Gas size on a caravan

IamtheGaitor
IamtheGaitor Forum Participant Posts: 529
edited November 2016 in Caravan & Motorhome Chat #1

How many people run with the larger bottles (ie 11 or 13kg) and how many prefer to use the smaller 5/6kg size? 

Just curious as I swapped a smaller for a larger this time as we are away in the colder weather. The locker fixing is clearly designed for the larger ones but we have always just run with one smaller one.

Comments

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,607 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #2

    Only ever use 6kg bottles of propane in winter. Never usually far away from the EHU dummy so hardly use the gas for water or heating.

    In summer just use the Butane 4.5kg

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #3

    In the caravans we owned it was Hobsons Choice as they would not easily accept anything larger than 6kgs. Now with the motorhome I have one 10kgs BP Light and one Calor lite..

    David

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #4

    if you use gas at a rate faster than the 'my tiny bottle lasts six years' level of user, then it pays to get it in a larger quantity, provided that it fits in the locker and that its not too heavy or inconvenient swap at ypur regular sites nor to lift and
    secure properly.

    if you are a very low rate user, it makes little difference.

    however, for those that are towards the top end of usage rates (CL or low facs site, rallies, THS, aires etc....or plenty of non UK usage where swapping might be tricky) it might be worth going the whole hog and look at a refillable, Safefill or Gaslow.

    just really depends on usage and the cost/convenience equation......only each user ca. really decide what suits them best.

  • Pippah45
    Pippah45 Forum Participant Posts: 2,452
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    edited November 2016 #5

    I have the 10kg Safefill (there weren't any smaller ones when I bought) which I find great - I can see the level and so far haven't run out when away from home.  I have just added the 5kg so I can cook outside etc.  Now to sell the calorlite
    Smile

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #6

    I only use the 3.9kg propane bottles. Makes for expensive gas but my usage is low and they are far easier for me to handle both in terms of weight and also when negotiating within the locker.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited November 2016 #7

    I "inherited" a full 15Kg Butane but, because of its weight, I swapped for a nearly empty 10Kg BP Gaslite with my son in law who just uses it for his garden BBQ.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #8

    We have to of the 6kg Calor lite bottles and a 13kg steel one, depends on where we are going, time of year, how long we are going to be awayetc. on what we will take. Shortish trips in the UK using sites we just take the one 6kg bottle, overseas in spring/summer
    then its the 2 x 6kg, longer trips in autumn/winter overseas it will be the 1 x 13kg and 1 x 6kg.

  • IamtheGaitor
    IamtheGaitor Forum Participant Posts: 529
    edited November 2016 #9

    Ours are all steel. We dont run gas enough to justify a lite.

  • Tammygirl
    Tammygirl Club Member Posts: 7,957 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #10

    Ours are all steel. We dont run gas enough to justify a lite.

    We had 2 steel when we had the caravan and on getting the M/H the dealer swapped them for lites, how lucky were we Smile don't think they will
    do that now.

  • Impy
    Impy Forum Participant Posts: 257
    edited November 2016 #11

    We carry two 6kg propane bottles which last us a long time as we only use it for cooking.

  • IamtheGaitor
    IamtheGaitor Forum Participant Posts: 529
    edited December 2016 #12

    Well an 11kg propane lasted us the 4 days we were away and it was pretty chilly. Had the alde on mostly 1kw and gas to top it up.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,582 ✭
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    edited December 2016 #13

    Even using the caravan in the cold we simply do not use that much gas so have not considered the larger bottles even if they fit which I have never checked.

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited December 2016 #14

    We always used the 10 kg (BP) Gaslight. A great product and the lightest and most convenient on the market. Only available from Homebase.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #15

    it depends where ypu are.....

    not that convenient if youre nowhere near a homebase, nor can they be exchanged abroad...

  • ocsid
    ocsid Forum Participant Posts: 1,395
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    edited December 2016 #16

    We always used the 10 kg (BP) Gaslight. A great product and the lightest and most convenient on the market. Only available from Homebase.

    That is a ready source but they  are available from other than Homebase, I get mine from such a local dealer. I hold three so can carry enough not to need buying other than when it suits me.

