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Post by hoppy on Feb 9, 2017 4:35:38 GMT
Does anyone happen to know the dimensions of the gas locker on the SO40?
I think in Europe I was using a Campingaz 904 bottle which is 202mm wide and 188mm high. There was a bit of space around the bottle, so maybe I can get close to a 250mm bottle. From these dimensions I also guess that the locker height might be around 350mm high or a little less.
Ideally I would like a bottle with a POL fitting but they all seem to be 4kg + and their dimensions seem to start at 250mm x 395mm which I suspect is too big. Maybe I have to get a smaller 2kg camping bottle with the 3'8" BSP-LH fitting and an adapter to POL.
I have a gas fitter coming to the boat to upgrade the gas to meet Aussie compliance and ideally want to order the bottle in advance so it's at the marina when I arrive.
I see Bunnings has a 2kg camping bottle that is 200w x 300h that should fit. BCF has a couple of sizes that possibly fit, 1.25kg & 2kg camping, but they don't mention dimensions.
Does anyone have any good suggestions for gas bottle suppliers in Sydney or who can ship to Sydney?
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Post by petermc on Feb 9, 2017 5:24:59 GMT
Hoppy, can't help with the dimensions but I have 2x 4kg bottles in my SF37 gas locker that fit perfectly - got them from Rays outdoors (in Camperdown in Sydney) which is a sister company to BCF. If your boat is in Sydney, I know someone at BCF who might be able to get a marginally better deal on the bottles once you settle on size, just pm me and i will give you more details
Pete
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Post by hoppy on Feb 9, 2017 6:16:12 GMT
Is this the bottle you have? Ray's sell 4kg BCF bottles  I found a photo of a SO37 gas locker and it looks the same as on the SO40. It's hopefully logical that they share the same locker as it is a prefabricated item. I might pop into a Rays or BCF and measure up the cylinders |
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Post by petermc on Feb 9, 2017 6:22:00 GMT
yes thats the bottle, except mine have 3/8 fittings and are orange in colour. I was thinking along the same lines as you that the lockers would be a common shared item. I happen to be out at BCF tomorrow, do you want me to measure the bottles for you?
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Post by rene460 on Feb 9, 2017 10:38:01 GMT
Hi hoppy,
There is a little trick you need to know about the gas bottles made to Aus standards - the capacity is specified, but not the dimensions. So there is actually a range of length/diameter dimensions for each capacity. In addition, the top valve guard and bottom rings also vary in height. It is not a big range, unless your locker is a tight fit. So you need to know the locker height and check a range of gas bottles with the fittings you want to be sure it will fit.
If you are talking 4 kg bottles any swap and go service station has a rack of all shapes and sizes, mostly with POL fittings that you can check. For dimensional checks of the bottles you don't have to go to Sydney. The bottles are made to the same AS standard where ever you buy them in Australia. You can buy from a swap and go, or at least measure a range of bottles, or from any barbecue or camping shop, most of whom will refill your bottle if it is in date. You might be reluctant to use swap and go, but the boat environment is so corrosive, it is good to be able to swap the bottle at each fill. And you can cycle through with your home barbecue bottles if (when?) you live near the boat. Don't bother with bottles smaller than your locker will hold as gas is more expensive in smaller bottles, though it is a big advantage if you can fit two bottles, even if smaller.
You probably have a larger locker tha we have on our SO30i, as we can only fit one two kg bottle. And it had to have the screwed fitting that needs a 3/4 inch spanner. It is so tight that we had to have an extra elbow put in to relocate the regulator as we were unable to replace the original bottle when the bottom ring became too rusty to continue to use - it made ugly rust marks wherever it was put down but still sound near the weld to the container. We spent hours in camping shops measuring every bottle they had, there was no consistency when we needed every last cm. All too high. Don't know where the original gas fitter got the bottles he supplied when he converted the installation to Australian Standards. Fortunately the local Supergas agent, licenced to do such things was able to provide the solution.
The POL fittings generally come out horizontal, but just check how your regulator is mounted and that it does not increase the overall height of the installed bottle more than you can accomodate. Two four kg bottles is ideal if they will fit.
