Spanish Gas Bottle only price ?
Due to escape to Spain, via Catalonia, In January for 8 - 12 weeks, so will run out of my Calor.
Have been offered a s/h Cepsa one in UK but how much is the Bottle only cost in Spain at a gas supplier for say a 6kgs bottle only ?
Do I need to be Spanish resident to buy one ?
Understand no contract but you have to pay the extra bit plus the gas inside for the first one ?
Appreciate s/h ones around at car boots and that I will need a fitting but these are easy sourced ?
Thanks.
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if you can get one in the uk and its cheap, take it and then you can just swap it im site or at a Cepsa station...
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Bought a Repsol K6 cylinder in Spain earlier this year. About 30 euro plus 13.50 for gas. Needed to provide address, but campsite address was ok.
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The OP was asking about a 6kg cylinder. The larger 10 kg cylinders are freely available as WTG sasy, but I've never seen a 6Kg one secondhand. I bit the bullet as my gas locker won@t accommodate a 10Kg one
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Hi
Most Spanish if not all (Repsol/Cepsa) are 13k i have seen a couple of smaller bottles being sold but not many the cost is more expensive.
Two weeks ago i brought a Cepsa 13k for 11 euros from the roundsperson who calls every Monday/Thurday so if you see an agent driving near your site flag him down he will sell you a bottle and you will have to fill in a form campsite address will be ok but you wont need a NIE number and most ferreteria will do the same although a bit more expensive at about 14/15 for 13k. If it is your first bottle add another 20/25 euros
Phil
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Don't forget that if you have (and want to use) a bulkhead regulator, you will need a 35mm (Jumbo) ADAPTER (not regulator), and if you don't have one already, a 21.8 LH butane-nut pigtail.
The regulators are cheaply available in Spain .... but you will struggle to find an ADAPTER. Easiest source I know is Hamilton Gas Products
(Some people do use a bottle mounted regulator and back-feed into a BBQ point ... but not ideal.)
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If you think you might end up using Spanish gas take a butane pigtail with you, it will be a valuable investment as trying to source one in Spain although not impossible, will be the hardest bit of the puzzle.
Connectors/regulators are generally sold in two variations, your requirements can get lost in the translation. If you are going to use it via your own bulkhead regulator the connector required is variable 0 to 100 bar. Wind it right open and your bulkhead regulator will reduce as normal to 30bar. Do not use this type of connector to feed any other non regulated appliance, you will not like the consequences.
The fitting of the connector to the bottle can at first be frustrating particularly in the confines of a gas locker.
Although frowned upon, many weekend ralliers do feed gas back through the bbq point so they can reduce gas cost by using a larger bottle. If you intend to use your Spanish gas this way or directly to a bbq double check the regulator/connector you have obtained is a max of 30 bar. I have had both and the writing on the plastic ring can be quite small.
Now on autogas but used Repsol for quite a while, always left Spain with full bottles even if it meant exchanging a half-full one. Obtained the first via the delivery driver who was changing the bottles in the facilities opposite our Pitch at Rosaleda. After that, the garages were always the cheapest, unless you found a depot close at hand.
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Where in the UK are you? I have a Repsol 13kg bottle which I think is about 1/2 full, and a pigtail which will connect it to your caravan regulator. Left over from several long winters in Spain.
I doubt if I will have the caravan in Spain for any length of time in the future so my 13kg Calor would suffice me. I would be happy to let you have the Repsol and pigtail if you can come and collect. I am in Seaford, East Sussex.
NB both Cepsa and Repsol are nationwide, but Cepsa much more common in the north east, Repsol in the south and west.. That said I got my first Repsol at Villanova Park campsite.
