Gas bottles blue/red whats the difference
26 replies
Justus2 replied on 27/10/2016 06:25
Posted on 27/10/2016 06:25
Red Calor bottles are Propane, Blue are Butane.. Both will work in a modern caravan with a bulkhead regulator,but you need the appropriate pigtail connector for the different bottles like <These>
That said, Butane, blue bottles don''t gas off ( work ) very well in cold weather, i.e. below 5C, so most people that use the van all year use red propane, if you wait till warmer weather, the blue butane will work just fine.
Pippah45 replied on 27/10/2016 10:06
Posted on 27/10/2016 10:06
The pigtail with the handwheel is a great step forward in my book. I gradually switched to red bottles after "freezing" one weekend in early November - you can swap an empty blue for a full red (for a price of course). Since you have a supply you may still have a Butane pigtail to use while you finish up the blue bottles? It seems there is a slight difference in efficiency but not anything significant enough to make sense to use a mixture of bottles if you use the caravan in winter - it is really snug in a caravan and much less crowded time of year to tour - I love it! (I have now switched to the much lighter and refillable Safefill cylinders but that is another story!)
replied on 27/10/2016 10:25
Posted on 27/10/2016 10:25
In times gone by (when there were kids at home) I used to stop caravanning after half term until end of march. Never had a problem for some 5 or 6 years until one lovely weekend, blue skies and low night time temperatures. Tried to light the stove for a morning brew. No gas, I had to put a coat on and cuddle the bottle against me under the coat to warm it with my body heat for 10 mins. Kettke on OK. Changed to red propane on subsequent refills
DSB replied on 27/10/2016 10:30
Posted on 27/10/2016 10:30
I use the red calorlite bottles. They are lighter than the standard red bottles, which helps with the caravan payload, and they are easier to handle. We too use the handwheel connection - much better in my opinion.
It might be worth asking if you can swap the blue canisters for red when you come to change. Just a thought, if you want to go over to red.
David
tigerfish replied on 27/10/2016 10:32
replied on 27/10/2016 10:40
jeffcc replied on 27/10/2016 10:44
replied on 27/10/2016 10:48
Posted on 27/10/2016 10:48
6KG calorlite 10.52kg full
Just for comparison steel propane 15-17kgs Full dependant upon age
Figures off the calor web site
As are mine. I prefer the smaller bottle size, height as it is easier for me with arthritis in the spine to manouvre them into position. The calorlite are no lighter than the bottles that I use and I do not need the extra gas given our usage
DavidKlyne replied on 27/10/2016 15:24
Posted on 27/10/2016 15:24
The other consideration is weight. The Propane (Red) has been available for some time in the new light weight cylinders. As far as I am aware Butane (blue) in not yet available in the lightweight bottle. Don't understand why.
TF
I am sure that Calor understand their market and Propane is at least a universal gas in that it can be used all year round so they probably see no advantage in the massive investment needed to buy and supply Butane cylinders in a light weight bottle. We switched to Propane years ago. Not quite sure there is enough advantage in Butane to use it or swap for the summer?
David
borderman239
Caravanner