phillcoops
New member
Got it in eventually!
Calor 4.5 Butane and 3.5 Propane to be discontinued
- Thread starter jimi
- Start date
lustyd
Well-known member
Whaup367
Active member
A little disappointed to see no full 7Kg Butanes at my marina this weekend... It seems a bit soon for them to have run out 
. I wonder if this is going to be an issue for this coming season: if people start changing over as recommended but Calor are unable to meet demand.
They had four full 4.5s, a couple each of 3.9s and 6s. I didn't count the Campingaz bottles- too many for it to be easy.
Would be a bit of a pain (though no great surprise) if dropping the dumpys meant a shortage of 6s & 7s... I'm currently using a Flogas 7Kg but getting replacements for them looks like it'll be a hassle and/or expensive.
. I wonder if this is going to be an issue for this coming season: if people start changing over as recommended but Calor are unable to meet demand.They had four full 4.5s, a couple each of 3.9s and 6s. I didn't count the Campingaz bottles- too many for it to be easy.
Would be a bit of a pain (though no great surprise) if dropping the dumpys meant a shortage of 6s & 7s... I'm currently using a Flogas 7Kg but getting replacements for them looks like it'll be a hassle and/or expensive.
AngusMcDoon
Well-known member
Which do you think they make more profit on and would be keener to supply?
Whaup367
Active member
Do you think profit margin is the issue with these? I'm thinking it's the cost to them of handling the refills, hence the plan to simplify their range.
I appreciate that this is, in theory, almost the same thing- given that "profit" should be the difference between price and cost but there seems to be an expectation from consumers that what we're paying for is the gas in the bottle, rather than the provision of a standardised "package" of energy. Hence the temptation to compare price per Kg between Campingaz, Calor, Flogas and Morrisons... Its a wonder Morrisons haven't cornered the market, as they win hands-down on price.... yet they too are winding down their market presence.
As the cost of distribution, refilling, safety checks etc increases the margin on small cylinders goes down; Calor, in their "wisdom", have responded by "simplification": presumably they reckon this will be better in the long run than pricing dumpys out of the market? I dunno; the cynic in me wonders if it's the starting position for a negotiation but I suspect not. There doesn't seem to have been that much outrage so far, so maybe they're going to get away with it?
Andrew_Trayfoot
Active member
perfect, thanks.
Anyone got the data for the other version of the FG 4.5?
AGHMC
New member
What will be the position if all the BSS approved gas lockers have to be replaced or modified?
Graham_Wright
Well-known member
Is the reference to 3.5Kg an error? I'm sure mine is 3.9.
"From 1st February 2023, the Cube, 3.9kg Propane, 4.5kg Butane, 6Lite Propane and 12kg Butane will be discontinued. This means that customers won’t be able to buy new cylinders or exchange existing cylinders of these sizes for a refill."
Flogas do a 3.9. Wonder if it is dimensionally identical.
It would be a major job for me to change size.
"From 1st February 2023, the Cube, 3.9kg Propane, 4.5kg Butane, 6Lite Propane and 12kg Butane will be discontinued. This means that customers won’t be able to buy new cylinders or exchange existing cylinders of these sizes for a refill."
Flogas do a 3.9. Wonder if it is dimensionally identical.
It would be a major job for me to change size.
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Sandy
Well-known member
During COVID lockdown I went down a YouTube rabbit hole, now this is taking things to extreme!
Whaup367
Active member
Yes.
Not guaranteed to be- they warn you about this on the Specification page of the 3.9Kg cylinder information:
3.9kg Propane Gas Cylinder | Flogas
Calor are more specific, claiming 340x240. It would appear their bottles were more standardised.
You are not alone. There are some examples upthread of reworking lockers to suit. As well as overall dimensions, beware of changes in Base Diameter if your cylinders drop into a circular cutout- at least some of the Flogas butane cylinders have larger "footprints"; the propanes seem likely to be much the same, though I can't say for sure.
lustyd
Well-known member
Well we know for a fact that Calor had different sizes, there have been many threads about it on here. So what you're actually saying is that Calor were (again!!) less honest.
Boathook
Well-known member
Ive always found the calor 4.5kg butane a very standard size over the last 30 years. Been a few comments about the flogas 4.5kg butane being slightly different sizes.
lustyd
Well-known member
And yet there were several long threads including discussions with Calor, RYA and CA about the change in Calor bottles. You got lucky, that doesn't mean Calor were good.
It is good that Calor shills seem to self identify on the forum though, saves seeking them out
oldgit
Well-known member
Curious is the lack of reaction to this .
Had it happened abruptly, hundreds of thousands would have been affected literally over night.
Perhaps even concerns expressed about what has happened to the millions of pounds taken in deposits by Calor over many many years.
Suspect very clever manipulation and obfuscation by Calor with a drip drip withdrawal of the small bottles over several years and death by thousand cuts.
Still stories of full 4.5 k bottles mysteriously appearing at some outlets, cannot all be old stock surely.
As a serial addict to a cup of tea (Earl Grey , no builders muck made out of pencil shavings tea on here maty ) aboard first noticed the lack of bottles over 3 years ago when forced to change from butane to propane.
First excuse...Hot summer and everyone is BBQing quickly followed by some even more impressive stuff ,no labour, no bottles, no steel ..............et al.
Has this ship sailed or not. ?
Had it happened abruptly, hundreds of thousands would have been affected literally over night.
Perhaps even concerns expressed about what has happened to the millions of pounds taken in deposits by Calor over many many years.
Suspect very clever manipulation and obfuscation by Calor with a drip drip withdrawal of the small bottles over several years and death by thousand cuts.
Still stories of full 4.5 k bottles mysteriously appearing at some outlets, cannot all be old stock surely.
As a serial addict to a cup of tea (Earl Grey , no builders muck made out of pencil shavings tea on here maty ) aboard first noticed the lack of bottles over 3 years ago when forced to change from butane to propane.
First excuse...Hot summer and everyone is BBQing quickly followed by some even more impressive stuff ,no labour, no bottles, no steel ..............et al.
Has this ship sailed or not. ?
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lustyd
Well-known member
Of course the ship has sailed, there's an official announcement stating it. The really curious thing is how many here are still defending Calor!
Mudisox
Well-known member
And I have just bought a refilled 15kg Blue Calor at Morrisons-------£50.35 !!!!
st599
Well-known member
And I have just bought a refilled 15kg Blue Calor at Morrisons-------£50.35 !!!!
Quite a bargain. A 2.7kg CampinGaz was £57 in Cowes last summer.
Jim@sea
Well-known member
My local caravan dealer said that if I took my empty blue calor gas botttle in, he would exchange it for a bigger red calor gas bottle.
Pete7
Well-known member
They have offered to exchange customers smaller cylinders for larger ones. So those who paid a deposit all those years ago, have a choice, or surrender the cylinder and collect the deposit back. The rest of us who inherited cylinders with second hand boats, or bought them off second hand sites, oh dear you're on your own. Oh and the crunch will occur during Easter when the weather warms up and everyone wants gas for caravans, campers, boats and garden heaters.
Hmm, wonder if Cornish Customs and Excise Officers, used to say the same thing
How many Camping Gaz cylinders could you get in a 30ft yacht for a channel dash back to blighty? Could be very profitable.
lustyd
Well-known member
Only a tiny portion of it, they made sure of that with a three year delay so nobody will be getting much back at all