Is propane gas essential for winter caravanning?
We're going away in our Caravan for Christmas this year..first time ever due to family circumstances and feel very excited about experiencing a different type of Christmas. However, other half and I are unsure whether we should change our blue butane gas
to the red propane one. Other half seems to think butane will be ok if we insulate it well. I don't want to prepare a full Christmas dinner only for the gas to give up! I would really appreciate the views of you experienced winter Caravanners. Thank you.
Comments
-
I'd definitely change over to propane (red bottle). It's better to be safe than sorry, should the temperature fall to freezing or below.
0 -
Just change to Propane and use it all year round, you will need a propane pigtail to connect to your bulkhead regulator.
0 -
Good advice from nellie, I'd take it if I were you. Best to be safe than sorry.....
0 -
Change it!
You might be lucky and have a warm Christmas and no problems on the other hand it it's cold any you are trying to use a lot of gas then you will struggl
Insulating the bottle could make matters worse as changing from liquid to gas takes energy and will cool the bottle anyway. We often have a layer of frost on the bottle in the winter. Propane turns to gas at much lower temperatur.
0 -
The temp doesn't even need to drop to freezing, I think Butane stops evaporating at approx plus 4 degrees C, The temp can get that low even in autumn or spring, never mind winter. I spent a very cold Easter with Butane that was insulated but kept stopping
working. Never again, propane all the time and no problems.0 -
Some of the "oldies" may recall the days when only butane (blue bottle) was available and was secured in the open on the A frame.
On a cold morning it was sometimes necessary to take a bucket to the toilet block, fill it with hot water and then trickle it over the gas bottle to warm it up.
0 -
As Boff said above I would advise against insuating the bottle as in use it will rapidly become the coldest thing in the locker whatever temperature it starts out at and will 'want' to absorb heat from the atmosphere. For me it depends on how full the existing
bottle is, if it's nearly empty it will be more prone to problems at lower temperatures and less of a waste to swap over, so i would do so. I'd certainly be tempted to wait until a few days before you go and look at the forecast, unless it's going to be below
4 degrees all day, a fairly full Butane bottle should be fine. As mentioned by MeatHome, the safe way to warm the bottle if the temperature does cause the pressure to drop is with hot water, best achieved by wrapping and old tea towel round the bottle and
trickling the water onto it - obviously make sure the bottle's over a drain hole if you have to leave it in the locker and make sure everything else isn't going to get wet (or at least nothing that will be harmed).0 -
Yes! Definitely ! But if you are changing over to propane why not get a bottle that you own? Safefill make a cylinder that you fill yourself at a quarter of the price of Calor. On going savings- one of the best investments I ever made. Dribbling hot water over a gas bottle? I have better things to do while away for a break.
0 -
A belated reply but anyway...........
Butane is a waste of space and certainly in cold weather as it will not vapourise, e.g turn to gas. Years ago it was I think mandatory (by some clubs) to have propane fitted for winter caravanning. Modern standards in caravans and motorhomes is propane, so make the switch and be sure to stay warm and cook the dinner. Formerly I was involved in the oil and gas industry so do speak from some experience. Enjoy!
1 -
Propane burns hotter anyway - more efficient. Change now.
1
