# 50 mb Gas



## Hazy-thoughts (Dec 13, 2008)

Has anyone buying an older German vehicle ever had any problem importing a motorhome into the country due to the 50 mb gas system ??

I believe that the norm is 30mb over here and wondered if this had caused any problems for anyone


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## walkers (Dec 14, 2008)

Hazy-thoughts said:


> Has anyone buying an older German vehicle ever had any problem importing a motorhome into the country due to the 50 mb gas system ??
> 
> I believe that the norm is 30mb over here and wondered if this had caused any problems for anyone


 Surely it is jus a matter of changing the regulator?
No probs with gas on my import they don't check it on the mot, and don't ask anything about it on any of the forms you fill in.
Unless VOSA insist on a full inspection the gas won't be looked at, possibly not even then.
Regards Tony


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## Deleted member 207 (Dec 14, 2008)

walkers said:


> Surely it is jus a matter of changing the regulator?
> No probs with gas on my import they don't check it on the mot, and don't ask anything about it on any of the forms you fill in.
> Unless VOSA insist on a full inspection the gas won't be looked at, possibly not even then.
> Regards Tony



Not quite, the jets on each appliance have to be changed as well.

I'm almost sure (note "almost") that 50mBar systems are designed around the use of Autogas and using tanks, the 30mBar systems are designed around bottled gas.


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## walkers (Dec 15, 2008)

Roger said:


> Not quite, the jets on each appliance have to be changed as well.
> 
> I'm almost sure (note "almost") that 50mBar systems are designed around the use of Autogas and using tanks, the 30mBar systems are designed around bottled gas.


 Thanks for enlightening me.
So if it is 50mb and a tank is fitted would it be acceptable for use in the uk?


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## dethleff (Dec 15, 2008)

No problem, only problem is if you do not use a 50 mb regulator
Stan


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## Deleted member 207 (Dec 15, 2008)

I doubt the 50mBar system will cause any problems. It will be something obscure in a gas regulation that refers to a British Standard written in 1910 that says you cant use a stainless steel metric olive gas fitting and have to use the far inferior copper BSF flare fittings.


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## Hazy-thoughts (Dec 15, 2008)

So if I wanted to use a uk gas bottle would I just need to swap the regulators at the end of the hose over 
Sorry to sound such a divvy 
I am contemplating getting either a tank or refillable bottles fitted, what experience do you guy's have of them, and any idea what sort of costs are involved in doing this. Please be gentle with me, I have transferred a lot of money to Germany today and am feeling a little tender


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## terry1956 (Dec 15, 2008)

*In answer*

Hi, re the gas thing, I needed to swap the gas regulator from the german 50mb to a 30mb thats all you need to do, (is charge the regulator) for my french plates, I now run a gas low system in the van and have done so for two years, great system and my best motorhome buy by far.
for the price of the regulator, get it done and be safe and your insurrance will be good, If you do have an rta, they will check the van and the insurrance will be looking for way reason not to pay out, why give them one for £20 pounds or so.
michael


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## Deleted member 207 (Dec 15, 2008)

I've had three Merc Westfalia campers with LPG tanks fitted, and I would nt want to go any other way now. Just roll into any Autogas fuel station and fill up. No lugging bottles around. No risk of having a gas leak from a loose POL fitting. The older I get the less I like lugging around gas bottles weighing 10-15kgs and having to fit them in awkward places.

Only problem we had last year was in Norway/Finland where Autogas was a bit thin on the ground, but a 20 litre gas tank lasts about 2 months.

You need a fill adaptor set to cope with the different fill nozzles across Europe and UK.

The tanks have to be tested every 10 years, same as the bottles. The Germans have two yearly tests of the gas system, so I feel reasonably confident about LPG systems in their campers. 

For the Greenies amongst us, gas tanks are also far less damaging to the environment as they do not "leak" liquid to the air in the filling process - which is still the common way of seeing when a bottle is full. A 9kg gas bottle can release about 20 litres of gas vapour when being filled!!


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## Deleted member 967 (Aug 6, 2009)

*Autogas Problems*



Hazy-thoughts said:


> Has anyone buying an older German vehicle ever had any problem importing a motorhome into the country due to the 50 mb gas system ??
> 
> I believe that the norm is 30mb over here and wondered if this had caused any problems for anyone



My Hymer S700 had a Truma 50mb auto change over system fitted.  I simply got adapters to fit between the UK bottle and the German fitting.  I got these from Gaslow.

I have since fitted an 85 litre gas tank that is also regulated at 50mb that has saved a lot of money on gas.

