Calor gas

[marc17669]

Evening all firstly I am new to this site but been reading the mag for past 2-3 years. Myself and family are venturing to France this year first time with the van in tow after the complete washout in Devon last year!!

My question I have I am running two calor propane bottles 13kg on the van and a 6kg for what has to be one of the best purchases to date the cadac chef Bbq, what I am wanting to know is it possible to buy calor gas on the other side of the pond if I was to run low??

 

[Damian]

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The simple answer is NO, Calor Gas is not sold abroad.

There are alternatives but you would need the correct regulator (if you have cylinder mounted regulator now), or the correct pigtail to fit , but it will mean yet another cylinder.

However, with 2 x 13 Kg and a 6 Kg cylinders you should not run out of gas , but I wonder what your noseweight is and where you transport the 6 Kg cylinder?

 

[marc17669]

I am only carrying 2 bottles
1 X 13kg
1 X 6kg

They are both stored in the front, as for the nose weight normally around 75-80kgs but my row ball is rated to 150kgs so well within the limits.
I think I will just go ahead and change the bottles before we set off.

Thanks for your help.

 

[tenpole]

These different type of connections should be standardized by the EU.

 

[Gagakev]

I am only carrying 2 bottles
1 X 13kg
1 X 6kg

They are both stored in the front, as for the nose weight normally around 75-80kgs but my row ball is rated to 150kgs so well within the limits.
I think I will just go ahead and change the bottles before we set off.

Thanks for your help.

Hi Marc, welcome, your tow ball may be rated at 150kg but check the hitch limit, most standard vans are around 100kgs, you have nothing to worry about if you are as you say at 75-80kgs,

 

[Hutch]

Hi Marc, When I go over to France for 4 weeks I would normally only use about 1, 6 kg calor lite, in the summer cooking and for the BBQ an old Cadac. And in the winter, using gas and electric , and the BBQ for the 4 weeks about 1 and a bit of the second bottle.
I carry a camping gaz 907 bottle for the BBQ, which you can get in most supermarkets, but if you do run out of gas you can purchase a 6 kg gas bottle called Le Cube quite cheaply from garages and get the connector from supermarkets, they have the same connecters as patio gas but need a higher, adaptor than the UK version.
Happy touring, going over myself late july for 6 weeks.
Hutch.

 

[RayS]

I think you will have plenty for the trip if you start with both full.
Suggest you buy an airline type luggage weighing scale - about a tenner frm Amazon etc.
Weight each bottle when full and keep a note. Then, after say a week, do it again and see how much you have used. Repeat as necessary.
The full weight will be, for instance 6 kg of gas plus the weight of the bottle itself.
This is a much more reliable and probably cheaper way than the various gas level indicators sold.

 

[Gafferbill]

......I would not want to carry all that weight hmy:
If you do you will most likely bring 75% of the gas back with you.

 

[Raywood]

After holidays of two weeks in France we have never used a 6 kg bottle up despite 6 amp hook ups meaning we used more gas than we do at home.

 

[DianneT]

We have been travelling through 14 countries in Europe for 13 years most trips 9 to 13 weeks. We find if you allow 6 kg per month you should come home with some. We use BP Lite which is available all over Europe but there are 7 different pigtails. They can be refilled if the Campsite/Garage has the UK pigtail.

We carry 1 10 kg and one 6 kg bottle with out a problem. usually over 9 weeks in the months April, May. June we do not use all the 10 kg. At the beginning of the trip we use more as we use Gas fire during day and evening as gives more heat out but use the oven and hob everyday for cooking inc. BBQ. We just use Electric Fire at night if very cold plus fridge and water heater 15 minutes just before we need it and then
turn off. Reason being a lot of Campsites have Metres.

DianneT

 

[emmerson]

Like Dianne, we go for long hauls and generally find that her figure of 6kg per month is about right.
But this year we did even better, because we used our microwave to heat water that did not need to be boiling, ie, washing up etc.(not for Madam's tea though!)
As you're paying for electricity, why use expensive gas?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

As you're paying for electricity, why use expensive gas?

Unfortunately that can lead to an upward spiral. Because more people use electricity then the site owner's overall costs will go up, so pitch fees will then go up to cover the increased use in electricity. The pitch cost will only stabilize when the use of electricity has been factored in at EHU max rating times 24 hours.

 

[tenpole]

Sites already charge too much for electricity supply.

 

[KeefySher]

How long are you going for?

In our first year of caravan ownership we have used 2.8Kg of Calor in 38 nights, mostly in the winter, and for cooking on the Cadac and using the oven for dinners. That is 74gms per day.

We don't use gas for heating water for drinks, nor showers, that is the electricity job. On a 6A supply you can use the 1Kw setting to heat shower water, takes about 40 minutes per tank. The electric hob plate does for the kettle.

Use the basic calculation of Amps x Volts to give what electrical items you can use. e.g. 6A x 220V = 1.32Kw so the 1Kw water heater and the fridge. To use hob plate or microwave turn the water heater off. Using the lower voltage in the range 22-240 errs on the safe side for the purpose of sums.