one or two gas bottles

[FrintonMike]

Swift say that manufacturers are discussing whether caravans should have provisions for one or two gas bottles and have asked for comments on Swift Talk.
Of 100 comments I recon 95 are if favour of two bottles
Imagine no EHU in the middle of winter at night and the gas goes with no spare bottle. Do you freeze or put on extra clothes until you can get a replacement bottle.
If you are using the oven and the gas goes the food being cooked is wasted
So I voted in favour of two bottles

 

[otherclive]

We take two bottles when abroad. One for the BBQ and one for the cooker etc. they last 4 weeks or more. In UK I will sometimes take two but more often than not just one but it all depends on where we are going and for how long. I can now judge by just feeling the bottles how much is in them and gauge usage. Certainly in winter its more often than not one full as reserve and one for supply. This is Swifts approach to shaving weight in line with lighter cars no doubt.

 

[RogerL]

Imagine being on a EHU and getting a power cut - at least you can switch heating and fridge to gas as a back-up! I wouldn't want to rely on that with just one cylinder.

 

[Surfer]

Imagine being on a EHU and getting a power cut - at least you can switch heating and fridge to gas as a back-up! I wouldn't want to rely on that with just one cylinder.

Very true as I think a 6kg gas bottle probably would be depleted over 2 days, but howmany of us would be travelling with a completely gas bottle at any time as you cannot "top" them up.

 

[emmitdb]

Greetings,

As one (slightly incorrect as there were two of us?) who has used a 'van in winter I can say that a 6kg bottle gets used up at an alarming rate.
Fortunately we were in Spain at the time so; 1. It wasn't as cold as it can get here, and 2. The price of gas in Spain isn't the 'rip off' it is here.

 

[FrintonMike]

Emmitdb, I agree that in the winter, in the UK at least, a bottle of gas does not last long if you are not on EHU.
In my first posting I forgot about the summer. This summer we spent 5 weeks away without EHU and without gas to keep the fridge going food would have gone rotten quickly in the heat that we had. Hot water is also gained by gas so if no gas cold showers.
We are away again for two weeks at the end of this month without EHU and will again be relying on gas. Last year at this time of year I had trouble getting a replacement bottle and without the second bottle we would have had a problem
So again I say keep provisions for two bottles

 

[Dustydog]

A long time ago you could carry one big gas bottle before front lockers were invented.
Then it ran out Nd you froze.
In motorcycling parlance you need a reserve tank.
So two cylinders are mandatory imo.

 

[RogerL]

Two cylinders is the only sensible option - anyone wanting/needing to reduce weight can use:- a) lightweight 6kg cylinders, b) 3.9kg cylinders or c) choose just to fit one.
Any manufacturer that reduces provision from two to one won't be on my shortlist when I buy a new caravan - simples!

 

[ProfJohnL]

My votes for two cylinders.

 

[Tonka]

We can make a 4.5 cylinder last for ages.
We have no hot water heater, no gas/electric heating (oil radiator only) and the fridge only works on EHU.
Feel like the poor relations.....

 

[Gafferbill]

Swift say that manufacturers are discussing whether caravans should have provisions for one or two gas bottles and have asked for comments on Swift Talk.

........perhaps they are looking at having a single gas bottle and moving it out of the front locker to some other storage position.

 

[RogerL]

.......perhaps they are looking at having a single gas bottle and moving it out of the front locker to some other storage position.

Like ABI did in the '80s and Avondale did in the '90s ?
Except they both had provision for two cylinders, even if one was difficult to get at without first removing the other.

 

[emmitdb]

Greetings,
The question asked of by Swift I think is indicative that they are thinking of moving the position of the Bottles ala Bailey.
No problem with that providing that they do not go down the route of other manufacturuers (come to think of it, themselves included) who only fit gas locker doors that will only accept the convetional 6kgs Calor type bottle.
It needs to be at least big enough to get a BP Lite type bottle. Not that I've got one of those but I do have both a Continental equivilent and a Spanish 10kgs ally bottle for winter use in the Iberian Peninsular.

