Checking gas level in the caravan or motorhome

In this episode, I show 3 easy ways to check how much gas you have left in a propane or butane gas bottle. An easy way to check when in the caravan or motorhome.
Magnetic Gas level checker
▶ amzn.to/2k8hEQg
Truma Level Check
▶ goo.gl/lYGYgU
++++ GAUGES ++++
🔴 PROPANE 🔴
Inline
▶ amzn.to/2k8qPA3
With Regulator
▶ amzn.to/2k8lYyR
🔵 BUTANE 🔵
inline
▶ goo.gl/dAzlw8
With regulator
▶ amzn.to/2k8fEHC

[@chrislewis4076]

Hi, thank you so much for the care and attention to all your vlogs, we have been caravanning for about 30yrs and I have only ever used my hand to check the level. As there is a big temp difference between fluid and gas on the side of the bottle you can move your hand from bottom to top and easily feel the change just to be sure you can tap the bottle with a knuckle stick or metal tool and you will hear the dull noise for liquid and ringing noise for gas, also quite cheap method but not as accurate as yours, many thanks best regards Chris.

[@caravantuggers1608]

Inline gauge ordered from your link after watching this clip Thank You to The Trudgians

[@petergrant6484]

The hot water method really does work. Thanks.

[@vicdunni]

Another good video, really miss your videos on products now but appreciate they all take lots of time to make x

[@tkx86]

us Aussies have a tried and true process where we pour the hot water over and within a few seconds start patting down till you find the colder spot. Boom done.

[@covinhas87]

Didn't know about the water think. Always learning. Thanks for the tips.

[@nigelbennetts2448]

Useful information as usual, well done just saved myself £3!

[@johnwareham8875]

Excellent was to test. We are new to caravan if and your videos help us out so much thank you

[@tyke34]

some good advice Dan, i am pleased i am not the only one who finds the magnetic one useless. my brother showed me the hot water method but fortunately the new van has one of those new swapover thingamijigs fitted.

[@leewilson2719]

Absolutely great idea with the hot water

[@shakinshane1]

Thanks for all your videos , Ive only just started watching them and im learning so much. Im buying a caravan very soon and im finding all your information very helpful , keep up the good work !

[@tonycallcut1115]

I got truma gas checker for70 pound on Amazon . What a great piece of kit. Well worth having

[@MaZEEZaM]

I came for a review of the truma reader and pleasantly surprised to watch quite an interesting video, cheers from Australia. Btw, it cost $150 AUD in Aust

[@andrewjditton]

Excellent as always Mr T. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the stick-on things are a total waste of money. My usual method is the 'pick it up and wiggle it' method, feeling how much liquid is left in there. Cheers!

[@Ifyoudonttakeitucantfakeit]

The Truma one is the most expensive torch I’ve ever owned. Crap at measuring gas level but a neat torch.

[@PETE4955]

Cheers very helpful.

[@dawnallard6841]

Once again a good vlog. Agree with the magnetic one being useless. We have used bathroom scales to weigh the bottles too.

[@TheTrudgians]

Morning Dawn, Great point ! Hope you are well. Dan

[@cliveelliott-mills2237]

your video is very clear..

[@baoby7]

Great informative video....thankyou

[@shaunbrookes9906]

Hi, I bought one of these recently and have to say the best thing ever. I use it mainly with my Street Food Van but will come in handy with our Caravan also. We had the magnetics ones originally and like you said RUBBISH. Thanks again.

[@TheTrudgians]

Thanks Shaun, Glad it wasn't just me who found the magnetic ones terrible. Take care Dan

[@Lysdexia]

That helped a lot - thank you very much indeed. Likeably manner into the bargain which is always welcome.

[@robinwallace6259]

The hot water method is great. You can simply and immediately feel the temp difference with your hand, indicating the liquid level. Also the added advantage - if hot water does not come out of your tap, you're out of gas 😁

[@cb737]

I've attached a label to mine. I weigh the bottle each time I come back from a trip, make a note of it, and it's easy to see how quickly you're using it up. Tare weight gives you the empty weight to just of matter of subtracting two values

[@sandrapearson728]

Genius thank you so much. Our new to us caravan gas bottle no idea how much gas it has in it before we go away. With the scarcity of gas availability currently it would be good to know.

[@RetroRatz]

Nice video 😃 cheers

[@thomastom888]

Good video very well done and interesting

[@toddy505]

Just checked your link today for the Truma and it’s no longer a crazy £50, it’s an even crazier £75 and it seems they are selling plenty of them as well !

