Would going gas-free be a worthwhile conversion?

[PaulW2]

My van (6m PVC) is quite reliant on gas. Boiler, hob, 3-way fridge.

I will need to replace my 2x11 kg Gaslow bottles in about a year.

I have wondered (at this stage only idly) whether it would be worth thinking about switching to a diesel Truma heater, compressor fridge and induction hob.

The space that presently holds the gas bottles could then presumably be repurposed to hold a large battery bank which could be connected to my existing leisure lithium and B2B setup.

Is this something that others have done? Is it worth considering?

 

[Minxy]

We’re hoping they’ll be so busy looking for booze they won’t notice the tins of corned beef. 100 ways with corned beef anyone?

Have you seen the price of corned beef nowadays ... Meals out might be cheaper!

 

[L' Hobo]

Only if you have bottomless pockets, BIL went there last year one meal cost them £300.

I paid that in La Gavroche about 25yrs ago!

 

[Ingwe]

Iceland the island or the frozen food chain?

If talking about the food chain, £300 would probably get you the entire stock!

 

[carolyn]

Have you seen the price of corned beef nowadays ... Meals out might be cheaper!

Just for you, I thought this was a bargain so I’ve stocked up. I haven’t eaten corned beef since 2019 when we went to Norway in the van funnily enough!

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[L' Hobo]

Just for you, I thought this was a bargain so I’ve stocked up. I haven’t eaten corned beef since 2019 when we went to Norway in the van funnily enough! View attachment 1031339

Just before COVID, it was a £1!

 

[Minxy]

Just for you, I thought this was a bargain so I’ve stocked up. I haven’t eaten corned beef since 2019 when we went to Norway in the van funnily enough! View attachment 1031339

Better watch your salt intake!

 

[Ernesto]

We have a 6.4m PVC with Gaslow (cook, heat, hot water), compressor fridge and 300A Lithium/inverter under the passenger seat

I suspect over time it might make sense to transition the heating and hot water to a diesel heater. I'm no expert, but I think using the gas locker (which is at the near side rear corner of the van), as a large lithium battery location is a challenge given the cable runs that would be needed to charge them and to get the power where its most needed.

Transitioning to diesel heater would take all the pressure off the gas reserves

 

[L' Hobo]

Better watch your salt intake!

You can now get a low salt version!

 

[carolyn]

You can now get a low salt version!

That wasn’t on offer! As it doesn’t form a regular part of my diet I think I won’t worry, cake is notoriously low in salt

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[oldiesontour]

Depends on fridge size etc.
We have a 12v compressor fridge/freezer which pulls average of 2.2Ah equating to 52.8 Amps in 24 hrs.

Is the compressor running 24/7 ?

 

[Boaty]

60 years ago typhoid in Aberdeen .
As a wee boy, memories do not fade.
Corned beef

 

[Just smiffy]

Personally, I would be VERY reluctant to rely upon just one form of fuel!
Yes you can cut back and fit a smaller cylinder or get an underslung fitted but I like the spontaneous control of cooking on gas which, in an emergency with all the precautions taken, can be also used as heating.

By the way, Just smiffy are ALL gas driven fridges hungry on fuel?
The two I have, one in the VW the other in the Murvi, have both been VERY frugal on gas only. Lasts for many weeks but are not compressor.

Lots of info posted in the meantime and as said depends on size, my case it’s made a huge difference…

 

[autorouter]

I can see that going full electric is possible...but being self sufficient could be testing, this may need regular EHU usage....

You could charge from an EV charging point if you got the correct cable or adaptor. I know it would take time, but you could stop at an EV point near a supermarket when you are shopping, or when you are walking round exploring a new town for an afternoon, etc.

 

[The Wino]

You could charge from an EV charging point if you got the correct cable or adaptor. I know it would take time, but you could stop at an EV point near a supermarket when you are shopping, or when you are walking round exploring a new town for an afternoon, etc.

I think if you're going to do that you ought to install a charging system capable of charging at a similar rate to an EV or your likely to be as popular as someone in an EV parking at a petrol pump to refill their lawnmower can for an hour or two

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[Happy Jack]

No, it cyc

Is the compressor running 24/7

No, it cycles on/off as the required.
Average is 2.2Ah.
Sorry it took so long to get back to you.
On the road going to Ponytifract, at Mount Grace priory at the mo.

 

[autorouter]

I think if you're going to do that you ought to install a charging system capable of charging at a similar rate to an EV or your likely to be as popular as someone in an EV parking at a petrol pump to refill their lawnmower can for an hour or two

This is a complete myth. If you use high-power chargers at peak times of course that happens. But for every high power charger there's a dozen 7kW Type 2 that are more than adequate. In my experience they are little used. Get an app like ZapMap to see how many there actually are nowadays, instead of relying on people's out-of-date memories.

 

[L' Hobo]

I’ve only once had opportunity for a decent measurement (fridge on while vehicle stationary, no heating and no cooking). 25 litres lasted 5 weeks.

Although only a small fridge in my VW Westfalia, but big enough for essentials, the last time I went to Sweden in summer in about 2015, I was away about 7-8weeks.

