Safefill. Filling in Europe.
Have anyone had any problems in filling these cylinders in Europe. I like the idea of 2 portable but lightweight 10kg bottles. We use gas for home bbq etc etc. Don't really want a fixed system and must be lightweight. I have seen some old warnings of possible
refilling problems but is this still true. Has anyone been refused a fill? Your feedback as always would be greatly appreciated.
Comments
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Sam, there have been the odd report about problems filling refillables at home and abroad...
generally, if the system has an external filler, like an LPG car would have, you wont get a problem.
on our old van, the filler was inside the gas locker (as it would be with a safefill inside) and had a problem just once....we went to the next garage and all was ok. we now have an external filler point.
however, of youre thinking about taking the cylinder put of the locker and standing it next to the pump for filling, staff may think you are filling (or trying to fill) a non refillable bottle.
if you must have a safefill, keep it in the locker and park close enough to the pump.
having said that, if you are going to be doing this, why not have a proper gaslow (or alugas if comcerned about weight) refillable bottle with a proper external filler.
i dont see the advantage of a safefill for a motorhomer who will be taking his vehicle to the pump....unless you will have a seperate vehicle with you??...
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The design of the Safefill precludes the use of an external filler.
The advantage of a Safefill on a MH is that you can take the cylinder to be topped up before each trip without using the MH.
Of course if you have extended trips then a single Gaslow and a Safefill would be ideal or simply a Safefill and a local country cylinder. I know people who winter in Spain with MH's who do this.
Regarding filling overseas, I don't know. We just will not use enough gas on our trips to empty the Safefill. All I have ever done is take a Calor 6kg (now replaced by a Safefill) and an emergency Camping Gaz 907 which we have never used.
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fysh, i realised the safefill couldnt have an external filler, hence my question regarding taking the cylinder with another vehicle.
theres no advantage in taking a safefill (in a car) to a garage thats 'local' and then driving past umpteen LPG stations in the MH.....which is what you would certainly be doing in france or spain as LPG is everywhere.
isnt the OP about ensuring the easiest filling experience in a MH in Europe?
IMHO, with only your MH with you for transport, a fixed filler system will cause the least problems.
however, with a caravan and a car (and perhaps in the uk) this might be different, but in europe you'll still run the gauntlet of trying to fill a standalone cylinder on a forecourt, explaining to the attendant that all is well......in french, spanish or
german
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Have to disagree BB.
When we had a MH, it took such a lot of messing about getting it in and out of the driveway I would have loved a Safefill system that I could just throw in the car top up and then be sure the gas was up at 100% when we set off in the MH.
Where we live the filling stations are not that easy to get a MH into and not really on the routes we travel.
I would envisage that filling up a Safeill overseas will be like it is in the UK., some garages wil not allow it and some will and I would also be keen to hear of recent experiences.
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we'll, agree to disagree....
have a look at filllpg.com and youll see that filling stations are sufficiently numerous to be able to collect your gas whichever direction you travel from home.
i have a couple which i use which are suitable...one for south or east journeys, the other for north or west...
the thing is, its a bit like petrol/diesel, if you come across an lpg pump, just top up the tank when there is a pump when getting your diesel....that way, the lpg tank is nearly always full.
as i said, there would be no point in me taking my car to fill a safefill if i was only going to pass the same station in my van a bit later....
anyway, youre buying it cheap.....thats the main thing
"I would envisage that filling up a Safeill overseas will be like it is in the UK., some garages wil not allow it and some will and I would also be keen to hear of recent experiences."
....and this is obviously the risk of a safefill...overseas, i'd definitely be using an externally filled bottle as these, generally, cause no problems. also, without the car, one would have to take the MH to get the gas anyway....so best done en route at one of the many supermarket fuel/lpg stations.
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thanks, will let you know next time we head up your way...
the cider's pretty good down here, too....
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Thank you for your comments so far. I would like to clarify that the reason for considering the safefill bottles are 2 fold. Weight and we do use gas cylinders at home and in another van so portability would be very useful. I suppose 1 Alugas lightweight
and 1 Safefill could work. Anyone use a mixture to cover different circumstances?0 -
we will add a spanish bottle to our single 11kg Gaslow, as the gas ar Repsol/Cepsa is really cheap for when long terming and the site meters leccy...much, much cheaper to power the fridge on local gas and let the solar panel take care of the 12v stuff..
