The latest caravan "Must Have Accessory"

Nov 11, 2009
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Looking at this morning's emails I noticed one from Truma which is a first so I must unsubscribe. However I did read it as it described the latest "must have" accessory. For £275 you can buy a net enabled gas level detector which will send the gas levels to your phone. It says that even if you are out for a walk or by a roaring fire in the pub you can check you gas. In my many years of caravanning I cannot recollect any time when I felt the need to know my gas levels in real time when remote from the van. Certainly not when in a pub. I don't even need to know them when at the van either. There must be battalions of designers thinking what answer can we give to a question that's not yet been asked.

When I mentioned it to my wife her comments were that unless bluetooth reaches over more than a few metres the areas we tend to finish up in generally have such rubbish mobile reception that the phone wouldn't pick up any output from this device.
 
Jul 11, 2015
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I agree with your wife.

Plus, each time I arrive at site I turn the gas on and look at the gauge on the calor lite bottle. I also look at it when I turn it off to leave site.

I have a Truma 'manual', non connected gauge thingy that was the then 'must have' as promoted by Truma and Swift at the NEC show when we ordered the caravan and was part of the 'Show Offer' we bought the caravan on. It sits in a box somewhere, never used it.

In the MH days had a magnetic sticky on gauge, that used to fall off the metal bottles.

There is always the condensate line check.

I tend to work out our gas usage by number of nights as we generally only use it to cook on either via hob, oven or cadac. 1 bottle per 2 years is a rough guide. If when leaving site the arrow on the gauge on the bottle is at the bottom, on returning home at some point I weigh the bottle on the bathroom scales that reside in the downstairs cloakroom and establish by deducting the tare weight of the bottle as stamped on the tag on the neck, how much liquid is in there and given I know roughly how many nights we've been away since the last bottle refill, can take a gamble on wether to refill it.

Would be much easier with a safefill, where you can see the liquid in the bottle and pop in to fill enroute. Just needs cost of bottle to drop massively, but a better spend of money than the Truma jobby referred to.

Maybe Truma are trying to attract the new generation of adventurers who don't have the sense to research things, but buy cos it's digital and all things digital r best :evil:
 
Nov 11, 2009
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KeefySher said:
I agree with your wife.

Plus, each time I arrive at site I turn the gas on and look at the gauge on the calor lite bottle. I also look at it when I turn it off to leave site.

I have a Truma 'manual', non connected gauge thingy that was the then 'must have' as promoted by Truma and Swift at the NEC show when we ordered the caravan and was part of the 'Show Offer' we bought the caravan on. It sits in a box somewhere, never used it.

In the MH days had a magnetic sticky on gauge, that used to fall off the metal bottles.

There is always the condensate line check.

I tend to work out our gas usage by number of nights as we generally only use it to cook on either via hob, oven or cadac. 1 bottle per 2 years is a rough guide. If when leaving site the arrow on the gauge on the bottle is at the bottom, on returning home at some point I weigh the bottle on the bathroom scales that reside in the downstairs cloakroom and establish by deducting the tare weight of the bottle as stamped on the tag on the neck, how much liquid is in there and given I know roughly how many nights we've been away since the last bottle refill, can take a gamble on wether to refill it.

Would be much easier with a safefill, where you can see the liquid in the bottle and pop in to fill enroute. Just needs cost of bottle to drop massively, but a better spend of money than the Truma jobby referred to.

Maybe Truma are trying to attract the new generation of adventurers who don't have the sense to research things, but buy cos it's digital and all things digital r best :evil:

I’m with you on this one as we can gauge our usage quite well and with the Calorlite a quick shake is sufficient for me to judge if we have enough for the trip. We don’t take many bottles back that have much gas in them. Normally we only run with one bottle but instead of the Truma device a two bottle set up with auto changeover would be better. Of course you might still have to look in the locker just in case one bottle had emptied.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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I can see a valid case for having reliable and accurate gas level information accessible inside the caravan, but why waste wireless and phone technology ( and its associated costs) with such trivia to have it available whol;st you out and about!.

I have a so called smart phone, and I don;t use any 3g or 4g data feeds, only WiFi I rarely make calls or messages (£10 of PAYG lasts me months), We do use some whats app connections, yet the battery can't sustain it for more than half a day (I know I need a new battery)

Every additional app that runs uses phone power so that one reason they last less and less. How did we ever live with having to go to phone box to make calls?
 
Nov 11, 2009
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ProfJohnL said:
I can see a valid case for having reliable and accurate gas level information accessible inside the caravan, but why waste wireless and phone technology ( and its associated costs) with such trivia to have it available whol;st you out and about!.

I have a so called smart phone, and I don;t use any 3g or 4g data feeds, only WiFi I rarely make calls or messages (£10 of PAYG lasts me months), We do use some whats app connections, yet the battery can't sustain it for more than half a day (I know I need a new battery)

Every additional app that runs uses phone power so that one reason they last less and less. How did we ever live with having to go to phone box to make calls?
u
John
I have a real time sensor that informs me when the gas level is out. It's Mrs OC who would tell that " the pie isn't cooked as you've let the gas run out" or similar sentiments. Must say though that it hasn't happened for many a year now. :)
 
May 7, 2012
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The only thing I can see in its favour is if you come in late at night it might prevent you switching the light on and causing an explosion. A very rare thing but possible but possibly over the top for just that.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Raywood said:
The only thing I can see in its favour is if you come in late at night it might prevent you switching the light on and causing an explosion. A very rare thing but possible but possibly over the top for just that.

