Frozen gas

[fisherman]

Daughter in her van in the Rhone Alpes. She gets gas first thing then it dies after a few minutes, presumably the evaporation cools it enough. French gas has more butane than some. The bottle is in a locker with drain and door cill. I have suggested maybe a small feed from the gas blower heater into the locker. What about wrapping the bottle in insulation, will that trap any leaks, or leaving the locker door open as there may be enough warmth in the van (Renault Master, separate cab), also against sensible use.
Is it the regulator rather than the gas itself.
When we lived in a caravan I had to boil the electric kettle and pour over the (outside) bottle to get it going.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

You can buy cheap 12V heating pads on eBay they are popular for keeping telescopes dew free. She could try a couple of those either around the bottle or just to keep the locker warm enough to allow evaporation.

 

[Stork_III]

One of these used with care to get it going. https://www.amazon.co.uk/RenFox-Pro...blow+torch+for+propane&qid=1638182074&sr=8-27

 

[steve yates]

Just buy a propane regulator and bottle, its about £40 from memory, and swap them over. Butane is shite in the cold.

 

[paulajayne]

One of these used with care to get it going. https://www.amazon.co.uk/RenFox-Pro...blow+torch+for+propane&qid=1638182074&sr=8-27

Waving a naked flame around in a gas locker is NOT advised.

 

[fisherman]

Just buy a propane regulator and bottle, its about £40 from memory, and swap them over. Butane is shite in the cold.

She will when she's got through this bottle.

 

[vyv_cox]

In our camper van we used to fill a vacuum flask with hot water before going to bed. Tip it over the regulator and bottle in the morning.

 

[sarabande]

12v heating pads. Go for a small one about 40W; more than enough in an enclosed locker.

Amazon.co.uk : silicone heating pad

 

[RAI]

As the cylinder empties, the freeze ups will increase. Is switching to propane now such an expensive step? Save the butane for the summer months.

 

[Fimacca]

the prices for all seem to have gone up. some size bottles are hard to find........
supply and demand I suppose.
my marina wanted £40 for a small campigaz exchange, which I think is a mix of prop and butane.........

 

[Mister E]

As she is in France Propane bottles are not common.
When we had this problem in the past, I resorted to an indicator bulb under the bottle.

 

[lustyd]

In our camper van we used to fill a vacuum flask with hot water before going to bed. Tip it over the regulator and bottle in the morning.

Presumably take the bottle out of the locker for this, otherwise the water could freeze in the drain?

 

[fisherman]

She got propane yesterday, just as well, it snowed last night.

 

[[3889]]

In our camper van we used to fill a vacuum flask with hot water before going to bed. Tip it over the regulator and bottle in the morning.

I did the same sort of thing when young but with my bladder.

 

[Momac]

my marina wanted £40 for a small campigaz exchange, which I think is a mix of prop and butane.........

The Campingaz refills are Butane.
.

 

[Stemar]

Insulating the cylinder will just keep the cold in. As a quick fix, Sarabande's heating pad sounds like the best quick fix if a switch to propane isn't practicable.

 

[vyv_cox]

The Campingaz refills are Butane.
.

I think I have read in the past that there is a small propane content, although this may only be for their own legal protection in case some contamination takes place.

However, mixing propane and butane does not produce some sort of 'alloy' with intermediate properties. In cold weather the propane will burn off, leaving liquid butane that will not burn. This has happened to me during winter in Spain cooking on Autogas, a 50/50 mixture.

 

[Wing Mark]

Insulating the cylinder will just keep the cold in. As a quick fix, Sarabande's heating pad sounds like the best quick fix if a switch to propane isn't practicable.

Heat needs to flow into the cylinder to replace the latent heat of the butane evaporating.
Insulation could make things worse!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Insulating the cylinder will just keep the cold in. As a quick fix, Sarabande's heating pad sounds like the best quick fix if a switch to propane isn't practicable.

Oi I said that first ?

 

[Greenheart]

...fill a vacuum flask with hot water before going to bed...tip it over the regulator and bottle in the morning.

I did the same sort of thing when young but with my bladder.

Did a deluge of hot water help your young bladder to empty, in the morning?