Refillable gas bottles

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How many of you fine people are using refillable gas bottles ?
Secondly did you do it for financial reasons or convenience ?
And if for the financial reason, how long has it or will it take to break even on the outlay and reap the benefits.
 
I have a gas-it 11kg that cost 9.99 to fill for the first time. Same calor exchanges for the 3.9's we had before would have been getting on for 75 quid. I did it for convenience original , so win win :)

I should say apparently we have the cheapest gas in the UK here in bristol, but still...
 
Just had 2 x Ali gas 11kg refillables installed last week at Autogas 2000 in Thirsk. Had it fitted for both convenience and cost. I actually contacted Calor to get the cost of their 13kg cylinders. £75.00 for each new cylinder if you go without an empty then £35.00 when you exchange an empty for a full cylinder, what a rip off ! I have never worked out the break even period but as I use my motorhome year round at least 120 days out a year I reckon it’s a no brainer imho.
 
I got it for convenience, I found I was always exchanging part full cylinders before we went to France, to maje sure we had enough gas. It was one less thing to worry about.
That was in 2008, even though I've had to replace the cylinders for the new R?? versions after 10 years, I reckon Ive broken even and now I generally refill for around £12, far less than a Calor replacement.
 
I have a SafeFill refillable lightweight glassfibre cylinder in my van, the reason for the purchase was two-fold, one because of the freedom of movement it allowed me throughout the UK & Europe and the second one being that when building my conversion I was doing so with a mindset of keeping the weight as low as possible.

Of course the enormous cost savings you make by not being totally ripped off by the likes of Calor is yet another very serious benefit where on average for us, our total gas costs per annum are normally kept to under £20 despite using our van extensively for 6 months of the year!
 
As a low gas user it was doing away with changing and carrying cylinders that appealed to me. I use the van a lot all year round though so I estimate my saving on refillable to be a minimum of £200 a year and probably over £260p.a. So payback time won’t be long either.
 
Best thing that I have done to my van was getting two 6kg Gas lo cylinders to replace the Calor. The gas locker is very tight and replacing cylinders was a real pain. Filling is now really easy. Additionally I keep a record of top ups and the refillables have saved at least twice what they cost. I do use the van a lot in Winter off grid.
 
nabsim said:
As a low gas user it was doing away with changing and carrying cylinders that appealed to me. I use the van a lot all year round though so I estimate my saving on refillable to be a minimum of £200 a year and probably over £260p.a. So payback time won’t be long either.
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Have you got a gas leak or is over £200 normal.
I need to get out more.
 
Refillables in my van for almost 7 years... expensive to install but they've paid for themselves at least 3 times over since then. The original decision was weighted towards cost but convenience was an important factor. You can top-up at any time without having to wait for an empty tank to exchange... which always seemed to happen in/at the worst possible place and time. Also, since my husband died, I've thanked my lucky stars that I don't have to heave bottles in and out of the cupboard!
 
runnach said:
Same type as Millie master and for same reasons, with exception to self build.
Click to expand...

By any chance @runnach have you converted your SafeFill cylinder so that it can be refilled via an external filling point?

After my first few experiences of having difficulty finding filling stations who would allow me to fill a loose cylinder (most especially in France), I drew up some plans and then made contact with the ever so helpful bods at Gasit who supplied me with an external filling point, a length of high pressure hose, an in line on/off vlave and a pigtail. Now, wherever I travel I can safely fill up at any location supplying the gas, it has been an enormous weight off my mind ;):cool::p
 
2 X 6kg Gas It, we go abroad so practicality, convenience and cost in equal measures.

Practicality ................................... i don`t have to manhandle cylinders in and out of the gas locker any more (y)

Convenience .............................. i can fill up any time i like without having to wait until the cylinder / cylinders are completely empty before refilling (y)

Cost .............................................. my last fill was approx 1 and 1/2 bottles, 17.9 litres which cost £9.48 (y)

My local Calor centre charges £25 for a 6kg bottle which holds approx 12 litres, you do the maths ?
 
As others have posted Both.
The cost benefit depends on your usage profile..
We spent £600 on 2 x 11kg Gas-it and a BBQ point. We use Moho for a full 5or6 months every summer and we got payback in 2 years.
Convenience is a huge benefit.. a single tank lasts us about 2 weeks and so we look to top up maybe a week after changeover.
Finland is one of the few countries where LPG is not available so just plan accordingly.
IMO the varying prices of LPG in Europe are of no consequence..We all like cheap fuel but it should not rule our lives !
 
