Gas in Europe

ClubMemberDC90836837
ClubMemberDC90836837 Forum Participant Posts: 4

hi, first time motorhomers have travelled to France and will now be in Europe for 3 months. We knew we would have to source local gas (propane) canisters here and also knew that we would then need to get a pigtail connector. The mistake we seemed to have
made is assuming the pigtail would be easy to source whilst here however we are struggling to find somewhere that does this. 

Can anyone advise where to get these from here, and perhaps the best Gas to get which will be reusable across France, Italy, Austria, Germany and Spain?

We have a Knaus 650MF made in 2016. 

Thanks!

Comments

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,872 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #2

    I am sure others with more experience will be able to advise but for various pigtails I have found
    Hamilton Gas a good company to deal with. I had always thought, from what has been said on various forums, that when you buy a gas bottle abroad its usual to get the pigtail at the same time. I suppose
    it you were going to be using a lot of gas then a refillable option might be worth considering?

    David 

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited July 2016 #3
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • ClubMemberDC90836837
    ClubMemberDC90836837 Forum Participant Posts: 4
    edited July 2016 #4

    Thanks both. We are using Aires quite a lot so using the gas for the refrigerator and occasional cooking so will need to refill. 

    Quick Q - once we have a French canister will we need a pigtail or different regulator or both?

     

    Undecided

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #5

    G and M, you might be in luck....

    being a European van, it may well have come with a pair of pigtails that terminate in a large female nut....

    this is the std 21.8 LH threaded fitting to which all uk adaptors are fitted....

    not only that, this hose, in the link below, (without any adaptors) will fit directly onto a french Butagaz cylinder....these can be bought with butane or proane in them but the fitting is the same...

    thats the good news.....

    the bad news is that, being a van for the uk market, the pigtail might have been changed into a uk type one, called POL  and ending in a male bullet shaped fitment which goes into (say) a uk calor bottle.

    however, even if your pigtails have been changed, you can easily source the correct one, which is known as a 'butane 21.8 LH' hose.....even tho its called this it will fit both propane and butane french Butagaz bottles.

    dont get a Le Cube or other makes as you will need yet a different hose for these.....

    here is a pic/link to a butane hose....this one is stainless steel but rubber ones are fine and much cheaper...

    http://gasproducts.co.uk/gaslow-butane-450mm-hp-stainless-steel-gas-hose.html?gclid=CLeAwqyu7s0CFaoy0wods30KeA

  • DianneT
    DianneT Forum Participant Posts: 521
    100 Comments
    edited July 2016 #6

    We always take 1 10 kg and 1 5 kg bottles of BP lite with us and have never run out.  We travel between 9 and 12 weeks and up to this year never used the 10 kg bottle up in fact it lasts the rest of season here in the UK.

    But this year with the cold weather in April we used the whole large bottle in the first 3 weeks.  But still came home with gas in the small bottle.

    DianneT

     

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2016 #7

    ...but others do travel in colder weather, for longer than 10 weeks, and use aires without ehu.....

    these are the folk that will have to manage lpg replenishment while away.....so a plan of sorts, is essential, for them.Happy

  • bognormike
    bognormike Forum Participant Posts: 18
    edited July 2016 #8

    and the solution is to get refillables!

  • ClubMemberDC90836837
    ClubMemberDC90836837 Forum Participant Posts: 4
    edited July 2016 #9

    Hi all, thanks for the various advice - we're now sorted with a new pigtail fitted and French propane on board. Cheers!