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if youre still getting this 'sorted' i would buy the 'butane' hose and the 'jumbo' adaptor before you go....just so easy on ebay to get them here.
the other alternative for a caravanner would be to get a Safefill refillable cylinder and the necessary Continental adaptors (one for spain and another for france if required) you can then fill there or the UK with gas at around 25% of the price of a Calor exchange.
i have space for two large bottles and have a 'belt and braces' system with one 11kg refillable (with continental adaptors) and second 'space' for a french/spanish bottle (again with adaptor) should i need to resort to local supplies...
one (obvious?) thing to remember is that once you've bought (say) a Spanish bottle, any unused gas burns just as well in the uk as it does in Spain, so you dont lose anything.
just remember to take the Spanish one back on your next trip.
good luck.
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Hi,
Am still in chilly Leeds sadly but thanks for Repsol in Sussex offer.
Can get a Repsol in Dewsbury at a Motorhome shop at £35 full plus the fittings installed & all working at c.£35 - was very helpful on phone and tempted.
I've been offered a Cepsa Propano bottle locally, silver with a blue top and with a connector with an orange pipe, plus contract paper - have seen the picture of them. Price yet to be confirmed but any views ?
1. Apart from the Freezing issues assume Propano is OK as your both talking about Butano ?
2. Assume no issues getting re-fills. Can you swop to Butano ?
3. Is the fitting universal for Propano & Butano bottles ?
Thanks again for input.
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I am Leeds (Chapel Allerton) over Christmas. I would be happy to bring it up for you.
It is an orange bottle and it certainly works below freezing (-4 in Madrid one January when I changed bottles in the middle of the night!)
The same pigtail works for both Repsol and Cepsa, but I do not know if it is interchangeable between butane and propane. All the bottles one sees on garage forecourts are the orange propane ones.
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the expression 'butane hose' has nothing to do with the gass in the bottle, its a generic expression for a hose terminating in a 21.8mm LH threaded female nut....
its called this because this is the std fitting to many continental butane (but confusingly also some propane) bottles...
the reason that this hose is often suggested is that this particular nut fitting is the default nut for the connection of continental adaptors, including the spanish Jumbo one mentioned.
if you dont buy the butane hose, youll have to find a way to connect the Jumbo adaptor to ypur UK hose (often called Propane POL fitting, a bullet shaped fitting).
this can be done, but requires an adaptor (what else?) to convert the POL fitting into the LH thread fitting.
then you can fit the Jumbo adaptor....
sounds awfully confusing but almost all continental vans come with the 'butane' hose (we have two) which makes fitting the Jumbo adaptor straightforward.
its the good old UK thats put of kilter with everyone else, and this adds to the confusion.
good luck.
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Thanks again.
Oldagetraveller. If I dont end up with the Cepsa bottle & fittings in the next 3 weeks I'll make contact to discuss terms prior to yuletide visit. Chapel Allerton is only about 5 miles away from us so a little closer !
Assume from your comment, and the information BoleroBoy gave, that your bottle and fitting should just replace my (Elddis) / Calor bottle and fitting ?
I have dual bottles both permanently connected into a Gaslow switchover unit.
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Dave, Gaslow (like other companies) make a switchover valve that can be used with non-refillable bottles.
Montessa, you can take one full Calor bottle (from home) and the Cepsa bottle (from OAT or Ebay or.....) with one on each side of the switchover valve (assuming you can fit them both in.)
small gas lockers are the curse of the UK van market....sometimes, even if the locker is large enough you'll bet your bottom dollar you wont be able to get them through the locker door.....
hopefully, thus suitably equipped. youll be able to swap easily in Spain or at home, with the spanish bottle keeping you going briefly when you have to change the Calor here and vice versa when in Spain.
FWIW, I have a Gaslow refillable 11kg on one side of the changeover valve and a 'spare slot' that is ready for a Repsol/Cepsa (or french or german) bottle if ever i cant find a LPG pump.....not happened yet
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BoleroBoy, thanks for all your input, muchas gracias !
Think I'm now up to speed on the subject and I thought similar to you. Have space for two bottles, so source and install here a Spanish bottle (empty or full) prior and to take also a full Calor Light for the journey down & as the spare. Then onto 1/4 price Spanish gas asap and for return journey.
As a side point, apart from Caravan nose weight issues, with steel Calor at £21 (inc paradise tax) for 6kgs, it would make some sense to run 2 x 13kgs Spanish Gas full time or to bring home full bottle(s) if a regular visitor.
