Just a simple question. What do folks use to measure (have confidence) regarding gas remaining in the caravan 9Kg gas bottles please? There are several options so just looking for what folks use and any indication of accuracy and such.
Many thanks.
Andy
Ivan 01 said
12:22 PM Jul 10, 2022
My thoughts are the most accurate method is to know the tare weight of the bottle and then weigh the contents.
When you are getting close to the tare you will need to fill the bottle.
If your are using two bottles, use one until it runs out and connect the full one, but you must remember to fill the empty before the second bottle runs out,
A rough idea is boil the kettle and trickle hot water down the outside of the bottle. Where the condensation stops is a fair to rough guide of what is left in the bottle.
Using two bottles means you have a bit of extra weight but at the same time gives you wriggle room to shop for the best price on LPG.
If weight is a problem and you want to go the two bottle method then just use 4.5 kg bottles in place of the 9 kg ones.
-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Sunday 10th of July 2022 12:25:35 PM
KevinJ said
02:14 PM Jul 10, 2022
I completely emptied both my bottles by leavng the valve open till they just stopped hissing (when each was supposedly empty anyway), then weighed them with airline scales which I carry. When they were full, I also weighed them. Now I have the weights I need for various calculations. I can now weight them anytime to tell me how much I have left.
CrashHD said
07:46 PM Jul 11, 2022
Thanks for the response. But, I guess I was hoping for a method where I didnt have to take bottles out to weigh them. Whilst not wanting to appear lazy, just, lets call it efficient. I see by looking at the web, eBay, Amazon and a billion sales places, there appear to be many varied options. These range from stick-on gauges, Bluetooth indicators, adaptors that sit in the discharge lines, ultrasonic sticks and it goes on. Ironic that both of you guys who were kind enough to respond with the bottle weight method. Many thanks. Very much appreciated.
Ivan 01 said
08:32 PM Jul 11, 2022
From other reports and from some personal experience many of the other methods are at the best, a guess.
The hot water down the side of the bottle wont cost you very much if anything and that will be as accurate or even better in some cases than the other methods. Just do the check while you are making your cuppa in the morning,
I had those gas fuse things that fit on the bottle outlet and not only did the gauge report nothing of the level until the bottle was basically empty but the units I had became faulty after a period of less than 12 months and restricted gas to my appliances. I removed one and then the other to get everything working again.
On a side note I am surprised that someone hasnt calibrated a load cell arrangement that could fit under the bottles and provide a weight via wire to a monitor or even via Bluetooth. There is a system available for beer kegs that works on this principle but the biggest difference is that beer kegs, once in place are static and not bolted into position whereas lpg bottles must be secure. There are also flow gauges that measure product usage in different industries but I think with caravanning we have all just relied on having one of the bottles run out and switch to the other while you fill the first,
If you are full time or long time in your van you might find you get a little bit of a *feel* for how much gas you are ubpsung over a time period, The hard bit might be if you have an LPG space heater to stay comfortable.
The other alternative might be to go big with solar and battery and change fridge, water heater and stove to electricity. Unfortunately that will be costly in mos5 cases.
-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Monday 11th of July 2022 08:34:19 PM
CrashHD said
08:37 PM Jul 19, 2022
Gday Ivan
Thanks for the follow-up mate. Much appreciated. Andy
Ivan 01 said
09:28 PM Jul 19, 2022
CrashHD wrote:
Gday Ivan
Thanks for the follow-up mate. Much appreciated. Andy
Not a worry mate.
Hope you find a solution that suits you and your travel agenda.
Derek Barnes said
02:12 PM Aug 5, 2022
We use an ultrasonic sensor which magnetically attaches to the bottom of the gas bottle and shows how much is left in the bottle with a graphic picture on your smartphone. It's called SmartSense by BMPRO. We have two sensors attached to the bottoms of our two 4.5 kg gas bottles. They run on 3v button batteries which only last a year so we have used a voltage converter on the caravan's 12V battery and run a lead out to the gas bottles along the A frame. It has worked well for the last 2 years. Was a bit fiddly running the battery wires into the sensors though.
