Gas education please

[sciroccotune]

Hi Guy!

Not posted for a few months as the tax on the van ran out . As I'm looking to get it taxed again in a month or so I want to get it all ship shape before then!

Thing is in all the time I have had it I have never used the gas for fridge / cooker etc. I would like to use this for cups of tea and the like

My van is an 1984 westy from the motherland and has a tank under its belly with an inlet port and a gauge etc.

So how the heck do I use it?!?

Cheers!

[Red Westie]

PM'd you

[sciroccotune]

A big thank you to Red Westie!

Who would think I could use LPG from a normal petrol station!?

What do the owners of early vans do if they don't have a De-Icer indicator in the van? Does it just work when needed etc?

Thanks again guys!

[Red Westie]

As I understand it....the LPG can spit as a result of 'not properly vapourising' at temperatures below 5 degrees. As I've never experienced this phenomenon and I have camped loads of times in below zero degree temps...Point is: I've forgotten plenty of times to use the heater in freezing temps and never had an issue. hayho....
Martin

[Red Westie]

Strickly speaking......LPG from the petrol station is taxed as an automotive fuel (for your engine) now I might be wrong when I say this....and I'm sure there will be someone along shortly to put me right but.....some stations may be a bit off if you tell them it's for the cooker and heating.
Just keep quiet about it....I mean it's no big deal but if asked it's a gassed engine.

Martin

[kevtherev]

there are non forecourt LPG stations too.. they tend to be less fussy I have found.

[sciroccotune]

Once again guys this has all been fantastic info!

Cant believe that I can just use LPG from a petrol station as said before!

Anyway decided to give the whole show a go (valves in vertical position) and you will never guess what!? It only works like a treat!!!

Now I know how to read the gauge etc turns out I have about 60-70% gas in the tank anyway - Result!

So I will read up on the fridge and see if I can get that working to.

Anyway thanks again Red Westie and others.

[!aj!]

This is not making a lot of sense. What is being filled with LPG?

[andisnewsyncro]

This is not making a lot of sense. What is being filled with LPG?

The underslung gas tank I guess

[!aj!]

Right,i'm not too up on different versions of vans. Thought they all used the Calor gas cylinders.

[andisnewsyncro]

Right,i'm not too up on different versions of vans. Thought they all used the Calor gas cylinders.

Some Westys have a gas tank fitted underneath rather than relying on cylinders. There's some info here http://www.club80-90.co.uk/pages/downloads.html and follow the link to Joker manual. There's so many different conversions and models it can get a bit confusing

[smudge]

I filled our LPG tank up on our Westie the other day for the first time; it had run out of gas just as I was making a cuppa at Volksworld.....

The only ball-ache for me is that we have stainless side steps fitted to out Westie, so I had to remove the one alongside the tank in order to get the LPG nozzle on the filler neck. Still, I 'm hoping that I only have to fill up the tank once a season, so I can live with that, it only took 5 minutes to take it off, three bolts!

Dead easy...! I did a google search first to see where my local LPG petrol station was, here in Kent it seems to be the big BP garages. The pump was labelled 'Autogas', I had to wait for a very nice chap in a MGB GT to finish filling up his tank!

Used the adaptor that the PO gave me when I bought the van, made sure the lugs were horizontal, clamped on the LPG nozzle, and just presses the button on the pump until it was full. (It stops automatically when full). Cost me £12.43, bargain!

Went in to pay, wasn't asked any questions at all as to what it was for.

[Red Westie]

Filling for the first time is always an event.....remember to properly tighten the adapter as the pump has a fail safe system and doesn't work if it senses any pressure loss. Also...the pumps generally 'time out' and only give you a set time from when the nozzle is taken off the pump to when you press and lock the delivery lever.

Martin