Thinking about getting a Safefill cylinder
Comments
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On one of my rare visits here, after waiting while it loads up....
While most of the discussion's from last year, one cylinder of each sounded an interesting idea.
Is it still a good idea with the difficulty in getting LPG which I understand is growing?We have a Calorlite in the caravan plus a smaller steel spare, but I realise that when the Calorlite dies they'll swap it for a steel one, and I'm reluctant to carry the extra weight, so am considering alternatives.
Thanks for any up to date comments.
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We don’t have problems in our area, sure Shell have stopped allowing us to fill up bottles on their forecourts but their are still plenty of independents offering the service. I fill up approx twice a year and this year filled up in North Norfolk and Haverhill in Suffolk
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I've filled/topped up five times this year, one of them in France whilst on my trips. Never had to detour more than a couple of miles from my route.
Safefill are considerably lighter than Calor bottles, even the Calorlite, so you can carry more gas for the same weight. I know nose weight is often an issue for caravaners so for them particularly, Safefill is a no-brainer.
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HH, as I mentioned back on page one, we have two cylinders but tailored to our own needs....this means one 11kg Gaslow and one 11kg Repsol Spanish cylinder...the vast majority of our nights are not in the UK.
However the principle is the same and others have mentioned a second bottle being Calor.
that's great, but some don't have a locker that accommodates two (decent sized) bottles and this could make 'swapping' awkward.While the OP mentioned Safefill specifically those with Gaslow or other brand with an external filler point, this hose from Gaslow allows a 'local cylinder' lime Calor to be sited outside the van and fed into the fill point, making use of swappable bottles should the need arise.
these days, versatility seems to be the name of the game, fill your refillable when convenient but have back up if swappable are more plentiful.
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I don't think it's a great problem around here, also. I do get the impression that Morrisons may not be selling it for too much longer.... based on comments I have read on various social media groups.
I wouldn't mind betting that it will eventually disappear from the filling station forecourts. I suspect we may well have to rely on 'other than forecourt' suppliers in the future.... e.g. Carvers (Wolverhampton), Birmingham Autogas & LPG Services, Jacksons of Arley (Caravan/ Camping shop).
The only thing we use gas for in the caravan is cooking! Most modern caravans now have at least one electric ring on the cooker and ultimately, I should imagine this is the way things will go...... although I suspect, gas will not dissappear completely in my lifetime.
David
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That’s useful to know, as it’s not that far from us and we would pass it if heading south on the A1 or towards the Wash. Currently we normally use Morrisons, there are several fairly close to the A1 north of us, the most convenient at Boroughbridge. It seems strange that they would think of removing it. At one station where they had recently installed it, the attendant said it was almost constantly in use. Add to that possibly filling with fuel, it is as cheap as anywhere, plus for MH’s at least stocking up food supplies and they would seem a benefit to them and us.
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My local 'go to' site for LPG has its pump in with the diesel and petrol pumps so filling with fuel and LPG can be done without moving the van.
add in that this set up is replicated on the opposite side of the pumps and two vehicles can take on LPG at the same time...very handy as there always seems to be road vehicles filling their tanks with LPG...usually Range Rovers etc.
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LPG is a bit scarce around my area right now. Two of my usual local garages have none and I had to rely on getting some on route on Christmas Eve. I was off grid for three nights and I had used 14.47 litres at 79.9p per litre when I refilled on the way back today.
peedee
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Comfort yourself with the thought that Calor would have cost you over three times as much.
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That’s what it is at Morrisons, the cheapest around here, so you didn’t do too bad. I notice on the my LPG App Brownhills was £1.20 before Christmas.😲 The last site we were on that was selling Calor were exchanging them for £35, so about £2.90 a litre.
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It was a Morrisons Steve, I also passed a BP garage selling it at 99p per litre but it was on the wrong side of the carriageway outgoing and not accessible. I gambled on the Fill LPG App being correct that Morrisons would have some. I filled up with just over 24 litres outgoing and it was actually 18.11 litres on the way back not 14.47. I misread the bill, 14.47 was the price in £. The fridge and heating was on all the time I was away which gave a gas consumption of about 0.25 litres per hour in what I would think was pretty much average winter conditions. 2C minimum, 9C maximum.
peedee
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Don’t really understand all the hassle over gas, I can easily get Flogas delivered to my home at £25 per 6 litre bottle, I’m sure it’s not the cheapest. We spent a month in Portugal last summer and used 1/2 bottle in that time. In this country using electric hook up in colder weather we used a bit more. Frankly if I’m on holiday I expect costs to be a bit higher, but then I’m not using gas, electricity and oil at home. When I’m away on holiday, I wouldn’t want the hassle of searching high and low for places to refill my gas bottles. Prefer to live.
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It has only recently been inconvenient Cartledge with the decline in vehicles running on LPG and I think it will only get worse as more and more outlets decide it is not worth selling it. The current shortage in my locality might be down to a high demand for gas in the cold spell and I am hoping it is only temporary.
It is not only about cost, for me it is the convenience of not having to deal with heavy exchange bottles and to be able to refill anywhere where LPG is sold. This is a real advantage when touring on the Continent for long spells especially in the winter.
peedee
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I notice on another forum on this subject there are post about dealers and sites beginning to sell LPG for refillables. I checked up on one of the posts as it is not far from me and it is indeed correct. Henlow Bridge Lakes just off junction 10 of the A1 now sells LPG but only between the hours of 9a.m to 2p.m. Marquis was the dealer mentioned but I have not been able to verify this. It looks like others are prepared to enter the market as garages drop out.
What will the Clubs do?
I would have thought those sites with bulk tanks would not find it too difficult to arrange to sell it?
peedee
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Investing in safefill to save a few bob on gas.. I would not bother , that saving against the rising cost of a pitch plus petrol and insurance is the least of my worries, when one bottle runs out swap to spare and exchange the empty on site, simple. All my vanning is on site now and use a buffalo induction hob for all cooking and hot water.
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I’m not sure that ‘bother’ comes into play when some of us, though not all, prefer to avoid the regimented lines of fully equipped sites, preferring the greater spaces, rural vistas and informality of none EHU locations. That’s not to say that we’ve never stayed on fully serviced sites when their location is right, it’s just our personal preference for simplicity where possible. Since we use our in-van ablutions in all cases, shower blocks etc are little more than unused buildings. Having invested more money in a well equipped van, it’s not all about saving money either. I’m happy cooking from scratch, which includes baking and detailed recipes - hence more gas is used. But unlike some on this forum, we don’t watch much TV, though when we do it’s streamed, as are our newspaper subscriptions. Off grid in summer a 7.5Kg refillable gas bottle lasts about a week, which includes a second, cube refrigerator in the awning. So with two, refilling is a fortnightly requirement. That’s less frequent than supermarket trips which along with sightseeing will usually accommodate a gas refill. Interestingly, we bought a single ring induction hob several years ago, and compared its heating speed with the ‘grannie style’ iron ring on our caravan cooker. Using an identical saucepan filled with an identical quantity of water at the same temperature boiling times were so close to being the same, that the induction hob was relegated to the loft alongside our Avtex TV. It’s horses for courses rather than economy I’d say.
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near us we have a Morrisons that allow refilling of Safefill
I think you would have to get a new reg, caravan shops or ebay
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