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again, depending on usage (to justify expenditure) it may be that (at some time) you ditch the Calor and replace it with a Safefill and use the filler adaptors for Spanish or French LPG pumps...
you'll be using 1/4 price gas here too, then....
you could still keep the Spanish bottle for belt/braces as i do....
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Make sure it’s Propane.
Repsol Propane is the most commonly available on campsites in the south (about 11Kg bottle). If you buy a Butane bottle it won’t be much good in the winter because the night temperature will drop low enough to almost stop it gassing. These big bottles need a 130cm hose to reach the bulkhead regulator and a Jumbo bottle adaptor (both avaialable from BES in the UK). The smaller Spanish cylinders are generally Butane. If you sign up for a bottle legitimately, you may have to pay for an inspection of your installation as the retailers are legally obliged to ensure the customers installation is safe. This is because of all the fires in domestic installations.
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i have an 11kg Gaslow on one side of my switchover regulator and a normal 75cm (i think) is plenty long enough to reach.
i also have a similar hose on the other side complete with a Jumbo adaptor, i cant see that this would not reach a Repsol cylinder placed here.
however, i am talking about a MH locker which may be a bit more compact (although easily takes 2 x large bottles) than the open front locker on a caravan...
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I bought a CEPSA cylinder at the Reception, Bonterta Park, Benicassim, last February for 30€, full cylinder, but it is 11kg. I had to fill in a form aided by reception staff and they faxed it to the Police Station, who verify it and send it on to Cepsa. The new full cylinder was returned in 4 days and is now legally mine forever! When empty 3+ weeks later, I refilled Via the camp restaurant for 14€. I bought the adaptor for the cylinder at the local hardware store for 7€ and the gas pipe at the Taurus camping shop at the top of town for a couple of euros. The pipe is different to the calor propane pipe connector, in that, the adaptor end is the same fitting as the regulator end. Make sure you take a big spanner, not just your calor key. Hope that makes sense! Some people buy a longer pipe and stand the spanish cylinder outside of their gas locker to make it easier to setup.
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Montesa, are you still looking for a Repsol cylinder? I will be travelling up north on 21st and am happy to bring it up with me if you still want it.
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SPANISH GAS BOTTLES
Greetings from SAX, Spain.
Over the years I have helped a number of visitors to our site with various gas problems. Here are a few up to date bits of info that may be helpful.
Both Repsol and Cepsa bottles have the same connection and the regulator fits both butane and propane bottles, unlike the UK.
REPSOL bottles are always orange. Butane is plain orange and propane ones have a black band round the middle.
The most widely available sizes are 12 kg for butane, current price €16.70 and 11kg for propane, current price €12.72.
The dumpy butane ones are 6kg and cost €14.90. They are not available in many garages. They will not be much use in winter.
CEPSA bottles are shiny stainless steel for butane and grey steel for propane.
Butane comes in 12.5kg bottles and costs €17.20.
Propane comes in 11kg bottles and costs €12.71.
The stainless ones are considerably lighter.
Campsite prices can be higher and all prices will vary throughout the year.
Both suppliers are updating the metal guard round the valve for plastic on the newer bottles. Be aware that this is bigger and can cause fitting problems into appliances or lockers.
If you are intending to tour in winter, ensure you bring propane. Butane will not come out below 0C. Propane is good down to -42C. But who wants to camp in that? I use propane all year and it’s cheaper.
There are a few ways to get bottles over here. Firstly you can take out a contract as has been mentioned before but be careful to keep it safe for as long as you want the bottle. Loose it and your deposit goes too.
Secondly you can always find bottles on the local ‘rastro’ or car boot. I never pay more than €8 or €9. Start your bargaining around €5 or less and shop around the market before buying.
Regulators are two a penny but don’t pay more than €4. €2 is better. New ones are only about €7. Sometimes they may not work and you can’t test beforehand, but €4 or less is no great loss.