rene460
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Post by hoppy on Feb 9, 2017 21:14:44 GMT
yes thats the bottle, except mine have 3/8 fittings and are orange in colour. I was thinking along the same lines as you that the lockers would be a common shared item. I happen to be out at BCF tomorrow, do you want me to measure the bottles for you? Thanks, that will be great if you can and no prob if you missed this late reply. |
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Post by hoppy on Feb 9, 2017 21:55:59 GMT
Hi hoppy, There is a little trick you need to know about the gas bottles made to Aus standards - the capacity is specified, but not the dimensions. So there is actually a range of length/diameter dimensions for each capacity. In addition, the top valve guard and bottom rings also vary in height. It is not a big range, unless your locker is a tight fit. So you need to know the locker height and check a range of gas bottles with the fittings you want to be sure it will fit. If you are talking 4 kg bottles any swap and go service station has a rack of all shapes and sizes, mostly with POL fittings that you can check. For dimensional checks of the bottles you don't have to go to Sydney. The bottles are made to the same AS standard where ever you buy them in Australia. You can buy from a swap and go, or at least measure a range of bottles, or from any barbecue or camping shop, most of whom will refill your bottle if it is in date. You might be reluctant to use swap and go, but the boat environment is so corrosive, it is good to be able to swap the bottle at each fill. And you can cycle through with your home barbecue bottles if (when?) you live near the boat. Don't bother with bottles smaller than your locker will hold as gas is more expensive in smaller bottles, though it is a big advantage if you can fit two bottles, even if smaller. You probably have a larger locker tha we have on our SO30i, as we can only fit one two kg bottle. And it had to have the screwed fitting that needs a 3/4 inch spanner. It is so tight that we had to have an extra elbow put in to relocate the regulator as we were unable to replace the original bottle when the bottom ring became too rusty to continue to use - it made ugly rust marks wherever it was put down but still sound near the weld to the container. We spent hours in camping shops measuring every bottle they had, there was no consistency when we needed every last cm. All too high. Don't know where the original gas fitter got the bottles he supplied when he converted the installation to Australian Standards. Fortunately the local Supergas agent, licenced to do such things was able to provide the solution. The POL fittings generally come out horizontal, but just check how your regulator is mounted and that it does not increase the overall height of the installed bottle more than you can accomodate. Two four kg bottles is ideal if they will fit. rene460 I've fallen for the different dimensions for same capacity with the swap-n-go bottle with my BBQ. Because of this, I am reluctant to swap but as you point out, if I buy the bottle(s) they will eventually corrode and they need to be tested at some point. Whilst it seems nice to get a couple of 4kg bottles, it occurred to me that the bottles I used in the Med are 1.8kg capacity and in some years I spent 4-6 weeks onboard and I have not needed to replace the bottle (cooking for 1). The regulator should be fixed on the boat and not on the bottle like with BBQ's, so for POL bottles it should just be the bottles height. I'm starting to think that I should take the low risk option and buy a 2kg bottle and get it delivered to the marina (they have a gas refill station) so I don't have to hunt around when I get to Sydney. Then I can source a right angle 3/8 to POL adapter in Melbourne to take with me. 2kg will be more than enough for the delivery to Melbourne an perhaps later I can look for 4kg swap-n-go POL that fit the locker. |
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Post by sitara on Feb 15, 2017 22:41:41 GMT
Hoppy you may have to check that the paint/coatings on the gas bottle will pass the Australian compliance standards for boats. I had hassles of not being able to get marine grade bottles and the BBQ ones would not pass. I ended up with a stainless steel bottle that the commissioning agent supplied.
Rob
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Post by hoppy on Feb 16, 2017 0:57:22 GMT
Hoppy you may have to check that the paint/coatings on the gas bottle will pass the Australian compliance standards for boats. I had hassles of not being able to get marine grade bottles and the BBQ ones would not pass. I ended up with a stainless steel bottle that the commissioning agent supplied. Rob Oh God..... more nanny state rules  I have ordered a 2kg BBQ bottle which is a code 4 bottle. The ones for caravans are supposed to be code 2 but in 2kg there are no code 2. I wonder if code 2 is what's needed for marine or is there a code 1? I'm under the impression that I will need to get it certified in Vic even if I get NSW certification. The plumber will install the fittings that should pass both state rules, but I will not lose sleep if I don't get the NSW cert. If the bottle is the only thing stopping me from getting NSW certification, hopefully my insurance broker can get the installation approved by Club Marine with the promise of a marine grade tank and Vic certification when I get home. Otherwise I just have to hope that I don't burn the boat on the delivery sail. |
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Post by Xantia on Feb 16, 2017 21:44:26 GMT
Check out this site... www.elgas.com.au/blog/393-legality-of-gas-bottles-for-caravans-urban-mythsThere is no legal requirement for any type of coating on gas bottles on either caravans or boats. Elgas even want to pursue any insurance company which tries to impose them. I just use swap and go bottles and get a newly painted one most times. No rust, no worries and Bunnings is on the way to the boat. The only problem is that some 3.7 kg bottles are too tall, so I have to get the right one, but Bunnings have always had them. I doubt that there are many places in Oz where swap and go is not available at the local servo. Cheers, Ian |
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Post by hoppy on Feb 17, 2017 2:24:37 GMT
That sounds more sensible. In Sweden for my BBQ I had a composite gas bottle. It was great as you could see the liquid gas inside so there was no guessing about how much gas is left. They would be great on a boat as you would have no rust issues. I was going to comment that perhaps Aus is too much of a nanny state for them but then I found some here www.chsmith.com.au/Products/Ragasco-Composite-LPG-Gas-Bottle.html A shame they won't fit my locker. |
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Post by Aroha on Feb 18, 2017 9:01:39 GMT
The gas connections inside my gas lockers of my so379 seems "standard" Australian - on the transom is a BBQ gas connector but the gas line doesn't seem to screw into this - is it a metric or other sized fitting?? Has anyone the same issue
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Post by hoppy on Feb 23, 2017 9:13:03 GMT
On board now and the gas guy was here this morning and fitted an Aussie compliant regulator. We did not bother getting compliance as it will cost $250 and I'd have to do it again in Melbourne next week. Anyway he said the oven would not pass compliance because it's missing an Aussie sticker. He said that the company who imports them used to charge $500 to make some fiddly changes to make imports compliant but now they have stopped that and instead they just rip everyone off when they sell new ovens. The gas guy suggested that given the ovens age I should replace it anyway  I was thinking that a couple of years ago so it's lucky I never bought one as it would also need to be replaced. |
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I was thinking that a couple of years ago so it's lucky I never bought one as it would also need to be replaced.