LPG usage

This is our first van (Nuevo) with an LPG tank instead of a Calor bottle.  We’ve done 3 short trips so far and the gas gauge is showing low and displaying a red light.  A Calor bottle used to last us the best part of a season so this seems to be going down very quickly - does anyone else experience this or should we be questioning a leak or a faulty gauge?

Hi PT

The first thing to do is go and top up the tank. That will tell you whether it's the gauge or something else.

With the red light showing I would expect to put in somewhere around 17 litres, possibly even less. The gauges always seem to be pessimistic, which may be deliberate as this gives you early warning of when to panic! Better that way than the other!

Ours was showing 4 green lights when we returned from France last week, and it took only 6.2 litres. If the gauge was accurate it should have needed about 9 or 10 litres.

Don't write off your gauge in any case. They may not be very accurate, but they are consistent - so once you get used to how yours indicates you should have no further problem. (I'm used to ours, and was not surprised when it took only 6 litres.)

Was your tank full to start with?

Similar to Gromit, we've filled our tank with a red light showing and pumped in less than half a tank of gas, so, as he says, fill it up and see what you've actually used.

Tommy.

Thanks Gromit & Tommy
We’ll get it down to the garage & fill up as you suggest (that in itself will be fun as never used a gas filler pump before.) Marquis assured us they’d filled it when we bought it, and the gauge was showing full so we assumed that was correct but who knows.  The van has a few little quirks that we’re getting used to so we’ll add the ways of its gas gauge to our Nuevo knowledge and see how we go!

If you've never filled it yet, I suggest you check how to do it by watching YouTube videos or going to a filling station that has an attendant.

I find it useful to keep a number record of reading on gauge against volume to fill.
On my van when red shows there is almost half a tank left but they vary a lot. Full means full

To give you an idea of how far a tank full will go. We filled it last winter on the way to Spain. For the following two months we used it to cook, say five nights a week, (but not heating) and one night on journey home with heating, fridge, etc on from mid afternoon. When we went to fill it had 4 lights on (our guage has 8 lights)and took about 7 litres. If you are not using heating it lasts a long time as you can see.

Absolutely agree Harry, heating is the greedy item. 20 litres is equivalent to approx 1.75 Calor 6kg bottles.
My system has the old style gauge of only 4 green lights. We've filled at 2 lights and put in only 6 litres. We've filled at only 1 light and put in 6.5 litres, so you can see how inaccurate they are but I'd rather have it pessimistic then optimistic.

I don’t think we’ve had the heating running off the gas at all, we certainly haven’t meant to... When we’ve put the heating on, the panel showed the little electric plug symbol so we assumed that was what it was using.  We’re aware that it can switch itself to dual fuel if it needs a boost to temperature but (as far as we’re aware) that hasn’t kicked in - sounds like something to keep our eye on though.

Figures that may be usefull when trying to work out whats going on with you lpg gas...
..................................1.96ltrs lpg.          =.  1.  kg
.....................................20ltrs lpg.          =10.2 kg
Tank should fill to 80%.     16ltrs.               =8.1.  kg
 This may help when buying litres and compareing it to previous use of kg bottles.

Tanks fitted are normally 25litre, filled to 80%= 20 litres.

Good point to take into account paul.The conversion figures for ltrs/kg can be applied to what ever tank may be fitted.

Yes indeed. Very useful figures Kdc. 

But the Nuevo tank is a 25 litre total capacity, so it takes 20 litres (in theory) for a maximum fill.

It's not altogether clear on the A/S website. They state, "Space saving under-floor 25 litre LPG gas tank with LED level indicator" which might suggest that you can fill up with 25 litres of LPG, but the maximum fill is only 20 litres (80% as you say).

All very confusing, specially to a newcomer to the system who has yet to become familiar with the foibles of her gauge!!

P.S. Paul beats me again with a brief and concise reply!! 