[@victorkent768]

nice one Dan, we have not had our van a year yet with 2 maybe nearly empty gas bottles ( or not )they just seem to keep going and I have wondered how much is in them, then a light came on WE ALL HAVE 2 BOTTLES so does it really matter... but I will have ago with the warm water to make sure I use the one with less gas in 1st

[@hardakml]

Hi guys. We live in Bahrain, so caravanning will restart for us again when we eventually return to UK. However, we use gas for barbecues (that's most evenings here - we always have lovely weather- sorry about that!!!!!). We have found that the temperature of the bottle only changes when the gas is being used. As the liquid vaporises in the tank, the metal of the tank is cooled at the level of the evaporating liquid, as the latent heat of evaporation is taken from the metal tank. When the gas is NOT being used, both the gas and the liquid are AT THE SAME TEMPERATURE. Can I ask you to try the magnetic temperature level indicator again, but do it when the bottle is connected and the cooker or heater is on in the 'van? I'd like to see if the gauge can then detect the temp change. Certainly in Bahrain, we can feel by hand that there is a temperature change at the liquid level. It should work. Can you maybe try it on a follow-up video? Secondly, we have tiny clip-on level gauges on our bottles here. They are provided with the bottle and they clip over the pipe into the regulator. I have no idea how they work, and I haven't been able to find anything comparable online. If I get more details, I will let you know. Best wishes from Bahrain Mark and Diana

[@richardburton5485]

I love the bit about a link to the water 😂

[@andrelotz851]

Whow! I just pick up the bottle, sometimes even with the regulator & pipe attached. I shake (rock ) it gently and listen to the liquid swishing from side to side inside. I can tell immediately whether it is empty. 1/4 or half full. Only 10 seconds and no tools!

[@rwiliamson8051]

Hi, I'm not saying the magnetic strip is the best, but it works on temperature difference - as does the hot water trick. it will only work when gas is being, or has just been used. the faster the gas is used the more accurate it is. use it really fast it'll make ice on the bottle where the liquid level is. your hot water tip is the best.

[@fester.]

great video I use that method now and I have been down the same road as you but I bought a dometic ultrasound and it was rubbish so I took it back and got another and that didn't work either,i have 2 gas bottles with a gaslow changeover which means when 1 runs out you can switch over to the other and take the empty to get filled.

[@TheTrudgians]

Top job. It looks like a changeover will be on the cards for me too. take care Dan

[@lensmanonline]

Great tips Dan, I just shake the bottle and listen out for the gas sloshing around inside, probably not the easiest way to check the level. 😀 Regards Jon

[@TheTrudgians]

Hi Jon, you're not alone - others have mentioned that to me too. Hope you are well. Speak soon Dan

[@qedelec]

Good info, Dan. HRH bought a magnetic one, and like you, I found it pretty useless. Best use it for checking if life is expired from an immobile squirrel. At first I took one bottle out to reduce weight, so knowing the level was vital but we've now upgraded to a SUV so the second bottle is reinstated. I like the idea of the inline gauge so more googling to be performed.

[@TheTrudgians]

Morning Andy, There are some great points being made in the comments RE weight and tapping, shaking the bottle for where the level is. Hope you are both well today. Take care Dan

[@qedelec]

Just an update, I bought the inline gauge soon after watching, and it seemed to be doing the job. But her ladyship noticed a gas smell in the locker and on investigation I found the gauge was leaking. Now I'm trying to contact the seller.

[@jimcree6869]

cheap set of suitcase scales . hook it on valve and pick it up . 13kg bottle usually weighs 13 kg and holds 13kg so full one is 26kg it should say the weight on the bottle

[@pa_maj.MARTINI-van-MAN]

How about this idea of mine. If the gas bottle is inside a cabinet and awkward to take out, pouring water would not be recommended so. Fill a water bottle ( as in a hot water bottle ) up and set it against the side of the gas bottle for about 10 seconds. This should heat the empty part up more as there's no liquid gas cooling it. A Infrared Thermometer costing less than £6.00 from amazon can be pointed up and down the side of the bottle. You should find a substantial lower reading where there's liquid gas. I've just thought this up now but have not tested.the idea. I have a campervan with a gas bottle in an awkward place, I also have A Infrared Thermometer so I will try this when I get a hot water bottle. I think my daughter may have one somewhere lying around 🤣 Thanks for uploading this! It was your video that sparked this idea and I really hope it works! 👍👍👍

[@nickjennings3500]

So here is an idea about toilet fluids. I am talking storage & using the Pink & Blue, not the waste fluids. I used to carry a large bottle of each for replenishment but too many episodes of spills & leaks drove my desire for something better. Now I have , what I believe to be, a really user friendly way of coping with this subject. I use old "fruit shoot" bottles. These have the pull up stoppers on the top. So, when you need to use the Blue or Pink, just pull the stopper, squeeze for the required dose, the push the stopper back in. Simples.

