LPG
I am considering . changing from Calor gas to Safefill as i intend to caravan off grid a lot more this year as i have a solar panel fitted on the roof of my caravan . Any member who uses safefill,advice and recommendations would be gratefully received.
Comments
-
I made the switch about three years ago - primarily to save weight in our last van which had the usual pathetic payload. The present one - it's not an issue but I still regard it as one of the best moves I have made.
That said, I am fortunate in that there is a garage selling LPG very close to home and I simply make sure the bottle is topped up before we go away. A lot better than trying to source replacement Calor bottles which are in short supply.
Be mindful, however, that quite a few filling points are closing - so LPG isn't as readily available as it was a few years ago. There is a Safefill users group on Facebook which is a good source of information - including suppliers. I have just bought another one and I could only locate one supplier in the country who had any stock - and that's currently very low. When supplies come in, they tend to go very quickly, so you can draw your own conclusions from that.
I filled my existing 7.5kg the other day - from virtually empty - and it cost me all of £8
0 -
Hi, As R&R say a major factor, and the main reason we did not go for Safefill, is the avail of fill points.
We decided against some years ago and the numbers of fill points has reduced ever since and, with the increased popularity of EVs, is likely to continue to fall.
You could maybe expect that in Cornwall, now with just two listed fill points, but our MH owning friends live in Basingstoke and the three nearby fill points have all closed.
Of course it can still make sense if you use a lot of gas and you can fill the cylinder, without it costing in terms of travel, to get to a fill point, but for us we would need at least 6 refills to get near recouping the £159 cost and by then you would likely be needing to get the cylinder re-certified.
Interestingly, the Safefill map does not appear to be accurate as the Cornish Services on the A30 has LPG and allows filling of Safefill but is not shown. The FB user group may have more info but I don’t use FB.
Mind you, bearing in mind the likely large increase in electric costs on site, or as you are considering, off grid, and the pendulum swings back in favour of Safefill!
0 -
Notwithstanding the question mark over future EHU costs, currently Safefill only makes sense if you off-grid or travel on the continent on long trips. If you are always on hook-up a 6Kg Calor used just for cooking and the odd BBQ is probably going to last about three to four weeks, possibly longer.
I do a fair bit of off-grid and since 2017 my 10Kg Safefill has paid for itself twice over.
PS. There are two LPG locations within 12 miles of Basingstoke that I know of. I don 't know which part of Wiltshire the OP lives but Catleys Gas at Devizes is good.
0 -
We live in Basingstoke, have a Safefill we use not just with the caravan but fire pit table and bbq in the garden,
No probs getting it refilled.
If going south west on A303 there is a station in Winterbourne Stokes, another near Yeovil.
We have family in the Bath/Bristol area so take it with us and refill as needed at Cribbs Causeway Morrisons, or Andy's gas.
There is a station just over the Tamar Bridge as you enter Kernow.
Marinas and building suppliers often have refill points.
LPG is not just the preserve of caravaners / motorhomers.
A little effort in planning / monitoring use solves any perceived issues.
Watched a YouTube channel 'Extreme Motorhoming' where they did the NC500, pointing out LPG fill points they passed.
0 -
I think the days of forecourt LPG fills is probably in terminal decline, but there are quite a number of places like Catleys Gas out there who are broad based gas product specialists. They’re likely to endure despite the declining auto market. A bit of research and planning is all that’s needed on our part. For that reason I wouldn’t avoid LPG, but as CY says long-term continental touring is the best reason to stick with it.
0 -
"There is a station just over the Tamar Bridge as you enter Kernow."
Shell at Carkeel Roundabout. It was 99.9p per litre earlier this week.
0 -
That’s no cheaper than the big Flogas propane cylinders we use here at home
0 -
Thank you all for your feed back very much appreciated
0 -
You’ll find much more about refillable gas systems in the Tips for cheaper vanning section, PP.
0 -
When we considered Safefill I called at Shell Caradon, Trerulefoot, to ask about filling there, it was a definite no!
The Saltash Shell is not on the Safefill map, but then neither is the BP at Cornwall Servces and they do allow filling of Safefill.
0 -
I'm talking about Carkeel roundabout near Saltash, not Trerulefoot, A&J. The latter no longer has an LPG pump but the former does.
0 -
Don't rely on my LPG.eu
they list all LPG retailers for filling up a LPG car, even those who don't let you fill a cylinder up
use Safefill map, or hear is a list on hear, thin it might be tips for making caravanning cheaper
0 -
With a 'plumbed in' Gaslow system I do rely on myLPG.eu as i don't have to fill a stand alone unit.
I agree a 'Safefill' listing would be of more specific use with this type of refillable.
