I read this interesting piece written by a retired dealer, Derek Uzzell. (2010)
For the sizes of ‘normal’ Calor BUTANE canister likely to be employed in motorhomes, the 4.5kg container has a male left-hand-threaded valve-outlet to accept a ‘screw-on’ butane regulator, while the 7kg and 15kg canisters use a clip-on butane regulator to fit a valve-outlet with a 21mm external diameter.
There is also a Calor 6kg “BBQ Gas” BUTANE canister that you’d think might have a 21mm valve-outlet suitable for the same clip-on butane regulator as used for 7kg/15kg cylinders. However, (apparently) “BBQ Gas” bottles have a 27mm external diameter valve-outlet, so need a different clip-on butane regulator.
The sizes of ‘traditional’ Calor PROPANE canisters generally used in motorhomes are the 3.9kg, 6kg and 13kg. These all use a propane regulator with a male left-hand-threaded connector that screws into the bottle’s female-threaded valve-outlet.
Calor does market 5kg and 13kg “Patio Gas” canisters. These also contain PROPANE, but use a clip-on propane regulator connecting to a valve-outlet with a 27mm external diameter. I’ve no idea how many (if any) motorcaravanners actually use Patio Gas bottles, but I do remember them being suggested for leisure-vehicle usage when they were first marketed, as the clip-on propane regulator simplifies their connection.
Lots of stuff about Calor cylinders and regulators on
http://www.calor.co.uk/customer-services/faqs/regulator-guide/
http://camping-gas.com/Browse.asp?BrandFilter=Calor Gas&ContainerFilter=All
Details of Flogas cylinders can be found on:
http://www.flogas.co.uk/buy-online/gas-cylinders/
It appears that Flogas use the same regulator arrangement as Calor for all their PROPANE canisters – ie. a propane regulator with a male left-hand-threaded connector that screws into the bottle’s female-threaded valve-outlet is normally employed, except for Flogas’s “Leisure Gas” cylinders that use a clip-on propane regulator to fit a valve-outlet with a 27mm external diameter (same as for Calor’s “Patio Gas” bottles).
However, you’ll note that the Flogas BUTANE bottles use a clip-on butane regulator to fit EITHER a valve-outlet with a 20mm external diameter OR (for the vomit-coloured 7kg butane bottle) a clip-on butane regulator to fit a valve-outlet with a 21mm external diameter (ie. the same butane regulator as Calor use for their 7kg and 15kg butane containers).
BP’s “Gas Light” PROPANE bottles have a valve-outlet with a 27mm external diameter to take a clip-on propane regulator (same as Calor’s “Patio Gas” and Flogas’s “Leisure Gas” containers).
The above should show why a 30mbar regulator, suitable for propane or butane and mounted off the gas canister, has now been adopted as the standard for leisure vehicles. In principle at least, whatever the valve-outlet used on a gas container and whatever the gas inside the container, it should now be straightforward (with appropriate gas-hoses/adapters) to link the gas bottle to the leisure vehicle’s gas system without worrying about regulator compatibility.
As has already been said, Calor agents won’t accept non-Calor bottles in exchange and (normally) will demand that you pay for a ‘rental agreement’ if you haven’t got a suitable bottle to exchange. Flogas agents may be more flexible as, even though they won’t want Calor bottles, they may be prepared to lob you a full Flogas bottle even if you can’t provide an empty Flogas bottle in exchange.
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