How? -
 
Aug 23, 2009
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What's wrong with a quick tap down the side with the spanner? So simple and easy, doesn't go wrong and doesn't cost a penny.
 
Jul 11, 2015
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Martin24 said:
What's wrong with a quick tap down the side with the spanner? So simple and easy, doesn't go wrong and doesn't cost a penny.

How much does a spanner cost? :evil:

and as a seasoned caravanner wot is accustomed to checking the nose weight each and every time you move the caravan, you will already own a set of bathroom scales wot you can weigh the gas bottle on B)
 
Jul 11, 2015
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Martin24 said:
The gas one comes with the 'van :p

Didn't get one with ours, must be a weight saving measure!! I just do it up hand tight and spit on the thread to check it's gas tight, after remembering it's a left handed thread and haven't crossed it :huh:
 
Oct 12, 2013
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I'm with Martin on that one , with a quick tap with a spanner and you can feel the difference when you lift it . Plus nine times out of ten you can get gas on or not far from the site .
 
Jun 20, 2005
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What the heck are we talking about ? Well stuffed from Chrimbo festivities :p
When one cylinder runs towards empty it gives off a smell through the hob / burners.
Changing cylinders now is so simple. Long gone is the spanner. If you still use it ...... :woohoo: :woohoo:
 
Jul 18, 2017
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You are getting 2 units not just the level control unit for the gas. I believe the other unit allows you to control the heating remotely. However still very expensive.
 
Jun 26, 2017
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A solution looking for a problem perhaps ?

Sounds like a real game changer to me :p ...

Who knows, if they can do this now, maybe the technology will advance even further in the future so that I can see how much water is in my washing up bowl, how many weetabix are left in the box, and how much toothpaste is left just by opening an app on my phone ...

Can’t wait to show all of my friends, maybe then they’ll understand just how successful and superior I am to all of the other caravanners, because surely if they could afford this then they’d have it too ?

Joking apart, I wouldn’t go out of my way to pay a 3-figure sum for a gas level indicator, but if it was included as part of an integrated system such as Swift command, then I probably would take notice of the level indication. I don’t use all of the features of the swift command app, but must confess to having enjoyed being able to turn the heating and hot water on remotely on a couple of occasions whilst heading back to sites in the lakes after a long day out.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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Icaru5 said:
A solution looking for a problem perhaps ?

Sounds like a real game changer to me :p ...

Who knows, if they can do this now, maybe the technology will advance even further in the future so that I can see how much water is in my washing up bowl, how many weetabix are left in the box, and how much toothpaste is left just by opening an app on my phone ...

Can’t wait to show all of my friends, maybe then they’ll understand just how successful and superior I am to all of the other caravanners, because surely if they could afford this then they’d have it too ?

Eh you've just pointed me towards a potential new device for caravans. if it can tell you how much water is in your washing up bowl perhaps you could have a network of damp detectors placed at critical points around the caravan. Only about 100 or so! As well as alerting the owner it could alert the seller or maker too so they could pre schedule repairs.
 
Jun 26, 2017
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otherclive said:
Icaru5 said:
A solution looking for a problem perhaps ?

Sounds like a real game changer to me :p ...

Who knows, if they can do this now, maybe the technology will advance even further in the future so that I can see how much water is in my washing up bowl, how many weetabix are left in the box, and how much toothpaste is left just by opening an app on my phone ...

Can’t wait to show all of my friends, maybe then they’ll understand just how successful and superior I am to all of the other caravanners, because surely if they could afford this then they’d have it too ?

Eh you've just pointed me towards a potential new device for caravans. if it can tell you how much water is in your washing up bowl perhaps you could have a network of damp detectors placed at critical points around the caravan. Only about 100 or so! As well as alerting the owner it could alert the seller or maker too so they could pre schedule repairs.

Now you’re just being silly.

I’m one step ahead anyway ...

After arriving on site, once I’ve levelled the van, whilst the kids are off in search of water, the next thing I do is cover the floor in cat litter. Then, because I’ve lined my ceiling with cling film, all the steam that evaporates from the washing up and showering activities just condensates on the ceiling, and drips down into the cat litter where it is quickly absorbed.

No damp in my van mate. :p
 

Mel

Mar 17, 2007
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Icaru5 said:
A solution looking for a problem perhaps ?

Sounds like a real game changer to me :p ...

Who knows, if they can do this now, maybe the technology will advance even further in the future so that I can see how much water is in my washing up bowl, how many weetabix are left in the box, and how much toothpaste is left just by opening an app on my phone ...

I'd like the app that tells me if there is a teaspoon left in the bottom of the washing up bowl, before I empty it.

Hang on, that's a stupid idea.

There is always a teaspoon left in the bottom of the washing up bowl.

Mel
 
Mar 10, 2006
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I rate every gadget, but this one is too expensive to consider.

I'm a huge fan of Swift command, and its free with the caravan.

ProfJohnL said:
Is there anyone actually in favour of this gas level app for their phones? :S
 

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