Refillable LPG Bottles from Autogas 2000

Barry and Margaret Williamson
Dunbar
August 2014

The Carado T337 motorhome we bought from Brownhills Motorhomes of Newark needs gas for cooking, heating and refrigeration when mains electricity is not available. However, from our caravanning days we had only one 6-kg Calor Gas propane bottle (about 10 litres of gas). This bottle cannot (or should not - tell the Greeks) be refilled and it can only be exchanged for a full bottle within the UK. Not much use, then!

Given that the motorhome has a large space for gas bottles in a purpose-built cupboard within the garage, we decided to fit two 11-kg bottles (about 36 litres of LPG). Our good friend Dan recommended John at Autogas 2000 in Carlton Miniott, west of Thirsk on the road to the A1, the Great North Road. The bonus is that Autogas 2000 fit bottles that can be refilled easily at service stations anywhere in Europe, except Finland. They use the LPG that drives cars!

We arrived early but there was plenty of space within a large parking area. John soon welcomed us to his well equipped workshop and recommended the lightweight Alugas refillable bottle, weighing only 6.6 kg when empty and holding up to 11 kg (about 18 litres) of LPG. The aluminium bottles are made in Germany, with the motorhome market in mind.

Each bottle has its own level gauge and when filling there is an automatic safety cut-off at 80%. We bought two bottles which can be used separately but are filled together through a discreet external connection on the skirt of the motorhome. John supplied three Continental adapters in their own neat case, to enable filling throughout the mainland.

In addition to demonstrating the filling and the use of the bottles, John gave us a folder with 6 illustrated leaflets full of information and good advice.

The whole operation took less than an hour and we were able to fill up with LPG before leaving to join the A1, heading north for Scotch Corner, Gretna Green and on to meet Glaswegian Dan on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.

An article on this website gives full information on the nature of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), its composition (80% or more propane, the rest being mostly butane), its properties (for example, its pressure within the bottle can be as high as 170 psi on a hot day) and its availability throughout Europe.