International Gas Bottle Blues

[Perrycas]

A friend told me that he understood there WAS someone I the UK manufacturing a kit of adapters to go everywhere or as close to as possible to eliminate the number of gas bottles a traveller might have lug about. Any one know anything about this idea? Are they still about?

 

[Talulah]

Buy GasBOAT Voyager 4080 Regulator Kit from SOCAL Southampton

 

[Goldie]

Or Regulator Kits | Whayward for less £££

Edit: Gasboat Voyager kits: 4060, 4061, 4080 and 4081. Plenty of options according to what you need and where you’re going.

Edit 2: just seen this Marine Gas Cylinder Adaptor Fitting Kit Cheaper still if it does what you need and ASAP sometimes offer a further discount if you’re a member of a qualifying club/organisation.

 

[Talulah]

The WHayward at first appears more expensive but they are the 4081 kits instead of the 4080 on Soco. The 4081 Inc a regulator so as Goldie says the better option.[

 

[Yngmar]

SVB has a set: GOK Gas Connection Adapter only 21,95 € buy now | SVB

There's the occasional crackdown on the practice of refilling gas bottles from other bottles or Autogas (LPG car gas, very common in Italy), with heavy fines threatened. Oddly enough, it's advertised by the companies who charge a lot for bottle refills.

 

[V1701]

There's the occasional crackdown on the practice of refilling gas bottles from other bottles or Autogas (LPG car gas, very common in Italy), with heavy fines threatened. Oddly enough, it's advertised by the companies who charge a lot for bottle refills.

Does that include "proper" refillables?

 

[KevinV]

SVB has a set: GOK Gas Connection Adapter only 21,95 € buy now | SVB

There's the occasional crackdown on the practice of refilling gas bottles from other bottles or Autogas (LPG car gas, very common in Italy), with heavy fines threatened. Oddly enough, it's advertised by the companies who charge a lot for bottle refills.

Curious, I drove forklifts back in the 90's that used gas bottles as lpg tanks - it was never a problem (it's all the same stuff?!)

I guess there is some risk involved in that the bottle never gets checked if you refill yourself all the time?

 

[rotrax]

Curious, I drove forklifts back in the 90's that used gas bottles as lpg tanks - it was never a problem (it's all the same stuff?!)

I guess there is some risk involved in that the bottle never gets checked if you refill yourself all the time?

IIRC, the bottles internal pickup tube is different so liquid gas cannot go down the outlet tube when the bottle is laid on its side.

I worked at BLMC Cowley in 1971. The older fork lifts in use were LPG powered and used 'antique' flat twin Douglas engines. As I sometimes raced a Vintage Douglas motorbike I found a ready source of BTH Magneto spares. The defunct ones were not repaired but chucked out. I aquired several, one of which is still in use today. The guy who allowed me to take the scrap Mags told me about the bottle modification.

 

[Yngmar]

Does that include "proper" refillables?

Used to be you could refill most gas bottles at most Autogas stations around Italy. They'd have an adapter for the common Campingaz bottles or fill whatever bottle you had if they or you had the right adapter. That mostly got shut down now, at least around here. Then there was a gas distributor shop (for the national bottle brand) in a nearby town who was doing the filling, but last month they told us they were no longer doing it either (pointing at above poster with the LPG scythe).

There's still the refinery, which apparently can officially and legally refill gas bottles (you can find out which ones by taking them there and getting a nod or a shake of the head), but that's a very long drive from here, so hardly worth it. I gather the ban is mostly about safety during the refill process, but won't be studying Italian legal texts to find out more

On Lanzarote the DISA refinery was also the only place refilling the UK Calor bottle we were driving around back then, but it was on the other end of the island, requiring a rental car

 

[steveinnice]

Curious, I drove forklifts back in the 90's that used gas bottles as lpg tanks - it was never a problem (it's all the same stuff?!)

I guess there is some risk involved in that the bottle never gets checked if you refill yourself all the time?

Wot, like this. This bottle came with the boat pretty much full and the new replacement wont fit in the hole. I think I know what's been happening. Boat was built in 1971 it's probably the original bottle.

 

[V1701]

Does that include "proper" refillables?

By which I mean these e.g., all a bit moot ATM cos you can't get them for love nor money...

