Do you ever check your spare gas bottle?

Natasha2
Natasha2 Forum Participant Posts: 306
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edited July 2017 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

My OH has suggested I write this as a warning:

Whilst away on our recent break we carried a Calorlite as spare. This was the first time we have had a Calorlite. When the inevitable occurred during the cooking of our evening meal, hubby attempted to change the bottle but was unable to achieve a gas tight fit with the new bottle. Luckily we fitted our new microwave before leaving home so disaster was averted.

The following day we were able to exchange our 6kg steel at a local CCC site.

Upon returning home OH returned the Calorlite to the supplier for an exchange.using our own pigtail he was able to demonstrate that the POL end ( I don't understand this part!) would not fully insert to create the seal.They were still sceptical blaming our ' faulty' pigtail but it turned out that it fitted perfectly onto another bottle and even a new pigtail would not fit the original bottle.

The moral of the story is don' t leave home without checking your spare bottle will work otherwise you might upset your wife!

Comments

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited July 2017 #2

    Maybe thats another reason calor lites are being withdrawn?

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,884
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    edited July 2017 #3

    No such thing here as a spare. Both bottles connected all the time and regulator swaps over.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987
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    edited July 2017 #4

    If you carry a spare then good advice OP, pays to ensure it will work when the time comes that its needed.

    Myself I only have the one BP Gaslight 10kg as it suits my needs.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited July 2017 #5

    So you know one bottle has run out when both bottles are empty ..... cool

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited July 2017 #6

    As we use so little gas we have never carried a "spare" and have so far not got "caught out"

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,619
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    edited July 2017 #7

    a spare what? Seriously a good post to those that have two bottles. I don't and the bottle fitted when I bought the van four years ago just ran out last outing. Looking at when people are setting up I seem to think it's 50/50 as to who has two and who doesn't?

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,884
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    edited July 2017 #8

    There is a visual indicator that changeover has occured. It is right behind where the wastemasters are stowed so gets seen a lot. Then got about a year at our rate of consumption to organise a replacement.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited July 2017 #9

    I gathered as much, I've seen similar when changing bottles over at work wink

    I wish there was room in my caravan's front locker for a wastemaster

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited July 2017 #10

    And just think of the saving of nose weight on vans with front lockers with only one cylinde,or would some just fill the space with more "i might need that" junkwink

  • Unknown
    edited July 2017 #11
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  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited July 2017 #12

    But think of the grief of running out of gas half way through cooking tea .... wink

  • Unknown
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    edited July 2017 #13
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  • JayEss
    JayEss Forum Participant Posts: 1,663
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    edited July 2017 #14

    Thanks for the warning.

    We use a 10l Gaslight but stick our remaining calorlite in the locker as a spare when we're going off grid.  I'll check it before the weekend

  • redface
    redface Forum Participant Posts: 1,701
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    edited July 2017 #15

    Running of of gas? Why not take a small portable, suitcase size camping ring with a replacement gas canister as well?

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited July 2017 #16

    Good warning thanks!  I picked up a small camping stove that works on that gel stuff - as well as the Gas Cadac and it's Camping Gaz cannister - if all else fails a pub laughing

  • jennyc
    jennyc Forum Participant Posts: 957
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    edited July 2017 #17

    We did exactly as you suggest when we started caravanning in the late 1970s when we pumped up water with a foot pump, upgraded to electric lighting and kept perishable food in an insulated cool box. But with advancing age and rising expectations, our own caravanning has distanced itself from providing simple shelter, to an enjoyably convenient home from home. Today, an automatic gas changeover valve swaps supplies seamlessly. We don't have an urgent need to exchange an exhausted bottle before cooking dinner and we have a visible gas contents indicator on each of our two Calor lite bottles. Whatever luxury next? Soon we'll be wanting frivolities such as refrigerators, microwave ovens and heaven forbid, electrically powered wheels for manouvering. 

  • JaRT
    JaRT Club Member Posts: 181
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    edited July 2017 #18

    I wasn't aware they were so thanks for the heads up...

  • obbernockle
    obbernockle Forum Participant Posts: 616
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    edited July 2017 #19

    It's a good post intended to warn people with the same set up that their spare may not actually be useable. It happened to us many years ago with a bottle regulator. I've always checked that I can get a good seal on new bottles since then. For those people who don't have the "one in use and a spare" arrangement it simply doesn't apply. Those with a manual change valve may be affected, because unless you check the connection you don't actually know until you changeover.

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited July 2017 #20

    We seem to use very little gas these days. One 6 kg bottle lasts the season and then some!

    TF

  • Unknown
    edited July 2017 #21
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  • obbernockle
    obbernockle Forum Participant Posts: 616
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    edited July 2017 #22

    I can't see the relevance of this to the subject of the thread. Am I missing something?

  • Unknown
    edited July 2017 #23
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  • obbernockle
    obbernockle Forum Participant Posts: 616
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    edited July 2017 #24

    No worries BB. Just thought I may have missed something.🤗

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,884
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    edited July 2017 #25

    I wish there was room in my caravan's front locker for a wastemaster

    Oh dear.  Is that normal on newer 'vans?  

    I get two wastemasters in along with two 6kg bottles and a box with the toilet chemicals and waste pipe fittings, and umpteen lengths of rigid and flexible waste pipe for the occasional full facility pitch, some wooden blocks and some things I've forgotten all about. Oh, and the two Aquaroll handles.

    The trick is to unclip the axle from one of the Wastemasters, so that might help your situation.

  • Unknown
    edited July 2017 #26
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  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,619
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    edited July 2017 #27

    we don't have two gas bottles, although there is space and restraints for two, so the gas bottle is far right and we have your stuff including blue pipes for service pitches and an aquarol, which takes the place of the missing gas bottle and get strapped in it's place. We do take off the wastermaster axle as you suggest.

    Just out of interest why do you have two wastemasters?