Changing bottles is not usually a problem and can be done at most garages. They will not swop butane for propane or vice versa.
In Spain gas deliveries are also done door-to-door. If you see a small lorry with gas bottles on the back simply ask the driver. He will be able to swop bottles propane/butane. Of course they will not swop Repsol/Cepsa.
If you bring a second hand one from the UK you do not need any paperwork or i/d to get a refill.
There are two things that look like regulators.
One has a push-on barb onto which you connect your hose. If your van currently uses a combined connection and regulator, either butane or propane, you can simply swop your UK reg. for a Spanish one. You can buy Spanish orange low pressure hose by the metre if you need to stand the bottle outside. Many ‘ferreteria’ (hardware shops) keep a coil available. Always use clips on the hose (I recommend the metal band type with a pinch bolt rather than a Jubilee type) and chain the bottle to the tow bar or strong point especially on big sites!!
The second one has a screw thread outlet. This is exactly the same LH thread used on UK butane bottles (W21.8 X 1.814 Left Hand). This is NOT a regulator, it allows cylinder pressure into the hose and is used to connect a bottle to a remote regulator ie the fixed one in your van. You may be able to connect your existing butane hose directly to this, but not if it has the UK propane POL connection (bull nose).
NOTE.You can also use one of these to attach your UK butane regulator to a Spanish bottle.
If you go to amazon.es and put ‘regulador gas’ in the search box you can find pictures so you know what I am talking about.
If the Spanish bottle does not fit your gas locker and you need to extend the high pressure hose to get the bottle outside you must use proper LPG hose with crimped on ends. I can get these made up locally whatever length you need, but I would need to assess the inboard connection to your fixed reg. as these can vary, but they are usually M20 on the Euro regulator. These are known as pigtails.
Many people struggle connecting either of the above to a bottle. Here is the simple way.
Do not try to push the reg down till it clicks into place. Unless you are Tarzan you will not do it.
Take the reg in both hands on pull up on the black plastic ring at the bottom. Place it over the bottle connection and ensure it is seated then press down firmly on the black ring till it locks into place. Flip the toggle on top to start the gas flow or twist the red knob as shown on it. To release, simply pull up on the ring.
Finally, if you are running on LPG/autogas or need to refill a refillable bottle, Repsol have put in a lot of refilling points on their forecourts over the last couple of years. It’s worth noting that they tend to put the sites on one site on the motorway only. Sometimes they are down a very long slip road and you will not know it’s there till you have passed it.
Cepsa are doing the same but do not have as many. You can check their websites for the latest openings and they give GPS for the sites.
Some sites frown on the refilling of bottles, so check first.
The current price is 61cents/litre. I have a Repsol place 4km up the road.
Just a note for info. Autogas is 40% butane and 60% propane.
Always ensure you have the Spanish connection, it is NOT the same as the UK and they probably will not have adaptors. Go to autogassshop.co.uk then LPG/autogas filling adaptors and look for euroconnector. They have got lots and some good adaptor kits. The euroconnector should screw into the back of the UK bayonet connection or directly into the flush filler. Check also that you don’t need an extension tube if your UK bayonet is recessed. You can’t get your hand down the tube to screw on an adaptor!
Just a short note about me. Before retiring I used to do engine conversions right up to industrial sized engines and was a registered gas installer and Development Engineer. I worked in the UK Offshore Oil and Gas Industry for many years. If you want more info or you want to come and stay, please contact me on mikecurtis110@yahoo.com.
(All prices are correct at this time. 14/12/17. Prices change frequently.)
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Maserati, Thank you very much for your very detailed response which will be very helpful when we visit Spain next year.
I am amazed that no one else has currently liked it.
Don't be put off, your information will be invaluable to many. I look forward to many of your other tips for those who are visiting Spain
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Maserati.
I have just bought some brand new propane bottles from my Cepsa garage up the road.
These have the new plastic heads on them and they are coloured BLUE.
Just be careful when you pick one up because BLUE in the UK means butane.
Trust Spain to be different. Out of step with the rest of the world.
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