How can I calculate the gas usage on my van? (1 Viewer)

GWAYGWAY

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Sep 6, 2014
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I have just gone out to my van and we went out for the afternoon. I wanted a cuppa so turned on ONE of the pair of 13kgs gasit bottles. the gauge just turned a bit to the nearly empty pressure bit. We were full when we went to Lincoln Show then a day up to Yorkshire to pick up my friend near Huddersfield and back home, four days and nights only. We did have the heating on at the showground but I do not remember it actually coming on for more that half an hour at any time as the van is well insulated and we were cosy without it. The fridge was on all the time we were parked but that was all we had going. How long SHOULD the 13kg bottle keep the fridge alive??? I would worry if I was unable to get a gas refill sometime and actually run out. Everything is New so not a matter of worn jets etc.
 
Feb 24, 2013
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Bolsover, Derbyshire
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Hymer S800
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not long enough
cant answer the question, but I don't have a single dial or indicator I trust on my MH, from previous experience the gas ones are about the worst (least accurate / reliable)

My guess is fridge only, over a month from a 13kg cylinder, presuming of course it was full when started
 

vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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most items will quote its gas use if you look at the specs.
fridges do use alot of gas.
in winter in spain and morocco with no fridge just cooking and lighting (i use gas lights) i normally getr about 6 weeks out of a 12 kg bottle . no heating but do cook alot.

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JJ

Mágica
May 1, 2008
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Burstner Privilege T
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over 50 years
When I use my heater it gobbles up gas...

Goes for ages and ages and ages just using it for the fridge and cooking though.

My gauges are very inaccurate.

JJ :cool:
 
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Jan 27, 2013
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Stamford
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Benimar Mileo 282
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Seven plus years
1st drive to a weighbridge get weight of van.
Do whatever you do all day long. But do not leave van to buy goods, eat or pee.
Weigh van next day

Answer = how much gas you have used!


NB may not be that accurate
 
Jan 27, 2013
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But your manufacturer will give an average grammes per day based on load and ambient temperature.

As a guess I'd say a month or more if you don't cook.

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Bart

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Jun 4, 2016
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you gauge could be stuck , as when i installed my gasit bottle and filled it, then gauge read empty , however a few knocks later to the side of the cylinder with a Rubber Mallet and hey presto ,, gauge read 3/4 full , which was about right as i never filled it right up.
 

Lenny HB

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Oct 18, 2007
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Hymer B678 DL
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If Gas-it they will be 11kg bottles. To give you an idea in September in France with hot water on for a couple of hours every morning, heating used occasionally and oven a few hours a week we get about 3 weeks out of our 14kg Alugas bottles.

Worth checking for leaks, Honeywell gas sniffer about 30 quid on Amazon, I always carry one in the van.
 
Feb 9, 2008
4,086
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SW Scotland
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LP Coachbuilt
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Since 2008 after caravanning for 20 years
A 6kg. bottle kept our fridge going in France during the summer for 3 weeks, plus cooking and BBQ.

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KeithChesterfield

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May 20, 2015
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Our 3-way Dometic fridge/freezer uses around 420 grammes of gas per 24 hours (gr/24 420) at max power and a litre of gas weighs 500 grammes.


With our 11 kg Gaslow bottles (21 litres max) it would use up the 21 litres of gas in about 25 days if the fridge was on gas all the time and no other gas appliance was used.


A 13kg bottle should therefore take longer to empty.

In reality you'd use other gas appliances for heating, cooking, showers, etc and our bottles last about three weeks in Summer and a fortnight or less in Winter - depending on how cold the weather is and how much hook up we use.
 

keith

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Aug 25, 2007
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When I use my heater it gobbles up gas...

Goes for ages and ages and ages just using it for the fridge and cooking though.

My gauges are very inaccurate.

JJ :cool:

Suggest an edit for that JJ
It should be all gauges are inaccurate, Don't rely on them
Last winter I had one gas tank that registered empty just after filling it.
Then lasted all the way home .....??
 
Aug 18, 2014
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Transit PVC
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Heating , even for 30 minutes, would probably use 2litres

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Derbyshire wanderer

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I used ÂŁ9.99 worth over 15 nights of fridge, cooking and at least one night with the heating on. Not scientific but at less than 70p a day I have nothing to worry about.
 
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GWAYGWAY

GWAYGWAY

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I will fill them up tomorrow to see what is accurate, it is the Gasit one above the regulator that give line pressure that is showing low pressure. It normally always shows green with the tanks turned off, which is how I see if there is a leak. I tried to light the gas ring but forgot it was off, opened the cylinder and it only went to yellow from red (empty).
 
Aug 18, 2014
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that seems a lot of gas i.e. approx 1kg for half an hours heating gus ???
On the odd occasions the heating has been on ,when the wife has been with me ,it certainly appeared to use a vast amount. Then again it was only ever on turned right up .:unsure:

I will fill them up tomorrow to see what is accurate, it is the Gasit one above the regulator that give line pressure that is showing low pressure. It normally always shows green with the tanks turned off, which is how I see if there is a leak. I tried to light the gas ring but forgot it was off, opened the cylinder and it only went to yellow from red (empty).
When filled do a test with soapy water all around the fittings
(y)
 

Bart

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I will fill them up tomorrow to see what is accurate, it is the Gasit one above the regulator that give line pressure that is showing low pressure. It normally always shows green with the tanks turned off, which is how I see if there is a leak. I tried to light the gas ring but forgot it was off, opened the cylinder and it only went to yellow from red (empty).
For me i would ignore the gauges as they are temperamental , just fill it up,, use it for say a week , then refill it up and see how much it cost ya.

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vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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a simple weigh scvale wil help you know how much gas is in the bottle . lidl have a scale in at the moment. i use an old fashioned parcel spring balance . it works .
 

Mikey RV

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I might be being thick here(don't answer that one.)But does a 13kg bottle of gas weigh 13kg when full or is that how much gas is in it. o_O
 

KeithChesterfield

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A 13kg Calor bottle weights around 28.7kg when full.

A Gaslow 11kg bottle weighs 11kg + 21 litres of gas at 500 gms per litre should give a total weight of around 22kg

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Bart

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I might be being thick here(don't answer that one.)But does a 13kg bottle of gas weigh 13kg when full or is that how much gas is in it. o_O
if you are worried about weight ,and you are loaded :) then you can buy Aluminium Gas cylinders , which are obviously lighter :)
 

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