# Best Gas Bottle combination for a Hymer



## 108717

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


----------



## 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.


----------



## 108777

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  . 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

ChilliK said:


> 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


I use Flogas which is easily available nationally, and I can get 2x11KG cylinders in my locker.

Andrew


----------



## 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


----------



## 109390

*PLEASE HELP GAS BOTTLE QUERY*

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


----------



## citroennut

hi gemm,

the silver regulator is a german 30 mb. there are a couple of choices- replace the reg. with one for propane (red) advisable or butane (blue) and connect corresponding bottle. the other option is as a couple of replies up, to get an adaptor from accesory shop or ebay. the adaptor will fit propane cylinders. the choice will depend largely on whether there is a changeover system, if there is then the adaptor route is preferable.

simon

ps. no need to shout (capitals)


----------



## camper69

Does anyone know what is the mb for propane is in Germany ?

Derek


----------



## rayhook

*German Pressure*

Derek,

The question is - what pressure do your appliances require?!!

The pressure isn't fixed in the bottle but by the regulator which should match your appliances. If your m/h is recent, it's likely to be 30 mb. If you're planning to use German cylinders you'll need some sort of adaptor, presuming you currently use Calor.

Ray


----------



## thegreatpan

My 1992 544 has an adaptor to convert to British Propane, anyone know what sort of washer is used in this as mine is defective?


----------



## pneumatician

I carry 1 Gaslow Refillable and just in case 1 Camping Gaz.

Last year I refilled the 11Kg Gaslow 1.5 times and didn't use the Gaz.
3 months abroad and several UK trips.

Steve


----------



## 109390

hi simon, sorry bout the capitals , does the silver reg run on butane then or can he use either or? at the moment the hymer place he ad it from fitted the van with a propane bottle! but we need to know if before he goes away he can use the butane bottles when he is away! thanks :roll:


----------



## citroennut

sorry 'bout double post didn't realise had gone to second page


----------



## citroennut

hi gemm,

the adaptor will only fit propane (red) i think, i would advise only using propane as it doesn't freeze in colder weather unlike butane. the person who bought our 'van bought one from ebay and it arrived quite quickly. when you say it was fitted with a red bottle when bought, was it not connected?
btw it is well worth paying the tenner to subscribe.

simon


----------



## 101405

*gas connection*

YOUR German reg will fit a French /Spanish/ uk propane bottle ? for the uk one phone truma They will post you the adapter to fit uk propane bott.
about a fiver?. oh and Italy as well. me thinks


----------



## 111540

Just to make life a little more complicated here's a description of my scenario which I am still trying to understand.

1992 Hymer Camp 55 ( German import )
Grey 11KG Propane cylinder
2 regulators
- first one connected to cylinder looks like :










- the second regulator is inline with the first i.e. it feeds the van but is not currently attached to a cylinder :










The complication is that I live in Spain. Here I have very easy access to 11KG butane cylinders but they use different clip-on regulators with a normal pressure of 29 mbar for our household appliances.

The documentation in German for the van appears to indicate that you can use propane or butane. It also says that in Germany the setup MUST be run at 50 mbar. However it is not clear whether the appliances ( fridge, water heater, gas heater ) will operate correctly at different pressures.

It also seems logical to assume to red reg marked reserve is for a second gas bottle, but why does it appear to have a different flow rate 0.8 KG/hr instead of the 15 KG/hr of the green reg ?

Any advice whatsoever appreciated.

Cheers

Dave


----------



## 101405

*re hymer gas*

re HYMER 55/ You only need a spanish freeflow valve which looks just like a regulater but is not,(valvula libre) this fits your german 50mb Reg connection, (screw) you are talking about lightweight cepsa bottles 11kg ? you can use Repsol orange as your reg will not fit over the valve guard on the cepsa bottle, your german reg also fits a french bottle , ask at your local Repsol dept for valve / and orange s/h bottle can be bought from carboot -25€


----------



## 101405

*red and green*

red and green

This is the truma auto change over system which works when a bottle is empty .one has slightly lower flow to read as an empty green -main red -standby.


----------



## 111540

Silvasurfa

Thanks so much for your advice. You are correct that I currently have Cepsa lighweight butane bottles for use in my house.

If I can just replay my understanding of everything to you which I have gleaned from this, and many other sources :

1> I can use either butane or propane with my appliances. The only real difference is that butane is reluctant to turn to gas at sub-zero temperatures, and appliances will therefore become less and less effective, until presumably they stop working completely, as the temperature drops below zero.