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DD, was going to probably pick one up next trip down there.
cant find dimensions on Repsol website but popular comment on OAL/MMM is that 2 would fit into a 'std' continental locker, so im guessing 1 will sit nicely next to my 11kg Gaslow.
edit: just saw ypur 'edit'......agreed
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.....still.....? fat little spaniard, lol
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We have a safe fill gas bottle and filled up 3 times in France in January. At first the staff came over and said we couldn't but when I typed the writing on the bottle in my phone English to French conversion app they realised it was ok and one staff member
even filled it for us. You do need an adaptor to fill up in France but it just screws on the bottle and the French claw system is so much easier than the uk bayonette system. We have a caravan so took the bottle in the car all 3 times. In the uk we took the
caravan to a motorway services we were passing and filled the bottle up in situe in the locker with no issues either0 -
Thank you for that. That's most helpful. I am certainly leaning towards the idea or a 14 kg Alugas fixed and a Safefill sitting besides. Both angles covered. Perticularly if there is not too much of an overrseas filling problem.
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Thanks for that. My locker measures 700 high and the Alugas cylinder I believe is 680 with a removable shoude so possibly 660. Its a gas locker in the garage of the motorhome. Just got to brave when cutting a 70mm hole in the side of my nice new van!!!!!!!
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I don't know how fixed kits work but you might be able to detach the alu gas and put onto safefill if you it's getting low and you pass an lpg place. There was a really good web site that listed all the lpg stations in France. I can't find it now though.
Will keep looking0 -
That's good advice and worth considering. Cheers for that.
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again, DD has raised a good point....Repsol/Cepsa stations are so prolific in Spain that obtaning bottled gas is a breeze.
a simple bottle top 'Jumbo' adaptor will give a fall back position should there be an issue when trying to fill the Safefill (no idea on Spanish 'policy' with these) or if pumped LPG proves hard to find....(we have one), however the network was being rapidly
expanded last time we were there, 18 mths ago.im always a belt and braces type when the failsafe is so cheap and simple
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DD, can you not fit the Jumbo onto one of your existing hoses (21.8 LH thread) or would you be looking to stand the spanish bottle on the ground outside the locker, as many do....hence a longer hose might be useful?
alternatively, you could disconnect at the regulator end...is this what you are thinking?
obviously, with three bottles, you have to put one of them 'out of the way'.
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If I went back to a MH (and we might do) I think I would have an Alugas fitted by the chaps at Thirsk and investigate the possibillity of a two way individually isolated fitting that would allow the use of a Safefill in a 2 bottle fixed/portable set up. I am sure these guy's could devise something that would work.
I can see the advantage of a Safefill in a MH (you don't have to take the MH out to get a top up for the trips of a few weeks away) and the advantage of a fixed system (filling up whilst on an extended tour) so why not have both? If staying long term say in Spain over winter, a local bottle could then be easily be hooked up either by leaving the Safefill at home or a longer pigtail to a 3rd external bottle.
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I don't know how fixed kits work but you might be able to detach the alu gas and put onto safefill if you it's getting low and you pass an lpg place. There was a really good web site that listed all the lpg stations in France. I can't find it now though.
Will keep lookingwww.filllpg.co.uk perhaps?
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If I went back to a MH (and we might do) I think I would have an Alugas fitted by the chaps at Thirsk and
investigate the possibillity of a two way individually isolated fitting that would allow the use of a Safefill in a 2 bottle fixed/portable set up. I am sure these guy's could devise something that would work.I can see the advantage of a Safefill in a MH (you don't have to take the MH out to get a top up for the trips of a few weeks away) and the advantage of a fixed system (filling up whilst on an extended tour) so why not have both? If staying
long term say in Spain over winter, a local bottle could then be easily be hooked up either by leaving the Safefill at home or a longer pigtail to a 3rd external bottle.With a truma manual changeover valve you can attach a mix of bottles.....refillable, stand alone, whatever...just switch the switch when one runs out and use the other.
how the bottles are filled (at a depot or by yourself) wont matter when each is connected to the valve and regulator...
Re your second point, the duration of a trip makes no difference....
if you have both types of cylinder then to fill them both at an LPG station youd have to either remove the safefill and take it to the pump or park close enough in the MH to fill the safefill at the pump.....then move the filler nozzle over to your Alugas
to fill that one...if you just wanted to fill the safefil without movingthe MH youd need to take the cylinder out of the MH, then drive to an LPG station, then back to home, put the cylinder back in the MH and then commence your trip....
bit of a palaver, i reckon as, to use the MH, it has to be driven away from ones house so you might as well get the gas in the MH rather than going out in the car......
i prefer to fill as i pass the LPG station...
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