We are approaching the time of life when a fortnight in the Loire with our Cabanon Elody requires another fortnight at home to get over the effort. But....it's addictive isn't it, you want to get just one more year in. However, this year we had a major equipment malfunction. Our trusty Campingaz Service Plus (only had it about forty years) developed a major fault that imperils its future.
It is leaking gas from underneath one burner. There seems to be a cup shaped diffuser that has disintegrated. I contacted Campingaz.Fr but funnily enough they don't have spares. It's not that we haven't another stove. But you get used to 'friendly' old stuff.
Anyone know of a stash of old spares or even have a defunct one that could be cannibalised. It wouldn't seem quite the same without it.
Hi. Thanks for the suggestion. Fortunately the burner is fine and works if it's swapped to the other side. It's the way the gas is delivered to the base of the burner. I've not seen anything similar on any other Campingaz stove.
We had an old film projector that needed repairs. Eumig the manufacturers suggested we tried the British Museum for parts.
Asked on local network if any retired engineer could make me a part. Within
a week I had been contacted and received a replacement part. The best bit was that it was free
That style of stove was very good in it's day, a lot of Scout Groups chose to use them. There is one for sale on Ebay:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/115943152116?hash=item1afec019f4:g:MqgAAOSwaVRlGBsb&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8IqyeWWvlJdlhtAYTwut%2FCY14Pdwg9i5DWNgnSDuPtAef0LgnIFU1o878XNW29QIKz8wIuLfwx0jlkmAJ9YbZ8IhLxyWsIA%2F1SBk4UgjXvqwtl%2B0%2BWP8ra3LYGnb%2FDqDdaVdMqyPAeubAJAyiQCxTZl9AysmOSlZj%2BHWGOk2dPx3UyQhkjFApW9nVXrdWKtaKVbKtt5sQRjP3Ti3ThcHa81Enqvtnhzm2qFm%2FQPTs0dBNtPrVElZ84IVTIgCtCnkUuDnfH7VsFq1nWU23y9fdT3VjEgwAexgqyMTuILPnI0vyr4iKDxOowQo3h0kiCgHvw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_qtzZ_qYg
I fear that buying another old stove would bring you the same problem as you currently have. The same part that has failed on your stove may be about to go on the replacement.
Inspect the parts of the burner that is not leaking before making a decision.
Maybe it is time to consider anew stove. If you can live with a single burner these are very good:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333915471871?hash=item4dbee9bfff:g:elgAAOSwzf9hjl~V&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8BC14fefSKWVFID%2BZKYwLs59F8BgK60qdjZ8J%2B8UWt27Qz%2FW%2By88HhW94iA2xtx%2BJ7p60zW55QX8NEWi4gkoBwDE8ZqktPX7UiDehF4vNx9WmfAIFZsT1ZT2HUU0ltfZftwsZ6%2BEl84IIpfBAW%2FRjaySmpuXCksa1Rt3hWqWtuLcltnozjGlQ1DZU255RNLtOlDW7Srf%2BLcNwF5Uhr1x%2F5rlZrc436lCYz5XLbNRcTL91%2BrOC649%2F81CnuNeBbObTe%2F%2FumwHQL5k06XKoxznXqkn18iStUzs%2BDvkzOgJvLzqBBoPm1O%2BlHWFIJijJelIjw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5q4h6DqYg
Hi Bramston.
Thanks for responding. Yes I saw that one on ebay. There are actually two, but they are not the same as ours. They have the control tap on the burner and are fed by a pipe. On ours the taps are on the pressed steel of the stove and feed a pressed steel fitting with the disintegrating diffuser inside. I take your point entirely that it would be best to get a replacement and honestly I think we'll have to. But....wouldn't it be great to keep something that old and with that many happy camping meals under it's belt, going for couple more years? It's the challenge really.
SGT. What a honour to get a reply from you. I think there maybe such group round here. Obviously I still have one intact diffuser as a model I'll follow that up when we start testing negative.
I understand how you feel, I have a working Atari STE computer from around 1988, I've recently upgraded it with virtual hard and floppy disc drives, it's a pleasure to use compared to a PC.
The beauty of your stove is it's simplicity and lightness, you don't have to lug about a big metal suitcase with gas rings cut into it, that's why I suggested the single gas burner above.
If you want the newest and best Campingaz stove consider the Campingaz Accelerate 400S, the one without a grill.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204485674556?epid=15013779780&hash=item2f9c4bc63c:g:ht0AAOSwOvtlHRaI&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8KU4N3eUaeMc6Uz5auRN8TLEOtzEcxurVL%2Fd4nx2u77c454uZCOtJ%2BSO7ZXU2cNsvsudw7h371L1%2FjzlCq8ZD64gbehxxKpPD8Dn6ffW2P6OYoUgtl3Z3C1071E3HLzWz9F4FTAbVQw0UtGu%2BFfjPLvBY9GTND9o7opByTpFK0FAkmUqOgGZLTdz1zjRjKOx8Jtv3bs2oK%2FWxdxVgfaUcX9haJoZuX4doRsVVe8msZPovX4jon3zjWAr1ZoL3xPFQ9eTs25BPTXxndyiBaPdzHvs7op%2F2rbkWTn4B8RrJyquIrzlbwreiSKs8vlH3MTdzA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBM_L6btOpi