Are swap and go gas bottles legal on our vans/motorhomes?

Philw · Senior Member

Are swap and go gas bottles legal on our vans/motorhomes?

Phil C · Guru

Phil (great name)

I refuse to do the swap and go, your post has confirmed that decision. Luckily we have 3 9KG bottles that last us a long time.

Not sure of the laws regarding painted vs gal but you raise a good point.

Merry xmas and safe travels

Baz421 · Guru

They are legal and soon you won't be able to get galvanised bottles at all - they are fast disappearing.

Philw · Senior Member

Thanks Phil. Yep. We are special :).. Merry Xmas to you and family from us here at Moffat Beach. Also note you were/are a high school teacher. Me too. But retired now and merely a beach bum. Its now my preferred profession. Minimal working hours and maximium holidays. Though I should have kept the galv bottles....

Philw · Senior Member

Baz. Then I wonder how correct the story of the guy who claimed he was fined. How sure are you of the legality of the painted bottles?
Cheers
Phil

hako · Guru

I'd bet my left tes***le that the story is a bulldust....100% prime grade A1 bulldust. All gas cylinders from Swap&Go or whoever are 100% legal. Regarding gal cylinders, why are they better....don't rust - don't bet.
Have a look at the 220gm throwaway gas cans for the single burner stoves - they are made from the same material and thickness as a tin of fly spray plus they are not galavanised. They carry the same gas as your 9kg gas cylinder.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

This site will provide the info you are seeking. I very much doubt anyone was fined for having non-galvanised gas bottles. hmm

http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/393-legality-of-gas-bottles-for-caravans-urban-myths

Cheers - John

wasn_me · Guru

Were any 9 kg cylinders ever galvanised? I cut up a 30 year old cylinder ( made in singapore, thicker material ) & it was only painted silver. I'm sure cylinders are only painted. I had to replace an out of date cylinder on a van I sold this year. I fitted a painted cylinder from BCF. That passed for the gas certificate.

Hako, the 220g cartridges are butane, the 9kg cylinders are propane. Your comment re material is relevant.

Cheers Pete

-- Edited by wasn_me on Friday 12th of December 2014 07:20:57 AM

wasn_me · Guru

rockylizard wrote:
Gday...
This site will provide the info you are seeking. I very much doubt anyone was fined for having non-galvanised gas bottles.
http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/393-legality-of-gas-bottles-for-caravans-urban-myths
Cheers - John

I just looked at your link John. That answers my question re galvanised cylinders. I'll save the link for future reference.

Cheers Pete

PeterD · Guru

wasn_me wrote:
Were any 9 kg cylinders ever galvanised?

Yes, they cost so much more that you did not see too many.

Radar · Guru

Hi All

I have read this article and adding it to my caravan notes that we keep in the caravan.

This clears up a lot of urban myths that floats about at times.

I did have a interesting afternoon with a young NSW traffic policeman who had just finished extensive training not long back he said he had a book with a list of things they will write you up for and most of these urban myths are not one of them. D shackles, mirrors, gas bottles.are just a few that come to mind. These things would fall under the Transport department who have engineers trained in this field.

Thank you. Ralph.

Phil C · Guru

Philw wrote:
Thanks Phil. Yep. We are special :).. Merry Xmas to you and family from us here at Moffat Beach. Also note you were/are a high school teacher. Me too. But retired now and merely a beach bum. Its now my preferred profession. Minimal working hours and maximium holidays. Though I should have kept the galv bottles....

Thanks mate, yep I taught year 11 and 12 at a private tech college in Adelaide, best 5 years of my life. I started as an aircraft electrician/avionics tech in the RAAF and after some study started teaching my specialties electrotechnology, maths and physics. Now retired and after a few operations on my arthritis will be back on the road.

We are free camping in our daughter's backyard on a winery/vineyard till next August then off to Greens for a few weeks, then a big cruise on Voyager of the Seas in November.

Take care and have a safe xmas

Santa · Guru

Philw wrote:
Just had a chat with our gas guy who said that one of his customers was pulled over by Main Roads (or Transport?) and was fined some hundreds of dollars for not having galvanised gas bottles as opposed to the painted swap and go bottles in his caravan.

Morning Phil,

Any story related in this way is usually bull dust.

Why is it that we never get the story directly from the person who was fined? guess the answer is, because it never happened. biggrin

Philw · Senior Member

Thanks for the prompt and informative replies folks. Glad to see that this is sorted. And no longer worthy of our attention and concern. The Elgas link was great. I will give Ivor (the gas guy) a ring and let him know. You have to wonder though why someone would make up such a tale. Why bother??? Another urban myth buried. Good xmas pres Santa.

Phil C. Enjoy the cruise but watch out for the food. We did one and after 4 days realised that I could no longer see my feet. I seemed to have swelled up in the mid section. Must have been a stomach bug, or too many bugs, cakes, sweets and helpings of food that reflected my desire rather than stomach size.

Merry xmas all.

Phil

Bravehearts · Veteran Member

Just to add a bit more fuel to the fire, I was informed a couple of years ago that the galvanised cylinders are Class 1 as opposed to the swap and go painted cylinders which can be class 3 or 4. This classification is stamped on the bottle along with the date etc. Apparently class 1 units are stronger and more suited to being fitted to a caravan than a class 3/ 4 unit which are less stronger and are more suited to BBQ applications. I have never sighted any supporting documentation and I cannot verify the accuracy of this information, however I have always had my bottles refilled rather than exchanged as I have seen some variation in sizing on the exchange units and at least I know my cylinders will always fit into the mountings.

SORRY: I missed the link re Classification and coatings. Having now read it I feel a right twit having posted the above, however it just proves you are never too old to learn. I just need to slow down and be a bit more diligent when reading the posts. My apologies to all and thanks for the information posted.

-- Edited by Bravehearts on Friday 12th of December 2014 04:02:36 PM

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

My brother who runs a charter boat in bay of islands only uses Galvenised tanks..
Keep in mind some are zink coated.. No good in salty areas..

-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Saturday 13th of December 2014 11:50:40 AM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Want something different?
Light weight.
No corrosion, ever.
Can see the gas level.
Pretty expensive and only the larger one available in Oz, I believe.
Several versions of these are common in Europe.
www.chsmith.com.au/Products/Ragasco-Composite-LPG-Gas-Bottle.html

Cheers,
Peter

Philw · Senior Member

Peter an Margaret. That is remarkable. See through gasbottles that weigh less than the metal ones. Thanks for sending the link. It would solve a lot of issues with rusting bottles and the heavy weight of the metal ones. Phil

Cupie · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Want something different?
Light weight.
No corrosion, ever.
Can see the gas level.
Pretty expensive and only the larger one available in Oz, I believe.
Several versions of these are common in Europe.
www.chsmith.com.au/Products/Ragasco-Composite-LPG-Gas-Bottle.html

Cheers,
Peter

Interesting & less than $200 each!

BTW ... we have been the gas bottle path in the past .. it might be worth searching the archives .. I seem to recall that it was finally established that the swap & go ones are OK as indicated above.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

MAY be checking 10 year expiry date ?
Imo it's the flex joiner hose that needs checking and has no expiry date..
Other than check and replace often .