Cattwg Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 We have just bought a new (to us) ‘van and for the first time will have the fixed butane/propane regulator. In the past I have always carried spare Calor and Camping Gaz regulators, just in case. I would like to have similar insurance with this new type of regulator but as it is a fixture I am unsure whether or not to carry a spare. I would appreciate the thoughts of others with a similar situation. I am very practically minded and would not be averse to changing out a faulty regulator should the necessity arise – obviously checking carefully for leaks after completing the work. Cattwg :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I know I'll get shouted down, but I have taken out my fixed reg, and replaced it with pipe and on bottle reg. Why, bulkhead reg £30 + , bottle reg £5, I always change my regulator at two year intervals. Plus you may want to read this very recent post on another forum about fixed regs. Just been informed by the dealer servicing my new Caravan (ist annual service) that the Gas Regulator isnt working due to being (Gummed) up with oily contaminate. 'Oh, and by the way sir, you've got to pay for it' It isnt covered by warranty. Naturally, I checked the issue out on here and on the web so I'm upto speed on the problems goin on. I declined to just accept paying £58 + vat + fitting, and asked for a warranty claim to be put in, it seems the dealer (based on experience) reckons its easier for me to cough up than him having to complete the paperwork involved and try and argue the point with the manufacturer (truma) or Luna. The thing that winds me up is, if I have to pay out for another regulator then It also could fail in 3. 6 or 12 months, then I'll have to pay out yet again. The thing is, if, as truma and Calor, state that this problem is a very rare fault although an ongoing event for some poor caravaners, surely there should be some scheme where some cost of replacement should be bourne by the manufacters even if its 50% sa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pepe63xnotuse Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 That's funny,I had a similar thought the other day as I was ordering some gas fittings. I was going to get a bottle mounted regulator,with fittings to suit,so that if the bulkead reg' failed while we're away,at least I could just drop it off and connect the "spare"... (..but I can't think why I didn't get it in the end..?!... :-S ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I too was tempted to abolish the pointless progress and revert to the old bottle mounted system that had served us all so well for so many years, but in the end I paid about £32 for a spare regulator which has, so far, lived in the tool box and been sufficient to scare the original regulator into behaving itself. Saying that will probably be the kiss of death knowing how Dr. Sodde's Law works! At £58 plus vat plus fitting it looks like someone is having a laugh at your expense? I also have spare bottle fitting regulator and the appropriate hose, clips and fittings - just in case - just in case! I did have another spare spare regulator but gave it to a fellow countryman in Norway who was struggling with an obdurate bulkhead regulator! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 In over 40 years of camping, caravanning & Motorhoming I've never had a regulator fail . When we brought our van a couple of re-fillables was part of the deal being aware of the problems with the Truma regulator I was well pleased when the dealer fitted a bottle top regulator to each bottle & fed them into a tee piece. It makes a nice simple system, easy changeover of bottles, all the pipework & joints are at low pressure & I always have spare regulator if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Interesting point Truma are a German company their bulkhead regulator has been around for over 5 years, how come then a lot of the German manufacturers have only recently changed over to the Truma regulator. Have Truma been using the UK as a test bed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 It would be useful to know how many of these bulkhead regulators fail (?) as I've not had a bottle reg fail in 20 years :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 lennyhb - 2011-04-04 5:54 PM In over 40 years of camping, caravanning & Motorhoming I've never had a regulator fail . When we brought our van a couple of re-fillables was part of the deal being aware of the problems with the Truma regulator I was well pleased when the dealer fitted a bottle top regulator to each bottle & fed them into a tee piece. It makes a nice simple system, easy changeover of bottles, all the pipework & joints are at low pressure & I always have spare regulator if needed. What an astonishingly good idea, probably the best "tip" I've read lately, thanks lennyhb ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Eh?.........How can you have a bottle type reg with a refillable system :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 pelmetman - 2011-04-04 6:44 PM Eh?.........How can you have a bottle type reg with a refillable system :-S Good question! I think he's got Stako bottles, but that still doesn't give any clue as to how he actually refills them .... 