Gas Bottles
Submitted: Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 05:27
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124146
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Luvntravln
How many of you have checked the dates of your gas bottles when you took delivery of your BT?
I took delivery in June 2004.
Today I learned for the first time that the gas bottles were manufactured in Thailand in 1994; first inspected in Australia in 1998, received a five-year inspection stamp in March 2003; and get to be thrown away in March 2008 – less than four years after I purchased the BT.
Those bottles are supposed to be good for ten years and someone at BT installed bottles that had less than four years use.
I asked Steve and he said that no one bothers to fill bottles; you just exchange them. I can't imagine taking those ten year aluminum bottles to a petrol station every six - 8 weeks and dumping them for the cheap metal rusty ones you see so often stored in the cages.
What are people doing about their gas bottles?
Cheers, Jay
Reply By: Motherhen & Rooster - Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 07:52
Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 07:52
Hi Jay
We don' let go of ours for the swap-and-go thin ones. When going to Tasmania last year, on the pre embarkation inspection, we had to prove they were current. Our van was manufactured in 1998, which gave them 2 years to go. We have had not problems getting them filled, through agencies who follow the rules and don't fill out of date bottles. I can't see the date stamp on them, but it must be visible to the people who fill them.
Motherhen
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AnswerID:
573203
Reply By: Paul and Barb - Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 02:44
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 02:44
The last test date will be stamped on the collar shielding the valve, it usually consists of the test station symbol with the month and year it was tested below it. Every test station has a separate symbol to identify them in case something goes wrong, its not very big, about the size of a postage stamp.
Gas bottles have been covered in past posts, as far as being thick or thin material it was all a myth, the main difference between steel bottles was the surface coating, eg paint or gal.
Jay, aluminium bottles? are these used in marine situations.
Paul.
AnswerID:
573204
Reply By: Luvntravln - Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 03:00
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 03:00
Hi, on the "aluminum", my error - the are painted steel.
That doesn't change the fact that they are only good for less than four years from delivery of the BT!
If I would have know to check for the dates there is no way I would have accepted bottles with the dates I have indicated.
All I can do is pass on to the new owner that it is the opinion of BT that he should simply participate in the exchange program; if he doesn't want to do that he will have to buy new bottles.
Frankly, I am quite surprised that BT used such old bottles when in reality they were already ten years old when I took delivery of the van.
Jay
AnswerID:
573205
Reply By: Tellem Bugrem - Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 00:25
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 00:25
Paul is right on the thickness issue. All gas bottles have the same thickness of steel....here is my earlier posting on the matter.
"Just noticed in the TIPS section that
Bushtracker's incorrect Tip pertaining to GAS Bottle exchange/ replacement is still there after it was established in Post 2618 (October, 2006) that the Australian Standard differred from DOT Standard.
I think Steve was referring to American Department of Transport (DOT) standard.......NOT the Australian Standard.
In Australian Standard AS 2469 - 2005, the categories which are stamped (1 to 4) in a circle on the top of the cowall surrounding the valve assembly on GAS BOTTLES are as follows:-
1 = Hot Dip Galvanizing
2 = Abrasive blasted + inorganic zinc rich coating + organic zinc rich coating.
3 = Sprayed Zinc Coating
4 = Red oxide or polyester powder coat.
The numbers refer to the rust-proofing treatment of the steel, not the thickness of the steel. Obviously, the thickness of the treatment will vary. e.g. Hot-dip galvanizing is thicker than powder coating.
The Australian Standard requires all GAS BOTTLES manufactured in carbon steel to have a wall thickness of 1.75mm and be tested to a minimum pressure of 320Mpa.
The only exception is GAS BOTTLES manufactured in stainless steel are to have a wall thickness of 1.5mm, and be tested to a minimum pressure of 360MPa.
Obviously, Stainless would probably be the best for caravan usage, but they are likely to be quite expensive. So, when exchanging GAS BOTTLES, the No. 1 in the circle should be preferred. The No.2 BOTTLES should be the minimal treatment for caravan usage. The No 3, and the K-mart powder coated type with No. 4 in the circle should be restricted to home use for the barbie."
Now if you review Post 2618 you will see that Steve was totally opposing the SWAP gas bottles........Now Jay is saying that Steve says it is best to use the Swap Bottles.
For me, I'll stick to the swap, with a preference for the Number 2 in the Circle.
Happy travels...............Rob
AnswerID:
573206
Follow Up By: Luvntravln - Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 01:06
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 01:06
Rob, thanks muchly for that detailed information.
I assume the exchange program is for when you bottles are about out of date and not simply to obtain a fill as we do in caravan parks.
Are you exchanging for another 5 or 10 year bottle or a substantially lesser period?
Jay
FollowupID:
848736
Follow Up By: Paul and Barb - Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 02:35
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 02:35
Jay,
The idea of bottle exchange came into existence to avoid the necessity of having to wait for bottles to be filled, a side benefit was that the refilling station that the empties went back to would conduct a visual check of the bottle and also see that the inspection date was OK.
I always swap my bottles now, but have never sorted through the crate of bottles to make sure that I get one with a recent inspection date. One thing that I have been caught with is the bottle diameter, it was too small to clamp securely so I had to wrap a rag around the clamp.
I think that's it's a couple of dollars cheaper to have your own bottle filled, which would soon mount up if you were living full time in your van. You could probably save about $130 - $150 over a 10 year period, I'm going back a few years now, but the cost to have your own bottle inspected was about $50.
Paul.
FollowupID:
848737
Follow Up By: Fred & Marj - Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 at 01:40
Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 at 01:40
Hi I have just checked out our TIPS section and Steves incorrect information re Gas bottles is still there ! - who is able to remove the post ? we shouldn't be dispensing faulty information.
Regards
Wayne
FollowupID:
848738
Follow Up By: Turist - Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 at 02:50
Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 at 02:50
I cleaned out most of his misinformation but missed that one.
They were not deleted but put into their own file, "Lone Rangers Tips."
Never know, someone may wish to copy and re-post on his site. LOL
Bob
FollowupID:
848739
Reply By: Luvntravln - Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 04:01
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 04:01
Thanks Paul, I am not sure it makes sense to do the exchange program every 6 - 8 weeks when you live full-time in the you van.
Cheers, Jay
AnswerID:
573207
Reply By: The paca people - Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 06:02
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007 at 06:02
Hi folks,
A gentle reminder : - Beer comes in bottles; Gas comes in cylinders !
We had to take back a "swap-over" gas cylinder last year in Broome. It was sufficiently different in diameter not to be securely held in the original BT supplied gas cylinder holding frame. Luckily, I could still identify our actual cylinder the next day due to the track grime thereon and waited around until the Kleenheat man re-filled it [and I had paid the small extra for "re-fill" over "swap-over"].
Another reason for hanging on to your "own" cylinders until they "die'' of old age.
Cheers from Martin B.
AnswerID:
573208
Follow Up By: Noosa Fox - Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 at 04:19
Thursday, Jan 10, 2008 at 04:19
It is only a case of paying to have them re tested every 10 years, not throwing them out.
Most people take their cylinders to a swap and go depot prior to the 10 years so that someone else has to pay the cost of the re-test, which is nearly as much as the cost of a new cyclinder.
I just do the same as Motherhen and swap mine over. I did notice one at Bunnings recently that was of a different size. Just another manufacturer by the look of it.
Brian
FollowupID:
848740