Newbie seeking advice

Hello peeps,
 
 I need to get a couple of calor gas bottles for my newly acquired 2006 Nuevo 2 berth, am I right in assuming that the bottle storage compartment will accept two of the 6kg red propane bottles?

Yes  2 x 6kg Propane will fit in your gas locker, most people prefer Lights now to reduce the weight.

You could of course consider fitting refillable cylinders such as GasIt (other makes are available at higher costs) and save money on the actual gas cost If you do a search on the forum much has been written on this subject

I fitted a GasIt system, with the 3m hose so the filler was on the same side as the fuel filler, worked out about £300, but very pleased with it. And of course if you are planning to go south of Calais, this is your only option for gas. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

While you are in the gas cupboard check the delivery pipe where it goes through the wall, this is what mine looked like after 90 delivery miles - no grommet, very naughty and potentially very dangerous!

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Over the years we have had all sorts of gas - calor, camping gaz international and the light propane when we got our recent Nuevo.
The latter was great over the cold spell over Easter in Scotland but before coming to France we got out the camping gaz int as we were under the assumption it is the only one you can get over here but is readily available.
Wanted to get the most of out a bottle we didnt exchange in UK and hence promptly ran out in first stop over here and then found we couldnt get another one anywhere!! The CC book of europe (latest) says is readily available everywhere in France.
Anyway had no choice but to buy a French (cube) with gas and fittment (very expensive). Promptly had to start staying on cheap/free aires or wild camping (never done either before) to try to re-coup some of the money.

Met some other Brits who were using refillable bottles now.

What is latest word on the street although its too late for us this trip (may just try to use it up and then get deposit back and learn from mistake!!)?

HH

Hi happyhelen,

I can highly recommend the Gasit system I fitted. Have not tried it abroad yet as we have only recently got our Nuevo, but the same company sell a whole range of adapters for countries various, so can't see why you shouldn't be ok . It certainly works a treat in Morrison's, if a little scary the first time you do it. I recommend looking on YouTube so it doesn't come as a huge surprise, certainly its nothing like putting petrol or diesel in.

Hi Ploop,
Not just me then? I have had my gaslows for 6 years now and I still don't like filling them up, the bill when I have done it makes me smile though.
Pete

Ooh you are so right. My background is in aircraft and the final two seconds of replenishing a gas bottle goes against everything I have ever known; to release a little bit into the atmosphere in a cloud of vaporised gas, just ripe for spontaneous combustion is quite simply ridiculous. I suppose there are plenty of combustible "fumes" coming of a petrol fill, but we're used to that? Do you still turn your head and close your eyes at that "unlatch moment" - LOL

Yep, and if it got stuck in that position, I would probably fill my pants.
Pete

My Nuevo came fitted with an 11Kg Calor bottle (propane) to which I later added a 3.9Kg back up.

when away on our recent trip the large bottle ran out, no problem I thought  I will just nip out and change them over. the bottle however had a "strange" fitting the hose for which did not mate up with the back up bottle!  several local suppliers were mystified and when I eventually got to a main dealers and asked for an 11Kg Calor propane he looked at me as if I was mad, "dont do them he says  - never have" but I have one says I "well its not Calor then he says Calor dont do an 11Kg bottle - never have" he replies.

At this I played my ace card and produced the new shiny new 11Kg bottle (complete with mysterious fitting) which was clearly marked "11Kg" after much head scratching he fitted a "normal" flexible hose and exchanged the bottle for a 13Kg one.

All this was in the wilds of Caithness and meant two days without gas, the moral being what ever gas you think you have its always good to check!


Dont think that I will be spending £300 on a refillable system though £300 buys an awful lot of bottled gas

breakaleg wrote:(Dont think that I will be spending £300 on a refillable system though £300 buys an awful lot of bottled gas)


Indeed it will, about £150 worth, so that will be around eight refills you will have to of carried to your van and fitted, 
 



Pete

I use 3.9kg propane bottles which are around £16 per refill.
£300 / 16 = 18.75
As I only use around 4 per year that means it would take over four and a half years to recoup the initial cost of the installation not including the cost of the gas . If you include the cost of the gas it would take me well over 5 years to break even - not show a profit, just break even.
For me, and many others, it is not a sound investment but for those who use a lot of gas, it is.
Do the sums.

Frank

 I use 3.9kg propane bottles which are around £16 per refill

bigger bottles work out cheaper, the 13KG cost me £29.

I use the van (mainly for wild camping so no hook up) for about 70 nights per year and on past experience a 13Kg lasts for over a year so (excluding inflation) £300 would last me getting on for 11 years! so even if Autogas was free (which it isnt) it would be 11 years before I reached break even point so for me definately not a good investment, although maybe if you were full timing or used the van a lot through the winter......


To me the only real advantage would be that I would only need to carry one bottle which would free up a bit of storage

Same here. I use around 1 1/2 6kg bottles per year @ £21 so that's £30 per year, so 10 years to break even just on installation costs so doesn't add up for me either.

Hi Frank,
I have had my van 6 years now and would like to think that I have at least broke even, I usually change vans at 10 years and the set up will go into the next van unless it come with a fixed tank as standard, I would sell the set up for around £150.
But the real value for me is, not having to change cylinders when they are empty, I need 2 walking sticks to get around, most places will carry them to your van, but will not swap them over for you, I can change them myself but it is a very painful process:fight:

I can quite understand that for you it is a worthwhile investment, because of your disability if nothing else.
I've just fitted an electric slide out step to our van. Dot cannot get in the van without a step due to an arthritic hip, and I've run over / left behind loads of them. I'll never recover the £285 that it cost but it was worth the outlay to make life easier for Dot.

The same applies for most people as regards refillable gas cylinders, more convenient perhaps and cheaper gas but not always financially viable.

Frank

raymondo wrote:My Nuevo came fitted with an 11Kg Calor bottle (propane) to which I later added a 3.9Kg back up.

when away on our recent trip the large bottle ran out, no problem I thought  I will just nip out and change them over. the bottle however had a "strange" fitting the hose for which did not mate up with the back up bottle!  several local suppliers were mystified and when I eventually got to a main dealers and asked for an 11Kg Calor propane he looked at me as if I was mad, "dont do them he says  - never have" but I have one says I "well its not Calor then he says Calor dont do an 11Kg bottle - never have" he replies.

At this I played my ace card and produced the new shiny new 11Kg bottle (complete with mysterious fitting) which was clearly marked "11Kg" after much head scratching he fitted a "normal" flexible hose and exchanged the bottle for a 13Kg one.

All this was in the wilds of Caithness and meant two days without gas, the moral being what ever gas you think you have its always good to check!


Dont think that I will be spending £300 on a refillable system though £300 buys an awful lot of bottled gas

It's an Irish bottle. Calor inherited them when they took over another company in Ireland. So lots of holidays in Ireland or start from scratch. Go to a re-cycling centre, buy any Calor bottle (except an Irish one!) don't use it but exchange for the bottle you want at a camp site or Calor dealer. It will only cost a few pounds and most dealers will cross exchange bottles. Although heavier the bigger the bottle you can get in the cuboard the cheaper the gas that far outweighs the minimal extra cost of carrying it. i.e. Calor 6kg C£22 Calor 13kg c£32 hence double the gas for another tenner.

Hi Frank,
we had an electric step fitted for the same reason also a sog system, so that I can empty the toilet every day (it is to heavy for me to carry when it is full)
Pete

Hi All,