Dick0 said
12:48 PM Oct 12, 2022
I have used safety gas valves available at Bunnings, bbq galore, etc. for about $20. The display has a dial and colour indicators. When the dial is in the yellow I figure I have a day or two gas left. Been using these for over three years, one on each bottle.
Hi everyone.
Just a simple question. What do folks use to measure (have confidence) regarding gas remaining in the caravan 9Kg gas bottles please? There are several options so just looking for what folks use and any indication of accuracy and such.
Many thanks.
Andy
My thoughts are the most accurate method is to know the tare weight of the bottle and then weigh the contents.
When you are getting close to the tare you will need to fill the bottle.
If your are using two bottles, use one until it runs out and connect the full one, but you must remember to fill the empty before the second bottle runs out,
A rough idea is boil the kettle and trickle hot water down the outside of the bottle. Where the condensation stops is a fair to rough guide of what is left in the bottle.
Using two bottles means you have a bit of extra weight but at the same time gives you wriggle room to shop for the best price on LPG.
If weight is a problem and you want to go the two bottle method then just use 4.5 kg bottles in place of the 9 kg ones.
-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Sunday 10th of July 2022 12:25:35 PM
I completely emptied both my bottles by leavng the valve open till they just stopped hissing (when each was supposedly empty anyway), then weighed them with airline scales which I carry. When they were full, I also weighed them. Now I have the weights I need for various calculations. I can now weight them anytime to tell me how much I have left.
Thanks for the response. But, I guess I was hoping for a method where I didnt have to take bottles out to weigh them. Whilst not wanting to appear lazy, just, lets call it efficient. I see by looking at the web, eBay, Amazon and a billion sales places, there appear to be many varied options. These range from stick-on gauges, Bluetooth indicators, adaptors that sit in the discharge lines, ultrasonic sticks and it goes on. Ironic that both of you guys who were kind enough to respond with the bottle weight method. Many thanks. Very much appreciated.
From other reports and from some personal experience many of the other methods are at the best, a guess.
The hot water down the side of the bottle wont cost you very much if anything and that will be as accurate or even better in some cases than the other methods.
Just do the check while you are making your cuppa in the morning,
I had those gas fuse things that fit on the bottle outlet and not only did the gauge report nothing of the level until the bottle was basically empty but the units I had became faulty after a period of less than 12 months and restricted gas to my appliances. I removed one and then the other to get everything working again.
On a side note I am surprised that someone hasnt calibrated a load cell arrangement that could fit under the bottles and provide a weight via wire to a monitor or even via Bluetooth.
There is a system available for beer kegs that works on this principle but the biggest difference is that beer kegs, once in place are static and not bolted into position whereas lpg bottles must be secure.
There are also flow gauges that measure product usage in different industries but I think with caravanning we have all just relied on having one of the bottles run out and switch to the other while you fill the first,
If you are full time or long time in your van you might find you get a little bit of a *feel* for how much gas you are ubpsung over a time period, The hard bit might be if you have an LPG space heater to stay comfortable.
The other alternative might be to go big with solar and battery and change fridge, water heater and stove to electricity. Unfortunately that will be costly in mos5 cases.
-- Edited by Ivan 01 on Monday 11th of July 2022 08:34:19 PM
Gday Ivan
Thanks for the follow-up mate. Much appreciated.
Andy
Not a worry mate.
Hope you find a solution that suits you and your travel agenda.
We use an ultrasonic sensor which magnetically attaches to the bottom of the gas bottle and shows how much is left in the bottle with a graphic picture on your smartphone. It's called SmartSense by BMPRO. We have two sensors attached to the bottoms of our two 4.5 kg gas bottles. They run on 3v button batteries which only last a year so we have used a voltage converter on the caravan's 12V battery and run a lead out to the gas bottles along the A frame. It has worked well for the last 2 years. Was a bit fiddly running the battery wires into the sensors though.
I have used safety gas valves available at Bunnings, bbq galore, etc. for about $20. The display has a dial and colour indicators. When the dial is in the yellow I figure I have a day or two gas left. Been using these for over three years, one on each bottle.
Tried other devices that were useless.