[@arijitghosh6280]

Good

[@standingonpins]

Those magnetic ones are the pits, i completely agree. I tend to just weigh the bottles. Worth pointing out though that the empty weight of the bottle is printed on the silver collar around the neck of the bottle and each one is different. Fortunately i have some old fishing scales that weigh in lbs and ounces, annoyingly the gas itself is in KGs.

[@TheTrudgians]

Hi Andy, that's a top tip - thank you. Ive noticed some others have also commented that weighing them works well for them too. Thanks for popping by Take care Dan

[@carlosverga5450]

That's also what i do. A cheap luggage scale works perfectly.

[@AdamWelchUK]

You missed the most obvious one for me. The weight. If you're removing your bottle to pour water over it just check its weight either by feel or by using a cheap set of bathroom scales which can also be used for checking nose weight. Shaking and tapping are also good guides.

[@TheTrudgians]

Morning Adam, excellent points. I'm pretty sure there are at least another 10 ways to check the level of gas. I wonder which one is the most imaginative. Ive just seen that there are now bluetooth pads that fit under the gas bottles to weigh them and to update you via an app. Thanks for popping by ! Take care Dan

[@AdamWelchUK]

The Trudgians Interesting. I wonder how successful that will be - caravanners do seem to love a gadget? Cheers.

[@offdagrid877]

Adam Welch Ditto just weigh the bottle its marked on the side net and gross filled weight what a load of faff. Why is everyone so gadget mad

[@terrylolor]

Adam Welch www

[@Chickey]

@@AdamWelchUK now honestly what's the chance I Google how to check my gas bottle and click on a random vid and spot you here 🤣

[@hettysmotorhomeadventures4860]

Very timely advice, we have our first trip out this year coming up next weekend. Was going to get a magnetic strip gauge, I won't waste my money now and put it towards an inline gauge

[@TheTrudgians]

Glad to be of service Martin. Take care Dan

[@hettysmotorhomeadventures4860]

The Trudgians Dan I looked on Amazon and eBay, the Truma gauge is now £74-77

[@TheTrudgians]

Good god. that's ridiculous. Don't forget the NEC show is soon - if you're going, it might be worth seeing if they are cheaper.

[@hettysmotorhomeadventures4860]

The Trudgians yes we're going on the Friday to the NEC

[@TheTrudgians]

Ask at the Truma stand (that's where we got ours) - We will also be there on the Friday - if you see us, say hi !!

[@GJPhotographic]

An advantage to using a pressure gauge is that it can double up as a leak detector, just turn off the valve with all your appliances turned off and see if the pressure reading drops down. If it does drop, get your gas system checked out by an expert.

[@newusername23]

Great video, thanks so much!! Do you think the gauge could be installed on bottles with an an Automatic Change over Switch found on static caravans?

[@petercapon9878]

Might be less messy in confined spaces and work as good as the hot water method is a hot wet towel/flannel/thick cloth... just a thought

[@tonyglasstv2685]

Thanks, on our 47k bottles kettle hot water down side, run hand down you can feel the cold (gas) and hot (empty) division...

[@pearo7465]

Hi Dan Just a quick question, when will you be doing your Q&A?

[@muirwebb]

Those Truma level indicators are around £80 on Amazon now!

[@markevans8761]

I weigh the bottle when purchased and jot it down. I then weigh the cylinder every so often. Easy to calculate how much is left.

[@kermitthefrog3685]

You don't actually have to wait for the water to evaporate. The liquid area will cool almost instantly and you can feel the level with your hand immediately after pouring the water.

[@Finglesham]

Weigh your bottle is a good method. But difficult of a large one. So do as the guy below said shake it .

[@bigbigtom001me7]

Hi. We/I have just subscribed. we like your way of informing us, as a box puller for 25 years Plus, i congratulate you. LPG gauges are poor at best, i have the truma (Magic wand to me) and a auto change-over. super setup. Keep up the good work.

