Camping setup - cannot be unique to us?

[dubdubz]

So we have a westy campmobile with a propex, we have an awning and the cooker station is foldup job which we pop a sunncamp 2 burner with grill on.
The 3 way coolbox goes in the awning.

So my query is this?

How do I get the gas either out of the bus to the fridge ,when not on EHU and the cooking station. [bottle currently stored un-elegantly in passenger footwell, the smallest propane bottle is too tall for under RNR bed or under Buddy seat - plus door seal are poor so ventilation!! ]

OR

get the gas back into the bus for the propex, and leave the bottle in the driveaway section of the awning.

This also applies to the hookup - I use the westy side socket to hookup, and the electric is the on the inside. This weekend we had the coolbox running on 240v but I had to run an extension out of the westy windows - I know that caravans have 'service' boxes that fit flush which could be grafted into the belly pans - are there any other options or suggestions.

It's bugged me all weekend - admittedly we didn't need the heater this weekend but it all starts getting so messy with gas hose running out of the old west sink unit drain hole and electric cable trailing across from the buddy seat and up and out the window [ the EHU is on a 4 way trailing socket to get us going and this won't fit out of the drain hole]

what do others do?? really don't want two gas bottles - although I do wish they'd do the 2.7kg size in propane...

thanks

Darren

 

[cotswoldiver]

Although my interior was long gone by the time I bought my 72 westy,when I designed the interior I had a similar dilemma. I run one BP bottle but it has three feeds, one to the propex heater, one to the two hob burner and one to the oven. Not sure if you could run something similar with lengths of flexi hose though?
But this works really well, only potential problem is that BP have announced they are selling off this portable gas sector of their business but have no buyers yet

 

[StuF]

^^^^ what an elegant solution ^^^^

Love it!

 

[dubdubz]

Although my interior was long gone by the time I bought my 72 westy,when I designed the interior I had a similar dilemma. I run one BP bottle but it has three feeds, one to the propex heater, one to the two hob burner and one to the oven. Not sure if you could run something similar with lengths of flexi hose though?
But this works really well, only potential problem is that BP have announced they are selling off this portable gas sector of their business but have no buyers yet

nice very neat - I'm going to alter my interior to suit us and sell the westy one - it's very good but we want to do another layout.

I was thinking of perhaps going to one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390450323672?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; so that I could run stuff externally

and one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160860462161?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

for the hook to extend out into the awning - I'm thinking of 'sinking' then into the belly pans - with suitable drains and protection....

 

[AxlFoley]

I take two gas bottles, I leave one in the van for the propex, then take the other into the awning for the cooker, not ideal, but i means I can cook wherever I want

 

[dubdubz]

any more ideas EB'ers?

 

[creationblue]

I fitting this to mine, I have a dormobile cooker behind the seat that plugs into this via a rubber flexi, also a BBQ can be sited outside the van using the same supply

Camping Gaz bottle under the RnR, tee off to the propex

 

[dubdubz]

/\ /\ /\

neat I like that

 

[lard]

Had similair thoughts when putting in my interior - had thought about external push to connect gas fitting and electrics, likely mounted in the belly pan going up through the old westy sink waste supply hole,

What I did though was just use two bottles, on camping gaz so use the medium one in my cooker unit and the small one for my 3 way fridge - it will run constantly for 48 hours on the small bottle at max flow so more than enough for a weekend

 

[dubdubz]

cool - snag is propex runs best on propane - tricky to get that in small bottles...

 

[sparkywig]

cool - snag is propex runs best on propane - tricky to get that in small bottles...

Never had a problem with Camping Gaz, even at New Year.

 

[lard]

For 240v power into the awning without running from the van, could you not use one of these? into the hookup, one lead to van, another under the van to the awning into an RCD protected socket?

 

[dubdubz]

ok - worth trying then - just didn't want to plan interior gas runs on using smaller campingaz - to find it doesn't work for me in winter....

 

[dubdubz]

For 240v power into the awning without running from the van, could you not use one of these? into the hookup, one lead to van, another under the van to the awning into an RCD protected socket?

not seen those before - again as I'm an arse the hookup comes into the bus on the westy socket but it has given me an idea of running a siamese cable setup and one hooks into westy socket the other to the awning rcd thingy....

 

[lard]

cool - snag is propex runs best on propane - tricky to get that in small bottles...

Is that purely down to the lower operating temperature of propane vs butane? If so camping gaz is a mix of both propane and butane, to mix the better efficiency of butane alongside the better operating temp of propane - if it's pressure related then would need to confirm working pressure of propex and check the pressure of bottles e.t.c.

 

[dubdubz]

cool - snag is propex runs best on propane - tricky to get that in small bottles...

Is that purely down to the lower operating temperature of propane vs butane? If so camping gaz is a mix of both propane and butane, to mix the better efficiency of butane alongside the better operating temp of propane - if it's pressure related then would need to confirm working pressure of propex and check the pressure of bottles e.t.c.

yes - didn't realise campinggaz was a mix, could be why a 2.7kg? refill was £24 as opposed the the 3.9kg smallest propane at £13....

 

[lard]

not seen those before - again as I'm an arse the hookup comes into the bus on the westy socket but it has given me an idea of running a siamese cable setup and one hooks into westy socket the other to the awning rcd thingy....

likewise, use the yellow plug but have this into a short 1m lead with a commando blue socket on it - and run an extension from the site power to this short adapter, in my garage I like to charge the van up, and use the adapter with a permanantly installed extension lead with a normal plug on the end, saves running cables in the garage when I want to plug it in

 

[aogrady]

Hi!

Here's my setup

Calor gas under buddy seat, 3 way gas manifold with copper pipe under the floor, 1 off to the propex under the bed

And 2 other pipes over to the sink unit, one for the gas hob, and one fitted to a length of rubber gas hose with quick release bbq fittings, and the pipe just sits at the rear air gap at the top of the hob worktop next to the passenger seat. Didn't want any more additional holes for a bbq point, trying to keep things hidden, or at least not drill extra holes (i hate drilling holes!)

As for the electric, inverter under the seat with Zig unit (soon to be replaced with different setup) the electric hook up socket is under the spare wheel well in the engine bay, 240V socket on front panel under bed

I have a extension lead on the inverter if i need to be off grid. I am changing this to run a 210aH system, so wont need the zig or mains power, i will be off grid completely. I am running a 12V compresser fridge in the original sink unit, and hope to be shifting to a solar set up shortly.

More pics etc on the last few pages on my gallery thread.

Hope this helps

Cheers!

Alistair

 

[sparkywig]

I've connected another socket about 2.5m from the end of the hook up lead which connects into the bus inlet, and the socket on the end gets thrown under the bus into the awning to run the fridge, etc.
I can unhook the bus and drive off without having to disconnect the awning electrics.

 

[dubdubz]

I've connected another socket about 2.5m from the end of the hook up lead which connects into the bus inlet, and the socket on the end gets thrown under the bus into the awning to run the fridge, etc.
I can unhook the bus and drive ofithout having to disconnect the awning electrics.

This is what I was thinking...pics are nice