Gas and TV in France

[Lee1st]

Hi All,

Novice motorhomer here. My wife and I are newly proud owners of a Geist Phantom based on Merc Sprinter 316Cdi and have booked a crossing to France April/May.

I have two questions (for now :-S ) if anyone'd be so kind.

1. I use screw thread propane bottles on my van. Can anyone tell me whether these are easily and readily available for exchange in France or do I need to take enough with me for the fortnight (or bring empties back with me from France having been replaced with purchased new ones) Does that make sense?

2. At the moment we don't have a TV aerial. For UK use I'd heard that the Status 530 (i believe) is a good aerial. I'm using a WinTV Nova DVB-T usb dongle in my laptop for TV. Would this aerial pick up sensible signal for use in France too. Are there better systems available for about the same money?

TIA, exciting this isn't it?

Lee

[derek500]

Lee1st - 2007-01-24 10:19 AM

 

2. At the moment we don't have a TV aerial. For UK use I'd heard that the Status 530 (i believe) is a good aerial. I'm using a WinTV Nova DVB-T usb dongle in my laptop for TV. Would this aerial pick up sensible signal for use in France too. Are there better systems available for about the same money?

 

That aerial would be fine for DTT in France (French channels of course!!).

[Philman]

Hi Lee, if you want TV Programmes in English while you are in France, you need to get a small satellite system similar to the ones sold in Maplin and occasionally Lidl's or Aldi's.

 

Phil.

[Randonneur]

As far as bottled gas is concerned I think at the moment you cannot use a British fitting on a French bottle. There was some talk about standardising but I don't think its been done yet. You may be better taking enough gas to last for 2 weeks, which I know for most people, isn't that much. It depends on what your load capacity is and your gas storage. You can buy French regulators at any supermarket and also gas. Leclerc and Intermarche are now selling their own labelled gas bottled along side the other makes. These work out at about 18 euros for a propane 11kg bottle. I don't know how much it is with the charge for the container but will find out shortly because we need another bottle. We use Primagas only because we had a spare bottle after our British gas bottle had run out. A lot of people will bring a 13kg bottle or its equivalent and also a Camping Gaz bottle as the latter you can get in most countries although this does work out more expensive.

[Brian Kirby]

Randonneur - 2007-01-24 12:54 PM As far as bottled gas is concerned I think at the moment you cannot use a British fitting on a French bottle. There was some talk about standardising but I don't think its been done yet. You may be better taking enough gas to last for 2 weeks, which I know for most people, isn't that much. It depends on what your load capacity is and your gas storage. You can buy French regulators at any supermarket and also gas. Leclerc and Intermarche are now selling their own labelled gas bottled along side the other makes. These work out at about 18 euros for a propane 11kg bottle. I don't know how much it is with the charge for the container but will find out shortly because we need another bottle. We use Primagas only because we had a spare bottle after our British gas bottle had run out. A lot of people will bring a 13kg bottle or its equivalent and also a Camping Gaz bottle as the latter you can get in most countries although this does work out more expensive.

To firm up on that, no you can't use UK connectors on French bottles, you can't exchange UK bottles for French ones, and you can't get UK bottles filled in France.

You're going early, so you may need to use your heating, meaning increased gas consumption.  If you go to campsites you will probably need less gas (or depending or your heater none) for hot water than on aires.

You don't say how long you will be away, or what size, or how many, bottles your locker will hold.  If it takes the 11/13Kg bottles, and you go for a month or less, staying on campsites, provided you start with a new bottle, and stay out of the mountains, you should be OK with one 13Kg bottle, even using the heating.

If you plan on regular visits to France (provided your locker is large enough), I'd say buy a French 13Kg, to go with the UK one.  They are cheaper in France, and since most European trips involve some time in France exchange en route is quite easy. 

Choose something like Butagaz, which is widely available from supermarkets and many filling stations.  You'll need a French tail ("Lyre" in French), and ideally an auto changeover valve to switch between the two.  Provided your van has the current universal type regulator, you can use either butane or propane, or even have one bottle of each.  If not you'll need to get a French, bottle mounting, regulator (detendeur in French). 

Propane is better at low temperatures, so is the "fail safe" option wherever you go.

Hope this helps.

[Wingpete]

Just got back from 4 weeks away, including 10 days in very cold parts of France. Went prepared with propane and camping gaz.

However, it was below freezing for those 10 nights, so initially the propane got a hammering, as the camping gaz would not gas off.

Lucky I had electric hook up, so went shopping for cheap convector heater, which saved much arguing between us as to going home or not :-(

Into Spain, and camping gaz rare, calor/propane unavailable, so resorted to buying a Cepsa tank and regulator. Still butane, but lots of it, about 12kgs I think.

Now my problem was to get the Cepsa to pass through the onboard regulator tail.

The Cepsa has an outlet with rubber gas pipe, and only fits onto a spigot.

No way could I get the outlet spigot to take the existing reinforced rubber gas hose. Tried hot water etc and only split the reinforced hose, and that was after cutting off the threaded end piece.

So bodge was to use plastic connecting pipe between rubber Spanish gas hose and the reinforced British gas hose, with 2 jubilee clips each side.

I did run liquid soap around joins to see if it leaked, and the bodge was proven to be leak free. Thank goodness.

I now was able to continue with my journey to the bottom of Spain, using just the Cepsa supply.

On the return leg through cold France, I was able to resort to the remaining calor/propane, so all was well when no hook ups were available.

This leads me to consider, why is there no accessory manufacturer who can provide alternative fittings that will enable the various of gas cylinders to be connected through a manifold fitted to the m/home ?

All we have to do then is buy or rent the cyclinders available in each country on the routes taken.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lee1st]

Thanks for the replies guys,

I'm going for 14 nights and my m/home takes, strangely(?) one 13k and one smaller 6(?)k cylinder. Sounds like, if I took a full pair plus one full 13k reserve, I'd probably have enough. Unfortunately my Truma is only gas operated so electric hookup doesn't help me there so I'd need the gas for all hot water, heat and cooking.

Feasible?

Thanks again,

Lee

[Clive]

And I was going to comment on gas powered TV. It is possible!!