The Gas Thread

New to it all ? ask here for advice and check out these quick buyers guides
User avatar
rubberrat
Posts: 935
Joined: August 25th, 2014, 7:54 pm
Location: North Norfolk - Near the coast

The Gas Thread

Post: # 1327Post rubberrat
October 4th, 2014, 8:13 pm

Ok, a bit of Gas info (snigger)..

The standard fare for cooking and heating in most campers is a gas supply, we can’t always be on 240v hookup.

One option is to go for standard steel cylinders from Calor, Propane (Red) in 3.9kg or 6kg sizes or Butane (Blue) in 4.5kg or 7kg.

Propane or Butane?
Propane (red) for us demountable types as I guess we are more likely to use all year round. Butane (blue) doesn't like temperatures at or below freezing and will stop gassing off, but butane has a higher calorific value.

Image

Butane

Image

Propane


Weight is a problem for most of us, so a good plan if you are staying with Calor is to try and get Calor Lite - the bottles are much lighter, but the gas is slightly more expensive. It apparently has an additive to stop it eating it's way through the thin-wall cylinders.

Image

CalorLite

A 6kg fill (the only size) is around £23 and cylinder hire is an eye watering £35.
You don't own them, but rent, and after a year if you decide to throw it back in to Calor you get 70% of the rental back. Two years 60% etc etc

There is a recall on calor Lite at the moment to deal with a faulty valve on some years 2008 2009 2010 & 2011. The date is stamped on the base ring.

Image

I can fit two Calor Lite in my S.Karrosser which, with care will last a couple of months. (I use Coleman Petrol stoves for most outside cooking)

A good way of getting hold of these is to look for someone selling up their caravan kit on Ebay and scoring a part full cylinder for £25-£30.

You can no longer change a standard 'heavy' 6kg cylinder for a Lite. Calor change the rules all the time!



Other options? How about a refillable gas system? Try Gaslow - I had this in my last PVC motorhome/camper van (Trigano tribute).
Refill at Autogas stations (although some are a bit funny about doing it for ‘non automotive use’)
More expensive to get set up, around £300 for a single 6kg (will fit the small demountable gas lockers) with a filling kit. Get an external filler to reduce hassle at filling stations.
Again, Ebay occasionally throws the odd set up. But after that you are into £7-£8 fill-ups for ever. Works overseas too with a full set of adapters so no problems for those of us that pass through different countries with their own unique gas systems.


Image

GasLow

Image

GasIt

Last option is the 907 or 904 Camping Gaz cylinder. Expensive to buy but available in most European countries.
I take a small 904 and a pigtail and regulator abroad as a 'just in case' backup. You will get through a few of these due to their size, less than half a Calor bottle at 2.75 kg. and by far the most expensive, but they can be good for campers with small gas lockers, or as a get out of trouble system.

Image

Whatever you fit, be safe, make sure you have a gas ‘drop-out’ in the bottom of your gas locker or storage. Gas is heavier than air and can lurk explosively in low voids.

Take a ‘gas kit’ of jubilee clips, PTFE tape and gas leak detection fluid if you are likely to be changing gas fitments on the campsite.

Remember that most ‘Camping on Board’ ferries won’t allow you to use the gas at all at sea so it’s worth taking a cheap electric hob ring so you can boil a kettle or rustle up a hot meal on a 30 hour crossing. Also good for continental campsites that have covered kitchen areas, you can use their electric when simmering a stew for an hour!

Image
Chevrolet 3.0 LUV Tischer Trail 200

martinjdover
Posts: 103
Joined: September 28th, 2014, 8:57 pm
Location: Poole, Dorset

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1331Post martinjdover
October 4th, 2014, 11:22 pm

Oh dear!

We must be a disappointment as we don't use the camper in the winter - the Landie is now just a work-horse truck. We use butane 7kg Calor (we can only fit in the one) and also carry a Camping Gaz 907 as a backup. What is it with the refills of these in the UK - more expensive for 2.7skg than the 7kg Calor?? Luckily a lot cheaper in most of Europe.

edited by zildjian
Reason; we don't have the legal cover :D

User avatar
rubberrat
Posts: 935
Joined: August 25th, 2014, 7:54 pm
Location: North Norfolk - Near the coast

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1332Post rubberrat
October 5th, 2014, 8:15 am

I've never tried the backfill method and as a responsible forum we should say never do this - it's dangerous!
:shock:

Worth changing your butane for propane next time, just buy an empty propane from Gumtree or the like, your local recycling centre might just let you have one then a reg off ebay and you're done.
Butane stops gassing at 0 degrees, and as the gassing process reduces the bottle temperature, that really means 1-2 degrees.

These day's winter is a good time to use your camper, Mild winters, quieter roads and sites, winter pubs and of course, the best time to head south over the channel and chase the sun.

