HELP REPLACING GAS WITH DIESEL COOKER

[Seanwalsh]

Hi All,

I am fairly new to this forum. I hired a California in Germany a few years back and loved it. I am very close to getting approval to import one from UK to Australia. However, the gas system will not comply and needs replacement with a Webasto X100 diesel cooktop.

I am after help with getting the flat surface around the cooktop measured to see if a new cooktop will actually fit. I need to fit a cooktop with a top ceramic hotplate 46 cm wide x 31 cm deep.

Any help in measuring the flat surface around the current gas burners would be greatly appreciated.

 

[calikev]

Hi Sean. The measurements are as follows. Depth. 275mm. Width 455mm I hope this helps and the webasto fits

 

[Seanwalsh]

Thanks kalikev,

Sounds like it may not actually fit without cutting away more than just the flat surface. I wasGNP ing it would sit nicely on the flat surface around the gas burners.

Not sure if anyone else has done such a conversion?

I would not bother but in Australia the gas bottle must be outside the vehicle and I would rather not cut a hole in the side of the van. Seems easier to modify cooktop surface.

Thanks again

 

[Californiaman]

If your rules are anything like those in NZ, then I believe you have to seal the grey water system. If that is the case and you were thinking of removing to water tanks, you could perhaps use the hole in the floor that the water waste pipe uses. Or make a new hole in the floor which would probably be easier to 'make good'.

Does the physical bottle have to be outside the van? On the Cali, the bottle is inside the fresh water tank (which reduces the impact of an explosion) and I believe it vents to the outside world at the bottom (camping gaz being heavier than air)

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Edit - sorry, just realised I confused your measurements with the actual measurements. The Origio is too big.

dan

 

[Seanwalsh]

Hi Californiaman,

Thanks for detail on Cali gas system. Does the Cali already have a sealed internal gas locker?

I cannot find any images on the net about where the gas bottle is located internally, how it is sealed and where it vents too.

Did you have to get the water tank sealed in NZ and is it possible to get some images of what you have done?

Thanks again

Sean

 

[Californiaman]

Hi, Sean.

I'm not NZ based myself but have spent quite a lot of time there. I remember a few conversations about van conversions. Basically, in the NZ as I understand it, the van has to be to a higher specification if you wish to 'wild camp' (or 'boondock' as it is known in the USA)

The waste water tank has to have an external tap for one thing (whilst the standard Cali has an internal tap).

Someone on here has been through this process so I am sure they'll be along to comment before long!

Not sure about a sealed gas system. The Cali has a fresh water tank at the nearside rear. It is hollowed out if you like so that the gas bottle can sit "inside" the water tank (albeit not in the wet bit of the tank - think of the inner tube of a tyre with the tube being full of water) this then has a screw on top that I wouldn't imagine is 100% airtight but pretty close when you consider that the bottom of this enclosure is vented to the atmosphere below the van somewhere. If that is sufficient to prevent concerns about gas leakage for your installation then it may be a suitable answer! Please however get this confirmed by someone that knows what they are on about as I can't remember where I read this and as such cannot 'give evidence'!

The water tank provides protection against explosion of the tank - the balistic properties of water being a great damper! The Bloodhound SSC landspeed record car is (or at least was) taking a similar approach to the protection of the driver against the risk of catastrophic failure of the front wheels by placing the cold water to be used in the cooling system of the engine used to drive the fuel pump for the rocket motor between the wheels and the driver.

 

[Seanwalsh]

Thanks again Californiaman, very detailed so I am starting to get the idea.

 

[Argo&Liebe]

Don't know if you already have this

 

[timhutch]

a cooktop with a top ceramic hotplate 46 cm wide x 31 cm deep..

Electric ceramic? You need to check the loading, as most sites have only 10A @220-230v.

 

[Seanwalsh]

Thanks for all the information about the gas system. However, the internal gas bottle is a definite no for Australian gas standards.

Any chance that someone could measure the potential rectangular cooktop I could fit if the glass cover was removed above the sink and burners?

There is a T5 conversion here that uses the webasto diesel cooktop. It also uses the Cali sliding seats. The cupboards appear a similar depth and the cooktop I want fits easily.

Any chance also for a second measure on the surface around the burners as in my original post?

Finally, does the Cali have kph reading on the dash at all, another requirement for here.

Thanks again for your help, very hard to do without having access to a van to look at!

Sean

 

[Craig & Ian]

Hi Sean

How did you get on? We may be moving to Melbourne early next year and have just brought a New California and was hoping to take that with us.

 

[Hotel California]

Hi Sean

How did you get on? We may be moving to Melbourne early next year and have just brought a New California and was hoping to take that with us.

Tread has been sleeping for 2,5 years....
Is Sean still on here?

 

[Martin]

Tread has been sleeping for 2,5 years....
Is Sean still on here?

He last logged in one and half years ago !

 

[Hotel California]

Not much hope then....

 

[Craig & Ian]

Martin you could be right Im new here just thought worth a try he may have an email alert and sign in.