0 -
As has been posted already, forecourt LPG fillip sites are reducing and set to become worse. Add in some garages who don’t permit filling safefill bottles, and times are getting more difficult. But, we did switch to safefill and we’re happy with that decision. To ease the ‘won’t permit filling’ problem, my husband fabricated a towbar mounted bracket with a standard LPG inlet, connected to a gas line into the car boot, where we can secure a Safefill bottle. It’s a cheat, which requires good DIY capability, but if you have the tools and the competence, then it might work for you too.
0 -
Do you also have a ball valve in the hose adjacent to the POL fitting? Remote filling for Safefill is considered unwise although, with prudence and the valve, it could be OK.
0 -
Yes, there’s an inline gas cutoff ball valve adjacent to the POL. I’m told that it’s a legal requirement. So - to allow to leak onto the road we’d have to;
Open the POL Gas valve.
Open the ball valve.
Override the gas inlet on the towbar, which automatically closes when the filler gun is removed.
That’s more secure than the caravan installation when operating with a cylinder.
0 -
I have an integral LPG tank in the Motorhome. The best app is www.autogas.app. It has prices and is updated regularly. Unfortunately, at present only about 20% of the usual suppliers actually have gas available.
0 -
Do Morrisons allow you to fill onboard cylinders?
Edit…..apparently they do👍 There’s an easy access Morrisons which is 200 metres from Junction 1 of the M18, which is around a mile from the M1, and three miles from the A1/M18 junction. Might suit some if in area. It’s at Bramley in Rotherham. Lots of other services available there as well. LPG was 78.9p yesterday as we passed.
There’s another Morrisons not far of the M1, down the A630 (Sheffield Parkway) for about 2 miles as well, at Catcliffe in Rotherham. Again, easy access, lots of other services.
Might suit anyone going North/South on M1.
0 -
MyLPG.eu is less than useless, it lists ALL LPG outlets, and half of them don't let you fill Safefill.
Use the Safefill webpage, it shows all that have agreed with safefill to allow you to fill up.
also theirs is a stickey list under tips for making caravanning cheaper, all on that list have allowed the filling of safefill
0 -
I considered the Safefill but here in North Devon quite a lot of filling stations will not allow safe fill but will permit permanent installations.
Surprising as it is a holiday area but there you have it, the owner has last say.
I have now started using the little Propane bottles now the Calor Lite is scrapped. it is a help to me as the bigger Calor Lite bottles were too heavy for the nose weight, if you get my drift !
0 -
Teach me to be so smug when I posted on the 26th. I went to my 'local' garage a couple of days ago to fill up both Safefills - only to find out that they hadn't had any gas for about a month and weren't expecting a delivery until next month - and even that estimate was a bit uncertain.
I ended up travelling a further 20 miles in the opposite direction where I found that Kirkburn Service Station (just outside Driffield, for those in the area) had plenty.
What I saved in gas, I more than spent in diesel getting there and back!
1 -
Hi everyone,
We are new to motorhomes, having just bought a 1998 Fiat Ducato Swift Sundance. We have had caravans in the past but for a long time have been on the waterways.
The Sundance has one Calor gas bottle fitted. It is painted with a fresh looking orange and has a propane regulator but marked as 4.5 kgs and traces of old blue paintwork at the bottom. My understanding is that propane at this size should be 3.9 kgs so I assume that Calor have recommissioned it for propane. and will accept it in exchange for a full one.
There is room for 2 small bottles in the gas locker and I have an empty 13kg propane and a small butane bottle from previous boats. Is there any way to swap either of these for a small propane bottle?
Colin
0 -
Have a look at Calor website,
https://www.calor.co.uk/gas-bottles/refills-and-returns/refills
according to Calor you can exchange within the groups i.e. your small butane for small propane, if you can find any.
I was talking to a warden on a site a few weeks ago who said he was expecting a delivery that week, but could only swap like for like and couldn't sell new agreements. Not sure whether it was his policy or Calor's. My daughter and family are on the same site at the moment and he hasn't any gas now.
0 -
Evening
It's calor's policy Burgundy
JK
0 -
I’ve attempted to fill my tanks over the last 3 months only to find those service stations who are on the app no longer are supplying. Today, on my latest trip, called at two on the app who had prices in excess of 90p a litre advertised on their road side signs as I approached only to find their pump was out of order or they had no gas. Had to wait in a queue to exist with empty tank again. I really am considering going back to Calor but do they have bottles or gas? Arrived on a private site later on in my journey today only to find they were demanding an extra surcharge for increased electric costs. Had paid upfront for my stay a couple of days earlier so just a tad disappointed.
0 -
Phoned Brownhills as I will be passing late afternoon, they told me their tank was down to 5% and they hadn’t a clue when the next delivery will arrive. Apparently this is happening all the time now and they are frequently out of gas as a result. They quoted me £0.90 per litre but they doubted any would be left after today, will call on route to check.🤞Just for the record they are supplied by Calor.
0