 

[Seven Spades]

If you buy the SOCAL kit beware it assumes that your tail is female. Our boat using Propane as default has male connectors and when we ran out in Sweden the international kit was useless and I could not change gender of the tails.

 

[dgadee]

I bought a Safefill bottle intending to take it to Greece on a road trip. But with covid decided too much hassle crossing borders. Now I am wondering if I can get it out by plane. Unlike scuba bottles not sure about removing valve. What do you think? Empty and unused. Will security let me take it on board?

 

[Dave100456]

I bought a Safefill bottle intending to take it to Greece on a road trip. But with covid decided too much hassle crossing borders. Now I am wondering if I can get it out by plane. Unlike scuba bottles not sure about removing valve. What do you think? Empty and unused. Will security let me take it on board?

Like you, I bought a Safefill cylinder and flew it in the aircraft’s hold to the Canaries Before crossing. It was a new cylinder, never filled and I contacted the airline beforehand. That was 6 years ago. I refilled that cylinder and the other new one on my current boat at car lpg stations in the EU and now in the USA at UHaul depots.
In Lanzarote I cycled with the cylinder on the rear rack of my fold up bike to an LPG petrol station and filled up there. The attendant asked if it was a gas powered bike…I didn’t correct her.
The Safefill cylinders have a automatic cut out at 80%.

 

[dgadee]

Like you, I bought a Safefill cylinder and flew it in the aircraft’s hold to the Canaries Before crossing. It was a new cylinder, never filled and I contacted the airline beforehand. That was 6 years ago. I refilled that cylinder and the other new one on my current boat at car lpg stations in the EU and now in the USA at UHaul depots.
In Lanzarote I cycled with the cylinder on the rear rack of my fold up bike to an LPG petrol station and filled up there. The attendant asked if it was a gas powered bike…I didn’t correct her.
The Safefill cylinders have a automatic cut out at 80%.

Good to hear that. I was carting two 6kg calor bottles about on the Brompton in Cagliari but think the Safefill will be a goodly bit easier to handle. Expensive enough, though.

 

[Goldie]

No further sign of the OP - I hope he wasn’t re-filling gas bottles and ….

 

[Perrycas]

yup, gone in a puff of gas. My apologies and thanks to all for good info.
The situation leaves me a little bemused as to why someone hasn't started a company where they can offer replacement bottles of a reasonable size, or a range of sizes throughout Europe. Or for that matter an EU law of standardisation. One might argue that the numbers are against such a thing ,but if Camping Gaz can do it?

 

[Perrycas]

I bought a Safefill bottle intending to take it to Greece on a road trip. But with covid decided too much hassle crossing borders. Now I am wondering if I can get it out by plane. Unlike scuba bottles not sure about removing valve. What do you think? Empty and unused. Will security let me take it on board?

Interesting dilemma. I cut an LPG bottle up a while back to make a 'rocket stove'. Getting the valve off was quite an issue. Emptying it of all traces of gas required flooding it with water to displace any left. You probably dont want to do that. The airline, however, probably wont let it on the plane even after removing the valve and sitting it upside down. But, y'never know? Give it a go?

 

[dgadee]

Interesting dilemma. I cut an LPG bottle up a while back to make a 'rocket stove'. Getting the valve off was quite an issue. Emptying it of all traces of gas required flooding it with water to displace any left. You probably dont want to do that. The airline, however, probably wont let it on the plane even after removing the valve and sitting it upside down. But, y'never know? Give it a go?

Your bottle was used. Mine has never had gas near it. Still has label attached, so I'll give it a go.

 

[Goldie]

but if Camping Gaz can do it?

A lot depends where you’re planning on cruising. We went through the same thought process but as most of our cruising at the moment is Europe, in the end we went with Camping Gaz, putting 5 or 6 bottles in the locker previously occupied by 2 x 7kg Calor. The Camping Gaz is an easy option in Europe, readily available and easily transported on a folding bike. Costs fortunately, are a lot less than U.K. - my local supplier here in Cornwall charges £42, my last exchange bottle in Portugal (Oct 2021) was €16. However, if I was staying in one country, I’d buy a local bottle for the duration - often available from departing cruisers - and exchange for the duration of my stay.