LYNETTE DE VRIES
21 November 2024
Information about gas bottles
The gas bottle is an indispensable fuel supplier in caravans, campers and for summer barbecues. Gas is used to heat the recreational vehicle, cook in it and barbecue with friends and neighbours. Gas is relatively cheap and widely available at home and abroad. There are a few important points to consider when using gas, which on the one hand ensure safety and on the other hand provide more convenience. We would like to discuss these points in the following article.
Contents
1. What types of gas bottles are there?
Steel gas bottles
Gas bottles of 5 kg and 11 kg are usually used in caravans and campers. There is at least one, but often there is room for two gas bottles in the gas cabinet. The most commonly used gas bottles are made of steel and are available in two colours: grey-green and red. The colour difference between the slightly more expensive grey and the slightly cheaper red gas bottles indicates the exchangeability of the gas bottle.
Grey gas bottles are owner bottles and can be exchanged anywhere in Europe.
Red gas bottles are deposit bottles and can only be exchanged at the company where they were purchased.
Regardless of size and colour, the E-Trailer Sensor E-Gaslevel is simply magnetically attached to the centre of the bottom of the steel gas bottle.
Aluminium gas bottles
There are also 5 kg and 11 kg gas bottles made of aluminium. The content is the same as with the steel gas bottles. However, the aluminium gas bottle weighs considerably less than the steel version. This makes them easier to handle and saves weight in caravans and campers.
E-Trailer offers a suitable adapter for the E-Gaslevel sensor for mounting on aluminium gas bottles.
Plastic gas bottles
It is very rare to find exchange stations for plastic gas bottles in Europe. These are slightly lighter than aluminium gas bottles. However, the E-Gaslevel sensor does not work with plastic gas bottles. This is because plastic gas bottles are double-walled. Due to the vacuum between the two walls, the ultrasonic signal of the E-Gaslevel is not transmitted into the gas bottle.
2. How do I measure the filling level of a gas bottle?
It sounds difficult, but it is: the easiest way to determine the filling level of a gas bottle is to weigh the bottle on a scale. In Europe, every gas bottle must have a tare weight, which indicates the weight of the empty gas bottle. The tare weight is on the handle of the gas bottle. The filling weight is also indicated on the gas bottle; you can find this on the white sticker on the gas bottle. Now weigh the gas bottle and subtract the tare weight from the weighed value. You have now determined the remaining content in kilograms. You can now calculate the filling percentage using the filling weight of the full gas bottle. Suppose the tare weight is 6.9 kg and the weighed weight is 9 kg. Then you still have 2.1 kg of content in the gas bottle. With a filling weight of 5 kg, this would still be about 42 percent content.
But who wants to remove and re-insert the gas bottle every time they check the gas level? And you don’t always have a bathroom scale or a luggage scale at hand.
Because E-Trailer has set itself the goal of making camping safer and more convenient, we have developed the E-Gaslevel module. This allows you to conveniently and accurately read the filling level of the gas bottle on your smartphone. In addition, you will receive a timely notification before the gas runs out as soon as the filling level reaches a certain lower limit. You can easily set this lower limit yourself in the E-Trailer app
3. Where can I exchange gas bottles?
In everyday camping life, a personal or deposit gas bottle in steel or aluminium is easier to handle. These gas bottles are exchanged. This means that the first time you have to pay for the gas bottle itself and its contents, and the next time you only have to pay for the contents of the gas bottle. Gas bottles are available from specialist caravan dealers, campsites, DIY stores and many larger petrol stations. Find your dealer.
Removable gas bottles with a filling gun can only be refilled at specialized gas stations. Such gas bottles are therefore quite impractical.