I used the gas from the 25,ltr underslung tank to boil kettles for washing, tea & cooking + running the fridge to keep the salad and meat cool.
I still had some gas left when I returned to Britain.

 

[Boldly]

Only if you have bottomless pockets, BIL went there last year one meal cost them £300.

Mr porky can spend that much on a meal in Spain

 

[The Wino]

This is a complete myth. If you use high-power chargers at peak times of course that happens. But for every high power charger there's a dozen 7kW Type 2 that are more than adequate. In my experience they are little used. Get an app like ZapMap to see how many there actually are nowadays, instead of relying on people's out-of-date memories.

If there are lots available and unused fine. But it's not that unusual to come across non EV cars parked in EV charging bays I think there should be very clear markings and fines to discourage that. I went to a high speed charger at Morrisons there was someone in the bay waiting for someone inside the shop they were very reluctant to move.

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[starquake]

If there are lots available and unused fine. But it's not that unusual to come across non EV cars parked in EV charging bays I think there should be very clear markings and fines to discourage that. I went to a high speed charger at Morrisons there was someone in the bay waiting for someone inside the shop they were very reluctant to move.

Worth noting automated fines if you park in one of the EV bays without an EV in many places. And yes, they can check.
Be well advised to park the motorhome in a non-EV bay and run a (longer) cable to the charge point just in case of cameras in most cases.

As an EV owner I have no issues in vans doing that. The Bury St Edmunds aire is next to the EV charger (type 2 AC) installs at that car park, and we've seen Motorhomes using the chargers to recharge their batteries at times, have no issues with that.

 

[mikash]

I think if you're going to do that you ought to install a charging system capable of charging at a similar rate to an EV or your likely to be as popular as someone in an EV parking at a petrol pump to refill their lawnmower can for an hour or two

Park at a grocery shop after it closes, sleep and charge, fill the fridge in the morning, you'll be gone with a full battery and a full fridge before anyone needs the charging point for an EV. The slow chargers are 99% unused outside the shopping hours so no harm done. And here the pricing is usually friendlier that way too. Daytime there's usually a considerable time-based price after first hour, night-time tends to be kWh-based only.

But yep, need to be smart about it, always give way to EVs and preferrably never be around when EVs might need the charger. Easy to ruin the option for everyone if behaving bad. In fact if EV charger (ab)using gets more popular I'm almostr certain it will be banned somehow due to people being people...

 

[L' Hobo]

What a faff! I'll stick to my gas and diesel heater!

 

[Bessy765]

We have 700 watts of solar 2 x 290 amp lithium a Victron 12/2000/80-30 inverter charger just had a 90 B2B fitted. If we have full batteries we just put the fridge on the inverter. Which this time of the years is fine but the upgrade is for our winter Portugal trip.

 

[MisterB]

My ideal would be to remove the two gaslow cylinders and have an underslung tank (reduced quantity but that wouldnt be an issue), then at least double the amount of lithium (currently 304Ah), utilising the then defunct gas locker. Followed by a truma diesel combi .... If only .... Though the sooner it happens, the sooner and potentially longer we get the benefits but I need to find which mattress the money is under ...

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[Wildbill]

PaulW2 is what your using broken if not don’t fix it
WB

 

[PaulW2]

PaulW2 is what your using broken if not don’t fix it
WB

No, as I said at the start it's just an idle exploration of options at this stage.

It is interesting to think it through. We have massively better battery options than we had only a few years ago.

But many of us (including me) still use gas for what we have always used it for. Then a few of us have branched out into diesel for water and space heating and a few are also using electricity for more of the cooking while also still using some gas.

So far we have heard from the whole spectrum, including those who have gone the no gas route and others who use much less gas than before.

My sense is that it is probably something I will tackle incrementally if I make work of it at all.

I have no great need at present though I do have the purchase of two refillable cylinders looming over me. If I had discovered that the brave new world was much closer than I thought then maybe I could have avoided that expense, but it doesn't seem very likely at this stage.

 

[MisterB]

No, as I said at the start it's just an idle exploration of options at this stage.

It is interesting to think it through. We have massively better battery options than we had only a few years ago.

But many of us (including me) still use gas for what we have always used it for. Then a few of us have branched out into diesel for water and space heating and a few are also using electricity for more of the cooking while also still using some gas.

So far we have heard from the whole spectrum, including those who have gone the no gas route and others who use much less gas than before.

My sense is that it is probably something I will tackle incrementally if I make work of it at all.

I have no great need at present though I do have the purchase of two refillable cylinders looming over me. If I had discovered that the brave new world was much closer than I thought then maybe I could have avoided that expense, but it doesn't seem very likely at this stage.

There might be a couple of refillables going cheap on here after I come back from touring in mid April. I actually have two 13kg and a 6kg ....

 

[Bessy765]

We have two underslung lpg tanks, and the batteries are 2 x 280 amp lithium pro which are under the front seats. This leaves the gas locker free to take the bits and pieces that would be in the boot so takes the weight away from the rear axle, ext leats hoses buckets ramps and so on.

 

[PaulW2]

There might be a couple of refillables going cheap on here after I come back from touring in mid April. I actually have two 13kg and a 6kg ....

What make of refillables are those?

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[MisterB]

What make of refillables are those?

Gaslow all three of them