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
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    edited December 2016 #17

    it depends where ypu are.....

    not that convenient if youre nowhere near a homebase, nor can they be exchanged abroad...

    True that you cannot exchange them abroad but nor can you exchange any others apart from Camping Gaz which is very expensive or refillable cylinders. Gas Light has the snap-on connector so you could use Le Cube in France.

    There are indeed some other stockists in the UK rather than Homebase but they are a bit thin on the ground. I had three cylinders which I got very cheaply on eBay.

     

  • Keswickjohn
    Keswickjohn Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited December 2016 #18

    Hoe Much Gas?
    We are travelling to Spain first time for six weeks Jan/Feb and trying to estimate how much Gas we will use.
    Any estimates of gas usage in winter?
    We understand that we cannot get Calor Gas in Spain so ideally we will take enough for the trip.
    We currently have two 6kg bottles and thinking of changing one of them for a 13kg so will have a total 19kg.
    Any comments appreciated.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #19

    Martin

    You might want to take advice from Bolero Boy in this thread about using local bottles. We do go abroad for a couple of months at a time but always in the Spring/Summer. I did buy a Calor 13kgs but found it too heavy and decided to use my BP Light 10kgs bottle which is so much more manageable. I also have a 6kgs Calor Lite alongside it. If it's going to be a regular trip then perhaps a refillable system might be worth thinking about? Incidentally I swapped my BP Light at Home Base today and it cost £28. 

    David

     

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #20

    We only normally get through just over one 6 kg a year and have one steel and one lite calor. I am not sure if I could get a 13 kg in the locker, but would not use one in any event due to the weight.

  • geordie01
    geordie01 Forum Participant Posts: 108
    edited December 2016 #21

    I use a 6kg and a 3.9 kg but we hardly use any gas as we are mostly on hook up in the winter and use a remoska for our cooking needs

    in 10 years with the motorhome I have bought 3 bottles and used most of that over the channel

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #22

    not used many aires, then...undecided

  • Vicmallows
    Vicmallows Forum Participant Posts: 580
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    edited December 2016 #23

    Sorry for the somewhat belated response.

    We've been in Spain since late November. I weigh our gas accurately, and so far we have averaged 1.4kg /week. EHU on all sites, so gas only used for cooking, but we DO like cooking and that has included ALL meals for 2. For half of that time it also includes boiling the kettle due to restricted (5A) supply.

    We started out with a 13kg butane + 5kg propane.  Whether this lasts us out will depend entirely on how long we stay!

  • Vicmallows
    Vicmallows Forum Participant Posts: 580
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    edited December 2016 #24

    Duplicate post Deleted User by OP.  (unable to delete the quote!)

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited December 2016 #25

    Not sure if it still applies, but Go Outdoors swapped our three large tatty old  butane gas bottles for 3 calorlite 6kg.

    The old ones we bought second hand for £5 each, as it was cheaper than buying the Calorlite ones. As long as they were calor bottles, it did not seem to matter.

  • Keswickjohn
    Keswickjohn Forum Participant Posts: 9
    edited December 2016 #26

    Thanks Vicmallows.
    1.4kg per week is a useful figure.

    Clearly, usage all depends on availability of EHU, the current available and if heating is used.
    We have swapped one of our 6kg for a 13kg so will travel with approx. 19kg. By your calculation that should be plenty for our seven week trip.

    But as commented by previous contributors a 13kg bottle is very heavy when full.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2016 #27

    if youre abroad for that amount of time, why even have the stress of having to do the calculation....

    with a refillable system, theres no humping of bottles, and you can fill anywhere with a couple of adaptors.....spanish LPG works just as well as French LPG and both will keep you warm in the UK if you bring any back (and vice versa).

    failing that, why not just buy a Spanish pigtail adaptor (called a Jumbo) so that, in an emergency, you could just call into a campsite (or a Repsol/Cepsa station) and fit it straight into your locker.

    local gas is very cheap and widely available, negating the worry of 'do i have enough'.

    this also burns just as well in the uk if you end up bringing some home. 

    good luck with the trip.

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