How much do you pay for your gas ?

Merve, adapters are available and some filing setups have two filling heads, it's not rocket science to fill an ordinary LH BSP valve, the operator of the filling knows the difference some don't care all they care about is selling the LPG and makinga profit

Merve, adapters are available and some filing setups have two filling heads, it's not rocket science to fill an ordinary LH BSP valve, the operator of the filling knows the difference some don't care all they care about is selling the LPG and makinga profit

Write your comments here...Im sure you're correct but that is where good practice comes in- shut them down AND prosecute the idiot filling the cylinder! Not many will risk losing their livelihood if they know the consequence! I can see the day coming when
garages actively encourage Safefill and Gaslow By displaying large notices, banners etc. I was on the IOW 4 weeks ago and took my SF cylinder to a filling point. The cashier rushed out and told me they didn't fill cylinders. I said ' you do these- I've already
spoken to your boss and have been told that there is no problem as these cylinders are made to be refilled.' When she realised that this cylinder was completely different to anything she had seen before as I took the trouble to show her and explain, she was
blown away by it and just kept saying" that's fantastic- I've never seen anything like it- that's fantastic etc etc. I told her that's because she hadn't seen anything like it before but that she would be seeing many more in the future. It's up to all of us
to help get the message out! Sod Calor and Co- they have had their day- it's time now for a new method of getting gas - cheaper, lighter and more convenient. Let's do it!!

At the moment Fysh, I agree with you regarding an apparent reluctance to back stand alone cylinders. Last week, I again contacted the editorial dept of the Caravan Club after emailing Gary Martin earlier in the year- 6 or 7 months ago. In the very  recent past, and some of you may well remember, whenever the Club refer to non EHU caravanning, on both recent inserts it was referred to as "back to basics" which I have to say does not help the caravanning public make an educated choice. For instance, the use of the word 'back' implies very forcibly that the non EHUer has retreated from modern life which couldn't be further from the truth as it is he that is embracing all the latest in modern technology! Again, the use of the word "basics" implies lighting by gas mantle water that is heated on a kelly kettle and heating supplied by wrapping a blanket around oneself!! One article even had a picture of an old enamel bucket, and 'old' stuff inside a classic caravan!!  There was a description of what was availilable but no in depth information. I have invited the CC to visit me on site and really get down to informing the caravanning public of what awaits them if they are thinking about going off grid. SPs inverters, Safefill supplying the gas, LED lighting etc. To suggest that it is a backward step to go off grid is in my opinion at best ill informed and at worst a deception. I await a result. The CC has spent many thousands on EHU pitches and is sponsored by Calor so things are a bit 'sticky'' for them but the truth has to be told and the correct information fed to the public. For instance, it's amazing how many people have never heard of Safefill for instance and SPs are a black art! Inverters? - don't even go there!! - Gary, I look forward to a full and very informative article on  non EHU 'vanning in the near future.

The one thing I will say Fysh is that Safefill are working extremely hard to make that challenge. Against all the odds, they are succeeding and should be praised for their energy and tenacity. I am convinced that things will turn around for them in the near
future. This product is just too good for Calor and Co to kill off- the cream always floats to the top!!

Merve, a really good post....

however, you only have to look at the 'non-critical' reviews given by CC magazine to realise how 'in bed' they are with their 'sponsors'....anything that might influence sales of calor will be off limits...

ever seen a slating bad review of a Bailey or Swift caravan....

as to the 'in depth' MH reviews....a joke...

so...to Safefil.....solar panels.....and off grid vanning.....

the Club has a vested interest in attracting members to their 'fully equipped' (ehu and loo) sites and i just cant see them putting together an enthusiastic article convincing members that off grid vanning is 'the same' as being plugged in on a site.

we've had talk about this 'encouraging wild camping' exactly as you get when discussing members using sites as a Service Point (for a fee) when just passing through.

the club has a very clear set of ideas as to how 'camping' should be done, and pitching up, applying the handbrake and not ferreting around for the ehu cable suddenly becomes foreign...old fashioned, as you described.... 

perhaps the club (and the members that read their bland 'reviews/tests') dont understand that a cuppa made with water boiled on a gas hob tastes the same as one made with water from an electic kettle.

similarly, my shower water (heated with gas) does the same job as that heated with electric.

my tv programs are equally bad running from my 12v tv as any mains one and my ipad/phone charge equally well from my 12v socket as from a mains one.

however, one thing is far better......the price of the pitch

so, far from being old fashioned and 'back to basics', we know its anything but......

but the club is convinced that 'it' is in the forefront of technology, and anything other than its model is 'hairshirt' (love that one....)

