Gas , refillable

[billyfish]

Currently my gas bottle, calor 907, sits in the chain locker, a most unsatisfactory arrangement, gets wet, takes up chain locker space . So I'm thinking of moving the whole lot aft. Will have to build a new locker with out board drain. The 907s are very expensive to refill now and I need to keep 2 on board as they are so small. And the spare sits in a non draining locker. What are the alternatives. I see there is a refillable one you can see the level, so would you only need one as it could be filled before it's completely empty. Are they easy to fill do most forecourts do gas ?

 

[KompetentKrew]

Are they easy to fill do most forecourts do gas ?

Not sure that most do, but there are plenty about.

Various maps online: lpg map - Google Suche

I really fancy one of the refillable bottles, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone on here reporting having bought one. You might search the Facebook groups - UK Cruising and the Med one.

 

[fredrussell]

My friend has one of the composite (GRP) refillable bottles but is finding it increasingly difficult to refill it at uk petrol stations. Worth asking a few before you take the plunge.

It’s very easy to fill your own 907 cylinders from a larger calor butane bottle. The hose required costs very little.

 

[MontyMariner]

When you've decided where to put the new locker and how much space is available you can then look around for easily sourced cylinders that will fit.
You then need to do the cost/size/availability sums.

 

[billyfish]

I was hoping to find a cylinder, then build the locker to fit.

 

[rotrax]

Try the Calor or FloGas 7 kilo ish ones-they should last a while.

I'm re-filling propane 3,9's at home from a 13 kilo one, simple.

 

[vyv_cox]

Currently my gas bottle, calor 907, sits in the chain locker, a most unsatisfactory arrangement, gets wet, takes up chain locker space . So I'm thinking of moving the whole lot aft. Will have to build a new locker with out board drain. The 907s are very expensive to refill now and I need to keep 2 on board as they are so small. And the spare sits in a non draining locker. What are the alternatives. I see there is a refillable one you can see the level, so would you only need one as it could be filled before it's completely empty. Are they easy to fill do most forecourts do gas ?

Many garages will not allow filling of gas bottles on forecourts, although I have heard that Morrisons will. One solution is to leave the bottle inside the vehicle so that it appears to be a fixture, e.g. Gaslow. Of course there are safety implications. Far easier and safer to DIY at home in your garden, decanting from a bigger bottle.

 

[Whaup367]

If you can make space for a pair of 7Kg Butane/6Kg Propane (same size) bottles then that is likely to minimise your supply hassles at reasonable cost.

The alternatives are CampinGaz (high price per Kg but compact & widely available), Flogas 4.5B/3.9P (single supplier, limited outlets) , refillables (high upfront cost, need to research filling locations in your area) or DiY refilling.
I won't comment on DiY, it's a polarising subject which you'd need to research for yourself, anyway.

With refillables- your location and usage will determine if it's practical: if you are using small cylinders to save locker space you may struggle with refills while cruising; one option you could consider is to set up the connections with an adapter so that you can swap between (eg) Gaslow 2.7 Kg and CampinGaz 907, using the compact and more widely available CampinGaz as a backup if you need to. I back-up a 907 in my campervan with a 901 (expensive way to buy gas but unbeatably convenient for an emergency supply) and if tight for space, you might find a backup 904 is easier to find room for than a 907 or GasLow?

 

[penfold]

My friend has one of the composite (GRP) refillable bottles but is finding it increasingly difficult to refill it at uk petrol stations. Worth asking a few before you take the plunge.

It’s very easy to fill your own 907 cylinders from a larger calor butane bottle. The hose required costs very little.

There's no reason a refillable cylinder would be any harder to DIY than a 907 or other size; you just need the right adaptor. Given they're transparent provided you mark a fill line you won't even need to weigh it.

 

[MontyMariner]

you could consider is to set up the connections with an adapter so that you can swap between (eg) Gaslow 2.7 Kg and CampinGaz 907, using the compact and more widely available CampinGaz as a backup if you need to.

That's what I have done, but not used the CampinGaz backup in over 20 years! But I do have 2x Calor on tap and a spare

 

[fredrussell]

There's no reason a refillable cylinder would be any harder to DIY than a 907 or other size; you just need the right adaptor. Given they're transparent provided you mark a fill line you won't even need to weigh it.

Indeed - but he bought the cylinder with the intention of filling it from forecourts - the gas there being cheaper than decanting it from Calor bottles. If you’re home filling there’s really no point to buying a £150 refillable bottle - just use any suitable empty calor bottle. One of the main selling points of the refillable ones was that you could use cheaper forecourt gas. That may no longer be the case.

 

[penfold]

With the refillable you can do both? If the poster has a nearby autogas outlet or plans on cruising near such outlets they can do that. Not having a rusty steel bottle on board has intangible benefits too.

 

[BobnLesley]

Depending on your boat's size/layout the budget option is to home decant gas into your existing Calor bottles and secure one or both bottles on brackets securely fixed to the pushpit rail; any leaks drain outboard and we found that the bottles corroded less out in the open air than they did inside the gas locker.

 

[billyfish]

So, you could fill 907s at home from a big bottle? But would have trouble filling them while away from base , ie all summer.

 

[rotrax]

Get some spares.

I found two discarded outside our local recycling centre locked Gas Bottle store. No one about so I recycled them.

Both were full, or as near full as makes no difference.

I swopped one for a Calor 3.9 propane, the other I gave to youngest son as a spare for his campervan.

Otherwise you must pay the inflated price for commercial refills.

 

[wingcommander]

So, you could fill 907s at home from a big bottle? But would have trouble filling them while away from base , ie all summer.

Not if you could befriend someone with a donner bottle. . You won't get it done at a filling point its illegal. You could always carry your own donner bottle and fill when necessary .
I carry two 907 as that's what fits in my locker and a 7kg back home to use .
Edit.
If you're building a bigger locker go to Propane... as butane don't like winter.

 

[billyfish]

Yep, I had propane on my last boat, it was better. So what do you fill at the forecourts that's 'legal' , I can choose what bottle now just don't want to get one that's going to be discontinued sometime .

 

[vyv_cox]

Yep, I had propane on my last boat, it was better. So what do you fill at the forecourts that's 'legal' , I can choose what bottle now just don't want to get one that's going to be discontinued sometime .

It is not illegal to fill bottles on a forecourt but many companies will not allow it on the basis that staff have no training to cope with any incidents.

Gaslow and similar make bottles permanently installed in vehicles, motorhomes in particular are OK in UK. Free standing bottles are not, although as I said previously this may not be true of Morrisons supermarkets.

None of this is true in Italy, where motorhomes cannot be filled with Autogas.

In UK Autogas is 100% propane but not in Europe, where it may be 60% butane. Mylpg.eu gives all the detail.

 

[billyfish]

There is a bottle gas supply depot near me think I will go ask them what's the cheapest refill. As usual in todays world there is too much choice

 

[john_morris_uk]

Not sure that most do, but there are plenty about.

Various maps online: lpg map - Google Suche

I really fancy one of the refillable bottles, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone on here reporting having bought one. You might search the Facebook groups - UK Cruising and the Med one.

We bought refillable gas bottles. These were the ones we chose:Gaslow LPG Refillable Cylinders Archives

We’ve occasionally had a problem finding somewhere to fill them and been turned away from a garage forecourt, but if they’ve been in the boot of a car there’s been no problem. (Even when the forecourt attendant has filled for us!) We’ve got fill adapters for most filling options. The gas is a fraction of the cost of 907 cylinders.