 

[Raywood]

You need two bottles as the gas always runs out in the middle of cooking dinner ten minutes after the office has shut.
It is not difficult to get the second gas bottle out of the Avondale it is impossible without removing the first one. You do it so rarely though it is not a problem.

 

[Terry_5112949]

Cannot see a problem using two bottles in an Avondale, I have a 7kg in first and a 4.5kg in second. Both piped using a "T" piece to the supply.

 

[starlightdj]

Hi A couple of months back I would of said I need room for my two calor lites, but now I've swooped a calor lite for a safefil which you can refil at anytime, I always start each outing with a full bottle.
if I go abroad you can get an adaptor to fit any European LPG pump, so as long as there is a LPG garage local, I can't see there being an issue with only one bottle space

the biggest issue I would have however is if I had to loose my front locker, where would I put all my stuff I seam to accumulate in there lol.

cheers
John

 

[JohnM20]

I'm for 2 bottles but rarely carry two. Over the years I have found that, providing I have used electric for everything possible, a 7kg Butane will last me about 30 days. By keeping a note of when I last changed the bottle gives me a good guide as to when I need to take two with me. When we go to France for 3 weeks we still only take one bottle but that is always a new, full bottle

 

[FrintonMike]

JohnM20, you say that you always take a full bottle to France. I assume that you leave a second bottle at home which is not full.
When you come back from France with,say, a half empty bottle you now have two bottles that are not full. How do you ensure that the next time you go away you have a full bottle without exchanging a half empty bottle for a full one?
We are away for ten days in November without EHU so I will be taking the bottle we are using at the moment plus the full one that I keep in reserve because I know that the first bottle will not last 10 days if we have a cold spell.

 

[otherclive]

I often come back from abroad with two part full bottles as I use one for the cooker and one for the BBQ. Same over here in summer both bottles will be in use. Don't really see the problem with this as I can judge what's left in a bottle as they are taken out after each trip. I've never been in a situation where we run out of gas and bottles have minimal content when exchanged.

 

[JohnM20]

Hi Frinton Mike
Yes, you're dead right, I do have two part filled bottles. When I get home from 3 weeks in France (where we tend to use much less gas anyway), I weigh both the bottles and determine how much gas is left in each, marking the weight and date in chalk on the bottle. If a full 7kg bottle lasts about 30 days for UK use (which is about 4 days per kg) then if, for example, 3kg is left in a bottle it will last about 12 days so more than enough for another week's break in the UK.
For the next UK outing I'll then take the two part bottles depending on the weight of gas in each and the duration of the trip and the amount I think I'll use. If one bottle does run out whilst I'm away I'll just exchange it as usual so come home with one full and one part full. The method does mean that I have to weigh the bottles frequently but this takes less than five minutes and is no big deal but saves driving around with two bottles when it isn't necessary. More capacity for extra bottles of wine !!

 

[MichaelE]

Just fit an automatic changeover valve , these are great as the bottles with empty completely

 

[Surfer]

Just fit an automatic changeover valve , these are great as the bottles with empty completely

One of the reasons we don't like them is when you are empty, you are empty!

 

[otherclive]

Just fit an automatic changeover valve , these are great as the bottles with empty completely

One of the reasons we don't like them is when you are empty, you are empty!

Surely though if you are using gas then you normally check the bottles, so with the auto changeover a quick look is all that is required. I find even with Calorlite that the green-red capacity indicator doenst move much until the bottle is getting quite low. so you dont get a lot of warning. Thats why I tend to just lift and shake the bottle in use, as I've developed a good feel for what's left. Never ran out yet so my in built load cells are still functioning, albeit much else is not!

 

[MichaelE]

Surely you still keep a check on the bottles, when one bottle is empty and its changed over to the other one you then change it?