Enjoyed Christmas picnic on the beach in Ermioni (Greece) year before last.
Chevrolet 3.0 LUV Tischer Trail 200

User avatar
TrueDink
Posts: 456
Joined: September 2nd, 2014, 11:48 am
Location: Stanley, County Durham

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1333Post TrueDink
October 5th, 2014, 8:24 am

My parents do the same every year. They usually boot it South as quickly as they can. I'm going to the Alps skiing so I'm glad I've got a Gaslow system as I will use a lot of gas.
Nissan NP300 Navara Tekna double cab
S.Karosser EC6L-2.0

User avatar
Peaky
Posts: 506
Joined: August 23rd, 2014, 9:13 pm
Location: Bolton, Lancashire

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1334Post Peaky
October 5th, 2014, 8:27 am

Why not consider petrol as an alternative ?
Rubberrat uses 2 Coleman Sportster stoves & carries a can of petrol which is cheap to use & available from pretty much anywhere.

Cheapest I've found on the net :-

http://akafishingtackle.co.uk/sportster ... oCc_Lw_wcB
2013 Nissan Navara Tekna

2008 Skarosser Nordstar Polar 4.0

keeflester
Posts: 538
Joined: August 24th, 2014, 8:23 pm
Location: Carradale Argyll and Bute Scotland, beside the sea

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1335Post keeflester
October 5th, 2014, 9:56 am

Peakymon wrote:Why not consider petrol as an alternative ?
Rubberrat uses 2 Coleman Sportster stoves & carries a can of petrol which is cheap to use & available from pretty much anywhere.

Cheapest I've found on the net :-

http://akafishingtackle.co.uk/sportster ... oCc_Lw_wcB
I've used petrol stoves when camping but would be reluctant to use one inside my camper because of the suspicion of toxicity in the combustion products. Whenever I turned off a petrol stove burning unleaded petrol it would stink enough to make you gag in a small space. Since I changed to gas, propane now after a winter when the butane froze at -18C in the Limousin, I would never go back to petrol.

edit to say I dug out the instruction sheet for the Coleman stove and it specifically states it should not be used inside, citing campers as one of the spaces for which it is unsuitable.

I'm assuming you must be hardy souls who cook outside in the worst of weathers, or fair-weather campers. YMMV
2003 Ford Ranger 2.5 TD 109 Supercab, sold to Simon
Tandy Pony, sold
Northstar 750, sold
K33F-built Penthouse Pee Pod, sold to Simon with the Ranger
Built the lozenge for my wee sister, its now finished and in regular use
Now converting a blue Tranny.

User avatar
zildjian
Site Admin
Posts: 22052
Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1336Post zildjian
October 5th, 2014, 11:46 am

there's a picture somewhere of RR doing just that I'll see if its suitable for broadcast



edited;




/not suitable :mrgreen:

keeflester
Posts: 538
Joined: August 24th, 2014, 8:23 pm
Location: Carradale Argyll and Bute Scotland, beside the sea

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1339Post keeflester
October 5th, 2014, 4:11 pm

intrigued now ??
2003 Ford Ranger 2.5 TD 109 Supercab, sold to Simon
Tandy Pony, sold
Northstar 750, sold
K33F-built Penthouse Pee Pod, sold to Simon with the Ranger
Built the lozenge for my wee sister, its now finished and in regular use
Now converting a blue Tranny.

User avatar
zildjian
Site Admin
Posts: 22052
Joined: September 8th, 2013, 3:30 pm

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1340Post zildjian
October 5th, 2014, 4:17 pm

Was awhile back and I can't remember where I stuck it,
might be in the old place (in which case its deleted)

not to say its not amongst his FB collection

still looking

Keith, does a wood burner necessarily need a chimney liner or is this a handy money maker for stove sellers?

keeflester
Posts: 538
Joined: August 24th, 2014, 8:23 pm
Location: Carradale Argyll and Bute Scotland, beside the sea

Re: The Gas Thread

Post: # 1341Post keeflester
October 5th, 2014, 4:24 pm

zildjian wrote:Was awhile back and I can't remember where I stuck it,
might be in the old place (in which case its deleted)

not to say its not amongst his FB collection

still looking

Keith, does a wood burner necessarily need a chimney liner or is this a handy money maker for stove sellers?
it depends on how the chimney was constructed. if its an old building there is every expectation it will not be sealed and flue gases will leak into the fabric of the building. your installer will carry out a simple survey and advise. hope that helps
2003 Ford Ranger 2.5 TD 109 Supercab, sold to Simon
Tandy Pony, sold
Northstar 750, sold
K33F-built Penthouse Pee Pod, sold to Simon with the Ranger
Built the lozenge for my wee sister, its now finished and in regular use
Now converting a blue Tranny.

Post Reply