Propane gas bottle piped into barbecue point !!!!!!!

TrevandJenny

TrevandJenny

Full Member

Messages
193
Now this enquiry may sound a bit stupid but. Whilst at a club site last week we spoke to a camper who was an ex full timer about the issues of obtaining LPG Autogas as we have a camper with LPG tanks fitted under the chassis.
.
He came up with this. Obtain a bottle of Calor propane together with regulator and connection hose, Turn off the on/off valves from the LPG tanks on camper, plug pipe from regulator into barbecue point on camper, turn on barbecue valve then bottle valve. This way onboard tank LPG would be saved in the event of not being able to obtain any nearby.
.
With these words of wisdom in mind I did wonder if any non return safety valve on camper would stop the gas from flowing to the fridge, cooker and water heater., thus increasing pressure in the pipes.
.
It seemed a good idea but to reverse the flow, I`m not so certain, Also wondered if this was common practice with full timers,
.
Your views Gentlemen, Ladies invited as well.

Just back from a week at the Seaview site at Whitstable, Right next to the beach, brilliant left today as it Bank hols now and will fill up rapidly with tents and noise.
.
Thanks for all the advice given, Problem now sorted. Happy bank hols to you all. 2nd covid jab tomorrow, then were away for months.
 
Last edited:
i used to do this to use up part bottles from work as long as you turn of the supply to the regulator and have a regulator on your bottle works fine,
 
Common practice that , I have done it several times, also on Spanish Campsites saw it a lot where brits borrowed a Spanish bottle and regulator from Reception and used the Spanish Propane after turning OFF their Calor Bottles and just paid for the Spanish Gas used.
 
The gas pressure in the bottle or tank is around 80psi to 200psi, depending on the temperature (not on how much gas is left)
The gas pressure after the regulator has reduced it is about a quarter of one psi.
There is no way that the low pressure gas from one supply could get back into the high pressure of the other supply's tank or bottle.
 
in h said:
The gas pressure in the bottle or tank is around 80psi to 200psi, depending on the temperature (not on how much gas is left)
The gas pressure after the regulator has reduced it is about a quarter of one psi.
There is no way that the low pressure gas from one supply could get back into the high pressure of the other supply's tank or bottle.
Click to expand...
Your comments re pressure are correct but not applicable to the question asked ....... I think you have misread the situation. !
The OP is not asking about refilling his on board LPG tank.
Simply closing the valve and so isolating it.
Using the BBQ point as a (regulated) input to the pipework keeping the (external and regulated) input bottle live.
Thus high pressure from the external bottle regulated (as you say) and so a low pressure feed to the internal pipework to supply the cooker/fridge whatever.
Earlier replies confirm this is a viable soultion.
In effect supplying gas from an external bottle rather than the onboard bottles.
So either
1 not using your calor (cannot get calor in Spain) Or
2 as in the OP's case not having to drive to an LPG station
 
We do this every time we go to Spain. We carry 2 x 13kg Calor with us in our MH gas locker and a Spanish cylinder and regulator wedged in the garage (not connected) We use the Calor on the way down then plug the Spanish cylinder in when in Spain.

Gas is so cheap in Spain compared to here and if we are staying on an ACSI site, electric can work out very expensive for water heating and space heating if it gets chilly at night/first thing. When it runs out, simply swap it over at a campsite or gas retailer as you would do in the UK. Last time we did it, it was around 15€ for a changed, filled cylinder (around the 7kg size).

It works a treat!

...and as said, loads of folks do it in Spain.

I swapped a British 6kg Butane for the Spanish one 5-6 years ago with a chap who had just come back from 6 weeks in Spain, who advertised it on a motoring forum I am a member of. I have 2m of hose attached to the regulator. When we have a BBQ I just unplug it and turn the UK Calor back on...remembering to reverse this after the BBQ.
 
This sounds like both an incredibly useful and incredibly easy thing to do!
Is it really that easy? No one-way valves out to the BBQ point to worry about about?

Also, what if you don't have a Spanish bottle? Still viable to 'rent' one and get the deposit back when you leave?
IIRC, the chap I bought my van from said he used to remove one of the calor bottles in the locker and fit a Spanish (or Italian or whatever) bottle and regulator before he went away - so used the cheaper gas but in a conventional way. I like the idea of the BBQ method though :)
 
Yes,
On our first tour of France I was expecting (stoopidly) to simply get "calor"
Fortunately I worked out what to do.
Got French pigtail and an "Intermarche" bottle.
Only having 2 x 6kg calor there was room in the gas locker....
Persuaded me to go down the re-fillable route.
This works for us as we travel a lot but if on a site for a long time the BBQ solution seems best.
 
The point about pressures is that it is safe and does not need one way valves. Of course, if you connect two regulators to one system, whichever has the slightly higher pressure output will supply all the gas, but you can turn one off after you have connected the extra supply.
 
wildebus said:
This sounds like both an incredibly useful and incredibly easy thing to do!
Is it really that easy? No one-way valves out to the BBQ point to worry about about?

Also, what if you don't have a Spanish bottle? Still viable to 'rent' one and get the deposit back when you leave?
IIRC, the chap I bought my van from said he used to remove one of the calor bottles in the locker and fit a Spanish (or Italian or whatever) bottle and regulator before he went away - so used the cheaper gas but in a conventional way. I like the idea of the BBQ method though :)
Click to expand...

Yes it is that simple to do. As said though make sure to turn the UK regulator off so that the Spanish one backfills the system and gets used.

Yes to the question on renting. I believe that it is the same system as we have in the UK in that regard, so pretty easy to get one. There are 2 main brands - repsol and cepsa. I have the repsol one which most folks have in Spain on campsites as far as I have seen. Most garages also seem to do gas as well. You'd need to buy a regulator like the one in this pic...


That should only be around 10-15€ and then its yours to keep. I have 2m of orange pipe attached to mine and the Bullfinch adaptor for my gas BBQ connection point.

I thought about connecting in my gas locker but tbh this is much easier. We carry ours with us as we have enough space and payload for it.
 
You can buy a pipe that connects to your standard lpg fill point to a bottle .
if You don't want to use the bq point.
See them on a few sites.
 
Just had a thought ... if parked next to someone with a nice big refillable LPG tank, you could go BBQ Point to BBQ Point and save your expensive Calor Gas :)
 
Another thumbs up from me. Often connected a Propane Calor bottle to the Bullfinch BBQ Point to keep the heating going in the winter. Never had a problem.
 
Mr and Mrs Tupcox said:
You can buy a pipe that connects to your standard lpg fill point to a bottle .
if You don't want to use the bq point.
See them on a few sites.
Click to expand...
That would only work if your refillable was empty, and not well, even then. Connecting pipes with full vapour pressure is not a good idea.
 
All sounds honky dory, but as your not going to be able to stay more than 90 days, how much gas do you want!!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top