Lightweight gas bottle arrives

Lightweight, composite gas bottles that can save up to 10kg on a caravan’s tow ball download, will not corrode and are explosion-proof in a fire, are now available in Australia, albeit at a premium price.

The Norwegian-manufactured cylinders that are available in 5kg, 7.5kg and 14kg sizes, are being imported by Melbourne-based Sprint Gas, one of the largest suppliers of LP Gas vehicle conversions in Australia.

The composite cylinders are easily identified from their steel sisters by their green plastic tops that incorporate large handles for easy carrying. Other coloured tops are available to special volume order.

They are also translucent, so the gas level can be checked easily through the walls of the tank, reducing the risk of unexpectedly running out.

The space-age cylinders made their public debut at the recent Victorian Caravan Supershow, where a pair was fitted to the new model Roma Razorback off-road caravan.

However, according to Sprint Gas, they are relatively commonplace in Europe and Asia, with more than 10 million sold worldwide over the past 15 years.

At 7.5kg capacity, the cylinders most likely to be used in camper trailer, caravan and home BBQ applications are one kilo lighter than the capacity of the common large Australian steel gas cylinder, a deficit that most travellers should be able to live with, given the ability to view the remaining gas level.

However many will baulk at the $198 price for the 7.5kg cylinder and $187 for the smaller 5kg cylinder.

Both share the same 306mm diameter, meaning they will fit conventional bottle holders, but differ in height, 460mm to 384mm respectively.

The need to refill, rather than ‘Swap ‘n Go’ and their vulnerability to theft, could be other deterrents.

On the plus side, the cylinders are significantly lighter than their steel counterparts, weighing 4.6kg (large) and 4kg (small) empty respectively, compared with 6kg and 8.64kg.

When filled, this results in a saving on a large bottle of about 5kg, or 10kg in ball weight as most caravans carry two on their A-frame.

The weight saving will be important to those concerned about reduced permissible ball weight when their tow vehicle is fully laden and those trying to keep their van at a legal weight matched to their tow vehicles.

Older travellers and those with large front stone-shields, where bottles sometimes have to be raised to chest height to be loaded and removed, will also appreciate the lighter cylinders, while the larger 14kg composite cylinders are winning approval for forklift use for the same OH &S reasons.

They are also gaining industry approval because, unlike steel cylinders, they will not explode in a fire.

Instead, the composite casing will gradually leach the contents, allowing the gas to escape at a controlled, non-explosive rate – a feature that should also prove popular with caravanners.

The only limitation the composite cylinders have for off-road use is related to this benefit, as prolonged stone strike could damage the composite casing and, over time, lead to leaks.

For this reason users would be advised to have a primary stone barrier, such as truck mesh, fitted ahead of the bottles and this is already common practice on most caravans designed to leave the bitumen, including Roma’s new Razorback.