2> I can buy an adaptor from my local Repsol agent called a "valula libre" which will allow me to connect a Spanish Repsol ( Orange ) butane bottle to my German regulators. Cepsa bottles won't work as they have a flange at the top which would prevent the connection to the regs.

3> If I connect 2 same size bottles in parallel via the installed regs the different regulator outputs will cause one bottle to empty much faster than the other providing plenty of time for a changeover, before the second bottle runs out.

Thanks for any further feedback, and I'll be sure to update the board with my progress.

Cheers

Swampy


----------



## 101405

*re hymer gas*

Many Thanks swampy glad Icould help. Propane is most commonly uesd as normaly it does not get below 5/6c , well not here anyway ! but we feel cold when it does (time to Light the fire) but we have for many years carried a 2/burner camping gaz stove/bottle and cook outside van , when we set up camp . happy travels Buen viajes!


----------



## 111540

Silversurfa

Is this a picture of one the "valvula libre" ?










I found it here http://www.acpasion.net/foro/showthread.php?t=27017&highlight=butano , where Spaniards seem to have encountered the same problem with German vans.

Cheers

Swampy


----------



## 101405

Yes thats it -them? your 50MB German reg should screw onto them ,left hand thread . just tight enough to seal joint , thats it and your reg will fit a French bottle, which if in france , look or ask for an Emmaus shop or warehouse/ its a charity org. and you can pick a bottle up for 5-10€ plus lots of other stuff/ glassware/china / ect . some great tat


----------



## Hovis

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

I think I am correct in saying that the Germans use 50bar on that age model. All the appliances will be regulated to that. I fitted a Smev Oven into mine and had a 50 Bar jet fitted.There should be a sticker on the gas locker door / somewhere coloured Yellow/greenish stating the Bar. I know that they have now reverted to 30 Bar.

If in doubt give Deepcar a ring, they maybe able to help - worth a try

Deepcar Motorhomes International
10a Vaughton Hill, Deepcar,
Sheffield S36 2SW
Tel: +44(0)114 288 2660
Fax: +44(0)114 288 2628
[email protected]

Hovis.

P.S. I have no connections with the above just satisfaction !


----------



## pippin

_"valvula libre"_

Please be careful how you spell _valvula_.

There has already been one misspelling, get it seriously wrong and the expression "valvula libre" could take on an entirely different and very interesting meaning!!

My father learnt (Central American) Spanish back in the '30's.
He retired to Spain in the '60's.
I remember him going into a hardware shop (ferreteria) and asking for what he thought was a cold-chisel.
You could have cut the embarassing silence with a knife as the whole shop heard what he said.
The meaning had slightly changed over the years and continents.
He had asked for something rather akin to a misspelt "valvula"!!!


----------



## LittleGreyCat

ChilliK said:


> <snip>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


Just to confirm - Hymers in general (we are about to pick up an '02 B544) will take 2 * 11Kg German bottles, but only a 6Kg and an 11Kg UK bottles?

Are there 13Kg bottles also, or is this a typo?


----------



## LittleGreyCat

ChilliK said:


> <snip>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


Just to confirm - Hymers in general (we are about to pick up an '02 B544) will take 2 * 11Kg German bottles, but only a 6Kg and an 11Kg UK bottles?

Are there 13Kg bottles also, or is this a typo?


----------



## javea

Quote

Just to confirm - Hymers in general (we are about to pick up an '02 B544) will take 2 * 11Kg German bottles, but only a 6Kg and an 11Kg UK bottles?

Are there 13Kg bottles also, or is this a typo?[/quote]

On my 2007 B544 I can fit one 13kg and one 6kg cylinder - not possible to squeeze in 2 x 13kg.


----------



## 108777

Just read Little Grey Cat'ts post (Was I seeing double :lol: ) and realized it was moi you were quoting ! Just in case I had been having a senior moment, I have just had a look in the locker and can confirm, along with javea03730 that yes it is 1x6kg and 1x13kg Calor gas bottles

Mike


----------



## oldun

Before this question can be answered we need to know how you will be using the gas. Sites with hookups, rough camping etc. Sites in the UK where bottles are readily available of sites abroad.

I nearly always use hookups so I use one small bottle of gas every 10 years or so. So the best bottle for me is the smallest.


----------

