Club 80-90 Forums

Hi, good job I ain't going camping as my Butane bottle (blue Calor) has frozen up (as they do below about 1 deg C)

This lead my to thinking I should have gone with a red Propane bottle which has a much lower freezing point.

Then I thought, why do "we" always use Butane, is there any disadvantage to using (red bottle) Propane ?

Except of course, whilst the price is the same the red (Propane) bottles hold only 3.9 Kg and the Blue (Butane) bottles hold 4.5 Kg - I just found that out I suppose that explains it

I believe butane has a higher calorific value than propane too. Years ago of course, folk didn't tend to camp in really cold weather so it wasn't an issue....

I've often wondered the same. First thing I did when I got my Propex was change the regulator and replace the bottle.

1664 wrote:I believe butane has a higher calorific value than propane too. Years ago of course, folk didn't tend to camp in really cold weather so it wasn't an issue....

So in view of this fact, perhaps the loss of .6 of a kilo of gas is made up for by the extra heat Propane generates ?

I am going to swap to Propane. I wonder if any suppliers will swap blue for red ? I reckon our local (small) builders suppliers might

p.s. = I have not forgotten I will need a new regulator

Shouldnt matter about the product its the manufacturers of the bottles that they swap like for like

Also you can make a substantial saving if you can fit a larger bottle in....and of course less swapping

ghost123uk wrote:

1664 wrote:I believe butane has a higher calorific value than propane too. Years ago of course, folk didn't tend to camp in really cold weather so it wasn't an issue....

So in view of this fact, perhaps the loss of .6 of a kilo of gas is made up for by the extra heat Propane generates ?

No you have it the wrong way round - the calorific value of butane is HIGHER than that of propane so you get more ummph/kg with butane than with propane (If my original statement is correct)

I've done a couple of trips across Europe in the Corrado on LPG and the fuel consumption is noticeably better where the butane mix is higher - the european pumps usually state the mix. I got an extra 2-3mpg on high butane content fuel butane. I did a couple of thousand miles on each trip so was measured over quite a distance.

weldore wrote:Also you can make a substantial saving if you can fit a larger bottle in....and of course less swapping

I don't think I want to go bigger than the 4.5 KG (Blue) I am currently using.

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Aside = When we were in France we ran out. It was a full 4.5 kg, but we were using the propex quite a lot as well as cooking and fridge, I knew it would happen. I had to buy a French bottle. Boy they are great. I got a very cute, clean, square plastic one from a supermarket. It was only about £20 including the non refundable deposit on the bottle and they have 6 kg of gas in this VERY tidy re-fillable container. PLUS it came with a free regulator

Pic =



Still using it (well not today because it's frozen up
Shame you cannot get bottles like that in the UK (instead of the mucky and non ergonomic ones we have to use)

1664 wrote:

ghost123uk wrote:

1664 wrote:I believe butane has a higher calorific value than propane too. Years ago of course, folk didn't tend to camp in really cold weather so it wasn't an issue....

So in view of this fact, perhaps the loss of .6 of a kilo of gas is made up for by the extra heat Propane generates ?

No you have it the wrong way round - the calorific value of butane is HIGHER than that of propane so you get more ummph/kg with butane than with propane (If my original statement is correct)

Ooops, speed reading again Bren, so in that respect it's a "loose loose" situation = Shame.

Butane is volumetrically more efficient than propane. The downside is it's pretty useless at low ( some would say extreme for camping) temperatures. Insulating the bottle will help but it will still cool as it evapourates.

boxer wrote:Butane is volumetrically more efficient than propane.

That's what I said

1664 wrote:you get more ummph/kg with butane than with propane

Sorry. 'Cod science' my speciality. smirk.

i actually wrote a bit of thesis on calorific value vs volume but then the infernal technology got the better of me and I deleted it while answering the phone!

When driving, stick the gas bottle in the passenger footwell with the heater on - keeping it toastie - then when you stop, fit it up to the propex.

Or for defrosting in the morning, take it in at night, then back out in the morning. 30 secs to set up. Simples.

jamesandtheopenroad wrote:When driving, stick the gas bottle in the passenger footwell with the heater on - keeping it toastie - then when you stop, fit it up to the propex.

I do that then wrap it up for use later, after the drive the cab heater has warmed the van up a treat and once I get to a meet I usually exit the van, returning only to fetch more beer. Whack the Propex on while having an Irish Coffee before jumping into bed.

jamesandtheopenroad wrote:Or for defrosting in the morning, take it in at night

Not following that - take it in where exactly?


I've been known to do this to warm it up on a very freezing morning