Gas for Swift Rapide

[Guest Tony Irwin]

Hello I'm a new owner of a Swift Rapide 400x4 1992 model. (And pretty ignorant of caravanning ways!) I noticed in the compartment for Gas a notice saying LPG. Is that the same as calor gas? Also, does anyone what size gas bottle I shoould get? (I know I could measure the compartment, but at the moment the caravan's on a site many miles away, and I want to take Gas up when I next go there!) Many thanks Tony

[Guest Frank Gordon]

LPG stands for Liquified Petroleum Gas and, where leisure vehicles are concerned, the LPG employed is either butane or propane. Calor is the UK's largest supplier of exchangeable gas-cylinders, employing a blue bottle for butane and a red/orange bottle for propane. Calor bottles come in a range of sizes (see www.calor.co.uk) and caravanners, due to weight considerations and a tendency not to winter-camp, usually use the smallest two butane cylinders, either 4.5kg or 7kg capacity. However, a Calor 4.5kg bottle uses a screw-on regulator-connector, while a Calor 7kg bottle uses a clip-on connector. (And, if your caravan's previous owner has chosen to use propane, Campingaz, or non-Calor butane exchangeable bottles, there will be further differences.) So it ain't quite that simple! Every caravanning beginner should get hold of a copy of "The Caravan Manual" (Haynes Publishing) for invaluable general background. It would also be helpful if you could find someone experienced to give you a crash course on the basics and perhaps hold your hand when you next visit your 'van.

[Guest Tony Irwin]

Frank Many thnaks for your reply. Got the manual and it looks very good. Also spent some time reading the owners manual and getting everything sorted out: so now I have all utilities working! Thanks again Tony