[@TheTrudgians]

Thank you, and welcome to our channel. Im glad you're enjoying our videos. Take care Dan

[@jimbocluttersplutterthwait2805]

I've always noticed that when it's frosty weather you can tell very accurately how much gas is in the bottle as it clings to where the cold liquid gas is. Something like a freeze gun that plumbers use would be the perfect gauge and may be cheaper than 50 quid. Also a good tip is to always leave your empties if you have a 4 bottle system until the hot weather as I get an extra week's worth of gas from bottles that run out during Winter.

[@DesmondsDonders]

I see weight has been mentioned in the comments. We have found the devices that sit under the cylinders are useless and the gauges can also be next to useless. In the end we have settled for an auto changeover valve. When it indicates that each bottle is empty we replace that bottle.

[@TheTrudgians]

I think that will be on my shopping list next. Thanks for the tip off. Speak soon Dan

[@CtiStu]

Great vid Dan, never knew about the water way! We've always had two lightweight bottles, and when one runs out I just put the other bottle on and replace the empty one the next day :-) Looking forward to yours and Andrews "ask us almost anything" 😊 Stu

[@TheTrudgians]

Thank you Stuart. Others have mentioned the gas auto switch over - I will look into this further. Take care, Q&A - out in a few days time. Dan

[@simracer1256]

Could you do a video about fuelling your car with a caravan attached? I have a long journey coming up, and I am rather apprehensive about filling up with the caravan on the back of the car.

[@geoffreyweller1813]

As has been mentioned before - easiest reliable and cheapest method: use household digital scales. Tare (empty) weight is always marked on the bottle. Subtract the tare weight from the actual weight and you have the weight of gas remaining. Simples.

[@livelongandprosper70]

i put the kettle on.. if i dont get a cuppa, it means ive ran out of gas :)

[@MaZEEZaM]

In my case I tend to know because I can smell the stinking gas when it’s about to run out.

[@Muskoka62]

£50 from a trade show, £75 from eBay. I’ll carry on shaking it. Thanks for all your vids though 👍🏻

[@andypilkington311]

I've been wondering how to check how much gas I've got as the motorhome came with 2 bottles and I've no idea how much is in them. I remembered that my dad had a spring balance and just weighed them. Once you know the tare weight it should be easy to work it out. So I bought a digital luggage scale from Aldi for about a fiver that reads up to 50kg. Checked on line for the calor gas cylinder weights. The 13kg bottles weigh 13.2kg empty. Now I just need to weigh the part full bottles.

[@matterhorn1975]

Just look at the bottle when you are cooking, and you will clearly see a cold line. Simple and totally free.

[@TheTrudgians]

And when you’re in storage?

[@matterhorn1975]

@@TheTrudgians forward planning?

[@eternallearner4753]

Just used the Truma link - £74.82!!!!

[@retiche]

lol, they work beautifully, but in order to see something you just need to have a consumer. Until there you have a consumer, there is an thermodynamic equilibrium, and both gas and liquid are at the same temperature. Once the gas starts to flow, after a few minutes, the liquid starts to evaporate thus taking some heat with it, and the gas will be cooler than the liquid, and you will see that difference on your temp gauge. You can also see this with a thermal camera

[@martinkitchin6204]

Hello Dan, Is it a simple (ie DIY) job to put an in-line guage in - what should you do please? Thanks Martin

[@TheTrudgians]

Hey Martin, in line gauges only measure pressure so they are pretty hopeless in telling you what is in the bottle. They are available to add in, have a look at the Gas Stop i reviewed some time ago, that not only provides a meter, but also an emergency shut off in case of leaks.

[@stevechurchman1824]

Hi Dan. Tried the magnetic thing. Useless. Our last van had an in-line gauge which was ok. Current van has an automatic changeover so I now change the gas when it switches over.

[@TheTrudgians]

I will look into these auto change overs, that seems like the way forward !! Take care Dan

[@StewysGameplay]

this could be so much easier, tap the bottle with a stone, when the note changes thats how much gas is in it

[@jamesmaguire9227]

aye, thats right - a B-flat equals full; A-minor equals low. very good

[@stevescet]

Hi Dan, I wonder how well a laser pointer thermometer would work ? keep the vids coming

[@TheTrudgians]

Thats a really interesting point. I dont know. - got me thinking though. Dan

[@lettersquash]

With the warm water method, surely you could wet the surface with a cloth, so it can be done in situ without pouring water everywhere. I'll have to try it. Currently, we have two 4.5kg Calor bottles, so we don't care - when one's empty, we switch over and tie a ribbon on the door to remind us to buy a new one. Will have to switch to Flo-gas now Calor have pulled their smaller bottles.

[@TheTrudgians]

Thats a really good point - and honestly I dont know. If you do try it, please let me know.

