Gas

[adatog]

Hi folks, Just read the December issue and came across the article about LPG. Can anyone tell me if Butane and Propane work the same in the caravan? I am spending Christmas on the Isle of Wight in the caravan and I will fill the gas bottle before I go, but as I am using Butane and it can stop working at 1C or less I thought about getting a bottle of Propane instead. Will it make any difference to the stove or fire? I know I will have to change the fittings to the gas bottle, I just happen to have a full set in the garage. Can putting the gas bottle in a blanket help with keeping it warmer. As you may have gathered from this topic I am new to caravaning this year, came to it late in life.
Many thanks for any info you can give.

Ada

 

[Mike_S]

Do change to propane (red cylinder from Calor). Don't wrap it in a blanket as the cylinder has to lose heat to "give off" gas. Caravan equipment - cooker, heater, etc works equally well on propane or butane. I now use propane all year round.
Mike

 

[Damian]

Butane stops gassing at about 4 degrees C so is absolutely no use in this kind of temperature.
Propane continues to gas to around -30 degrees C;.

You can use either in your van without detriment to the on board equipment which is rated for both types of gas.
As you have already said, the regulator and cylinder fittings are different between the two gases.

Both Butane and Propane rely on absorbing the latent heat in the atmosphere to allow the liquid gas to boil and give off gas, wrapping in any form of insulator will not allow the free transfer of heat and will stop the cylinder working.

The simple way to remember is Butane for Summer, Propane for Winter