Best Gas Bottle combination for a Hymer Forums

jimbo_hippo

It would appear that the world and his dog has information on gas bottles for all eventualities and having searched this forum I can see it's complicated enough as a general question so I'm limiting this to folk with a knowledge of gas bottles and an old Hymer B544 1988. Otherwise it'll look like all the other threads do where you haven't a clue if it applies to your van! Hence I've put it in the Hymer forum. Ok here goes.

Bought van in Germany and wanted gas on the way back to the UK so the dealer gave me a kind of beige bottle which I promptly exchanged for a full one. I'm now back in the UK and all is well except it's running out! So here are my questions:

What do I currently have in the beige bottle?

I assume it can't be refilled/exchanged in the UK?

If I'm going to winter in the UK occasionally but summer around Europe how do I cope with the myriad of different connectors I keep reading about here?

(BTW I also have a blue UK bottle left over from the last van we can factor in)

Does our Hymer 544 ('88 stylee) run on a different pressure to UK bottles and what are the options?

Hopefully the fact that the trusty bus is an 'oldtimer' will indicate to you that I'm not looking to fit the latest dash-switched dual bottle auto refilling flux-capacitor with warning buzzer. I just want to go out in the UK and in Europe without running out of gas.

Who can give me the best scenario to achieve that?

Looking forward to hearing from you all as ever Smile

DABurleigh

I'm sorry I don't have knowledge of a particular model of a 19 year old van, but you could do worse than pop along to your nearest motorhome or caravan dealer/ accessory shop and get the largest red propane Calor cylinder that fits your locker and a matching regulator (£5).

Dave

pippin

Refillable at any petrol station Gaslow system.

ChilliK

Hi J_H, We have just bought our first MH - a '93 B534 from a small dealer who brings them in from Germany. As bought, it had a 6kg Calor propane bottle fitted with an adaptor, which the dealer told me, converted it from German bottles. Can't tell you where to buy or how much they cost but it doesn't look expensive. Also it is posted elsewhere in order to avoid the exorbitant cost of the first bottle you may buy an empty from your local dump. I did this yesterday and found out another bit of info. that is you don't have to have a like for like when trading in (except of course the same manufacturer). I got hold of a 15kg Calor butane bottle from the dump for £7 then exchanged it at my local dealer for a 13kg Calor propane saving £22.50 !! not to be sneered at Razz

. As a footnote to above not all dumps are allowed to sell on empty gas cylinders, in my area one did and one didn't
If your locker is the same as the B534 ie made to fit 2x11kg German bottles then you can just squeeze a 6kg and 13kg in
Best of luck
Mike

androidGB

lancia

Go with an underslung fixed tank, ours fitted to a Hymer S555 is very good.

With an underslung tank you free up the locker space used by the bottles, LPG from the petrol stations is very cheap, just get the adaptors to fill up where ever you are in Europe.

Our tank has the German connector, we have the adaptor to fill up in England, when we filled up in France at a small Super 'U' they had the adaptor (german to french) at the pay kiosk - easy!

Regards

Bazzer

citroennut

hi jimbo,

beige bottle is german and obviously fits the reulator. as previously stated take blue bottle in to exchange for red - propane - works in winter. take 'van along to see which are the biggest bottles you can get in. check out ebay -search hymer and you will find an adapter to fit german regulator or alternatively you will also find an adaptor to refill the german bottle. the other option is to go the refillable bottle as stated.
simon

alunj

Hi
as above the beige bottle is going to be a german propane bottle.
Two things does you van have a fixed regulator at that age they sometimes did.
The other thing to watch out is that the Germans used to set their gas up for 50mbar Propane only. Newer german vans will be 30mbar. UK Regulators are 37mbar for propane (red) and 28mbar (i think) I think for blue butane. The Uk has now moved to 30mbar fixed bulkhead regs akaik

LITTLEGEMM

HI MY FATHER IN LAW HAS JUST BOUGHT A HYMER 574 CLASSIC BUT HE DOES NOT KNOW WHICH GAS IT RUNS ON!!! THERE IS A GREY/SILVER REG IN THE GAS CUPBOARD WITH NO INDICATION OF ORANGE BOTTLE OR BLUE BOTTLE? DOES ANYBODY KNOW IF HE CAN USE PROPANE, BUTANE OR BOTH??? DESPERATE TO KNOW AS HE IS GOING TO SPAIN IN THE MOTORHOME AT THE END OF THE MONTH FOR 8 WEEKS!!!

THANKS GEMM