First Channel Crossing - Gaz considerations?

[najsmith]

I seem to remember that the french don't use the same blue butane gaz as us brits for cooking. I that right?

I always carry a spare, but imagine after a while I'd run out of Gaz.

Should I expect problems?

 

[sailorman]

Camping Gaz is a French franchise /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[BAtoo]

I think they use the blue Camping Gas cylenders with a screw-in connections in most places or thier own propane/butane alternatives.

 

[BruceDanforth]

I think you should be able to change the regulator for one that will fit Camping Gaz bottles.

 

[Robin]

If you normally use Calor you can get an adapter for the French Camping Gaz bottle that your Calor connector will fit on, so you could buy a spare Camping Gaz cylinder that can be exchanged easily in France (or many places inc UK). Otherwise if you have the Camping Gaz cylinder anyway, they are all the same UK or French or whatever. The gas itself is butane and is the same in Calor or Camping Gaz - you just pay nearly double the price for it in the Gaz cylinder even though both it and Calor are filled by Calor in the UK. We had Calor on our last boat and carried 2 cylinders plus a spare of Camping Gaz. When #1 Calor ran out we would use the Gaz one with Calor adapter, when this ran out we would use #2 Calor until we could get an exchange Gaz one from a supermarket or chandlers. Currently we have all Camping Gaz so easily exchanged just rip-off exchange price in the UK, I will one day go back to the system on our last boat!

 

[najsmith]

Cheers fellow Forumites - Most helpful!

 

[Talbot]

why would you want to change the regulator, when it is cheaper to go to calor shop and get an adaptor that fits on the camping gas bottles and allows you to use the normal calor regulator?

 

[VicS]

NO dont go to a calor shop go to BES where it will cost a fraction of the calor shop price

 

[BruceDanforth]

Arguments about the relative merits of 2 bits of kit to do the same job and both costing less than a fiver seem a bit pointless.

 

[lydiamight]

Go to your local Council "tip" or recycling centre. you will almost certainly find an area with discarded Calor and Camping Gaz cylinders--try "liberating" a Camping Gaz cylinder and swop it for a full one when you are in France. After you have opurchased the appropiate adaptor of course.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
Go to your local Council "tip" or recycling centre. you will almost certainly find an area with discarded Calor and Camping Gaz cylinders--try "liberating" a Camping Gaz cylinder

[/ QUOTE ] I doubt that you will be allowed to take one. If you are caught stealing one you will probabaly find yourself in deep trouble.

 

[northernrose]

Has anyone any experience of using the French domestic type cylinders, they seem to be far cheaper than Camping Gaz. I think they come in various sizes, any information would be useful.

 

[sailorman]

my guess is that you can use what ever manufacture of gas you like just change the regulator.
easy init /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[VicMallows]

I asked the 'totter' if I could have one ... and he seemed surprised when I gave him £1 'for a drink' .... was even half full! Mind you, that was a long way from Hampshire and well inland.

Vic

 

[VicMallows]

Welcome, It appears to be your first post!.

The problem in France is that there is a huge variety of brands. Usually several are available at any supermarket petrol stations. Many use the same connections, but when you need to exchange a cylinder you will need to find an outlet for that brand or pay a deposit on yet another bottle. There are very often offers where you get a new free regulator when you 'buy' a new bottle. The modern, smaller (4-8kg) bottles seem to vary most in availability. When it comes to 15kg cylinders a few major brands seem to dominate and be more widely available. All depends how long you'll be over there for.

Vic

 

[northernrose]

hopefully will be in France for at least three months at a time, it just seems that Camping Gaz is so expensive. Perhaps it is just the easiest option.

 

[Anonymous]

Loads of good advice already but if you are a liveaboard, spend a lot of time aboard, or have a high usage of gas (e.g. gas water heater) you will save a lot of money and hassle by buying the largest possible cylinder. If you are taking steps about your gas before you go then that might be something to consider - i.e. make space.

BTW, here in Spain they won't sell you the large domestic cylinders for use on a boat unless you have a gas test certificate or are returning an old cylinder. Maybe it is similar in France? The small Gaz cylinders can be bought from the supermarkets but they are tres cher!

 

[snowleopard]

Increasingly council tips are becoming 'recycling centres' where anything worth having is kept back from the skips and can be bought. I must see if I can get a 7.5 kg calor instead of the awkward 15kg I currently have for my barbie. So stupid that you can't change size when exchanging bottles.