Weber Q Gas bottles

[ady17]

Hi All,

We just got a Weber Baby Q for our Panda and are yet to buy a gas bottle for it. We don't want to lug a 8.5-9 kg bottle about so looking for something smaller.
The Weber manual suggests no less than 4.5kg due to pressure requirements. However, the swap and go bottles at the green shed are 3.7kg or 8.5kg. Does the 3.7kg work OK?

We were wondering what do others use?

Thanks
Ady.

 

[Drover]

Yep they work well, the 3.7 is the same as a 4.5, due to variation in actual capacities of many bottles, they fill to 3.7kg, there is no standard for the size of bottles only a pressure standard therefore a large variety of capacities so the 9kg is basically a 8.5 and the 4.5 is 3.75, it means you are actually paying for the gas you get not what might be there, weight is always the best way to fill.
I use one for our Weber.

http://www.elgas.com.au/swapngo/camper-bbq-gas-bottle-cylinder-sizes-dimensions-9kg-4kg-refill-price

 

[Dobbie]

The alternative is to get a bayonet fitting plumbed to expanda gas....saves having to lug another bottle ....but, as @Drover will tell you, you're then unable to take your Weber to the beach etc...but you can use a 3m hose which gives flexibility for most occasions.

We've always used it via the onboard bayonet. I hate carrying extra gas.

 

[Drover]

Those bayonet fittings are a big pain, they can leak and if fitted the way they are supposed to be fitted, you need to be a contortionist to hook up...besides you carry a heap of junk with you Dobbie San whats an extra 10kgs ????????????

 

[DRW]

lol those bayonet fittings are a PIA and never in the right place, we had one on the Panda now we carry a 4kg bottle in the front boot but if we still had a Panda we probably wouldn't as there is no where to put them

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Those bayonet fittings are a big pain, they can leak and if fitted the way they are supposed to be fitted, you need to be a contortionist to hook up...besides you carry a heap of junk with you Dobbie San whats an extra 10kgs ????????????

Our bayonet works well, but I've had it moved to a reasonable spot to access, and it has a cap fitted to keep the crap out of it from the road.

 

[Dobbie]

and ours now works well....it's on the side of the van and just so easy to access. I'd developed a duck walk just to get to the expanda version....and worn out several pairs of .....

Our current version has a flip down over it and no ducking or weaving is required....I realise this is just a more modern development on the Jayco version....but I love it!

 

[Tricky]

I moved the factory bayonet to the rear LHS - works great.

 

[ady17]

Thanks all. Looks like a trip to my favourite shop for a gas bottle!

 

[Crusty181]

Whist we're on the Weber bottle v bayonet analysis, has anyone else noticed the Weber is slightly off it's game when connected to their van as opposed to directly off a bottle via its own reg. We bought our Weber just for the van never having had one previously so didnt know any different until we were camping with friends both of us cooking pizza, ours connected to the van and theirs off a bottle. After testing it, our Weber cooks much hotter and faster directly off a bottle than it does of the van. The size of the flame isnt significantly different unless your actually doing a conscious comparison, but it is a slightly larger flame on the bottle

 

[rags]

Whist we're on the Weber bottle v bayonet analysis, has anyone else noticed the Weber is slightly off it's game when connected to their van as opposed to directly off a bottle via its own reg. We bought our Weber just for the van never having had one previously so didnt know any different until we were camping with friends both of us cooking pizza, ours connected to the van and theirs off a bottle. After testing it, our Weber cooks much hotter and faster directly off a bottle than it does of the van. The size of the flame isnt significantly different unless your actually doing a conscious comparison, but it is a slightly larger flame on the bottle

Many reasons why your webber may not perform as well as your friends webber, including the fixed gas installation to your bayonet is undersized or regulator is not performing correctly or on your bottle was near empty whilst friends was a new full bottle.

 

[Drover]

The smaller gas bottle compresses the gas more so it runs hotter..............................

 

[Duncanblake36]

We have an attachment of our van but have never used it. Like having the BBQ in a central area at the campsite. We use a 4kg bottle that we refill after most trips. Not sure if its legal but we use one of these to make sure the two tanks on the front of the van and the bbq gas bottle are always full. I just use a spare swap and go as a top up bottle. Works well.

 

[Drover]

What you have there looks like a set up to refill bottles from a refiller tank, these tanks have valves with pick up that draw from the bottom of the tank so you fill with liquid, the normal bottle that you use at home, on van or barbie has a valve that picks up from the top of the tank so you are using the vapour, if you decant from one of these bottles you will only fill your bottles till the pressure equals and you will more than likely only get vapour not the liquid, therefore not a full tank.....turning the bottle upside down to decant is not advised though.

 

[Duncanblake36]

Yep. You tip the source bottle upside down and keep the destination upright. You loosen the valve (same as what they do at the servo) and fill it until it starts spitting liquid.

I would not recommend doing it but it works well for me. Always travel with full bottles.

My old man got me on to it as he uses one as well to fill his bottles off a big cylinder out at the farm.

 

[Drover]

The main reason why tipping the bottle up side down is not a good idea, if you stuff up you can get third degree burns or be blinded from the LPG.