Which gas provider/system for Europe
Having only short trip visit to Europe in the past, we’ve always been able to get by easily on Calor 6kg propane, however we are planing a much longer trip - My query, for anyone with recent experience of travelling on through the continent of Europe, should I be able to get replacement calor over there, or do I need to look at a different solution - FYI underslung tank looks unlikely due to space- My gas cupboard will only accommodate 6kg sized tank! Any knowledgeable suggestions would be much appreciated.
many thanks
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Suggest you copy and paste your query into the Discussions section. Click 'Create a new discussion'
https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/discussions/sites-touring/overseas-sites-touring/
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It’s also a lifestyle question. Every site overseas has electric hookup so with a caravan we used their electricity for fridge, portable oven, Caravan heating, kettle, toaster, fans, and water heating, - and used to tour mainland Europe with the same gas cylinder for several years. But if as a motorhomer you intend avoiding campsites then you have more of a problem which we never shared.
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The other issue is that electricity prices, here and abroad, have risen and many sites are metered.
The discount camping card ACSI gives you 4kw of electric included in the pitch price.
however, if not going virtually wholly electric then it may depend if you are staying in one country or not. as AD mentions, a Repsol bottle is a good investment for Spanish long termers, we also use one when overwintering there.
if you're trundling about all over then having a multitude of bottles won't work.
we also have a Gaslow refillable 11kg bottle which, with the appropriate filling adaptors, serves us all over Europe. This will also be the case with an underslung tank.
with thousands of stopping places at your fingertips in Europe you may want to make use of town/village/city Aires which will require your gas for your fridge, cooking and hot water. The money saved here will soon pay for a refillable tank...
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We have 11kg Gaslow but they also do a 6kg size which may be suitable for your needs and with the correct adapters can be refilled in Europe. Even if you want to use Aires without consuming a lot of gas this is possible at most of those belonging to thecamping car park network, where 6 amp electric is provided,
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During your 'much longer' trip....if you're looking to minimise the amount of gas you use then, perhaps, using CCP sites (alongside other campsites) will allow access to electricity.
in this case, there may be no need to invest in alternative to your current gas system....gas use will be minimal.
however, if you're actually looking for a proper alternative to relying on hook up (to get a bit more away from things and use a few village/town Aires) and to save a bit of cash over a longish trip, then a serious look at refillables might be required.
a week on a CCP site will cost between €70 and €100....
a week on an ACSI site will cost between about €140....
a week spent using village/town Aires might not cost anything.
we find mixing up the different types of continental offerings allows a real variance, spending (say) a few days at a top class site with a pool followed by just one or two days at no facilities Aires that allow walking distance access to towns..
I think the choice is really between minimising use (as ET says a lifestyle choice of sites with electric) and expanding choice (look at refillables to 'go anywhere' without worrying about power....).
of course, once the decision is made, the next question might well be 'how do I manage my electrical requirements if I'm not on hook up.....?'
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“Le Cube” cylinders are widely available in France at supermarket petrol station kiosks. They have a clip on regulator fitting and measure something like 285mm square and 355 mm high. Will they fit your gas locker?
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...again, useful in France, just like our Repsol one is for long terming in Spain.
but if the OP is going to be zooming all over Europe in this 'longer' trip and isnt on sites all the time, when the Le Cube runs out it's just junk to carry about...
and then there's the issue of where the next bottle is coming from.
....depends on the type of touring but the longer the stay and the more varied the sites the more I would go for a refillable system.
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