Forrory said:
Have you got a gas leak or is over £200 normal.
I need to get out more.
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Ha ha, no leaks and I am a low gas user, I am in the van a lot though as I said. I was last home on 11th April, a 6kg Calor propane would last 30 days and I was paying £24 for an exchange. When I fill my 11kg and 6kg bottles it’s always been a good bit under £20. I save minimum of £50 every 3 months I am in the van so £200 for the year.

If you use your van a fair bit over winter and like it warm you may be horrified how much gas you can get through. I know someone who can get through an 11kg bottle in 3 days with heating on although his mrs likes it warm.

If you go away for a couple of weeks a year and odd weekends then don’t get refillable unless it’s purely for convenience of not carrying bottles. More you use it the more you will save and more it makes sense.
 
runnach said:
No but would be interested to see a pic if possible, of the add on addition?

Supplier I purchased from also dispenses LPG, business is ten min drive from my home, so no problems to run over with tank in car to top up. There is also another MH dealership about same distance, which also dispenses LPG for their MH fleet hire. Spoiled for choice!!

Interesting to read you had issues in France, although I only topped up once last summer in France, I had no issues.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

As for France, technically it is illegal to ever fill a stad alone cylinder such as the ones supplied by SafeFill which, as you know only have a single access point to the cylinder. I lived over there for 10 years building and running 2 exclusive adults only caming a la ferme's during which time I got to know quite a lot of dear old Johnie Gendarmes and this was an issue they were hot on, so as this was the case I had a long detailing chat with the boss of Gasit about the problem.

If you go onto the Gasit website https://www.gasit.co.uk/gasit-vapour-gas-refillable-products.html you will see they can supply you with lengths of black high pressure hose, external wall mounted filling points, in-line lever open/closed valves and pigtails, all of which I purchased.

Although your van is professionally built, it is a very easy job to cut the required size/shape of hole into the sidewall of the van for mounting the filling point, then via a right angle connection point you should attach the hose which at its other end should have the valve with the pigtail screwed into the other end of it.
It is a bit of a pain, but when I want to fill up with gas, I simply swap over the gas regulator for the filling pigtail with the valve closed, then turn on the gas before opening the valve............. You can then safely drive to a filling station, fill up the cylinder, then drive away and park up somewhere before once again swapping over the attachments at the top of the tank.

I am sorry, but the best photos I have of my installation are these

SafeFill3.JPGRSafeFill2.jpg
 
Millie Master said:
As for France, technically it is illegal to ever fill a stad alone cylinder such as the ones supplied by SafeFill which, as you know only have a single access point to the cylinder. I lived over there for 10 years building and running 2 exclusive adults only caming a la ferme's during which time I got to know quite a lot of dear old Johnie Gendarmes and this was an issue they were hot on, so as this was the case I had a long detailing chat with the boss of Gasit about the problem.

If you go onto the Gasit website https://www.gasit.co.uk/gasit-vapour-gas-refillable-products.html you will see they can supply you with lengths of black high pressure hose, external wall mounted filling points, in-line lever open/closed valves and pigtails, all of which I purchased.

Although your van is professionally built, it is a very easy job to cut the required size/shape of hole into the sidewall of the van for mounting the filling point, then via a right angle connection point you should attach the hose which at its other end should have the valve with the pigtail screwed into the other end of it.
It is a bit of a pain, but when I want to fill up with gas, I simply swap over the gas regulator for the filling pigtail with the valve closed, then turn on the gas before opening the valve............. You can then safely drive to a filling station, fill up the cylinder, then drive away and park up somewhere before once again swapping over the attachments at the top of the tank.

I am sorry, but the best photos I have of my installation are these
Click to expand...

Sounds like a right arse on !
 
Obanboy666 said:
Sounds like a right arse on !
Click to expand...
It is, but you soon get used to doing the swap over!

When I build my next van, unless the Norwegian manufacturers of the SafeFill tanks make the sensible decision to make their tanks with 2 take off points like the Alugas cylinders have, I won't be buying another one and would buy the aluminium one instead.

Personally I would never have/but a steel cylinder on weight grounds alone and likewise wouldn't consider installing an underslung tank as I simply don't like them.
 
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