Thanks BB you fill in the gaps that I leave but think about! Yes, my fridge is just as cold, this iPad works just as well even if it has been charged using free electricity! The shower is still as luxurious and the radio and television are still as bad as they ever were! LOL.  Fysh. I think the progress of this is frustrating to the folk who have walked the path to freedom from high charges! The CC and Calor have a right to run their businesses the way they see fit and make profit where they can ( if they can get away with it) However, how many businesses have disappeared over the centuries because new ideas arrived and the old ways were dropped? Thousands! How much Snuff gets sold now? Old lightbulbs- fast disappearing! Even the giant tobacco industry has has to seriously cut its cloth due to new ideas. The new tech has, as we know, brought a fantastic opportunity for change but most are stuck still in the old ways - having unlimited power no matter what the cost both personally and to the planet. Of course Calor and the CC are inextricably linked as the status quo has been maintained for so long but now it's feeling pressure- that impacts on profit- that's the problem. The CC could make so much capital out of showing the Gt British public that they are for sustainable energy and progress. Calor won't go bust- they'll just have to steer in a slightly different direction . SAFEFILL and GAS LOW will become the standard go to cylinders in years to come- you can't stop progress no matter how hard you try and Calor and Co have tried vey hard and failed!

the two 'main' reasons for an idividual installing refillable gas (and SP) are the ability to stay on sites where there is a real saving each night (and more choice) but also to be able to holiday for long periods abroad without the concern around changing
cylinders where you cant swap Calor...ie convenience.

however, as Michael says, the convenience for a few might not convince that a filling point is worth the expense....this might be the longer term issue...

as it currently stands, there are plenty of 'gaslow friendly' sites but not so many 'safefil-friendly' ones, due to gaslow having a separate filler point...

getting the word out that refillables are 'on the up' os still a tough nut to crack, i fear....

The argument still stands though the cost of installing solar, inverters, fillable gas system is high compared to the saving for most people.  When we had a caravan we used maybe half a cylinder a year as we were nearly always on EHU so the cost of a solar panel £500, gaslow £300 and an inverter £300 (all rought figures) is a big layout to save £20 a year!!

However on the MH we do have a SP, gaslow (no inverter but have 2 USB sockets) and a second batery allows us to either not plug in for a night or 2 or go on non EHU sites, but so far we have had around 30 nights away and not used half a cylinder yet so it still is going to take a long time to recoup the money but does allow us more freedom, but as I stated before why would a garage have an LPG pump for me to pop in for £7 of gas?

The mai reason for the SP ws to keep the batteries including engine battery topped up in addition to the extra freedom.

I can understand stations not allowing people to fill safefill if they turn up with just a cylinder but not if it has a filler nozzle due to their ignorance of the product.  Filling stations in Essex are feew and far between so ahving to travel 40 miles to get to one may be offputting.  Unril LPG cars take off I do not see the situation improviong however much Merve tries to recoup the cost of the shares he obviusly has in safefill

Micheal, A totally incorrect and uninformed comment! I do hope it was a tongue in cheek comment- I suspect it was!  I have no financial interest and never have had any financial interest in Safefill so I would like you to withdraw that statement. My only interest is to inform the readers of this blog as to how good they are. That in itself will ensure a healthy future for LPG pumps as I have said before, Safefill and Gaslow are expanding ensuring continuous service.

To challenge you on your point, and which BB addresses, you seem to be falling in to the same old trap. You don't get it and you probably won't. This all depends on how much caravanning you do of course and if you go away a couple of fortnights or so a year then I agree with you. The point we are making is that you are not taking into account the money you are paying out each and every day which will be between as a conservative estimate, £8 to £10 each and every day-  and that is just so that you can take probably something like 20p to 25p's worth of electricity. Now, I accept that there is a cost to installing a system and your figures, whilst not totally correct, are near enough for us to have a debate. 3 1/2 years ago I looked at installing a system as I had worked out that not only would I be released from charges I didn't need but also it would allow me to be free from the drudgery of an EHU point.  I worked out that I could recoup my costs within two years and I was correct, in fact it was slightly less. I am now able to caravan at between £4 and £7 a night- not £13 - £18. And boy, some of these nonEHU sites are stunning. 