[@lettersquash]

@@TheTrudgians I will - or maybe a fine spray bottle to mist it - oooh, I'm cooking on gas. :D

[@JohnWalshLegend]

Got 2 bottles, so when one runs out I just swap over and get a replacement. Good video though!

[@pauldowns9961]

Hi Dan, I have butane bottles simply because my first caravan came with one. Is propane better or safer?

[@johnweaire3389]

Propane is better for all year round use as it des not freeze in winter.

[@ppQmaister]

Scale?

[@henryclayton9050]

The best way to find out how much gas is in a bottle is simple. Every bottle has the tare weight on it - weigh it and subtract the tare weight.

[@tyneortega4293]

Is it safe to pour hot water on the bottle if the regulator and pipe are attached?

[@Chris-nc6dx]

Yes

[@propertybuyerspaincostabla7427]

I use bathroom scales

[@MrBiffo1956]

Does the hot water test work in hot countries?

[@TheTrudgians]

Yes it will.

[@TR5Q3]

The only true way to know is, know the tare weight of the bottle, weigh the bottle and contents and take away one from the other.

[@stephenwhitehead21]

How about a gas bottle guage for about £15.00-£20.00?

[@shqiperiaunitedkingdom4442]

I weigh mine and remove the weight of the bottle from it, I then convert the weight into gallons.

[@daniel0541]

did you star in carry on caravanning

[@TheTrudgians]

Morning, yes we were. Thanks Dan

[@TR5Q3]

The gauges are very hit and miss also.

[@MaZEEZaM]

Can anyone possibly explain to me why gas bottles stink of gas just before they run out?

[@TheTrudgians]

That is an excellent question, i really dont know the answer to...

[@TheTrudgians]

Ive just found this on the web: The Ethyl Mercaptan odourant is slightly less volatile than the Propane in which it is dissolved. As the Propane vapour is used by the appliance, almost all the odourant is removed in the process, and there is a slight concentration which is noticeable as the last of the Propane liquid is converted to vapour, and is used. The odourant is very noticeable at very low concentrations (by design!) and so a small increase in concentration is really noticeable.

[@jonathanneethling]

Maybe I’m being a bit thick. But if you have a 9kg gas bottle when it’s full. Why not just put it on your house hold scale? And work off the weight?

[@TheTrudgians]

Good point, but how many people take a set of scales on holiday? Take care Dan

[@jonathanneethling]

The Trudgians I suppose you’re right. Nobody goes on holiday with a plan to loose weight and diet...and on a side note. Thanks so much for the channel. I took delivery of a pre loved Jurgens Palma caravan on the day of lock down. It’s sitting in my driveway. Do you know how much that tortured me? 😂. I’ve been binge watching a lot of your vids. I don’t think I’ve come across one that wasn’t useful or informative. In fact, thanks to you, I did NOT buy a inflatable extension/tent. I’m going your route. ✌🏻 all the best! Cape Town 🇿🇦

[@TheTrudgians]

Oh im can image that is pure torture... Still at least you can go and sit in it, fiddle and play with things in the van. Ours is locked up, and I havn't seen it for 6 weeks... i'm pretty sure it wont be as clean as when i put it away. Cape Town, a place that i've always wanted to visit, along with Japan and Canada. Maybe one day.... Take care, and thanks for the kind words. Dan

[@verticalvue2988]

why not just carry an extra bottle, when one is empty...replace

[@TheTrudgians]

For many they just don't have the available payload. a 6Kg bottle weights about 10Kg. also this would add an extra 10Kg to the nose weight of the caravan. So, although a simple solution to simply replace with a spare, it reality - it may not be that simple. Secondly, we don't go through enough gas to warrant carrying a spare bottle. We usually go through a bottle about once a year.

[@AdminTuber]

you just dont know how to use the magnetic tester . you need to look at the indicator after using the gas for at least 10 min (during cooking etc') then the temperature will change . good luck .

[@TheTrudgians]

Thank you, what you have said is spot on, Its pointless having an indicator that you need to use some gas before seeing if you have gas, it seems counter intuitive for me. One day we will have a perfect gauge I'm sure. Thanks for popping by. Dan

[@larrymac5251]

Award for most vauge video in history on the way ....

[@TheTrudgians]

Thats okay, i can reciprocate with the most pointless comment and worst spelling of vague in history. Im pretty sure this video is straight forward, showing 3 ways to measure gas in a bottle. If you think thats vague, then god help us all.

[@maximusmeridius1240]

It doesn't work I bought one, useless