I started campiong with my family last year. The first couple of times was in a couple of 2 man tents and we didn't cook. We enjoyed it so we bought a larger tent and various bits of kit including a stove for which we borrowed a gas bottle from a friend. This year we wnat to sort our own gas out. Should we buy one or is it possible to hire one? The problem with buying one is not the cost but the room it would take up in a cramped car, but I am not even sure if you CAN hire one. Your advice please.
If there is a gas supplier near the site I suppose you could pay the deposit on a tank plus the price of the gas inside it, then take it back at the end of your stay and reclaim the deposit. You would in effect own the tank for the length of your stay.
The only issue is that you have paid for a full tank of gas , even if you only use half of it. They won't reimburse for a partly used tank as they have to send them away to be refilled as I understand it.
I don't see why it wouldn't work in principle, but it does increase cost as described above and also the hassle factor of having to find a source of the tanks when you get to the site.
You hire the bottle if Calor or Camping Gas and pay for the gas refill but you normally keep the bottle not collect and return after your holiday. Not sure about hire with BP as I don't use them. Many posts about getting the gas bottle for free on here. You can get stoves in all sizes and bottles to suit all sizes, some use small cannisters of gas which fits into or under or behind the cooker other use rubber hose where you can get gas in bottles from 0.5Kg to 15Kg and many sizes in between.
So if you get a calor tank, you pay around £29 for the tank and say £20 for the gas. What happens when you no longer want to use it, say after several years of use and refills / swaps?
Item 7 of the Calor Refill Agreement Charge states-
"Termination by the User – This agreement remains in force for 50 years. The User may terminate this agreement by returning the Cylinder(s) in good order to a CALOR outlet nominated for this purpose and shall be entitled on presenting this agreement to a refund of a proportion of the Refill Agreement Charge."
So at the end of your stay you would get some of the deposit back.
If you get a proportion back, you could consider the difference a sort of rental charge. Not strictly renting, but the end result is the same as far as I can see.
Well, it's not hugely expensive so I think we'll wait till we get there and then hire/buy a bottle. At least we'll have some room in the car on the way there.
Try your local recycling tip, can usually pick up empty calor gas bottles there for the cost of a pint to the tip attendants. Just take it to a garage then for a refill and they will take the old cylinder and give you a shiny new one full of gas.
------------- Steve.
Aztec Galeria 4 - For weekend camping
Sunncamp Grange Cotton canvas frame tent - For the longer stays.
I got a Handy Gas bottle from the bp garage yesterday and they only charged me for the gas and not the bottle. It was only 50 pence dearer than a calor one.
------------- Gary
While we try to teach out children about life, Our children teach us what life is all about
But the OP's problem is that he hasn't got room to transport the gas from/to home so is looking for a solution to effectively hire the bottle for the duration of the trip.
Handy Gas looks like an interesting option, depending on what size bottles they do...
I'm driving. I guess I could tuck the bottle under my wife's feet (Ha! Ha!)
It can go there with the Army style camp cot she also wants to get this time. She already has a huge Multimat airbed that leaves her sleeping about 3" higher than me!!!
Maybe we should have just stuck to B&Bs...
I can see a roofbox or trailer being the next thing!
To be fair to the OP I know exactly what he means about space. We have to go camping in my OH's Ka because she refuses to drive my car and it is nice to have two drivers.
Before we got a roofbox for this year, we couldn't have got an extra teaspoon into the car let alone a gas bottle! Every cubic centimetre counts. It was because of this that we went for a Coleman stove because the small cannisters can fit under the seats.
IMHO if you already have a stove and extra space is impossible, I'd go with picking up a tank when you arrive and taking the hit on the £8 (what is in effect a deposit) you will lose out on when you return it at the end of the holiday before you drive back.
BTW - The roofbox doesn't seem to have added much space to the car
Quote: Originally posted by Inner Zone on 01/8/2010OP you have not stated what size gas bottle you used last year. It sounds like you were trying to get a 47Kg propane into a Mini.
I don't know much about gas bottle sizes but it took up a fair bit of room in the pasenger footwell. We'll be going from Chester to Looe so a bit of room around the feet would be nice so we don't have to stop every hour or so. Lots of options to consider. I'll let you know how it goes. Cheers!