Gas Bottle Management for Campsites and Marinas: The Complete Guide

Guides

The definitive guide to gas cylinder management

Exchange workflows, stock tracking, supplier relationships, safety compliance, and the software that ties it all together.

Why Gas Management Deserves Its Own System

Gas cylinders aren't like other shop products. You can't just put them on a shelf and count them at the end of the month. They have unique characteristics that make them tricky to manage:

Exchange model — you're swapping empties for fulls, not just selling units
Multiple states — Full, Empty, Spares, On Order — each needs tracking
High value — £30–£50 per exchange means stock-outs cost real money
Heavy and awkward — you can't just nip to the shed to check; they're stored remotely
Supplier dependency — delivery schedules are often weekly, sometimes fortnightly
Safety regulations — storage limits, signage, and handling requirements

Invoices — PayCampTry it

1. Add items→2. Send→3. Paid!

Customer

James Mitchell · Berth A1

Item	Net	VAT	Total
👆 Pick an item above to start building your invoice

Choose a line item:

Example: Marina invoicing in PayCamp

Understanding the Gas Exchange Workflow

The typical gas exchange at a campsite or marina follows this pattern:

Customer arrives with empty cylinder

They tell you the type and size they need. "Got a 13kg Propane?"

Check stock availability

With Site Essentials: glance at your phone. Without: walk to the cage and count.

Process the exchange

Take payment, collect the empty, hand over the full. Record the exchange.

Stock updates automatically

Full count decreases by 1. Empty count increases by 1. Low-stock alert triggers if threshold is breached.

Reorder when needed

Empties accumulate. When you have enough (or stock is low), place an order with your supplier.

Stock Level Definitions

Understanding the four stock states is essential:

State	What It Means	Action Required
Full	Ready to sell/exchange	None — this is your available stock
Empty	Returned by customers, waiting for collection	Accumulate for supplier collection
Spares	Your own cylinders (not customer returns)	Available as backup stock
On Order	Ordered from supplier, not yet delivered	Monitor delivery schedule

💡 Why track empties?

Your supplier takes empties when they deliver fulls. If your empties count doesn't match what the driver collects, someone's got your deposit. Tracking empties protects your cash position.

Setting Low-Stock Thresholds

The right threshold depends on three factors:

Your delivery frequency — weekly deliveries? Threshold = 1 week's sales
Your peak demand — bank holidays can double normal volume
Your storage capacity — regulatory limits may cap your stock

A practical starting point:

Site Size	Popular Sizes	Low Threshold
Small (10–30 pitches)	13kg, 6kg Propane	2–3 full
Medium (30–80 pitches)	All sizes	4–6 full
Large (80+ pitches / marina)	All sizes + Campingaz	8–10 full

Supplier Relationships

Most UK sites use one of these gas suppliers:

Calor Gas — the market leader; widest range, most recognised brand
Flogas — competitive pricing, good for bulk orders
Campingaz — specifically for tent campers (907 and CV470 cartridges)

Ordering Best Practices

Order mid-week — Friday orders often don't arrive until Tuesday
Build a regular schedule — e.g. every Monday, check stock and order if below threshold
Keep your account number accessible — supplier phone systems always ask for it
Request delivery day consistency — knowing it's always Thursday helps planning
Order before bank holiday weekends — demand spikes and suppliers get overwhelmed

See Yard Manager in Action

Discover how marinas and boatyards streamline operations with PayCamp's purpose-built tools.

Explore the Backend

Handling Partial Deliveries

Your supplier might deliver 8 out of 12 ordered cylinders. Site Essentials handles this gracefully:

When the delivery arrives, enter the actual quantity received
The remaining quantity stays as "on order"
Your stock levels reflect reality, not what you hoped for

Berth Map — PayCampTry it

5 Occupied5 Available1 Arriving1 Maint.

Occupied Available Arriving Maintenance

Click an available berth to check someone in

Example: Visual berth map in PayCamp

Safety and Compliance

Gas storage at leisure sites in the UK is governed by several regulations. Key requirements:

⚠️ Key safety requirements

Cylinders must be stored upright in a well-ventilated area
Storage cage must be at least 1 metre from any building, boundary, or ignition source
"Highly Flammable LPG" and "No Smoking" signage is mandatory
Maximum storage quantities depend on your site's risk assessment
Empty and full cylinders should be separated where possible
Fire extinguisher must be accessible within the storage area
Regular visual inspections of cylinders for damage or corrosion

While Site Essentials doesn't replace your formal compliance processes, having accurate stock records makes safety audits significantly easier. You can demonstrate exactly how many cylinders you have at any time.

Marina-Specific Considerations

Marinas have additional complexity:

Pontoon access — guests may need gas delivered to their berth
Year-round demand — liveaboards need gas through winter
Mixed use — some gas is for cooking, some for heating, some for boat engines
Higher volumes — marina berth-holders may use more gas than touring guests

The exchange workflow is identical, but thresholds should be set higher due to consistent demand.

Automating the Process

With PayCamp's Site Essentials, the gas management workflow becomes:

Morning — glance at dashboard, note any alerts
During the day — tap "Exchange" for each transaction (5 seconds each)
When alerts trigger — place your supplier order
When delivery arrives — tap "Receive Delivery" and enter quantities
End of day — review the activity log; everything reconciles

No clipboards. No whiteboards. No walking to the cage to count.

Try the interactive gas management demo

See the exchange workflow in action — no account needed.

Try Interactive Guide →

📱 Portal Essentials Pre-Order

Guests can now pre-order gas bottles through Portal Essentials — your self-service shop in the customer portal. Orders appear on your fulfilment dashboard, reducing queues and walk-of-shame moments.