gas abroad (1 Viewer)

Roger Wilkinson

Free Member
Apr 19, 2010
22
8
South Lakes
Funster No
11,128
MH
Hi-top van conversion
Exp
since 2008
Hi to all you experienced continental travellers!
We're quite new to campervanning and haven't yet taken our van out of the country. We have a 7kg calor gas cylinder in our van but expect to use more than one while we're away (and it's only half full anyway). What suitable gas is available in France, and would we need a different regulator, connector, or whatever?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Rog
 

madbluemad

Banned
Jan 26, 2008
3,327
239
spain
Funster No
1,335
MH
just looking
Exp
since 1980
Hi, I dont have the same set up as you so limited knowledge. Gas in France is freely available in the form of Autogas, which imo is Propane and not Butane but there may be a bit in it. You will find this at filling stations.

A Calor Propane bottle will have a different connection from the filler nozzles in France. There are lots of people on the forum who operate this way and I'm surprised somebody hasn't advised you yet, once you get people on about gas it goes on for ages. IF you google for a French Claw type filler nozzzle adaptor you will find one.

I'm assuming that you use a refillable cylinder. You could try to scource a French Cylinder.

As said I have a different set up to you and so I could very well be wrong but somebody will let you know.

Jim

:Smile:
 

SpongeBobsDad

Free Member
Sep 23, 2008
107
6
north east uk
Funster No
4,146
MH
coachbuilt
Exp
25 + yrs
Hi you can not change your calor bottle in France, propogas and butagas is freely available at most filling stations but the connection from the bottle to your regulator is different to the one you have fitted .Most people are converting to refillable gas low bottles or as in my case have an lpg tank fitted you can then fill up at any garage that sells lpg or gpl as it as called in France.:thumb::thumb:
 

haganap

LIFE MEMBER
Dec 5, 2007
12,711
25,974
planet earth
Funster No
974
MH
Carthago C Tourer
Exp
I'm an oldbie MH number 9
Hi to all you experienced continental travellers!
We're quite new to campervanning and haven't yet taken our van out of the country. We have a 7kg calor gas cylinder in our van but expect to use more than one while we're away (and it's only half full anyway). What suitable gas is available in France, and would we need a different regulator, connector, or whatever?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Rog


Hi Roger, we have a gaslow fitted due to the problem you are experiencing. sometimes you know 1/2 a bottle is never going to be enough but it still has half the gas in. With a gaslow you as said simply top up at the LPG pump.
you can buy adaptors that convert from say calor to a French bottle. These are available on ebay but but but, you will of course have to fork out on a French Gas bottle if you run out.

If you are going in the summer you will be amazed at how little gas you actually use. we are a nightly BBQing family of 4 and don't get through half a bottle when we are away. May be worth just buying a calorlite bottle and taking that, if nothing else it will give you a spare when you come back.
 

Robinhood

Free Member
Mar 7, 2010
158
0
Sherwood Forest
Funster No
10,535
MH
A Class
Exp
20 years
The detailed answer would depend on a knowledge of your existing setup.

It doesn't look from your first post that you are using a refillable bottle, so I'll ignore that possibility.

Is your 'van reasonably modern with the fixed 'bulkhead' regulator, or is it one where the regulator is attached to the bottle?

If the former, then you wouldn't need to buy a new regulator for French Bottles, but you would need a replacement 'pigtail' and connector i.e. the flexible pipe between the bottle and the fixed regulator, as French Bottles do not have the same connection as a UK one.

If the latter, you would need to buy the appropriate regulator, and carefully replace that already on the outward end of your gas pipe, before utilising a French Bottle.

AFAIK, French bottles are generally a 'clip-on' fitting, and may come in one of two flavours, depending on whose bottle you buy.

The various connectors for the first option are available in advance from Gaslow (and various specialist shops). www.gaslow.co.uk, or you could buy in a caravan dealer in France.

If you are in the latter position, a regulator should be available from wherever you get the bottle.

Whether you need the additional gas will depend very much on what you are doing. I always hugely over-provide for my holidays, and with an electric h/u hardly touch a 6kg propane (never mind the 13kg backup :RollEyes:). You're going to have to carry the empty bottle somewhere if you switch abroad, so could you not take a spare somewhere anyway. (Frankly, if you're marginal, I'd also trade-in the half-used bottle for a refill - done it myself before to be safe).

If you simply want a standby, others have bought a Camping Gaz adapter (available for either of the two scenarios above). The bottles are available pretty widespread in both the UK and the continent, and are exchangeable across that region - very flexible, but significantly more expensive than local gas though.

HTH

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Roger Wilkinson

Roger Wilkinson

Free Member
Apr 19, 2010
22
8
South Lakes
Funster No
11,128
MH
Hi-top van conversion
Exp
since 2008
Thanks to all. I just KNEW this was going to be complicated. When I bought the van the previous owner had left what I believe to be a continental regulator/connector so my best bet may be to leave the calor at home, make a dash for the ferry and buy a bottle as soon as we arrive.
 

lebesset

Free Member
May 31, 2009
760
2
Funster No
6,945
probably absolutely no problem , and you will certainly save money using french gas bottles

3 questions in order to get a definitive answer

which of the systems noted above ...on bottle regulator , or on bulkhead regulator do you have ?

can you get in a bottle 300mm in diameter and 500mm tall ?

will the 'continental ' regulator you have fit onto a calor 4.5Kg butane bottle ?

I am presuming from your post that you only have space for one bottle
 

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