Safefill - Refillable Gas Cylinders

tadhatter replied on 18/06/2019 13:16

Posted on 18/06/2019 13:16

Last summer, as part of my ambition to do far more off-grid touring, I thought I'd invest* in Safefill. Perhaps my alarm belles should have been ringing when the place I went to go to purchase a canister was Brayford Leicsure and they only had one size available - the medium sized one - and lots of them! But nonetheless I coughed up my circa £160 for it and have them fill it up and carried on smug in the knowledge that I would soon be quids in in longer term savings.

However, for various personal reasons we haven't been able to get out in the caravan anything like as much as we had hoped since then - partly due to a job change and house move - we've only just got round to needing to re-fill it. I duly looked on Safefill's website to find stockists and discovered that there was only one in about a 10 mile radius. That would be ok if this garage would actaully allow me to refill it. Notices on their lpg pumps said that individual gas canisters were not be refilled here and before I even checked at the kiosk a forceful looking lady shouted at me saying that I couldn't fill that thing here!  However, after discussion she told me where, locally, I could get it sorted. I thanked her and went on to that location. Unfortunately she clearly mistook Safefill with standard Calor gas. I tried to call Safefill at this point only to hear that I couldn't leave a message as the mailbox was full! 

I proceeded to look for an alternative website to see where LPG was stocked and then proceeded to a couple of other locations, one which didn't actaully exist anynore and another also refused to let me fill my Safefill container. Having wasted 2 hours on a wild goose chase I decided to head home as I had work to do rather annoyed and frustrated.

So, can anyone else tell me if they'ved had simialr unhelpful experiences with Safefill or, more helpfully, let me know somewhere where I can get my cylinder refilled in the Beds/Herts/Bucks area.

Very much lool forward to hearing responses.

Cheers, 

Tim.

*for investment read expensive wasted of money!

WK57ABF replied on 20/06/2019 20:47

Posted on 20/06/2019 20:47

We've used refillable lpg cylinders for well over 20 years and it is getting increasingly difficult to fill them - we've used Worthington bottles fitted with overfill devices - German bottles with 80% devices - and currently Alugas on our camper.

I would suggest or possibly advise owners of Safefill or similar refillable cylinders to build up their own list of "portable cylinder friendly fillers" - these will usually be little independent village garages where the owner fills your bottle - they've kept us going for a long while.

John

replied on 20/06/2019 20:59

Posted on 20/06/2019 20:59

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

JVB66 replied on 20/06/2019 21:06

Posted on 20/06/2019 20:59 by

Even though there appears to have been a steady increase in users of refillable cylinders there seems to be a definite decrease in places providing refills.  Perhaps CC Ltd and C&CC should start providing the service.

Posted on 20/06/2019 21:06

And at what cost to get it set up?see previos threads for a tiny minority of users who have invested big bucks for the set up, that may not be as a good idea if the filling places are shrinkingsurprised

DaveandVicki replied on 20/06/2019 21:13

Posted on 20/06/2019 21:13

We are fortunate that we have 2 places to fill our bottles near to where our caravan is stored. Add to that another place a couple of miles from home and also the place we purchased our 1st Safefill bottle from that I pass on the way to work.

We have only been without the umbilical cord once, that was when the sites electric had to be shut down for maintenance work by the sites electric supplier. We managed without a problem except Vicki missed her TV  (important stuff like Emerdale and Corrie. laughing )

I'm looking forward to more days without the cord.

Johnny57 replied on 20/06/2019 21:20

Posted on 20/06/2019 20:47 by WK57ABF

We've used refillable lpg cylinders for well over 20 years and it is getting increasingly difficult to fill them - we've used Worthington bottles fitted with overfill devices - German bottles with 80% devices - and currently Alugas on our camper.

I would suggest or possibly advise owners of Safefill or similar refillable cylinders to build up their own list of "portable cylinder friendly fillers" - these will usually be little independent village garages where the owner fills your bottle - they've kept us going for a long while.

John

Posted on 20/06/2019 21:20

What about creating a Google map of places that members know will fill refillable cylinders like Safefilll etc? 

replied on 20/06/2019 21:20

Posted on 20/06/2019 20:59 by

Even though there appears to have been a steady increase in users of refillable cylinders there seems to be a definite decrease in places providing refills.  Perhaps CC Ltd and C&CC should start providing the service.

Posted on 20/06/2019 21:20

Most of those using C&CC or CC sites generally don't need it as on EHU

replied on 20/06/2019 21:22

Posted on 20/06/2019 21:06 by JVB66

And at what cost to get it set up?see previos threads for a tiny minority of users who have invested big bucks for the set up, that may not be as a good idea if the filling places are shrinkingsurprised

Posted on 20/06/2019 21:22

The user and all related content has been Deleted User

JVB66 replied on 20/06/2019 21:24

Posted on 20/06/2019 21:22 by

Once again you have lost me.  However, I guess you mean the set up costs would be high and you may be right because of the way CC Ltd does things.  As for demand, that should increase as commercial suppliers disappear.  

 

Posted on 20/06/2019 21:24

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