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 1footinthegrave - 2011-04-04 6:18 PM I was well pleased when the dealer fitted a bottle top regulator to each bottle & fed them into a tee piece. It makes a nice simple system, easy changeover of bottles, all the pipework & joints are at low pressure & I always have spare regulator if needed. What an astonishingly good idea, probably the best "tip" I've read lately, thanks lennyhb ;-) We used this system for thirty years or so without ever a problem - and then came progress - so now we use the same system but both bottles pigtails teed into the bulkhead regulator for an easy changeover when it's cold and wet and dark and the wretched gas runs out before that crucial first morning cup of tea! I never have figured out just how so many bottles know exactly when to expire? By the way - the brass 'T' piece I use raises the entry point above the regulator by an inch and converts both pigtails run horizontally and downhill to the gas bottles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 There has been a lot of discussion on the 30 mb bulkhead mounted regulators with various problems being reported. We all know the ball was patted back by the regulator manufacturer to the gas company, and back again etc. However, it does seem that most of the issues have now been resolved provided you fit the regulator above the cylinders so the hose follows a nice downward path from the regulator and there are no loops to form a trap for oil residues. Also attaching the hose to the regulator horizontally instead on down the top seems to ensure fewer problems. By the way you are not supposed to touch the regulator connections to the outfit yourself, unless you are a Corgi qualified fitter. I admit I keep a 28 mb butane cylinder regulator in the box as emergency back up for when all else fails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Dave225 - 2011-04-04 8:01 PM There has been a lot of discussion on the 30 mb bulkhead mounted regulators with various problems being reported. We all know the ball was patted back by the regulator manufacturer to the gas company, and back again etc. However, it does seem that most of the issues have now been resolved provided you fit the regulator above the cylinders so the hose follows a nice downward path from the regulator and there are no loops to form a trap for oil residues. Also attaching the hose to the regulator horizontally instead on down the top seems to ensure fewer problems. By the way you are not supposed to touch the regulator connections to the outfit yourself, unless you are a Corgi qualified fitter. I admit I keep a 28 mb butane cylinder regulator in the box as emergency back up for when all else fails. Think this qualified gas fitter thing has been beaten to death on other threads, but seems it does not apply at least in this country. By the way Corgi is now Gas safe register. Plus these "oil" residues are continuing to cause problems to fixed regs, never had any issue with the bottle type regs ever in forty years of using them, so is this progress I wonder ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Mel B - 2011-04-04 7:43 PM pelmetman - 2011-04-04 6:44 PM Eh?.........How can you have a bottle type reg with a refillable system :-S Good question! I think he's got Stako bottles, but that still doesn't give any clue as to how he actually refills them .... 8-) Yes I have Stako bottles but I don't see what difference it makes as both Stako & Gaslow have an outlet on the bottle with a manual valve which you connect the regulator too and a separate inlet with built in one way valve for filling. My filler is in the skirt next to the gas locker & connected via high pressure hose to both bottles. Pic attached not very clear though as there is not a lot of room since I reduced the height of the locker by 2" to give more ground clearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest peter Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 My Truma reg' failed so I fitted one from Clesse, like this one here. http://www.caravanning-online.co.uk/acatalog/clesse-calor-gas-regulator1.html These do not clog up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Thank you to everyone who replied to this post. I think I will buy the necessary connectors to enable me to fit a conventional regulator, should the need arise. I will also explore the idea of teeing two bottles via the one bulkhead regulator. Cattwg :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Thank you to everyone who replied to this post. I think I will buy the necessary connectors to enable me to fit a conventional regulator, should the need arise. I will also explore the idea of teeing two bottles via the one bulkhead regulator. Cattwg :-D Don't know why this posted twice. I'm sure I only submitted it once. Noticed that both posts are numbered 198. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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