 As for the kit I have fitted is concerned, it can be removed from my van and put on any new van I get which will cost me nothing. And SP has a useful life of 20 years, a battery about 10 years  give or take, and an inverter, well, choose your figure! My savings after 20 years caravanning will be astronomical and the effort of installing this system will have been well worthwhile. It already is!

 However, if I were looking for investment.......... 

£2.70 to fill my gas Gaslow 2.7kg bottle these fit the VW t4 Topaz and t5 nice size easyer than Calor bottles to fit inside gas store. Recommend these as when setting out I fill my fuel at the same time fill the gas that way you alway know how much gas you
have I also think lpg is hotter? Cooks faster 

Write your comments here...I agree LPG does seem to be hotter and cook better. When I used calor in my old van the flame never seemed totaly blue but when I switched to safefill got a lovely blue flame.( van was serviced every year by the way)

Nightly savings is nil on most CC sites as they dont offer non EHU pitches apart from a  few economy pitches.  Same for most commercial sites I have seen, the C&CC do I think offer non EHU pitches but due to their booking service and poor quality sites
we have now let our membership lapse.  For the £7 a night sites I assume you are talking CL's which we use but (£10 is least we have paid, most are £12-£15) like to mix and match and if possible have some facilities so we will never recoup the cost I doubt. 
For those who want to "hair shirt" camp then I am sure it would be worth it and like you say 2-3 years of sitting in farmers fields with a  tap and elsan point you can easily recoup your outlay.  For ourselves and I think a lot of folks then thats not how
we like to get away, but we dont worry with EHU for 1 night even if its included though that may change in winter as I am not sure how much electric the fan will use on the heater yet until we are confident.

Yes Mick, this is CLs I'm talking about. CC sites are not an option for us, - not because of the cost of them but for the 'crowds' on them, the pegs, the lines of regimented caravans etc. It just doesn't float my boat but if I were comparing with CC
sites the savings are huge. I remember a couple of years ago driving past Trewethett on our way to Tintagel from my £5 a night site up the road at Welcombe - some £23 or £24 a night cheaper, -  hair shirt? No way. You seem to mock" sitting in a farmers field"
but I have never felt that and whats more, I have been to some stunning sites off grid and I wouldn't have,had I swam with the crowd. Ok we haven't got shower blocks, toilets, wash ups, laundry facilities, etc etc, but we do have all that available to us in
our vans and M/Hs. Why I ask, do people buy caravans and then don't use the facilities on board? I accept they do but again, I don't understand the logic. I say again, non EHU these days is a very comfortable holiday with everything we want and need And that
is purely down to modern tech and innovative hard working companies like Safefill. It allows me to caravan so much more without worrying about finance. 3 times more as an average. That's got to be a result. And you know, there is something about not pulling
electricity off a grid that has burnt fossil fuels to get it or has been created by a controlled nuclear explosion!! I just think it's the reason I started caravanning- so I could get away from it all! 

I like sitting in a farmers field on our own with just a tap, the barbie going, guitar strumming, singing loudly and with the sun shining down.

I also like sitting on a Premier Park site costing £40 with a EHU, clubhouse, fyshing lakes, and a private beach.

The thing is, with a SP and a Safefill we can do both (not at the same time of course) depending upon how we feel.

I do have to be in the right frame of mind but we once stayed on a site in Italy (Union Lido) that was massive, literally over a thousand pitches and more like a self contained village.

We both thought "OMG what have we done" but it was superb. Seriously good. It also had EHU

Like I said, everyone to their own Fysh. 

£2.70 to fill my gas Gaslow 2.7kg bottle these fit the VW t4 Topaz and t5 nice size easyer than Calor bottles to fit inside gas store. Recommend these as when setting out I fill my fuel at the same time fill the gas that way you alway know how much gas you
have I also think lpg is hotter? Cooks faster 

I know T4's don't have a lot of space but 2.7kg of gas isn't going to last that long and I presume a fixed Gaslow system doesn't lend itself to carrying a spare, assuming you had somewhere to put it.