I have however, found that since changing to Autogas I have had a problem with sooting of the fridge and fire burners that I did not have when using bottled gas.

I contacted Calor over this and they assure me that the gas they supply is propane the same as the red bottles.

I have lately been using Flogas often and have had the sooting problem a lot.  A friend told me that certain gas suppliers for autogas are adding oil to the gas to prevent pinking.  I have written to Flogas asking if this is the case with their gas and I am awaiting a reply.

I use a solvent to clean the fridge burner from time to time.  (Carburetor Cleaner).  I have had a new burner fitted to the fire but was recommended to change the whole fire as the sooting had been so bad.  That would cost about £1500 so I am trying to get away without doing that.

Has anyone else experienced these problems using AUTOGAS.

I am thinking about contacting trading standards to see if they can be of any help.


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## Tony Lee (Aug 6, 2009)

My MH has all the appliances and regulator plated as being suitable for either propane or butane. Allows the use of autogas when it is available or propane as supplied in swap bottles in many countries or butane as is more easily obtained in other countries eg Morocco.  

As always, any compromise is never ideal, but after using all gas sources for a year, we don't notice any difference in the performance of the appliances.


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## AndyC (Aug 6, 2009)

I think there is something in autogas LPG that may cause problems with some appliances, I believe Dometic do not recommend running their fridges on autogas.

However, Calor certainly state that their autogas is pure propane.

On our old van we had the German 50mB auto changeover system and Gaslow bottles. We did have a problem with slightly yellow tips to the flames on the hob burners which used to cause slight sooting on the bottom of pans, however the Truma 6002 heater was fine, with no sooting problems at all. I suspected that the autogas needed a little more primary air at the hob burners but this wasn't adjustable at the hob.

AndyC


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## Widgeon (Aug 21, 2009)

*Gas regulators*

We've got a '91 German import Hymer which runs on a 50 mB regulator (A British one for a British propane bottle - easy to buy, even Calor have them on their website). Traditionally, UK used 29mB for Butane and 37mB for propane I believe, but it is not a big deal. I've tried running our van gas appliances (all Truma) on 27mB butane and they all work OK - but obviously would be best to use the design pressure and gas.

There is a new euro standard now of 30 mb for both butane and propane - simpler, seems a good idea - and Truma (see Gas Technology - Truma and look at low pressure regulators) have brought out a new 30 mB regulator which has been designed to avoid the problem of oil contamination in the gas messing up your system. They advise is to raise the regulator as high as possible and to fit it with an elbow!
Haven't got a autogas tank (though I run a 4x4 on autogas - excellent) but autogas is the way to go.


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## lebesset (Aug 21, 2009)

forget it ; the 50mB system on the vehicle is perfect for the vehicle ....what's the problem ? the appliances would also work on 30mB as well 

~I have used 28, 30 and 50 interchangeably with butane and propane as well as lpg mix for more than 30 years ... never had any problem 

you have to understand something ..if you buy propane in the uk it is industrial grade propane , ie impure , maybe 10% rubbish eg napthane , some methane , some butane ; if you buy lpg , guess what , thats what you get ...just ask the tanker driver


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## Deleted member 967 (Nov 30, 2009)

Widgeon said:


> We've got a '91 German import Hymer which runs on a 50 mB regulator (A British one for a British propane bottle - easy to buy, even Calor have them on their website). Traditionally, UK used 29mB for Butane and 37mB for propane I believe, but it is not a big deal. I've tried running our van gas appliances (all Truma) on 27mB butane and they all work OK - but obviously would be best to use the design pressure and gas.
> 
> There is a new euro standard now of 30 mb for both butane and propane - simpler, seems a good idea - and Truma (see Gas Technology - Truma and look at low pressure regulators) have brought out a new 30 mB regulator which has been designed to avoid the problem of oil contamination in the gas messing up your system. They advise is to raise the regulator as high as possible and to fit it with an elbow!
> Haven't got a autogas tank (though I run a 4x4 on autogas - excellent) but autogas is the way to go.



Your 50mb regulator fits the small calor bottle.  You can get an adaptor from Gaslow to fit between the regulator and the Calor bigger clip on bottles.

You can also get adaptors from the same place to fit Propane bottle and run them through the 50mb regulator.

I did this with my Hymer before I fitted the gas tank.  I run 50mb from the gas tank now through a regulator on the tank.   

If for any reason you need to drop to 30mb for an appliance Truma produce a 50mb to 30mb in-line reducer.  I haven't found a need for this so far.


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