Autosleeper had a habit of fitting the tanks at the wrong angle, the consequence of this was that the gauge misread the contents. The ( wrongly fitted ) tank on my AS Broadway FB showed empty when it was still half full. The gauges are not very accurate at the best of times anyway.
Do as suggested, go and fill the tank and see how much you can get in. 
Alternatively, Gas it and others now sell Bluetooth tank gauges. I have two on my twin tank Gas it system, and they are pretty accurate.

ajrm wrote:Gas it and others now sell Bluetooth tank gauges

I've not heard of these for underslung tanks - would you happen to have a link?

Could be a handy gadget as my tank gauge only lights up when the engine is running.

Originally sold with the name Mopeka, from the USA. They fit upright bottles and horizontal tanks up to 20” diameter.
Gasit now sells them. 

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My gauge shows empty when I have half a tank left  . not good in winter when gas use is high.

ajrm wrote:Originally sold with the name Mopeka, from the USA. They fit upright bottles and horizontal tanks up to 20” diameter.
Gasit now sells them. 

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Had a look at the product for  blue tooth tank level monitoring,looks intresting concept.Especially if accurate levels are as stated and important to the individual.Would be intresting to hear from anyone who may have fitted this item.Do not expect to see them fitted to new vans when cheaper option is available!!

Page Turner wrote:I don’t think we’ve had the heating running off the gas at all, we certainly haven’t meant to... When we’ve put the heating on, the panel showed the little electric plug symbol so we assumed that was what it was using.  We’re aware that it can switch itself to dual fuel if it needs a boost to temperature but (as far as we’re aware) that hasn’t kicked in - sounds like something to keep our eye on though.

PT, assuming your 2018 van has a Truma Combi with the CP Plus control panel (black square shaped) the 'little electric plug symbol' merely means there is a working connection back to the bollard.

the selection of the fuel source for heating (and/or hot water) is made in the Truma CP options.....this can be  electric 1 (900 watts), electric 2 (1800 watts), gas only, mixed 1 (gas and electric 900 watts) or mixed 2 (gas and electric 1800 watts)....

this sounds complicated but invariably, for typical Club sites, you can leave it on electric 2 as the club provides sufficient power to make use of the higher electric setting. I suggest you have a look at a YouTube video of the Truma control panel.

just for info, running the fridge of gas can also use a fair bit of gas.....you might wonder why folk would do this but many campers use their van away from EHU sites and gas is the only viable power source.

have fun in your van.

Ah, my mistake.  Hubby tells me that he’s OK with the options and has set it to Electric 2 each time so we should be OK with that.  Fridge has definitely been on electric. I think he’s going to take it and fill it up tomorrow, been waiting till we have a clear route out cos we have major roadworks right opposite the drive where he van is kept.

We’re learning loads from all your input, thank you all for being so helpful!

OK so we filled up today... it took just under 14.5 litres, so 3/4 of the gas had been used if it was full to start with, which seems excessive given comments here.  We’ve noted the date & amount so will keep an eye on usage from now and if it goes inexplicably quickly we’ll add it to the warranty works pending(!)
Interesting that we discovered our nearest autogas pump is 20 miles away. At one time hubby worked where they had a fleet of LPG fuelled cars & there was never any issue filling them locally.  We know of at least 3 garages around town that were definitely selling it in the early 2000’s but have done away with their pumps.  Hope the demise doesn’t continue or it could be a problem down the line.

If you don't already do so, use filllpg app (android only) or their website for locations of lpg stations.

Doubtful it was full to begin with. We’ve never put that much in despite gauge having only two lights (out if eight) on. Not entirely sure how the dealer made the gauge show full, but my guess would be that it’s the gauge that might be faulty rather than using excessive gas. As you say, keep an eye on it.

Paulmold wrote:If you don't already do so, use filllpg app (android only) or their website for locations of lpg stations.

...or Mylpg.eu if you have Apple....