Refillable Gas Systems
Ok here goes - being a Safefill owner that is the one I know most about and I like it because I can see the level of gas - it is lightweight and the saving over the price of Calorlite is substantial if you are a heavy user. It makes even more sense to use a refillable if you are going across the water as you can refill there - whereas Calor is not obtainable (not anywhere I have been anyway). There were three sizes but the grapevine said the smallest has been discontinued.
There is also Gaslow which until I saw a recent post I thought was a permanent fixed refillable probably more convenient for a Motorhomer, but I see they have free standing cylinders too. When I looked at Gaslow it appeared to be far more expensive to set up for a caravanner than Safefill - but I could have been looking in the wrong place.
Gasit - is another I believe but I know nothing about it.
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Hope this helps:
Gaslow
6KG - Capacity (80%): 11.5 litres Height: 460mm Diameter: 246mm Empty Weight: 8.15kg KG
11KG - Capacity (80%): 21 litres Height: 560mm Diameter: 304mm Empty Weight: 12.4KG
"After 10 years you must return your cylinder to a Gaslow dealer who will exchange it and charge a replacement fee"GAS IT
6KG - Capacity (80%): 13.8 litres Height: 470mm Diameter: 246mm Empty Weight: 7KG
11KG - Capacity (80%): 21.5 litres Height: 550mm Diameter: 304mm Empty Weight: 10.7KG"GAS IT's refillable bottles life span depend on how they are looked after, because we know of some customers of ours who bought gas bottles back in the 70's and they are still working fine.
Under UK & EU law, every enduser owned refillable gas bottle has to be tested every 10 years. We can't change that, its law it applies to us all. We don''t do testing here as its a specialist service, but there are a few companies in the UK that can carry the inspection work. After passing the test, you will get another 10 years"
Safefill
5KG - Capacity (80%): 13.8 litres Height: 384mm Diameter: 305mm Weight: 3.4kg empty and 8.4kg when full
7.5KG - Capacity (80%): 13.8 litres Height: 460mm Diameter: 305mm Weight: 4.1kg empty and 11.6kg when full
10KG - Capacity (80%): 21.5 litres Height: 571mm Diameter: 305mm Weight: 5kg empty and 15kg when full
"As with most cylinders current guidelines require a recertification at 10 years"So you pay your money and take your choice!
After I got intrested in refillable gas bottles, I went for Safefill as it is easier to gauge how much gas you have left and is slightly lighter when full
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Never knew about that one.
Another one to add to the list!
Alugas
11KG - Capacity (80%): 27.2 litres Height: 600mm Diameter: 300mm Empty Weight: 6.6KG
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and the Gaslow Direct Fill bottles (in 11/6/3 kgs) .....same as Safefill but uses a guage rather than a see through bottle ....
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There is also the option of having a gas tank fitted. Some Motorhomes are sold with tanks fitted underneath to free up space for storage.
I have the Gaslow system in my motorhome, which was fitted by the supplying dealer. Friends have had their systems fitted while at outdoor Motorhome shows. The various systems are usually represented at Warners shows and can be fitted while you watch.
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I'm a Safefill convert, having two of their older red 15l bottles. All will be much better for Safefill owners with the change in the Petrol Retailers Association "Red Guide" to allow the filling of SAFEFILL bottles on the forecourt.
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Just purchased a 10kg Safefill bottle.
As per the recommendation that came with it the initial fill of 15 litres cost less than £10 😊
Now been out off grid for a week & decided to take the bottle of & top it up. Found a Shell garage in Basingstoke where we filled up with just over 10 litres at a cost of £6.48👍
Now that I like😊
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Just to add another reason Safefill suits although I suppose it applies to other brands too - but I bought mine from Jackson's of Old Arley and they fill them as do Brayford Caravans at Lincoln. At Brayford I suspect a MH couldn't drive to the filling point but I couldn't be sure - they always disappear round the back to fill mine. I think more and more caravan shops are stocking and filling them.
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Safefill latest: for LPG Stations, please refer to mylpg.eu this site is taking over the Safefill maps etc and when it happens , they will be putting a note that a particular site in Safefill friendly. Ullswater Road Garage in Penrith is one such site which is not shown on the Safefill map but is Safefill friendly- I know. I've just filled up there!!
