental heating but the thermally-insulated composite cylinders do not allow this.
Also, I believe the Calor cylinder shortage is not affecting refills/swaps - they are still out there to be had, it is affecting new users who want 'in' on the racket.
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We picked up our caravan in April and still haven't managed to find somewhere that will supply a Calor 6kg bottle. Some places have them as exchanges but have been told by Calor not to sell bottles to new customers. Has anyone else had this problem and found a solution? We also had the same response from a Flogas dealer.
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If you are just starting out, consider a refillable, particularly if you plan on going abroad. If you use any significant amount of gas, it will pay for itself over time.
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Just had a browse on line and there are a few 6kg Propane bottles (£80 seems to be the going rate) up for sale, I guess you would need to collect but I was wondering what Calor would say about that.
I haven't read the ins & outs of a Calor contract but I am sure that you never own a Calor cylinder and I would be surprised if Calor allow you to transfer the contract to someone else for a fee.
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Can you get a 3.9 propane? As I am sure they are in the same exchange group? They also have the same connectivity. ;
We have a 6kg lite on at the moment and it has been on for two years now mi wish it would run out as I want to swop it for a 3.9,to save weight
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Seems LPG shortage/price situation is attracting thieves - how secure are yours?
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Delighted we changed to this in the Summer. Yes, more expensive, but in the grand scheme of costs not excessively so - and remember, propane is drived from oil, and we all know where that has gone !
https://www.homebase.co.uk/gaslight-propane-cylinder-refillable-5kg/12804302.html
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https://www.homebase.co.uk/gaslight-propane-cylinder-refillable-5kg/12804302.html
Link made live.
OK if you don’t use much gas. However, at £7 per kg, as against £1.25 when I refilled the other day, expensive if you do.
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Earlier in the year, I spent a month in Scotland and used 21Kg of gas which cost me £29.75. That's 3.5 bottles of Calor which would work out at £100+ assuming you didn't give any residual LPG back to Calor.
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It does of course depend on Gtrimmers usage. When we had a caravan we used very little, as in only for cooking. I would have been OK with those prices.
Now with a MH, moving on more and utilising the large fridge on gas when parked up, I’m glad we are not on Calor even in the UK and using our normal pattern of using mainly CAMC sites.
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I assume much of that time was spent off grid with no EHU? We have spent about 35 nights away this year, all nights with EHU and if we have used a third of our 6kgs Calor bottle I would be surprised. I am not suggesting that refillable cylinders are not a good idea but for many they are not really a worthwhile investment if always using EHU. I have done several upgrades to my motorhome but refillable cylinders are not one I am seriously considering.
David
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Thanks, that's a good idea. I didn't find a 3.9kg but I found a 13kg bottle not too far away but its an ebay auction so will have to bid on it. The advert says it could be nearly full so hopefully I could use it and exchange for a smaller one later
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Have a look on Calor website
https://www.calor.co.uk/gas-bottles/advice/returns#gas-bottle-exchange
you can only exchange within the same group, You can’t swap a 13kg for a smaller bottle.
You maybe able to pick one up at local scrap yard. I got a 7kg butane and swopped for a 6kg propane.
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Dave, what part of the country are you in?
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As you say David, it depends on your usage...but to answer your question, LPG is still very widely available in the continent, certainly in France and Spain.
Spain's infrastructure runs on gas...with so many remote places where there's no piped supply, the Repsol man equates to the Pink Paraffin man of old...
you can get LPG at most Repsol station and cheap as chips bottles. While you might describe a Repsol cylinder as a 'faff' its a great way of supporting a Gaslow when 'over there'...and can be had at a long term site when not moving the van for ages...and, of course, gas usage for heating, cooking etc is actually cheaper than any potential metered leccy...
so, where, how long, off grid etc are all elements that help make the decision...
we off grid in the UK, use other places for months where LPG is plentiful and cheap....for us a no brainer...
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...but some folk use THS temp sites, right in towns and £10 a night...but no EHU so gas and solar become more important and obviously usage rises with fridges running of gas along with hot water..
some folk even 'tour' the whole spring/summer on these myriad events, going from town to town as the mood takes them....all without a cable in sight.
you wouldn't last long on a couple of 4.5kg gas bottles...
throw in the sort of stops Steve was alluding to...and even more 'less formal' aires and gas becomes the regular fuel stream...
still, easy to switch back, if desired, when settled on a site somewhere, home or away...or to be greener...
As CY says, it just gives those who aren't 'tied to sites' the ability to use other stopping places and be kitted up for them.
not for everyone, but our refillable has 'paid for itself' many times over, but our reason for having one was purely independence....no changing of bottles and cheap jus sweeten the deal.
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David, what upgrades would those be....more batteries, more solar etc would fall into the same category as refillable gas....ie improving sustainability....so it won't be those...
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You are right, none of those!!!! My upgrades have been all about making our lives a bit easier whilst using the van. All details on my website.
David
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