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Gas

I

icic

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553
Location
UK
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 150
Hi I just have a couple of questions around gas. I have a cadac and wonder if people use the 907 bottle and take it out of the gas cabinet to cook outside, Or is that too much of a hassle. so any suggestions around gas and the cadac would be great. Also when driving do you completely disconnect the gas each time ? What is the best gas driving protocol
 
I have the cadac and bought another bottle, (the smaller one, not sure number) to use with it. My reasoning as well as convenience is it serves as back up reserve bottle for the inevitable time when main bottle runs out whilst cooking dinner.
when else could it run out. :)
 
+1 for an additional bottle.
When travelling, I turn the gas off at the regulator (top of bottle) - in the event of a crash, reduces risk of gas leak.


 
Can’t speak for the cadac, but likewise I turn the gas off at the bottle when driving and when parked up at home. If I remember I’ll turn it off at the bottle while the burner is still lit, to use up any gas in the lines.

It might be a bit over-cautious in a van, though @Erbster raises a good point about a crash. I’ve picked this habit up from yachts, where any gas leak from the lines will sink into the bilges and just sit there as a bomb waiting to go off. Generally not advised...
 
I leave gas connected but turned off at the bottle when travelling. I can't help you with a Cadac as I do not have one but if I did then I would carry a separate bottle for it. I used to have a Camping Gas BBQ top for a 907 bottle (and it was a total pain hauling the bottle in and out each time, and risking damage to the connections) whereas an extra bottle just tucks out of the way in the boot.
 
Interested to understand what people think they’re achieving by turning the gas off when driving? Not have a go, just curious.
 
Completely agree with turning off the gas at the bottle when driving and when at home. To me at least it seems like the only logical thing to do. I assume that when you get in an accident the gas poses a (theorethical) threat. A bigger one when the bottle is open and the hose could get ripped off or the pipelines could get damaged then when it's closed.
 
Also, we use tin gas cans for outside cooking. I believe there are cadac models that can use these tins as well. Cause I agree with @GrannyJen that getting out the big gas bottle every time you want to cook outside, seems like a hassle.
 
Completely agree with turning off the gas at the bottle when driving and when at home. To me at least it seems like the only logical thing to do. I assume that when you get in an accident the gas poses a (theorethical) threat. A bigger one when the bottle is open and the hose could get ripped off or the pipelines could get damaged then when it's closed.
In a crash the gas regulator shuts off the gas. That's the little yellow tit you see in your regulator. Is it called an inertia switch or something? So no need really to turn off the gas. Just belt n braces me thinks. Just googled it and the trumo gas regulator definitely has a crash sensor that shuts off the gas at impact.
 
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If you buy the cadac low pressure like me you can then run it off either your gas bottle or those en417 screw cartridges you can buy everywhere by buying an adapter. I have this and it works a treat. Also its good to have a spare 907 bottle anyway so you could just use that. Good to have the choice. The smaller bottle is a 904 but same footprint. I'm at work now grafting hard so I can take pics of my adapter set up tomorrow if you want.
 
Another one here for the 2nd 907 bottle. I leave the main bottle in the van on and isolate under the kitchenette. If I am going on a very long journey or through tunnels or on a ferry I would make sure I had isolated the gas at the bottle and the isolation valve in the kitchenette
 
I use two 907 bottles, one for a portable camping gas two burner, we prefer to cook outside if its nice weather, and always fish cooked outside in any weather if one doesn't want to drive around with a smell in the van.
Its much easier and convenient as a back up to have two bottles. If one runs out its very annoying. It happened to another Cali I was travelling with in North Norway and its extremely hard to get a 907 replaced or refilled there, took a few days to be sorted.
Ive had my van for 3 years and I often left the rear gas tap on, this is something I wont do again because, apart from any other good reason mentioned by others on this thread, there are reports that it stretches the membrane in the regulator. This makes sense, my second burner wasn't working well for a long time and then eventually both didn't have enough pressure to work. I used to fix the regulator to get it going by tapping it, probably loosened the membrane I guess, but eventually had to change to a new regulator. This was supplied and fitted by a VW garage whilst on holiday in France for 100 euros.
For smaller trips I keep the little one burner stove for cooking outside which has a pint sized bottle with it. They are around £2 each, very safe, effective and small, stove can be placed just about anywhere.
Usually I also have an extra Décathlon £15 light portable table in the back too so that its easy to have somewhere to cook on etc with interfering with my VW dinner table.
That's my contribution on the subject, have a great summer and stay safe....
 
In a crash the gas regulator shuts off the gas. That's the little yellow tit you see in your regulator. Is it called an inertia switch or something? So no need really to turn off the gas. Just belt n braces me thinks

That is completely wrong!

The yellow "tit" is an overpressure safety valve. if the van was on fire & the gas was expanding the overpressure valve would pop & let out a stream of gas that would get burnt off rather than the bottle getting to the point where it would explode.

There is no inertia switch anywhere in the VW system.

So if you don't turn off at the bottle no belt & no Braces.
 
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Just for info this is what a trauma regulator that has an inertia device on it looks like, the inertia bit is on the left with the green button. Because of the way it works the whole device needs fitting rigidly in this case horizontally which is not possible within the gas safe of the cali.
 
Interested to understand what people think they’re achieving by turning the gas off when driving? Not have a go, just curious.

As I mentioned, my 'paranoia' comes from some sailing experience. It's such an issue on boats that we'd turn the gas off at the bottle after every use of the stove. It shouldn't be the same hazard in the Cali as there are no bilges (the cavity at the bottom of the boat's hull) for the heavier-than-air gas to sink into and collect - any gas leak (caused by a perished hose, seal, loose connection over time etc) should just vent to atmosphere. That said, it's hard to see a good reason not to turn it off, other than the inconvenience of doing so. Therefore turning the regulator on/off at the start/end of each trip seems like a reasonably practicable compromise to me. During the camping trip I turn off the isolation valve inside the kitchen cupboard when not in use, but this is so close to the burner that I'm not sure it does much other than mitigate for accidentally turning on (or not fully turning off) the burner control knobs.
 
It’s a pain getting the 907 out of the gas locker. We carry a second one for the cadac. The only time I’ve turned our main one off was when we went on the chunnel.
 
View attachment 59894
Just for info this is what a trauma regulator that has an inertia device on it looks like, the inertia bit is on the left with the green button. Because of the way it works the whole device needs fitting rigidly in this case horizontally which is not possible within the gas safe of the cali.
I am corrected, I thought the yellow tit was the crash sensor
 

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