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Can we not have a sticky thread that lists LPG friendly refill locations, Locals, Petrol Stations, Services etc (as we get to know about them, independent of mylpg.eu/Safefill etc)
Both gas bottles and fixed tanks (don't want to upset anyone)
It would be useful to have that information in one thread instead of looking through loads of posts trying to filter out the information
Just a thought
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Having considered safefill for quite sometime and seeing the change of rules regarding filling them, I called in at Morrisons at Catcliffe in Sheffield but couldn't get a positive response because the manager was on holiday. However I hen went to the Shell Station on Handsworth Road and there the manager said ok as long as as he saw the bottle first, so with that I said I was going to buy one, that was when he said he might be able to get me a better deal on one and made a phone call. That was when things went pear shape as the person he was talking too was the head of Health&Safety and the result was he had 6 calls that day all asking the same thing and company policy was a complete blanket ban on filling all cylinders, so I then thought that was the end onf me having Safefill as I wasn't happy about doing a 30mile round trip to fill it. I had already been in touch with Safefill about the problem and they said they would take it up with Shell, but what I wasn't aware of was that my wife and granddaughter had bought me a 10k Safefill and took it to fill it up 15l at around £10 and the other bit of good news is that it fits in my front locker - Just!!!
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Yes Brayford do take the bottles round the back, no I don't think they let you take your van round yourself.
It's thanks to our friend Mr Calor that they moved to pump to the rear of the building. Remember when it was at the front but never seemed to work. Mr Calor didn't like them having the pump.
There is an alternative supplier locally, Church Farm, Main Street, South Scarle.
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BTW. Was at Ambergate Caravans last week and had a good discussion about Safefill bottles as they are not happy with Calor.
They have the lites as No Longer Available, that's what started the conversation.
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Calor have shot themselves in the foot by stopping calor lite, as it has made lots of people look at other options. Safefill, Gaslow, Gas-it, Alugas and other makes are more attractive when you think that Calor are going to give you nothing back for the Calor Lites, but will charge a premium for their new bottles - when they come available.
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Thanks Pippah45 for starting this - great minds and all that
Indeed it's a thread needing a sticky, lots of useful info already.
Richard
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Yes I do remember when it was out of commission - several times - can they really feel that threatened by a few caravanners filling up? Perhaps they make so much money on small cylinders that they can afford to supply the chicken farms at 20p a litre? The world is going mad!
Thanks I mentioned Church Farm when I first got my Safefill - although last time I drove down that road I didn't see the sign - but my eyes could have been on the road!
I feel that some people worry too much about where to refill - but perhaps they are very heavy users - I have always been back home before needing a refill but of course none of us have the same need. And I admit I haven't gone off grid much in winter either - but all news seems positive on the refilling front.
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Phishing the weight is a big plus for me - I got mine out of the locker today to top up and its somewhere around half full - the big one so has to come out of the locker on its side - and even with all my back/neck problems it was easy to get into the car and is now belted in awaiting a trip tomorrow. I was going to try a garage that refused me once before armed with the paper but I don't think I will have enough time! So Brayford again this time.
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Sorry DD, I hadn't noticed this post. No it hasn't!! And it's about time it was. This is the sheet that the large suppliers have been quoting to the garages and misrepresenting the facts about Safefill. Thats why we haven't many places to fill up. There is no reason why sheet 26 cannot now be rewritten - particularly as they have promised they will - but when you know the UKLPG is dominated by people from the big suppliers, perhaps it's very easily worked out why a new sheet 26 hasn't appeared. I have written a strongly worded email to Greg Clark, Minister at the Dept of Business, Energy and Industrial Stratergy (as we all should) about this appalling situation. I hope he sorts this out for all our sakes I will keep all informed as things happen.
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Really David? - my large Safefill fits pretty well over the calor frame - height is quite tight but there is room for another beside it. I would have said it should be easy enough to adapt the locker?
I certainly need to address the place I take it in the car to refill - on Friday it fell over on the way home being belted in the back passenger seat but I wedged it with some shopping! I obviously went round a roundabout too briskly!
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If that's all that's stopping you David, don't worry. They don't fit exactly but mine are fine and the strap holds them firmly. I have two but you don't need two - you only need one because it can be topped up whenever you want before it runs out.
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Thanks for the posts Pippah and Merve. I might look at this again - especially as it's going to get more difficult to get calor lite bottles.
I would prefer two though, Merve. I'm not a fan of using the gas BBQ point on the caravan. I prefer a free standing bottle close to the Cadac so I can move it where I want and there are (albeit rare) occasions when we have used the Cadac and caravan oven at the same time.
David
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Merve I have only filled mine up once myself - I suppose I should get some practice in - but since my first place closed I don't know any other self serve places in Lincoln. Unless the garage I tried has changed its policy. It was Shell I think or BP and it was a young jobsworth who gave me a big no. I will try again next time I need a top up - which won't be for quite a while I suspect. It's too nice to leave home and too many beans growing in the garden! And my Barn is going on the market once the Estate Agents get their act together.
What is it today with people who can't write plain accurate English? I have had Solicitors who can't write properly which I find really scary - one even sent the incorrect address to the Land Registry! Grrrr0
