We're continuing our adventures in France and now we're in L'Isle-Jourdain with some stunning views of the 19th century viaduct. Then back at the van, we talk about the one thing in the van that we would change.
Hi Tricia and Mike, that looks like an odd spot for the gas bottle. Don't they usually have their own metal lined and vented compartment? But an underslung lpg tank would be a perfect solution as opposed to looking for different types of bottles. Especially abroad. Take care.
Hi, I feel your pain re the gas. We decided to get an underslung gas tank. I can highly recommend Charlie Lister at Autogas 2000 at Thirsk in Yorkshire. You can even stay there overnight in your campervan. We explored Thirsk while the work was being done and the James Herriot Museum is a must-see. Added bonus is extra locker space where the gas bottles were stored.
We enjoyed your video thanks and love wee Keira. We’ve got external Thermal windscreen covers from Taylormade. They help keep cold and heat out in the summer also stops any condensation. They have a privacy section to pull down to see out during the day. Enjoy the rest of your time in France. Looking forward to your next video 😊
Thanks for sharing another lovely video of your holiday in France, the 3 of you are having a wonderful time!!! Hope you get your gas problem solved successfully, as it is such a comfortable looking van!!!
Hello from Coatbridge. A say hi! Great videos, love the info you are providing about the local areas, the type of stuff you don’t normally get from the brochures. Safe driving, looking forward to the next instalment. J
Great vlog as usual, the camping car parks in France are amazing. Plenty of Camping Gaz 907s in UK, amazing you can buy them from a supermarket shelf in France. Our neighbours gave us two empty 907s that we will swap for new full versions 😀
Hey you three, great little vlog as usaual, love Keria, just gorgeous 🙂 You are very lucky Mike, a wife that drives the van, dam thats a good wife 🙂Still love the 144, but yeah i think that is one thing we of changed is the gas bottle for aunderslung gas tank, looks a right faf turning it on and off having to move everything, still i suppose thats a routine you get used to. Deb would add a microwave in ours if she could 🙂 Beautiful drone footage, looked awesome 🙂Take care and safe travels, Trev Debz and Tyler x x
Hi Mike, Trisha, & Kira. I watched your van tour today. It is lovely and cozy. So, I suscribed and binge-watched your remaining videos. There's something very comforting to me about the way you travel. It's relaxed but also interesting. From my point of view, you have a great mix of travel, sight-seeing, and van-home life. I really enjoy Mike's recounting of historical sights...informative while not belabored. Trisha, your ability to navigate this journey is impressive. Kira, you are the BEST ball chaser i've seen in some time. Quite impressive 😊. It's nice to "meet" you all. Till next time, take care, Lauren.
Thanks Lauren, glad you found us, and for the lovely feedback on our videos. We are still in France and loving it so plenty more videos to come from here👍🐾💕
As you know we had the camping Gaz 907 but went onto a gaslow conversion tank inside the van. Who knows if refillable gas will be around it’s all a bit if fingers in the air Looks like your enjoying driving around France - take care guys
Hari OM Being oot ''n' aboot myself now, I am enjoying the all-electric option! Induction hob, air fryer, and heating. Much needed, as March brings back sub-zero temps. The biggest issue is finding chargers that are free - and operational. Occasionally frustrating, but mostly fine. Anyhoo, it's good if there is only one thing you want to change about the van! Glad the spirits have refused to be dampened. YAM xx
An underslung LPG tank is the way forward a mate fitted one to his camper,at the expense of the spare wheel but now has more storage space as no bottles in the cupboard most motorway stations have LPG simple to fill up no faffing around with bottles
Fit like? I have an under slung lpg tank which is great. To things to remember are to purchase all the refill fittings that you might need and to ensure that the gas regulator has a bit of protection from the elements. Loving the channel and hope the weather bucks up for you soon.
Hi, we love to watch you three on your adventures, but to stop condensation on inside of your windscreen is to use external silver screen also insolates from heat and cold. Des
I agree re gas bottle locker. It's a weird location and very inaccessible. A bit lax on the dealership where you bought Daphne because they would have known about the gas cylinder withdrawal . Hey ho! France seems to be so better set up for campervans and we are very much lacking these sort of facilities but I guess our landmass is tiny and more expensive by comparison. Happy travels 😊
I’d suggest you guys get a thermo screen it will stop all that condensation completely, we have one for our Carrera 144, purchased ours from Rainbow Screens it’s brilliant.
Hello You Three - greetings from a very spring like Poland. Great video. The saga of the gas was a right who-ha of a story. The underslung gas tank sounds like the solution to your problem. However, I'm no expert but would this tank compromise the site of the spare wheel?
Weather from home, I guess you will be having a brandy or 3 when you get to Martel (I don't know if that is the home of Martel brandy, just a guess) hope you have fun.... HBTY
Hiya 👋 Just a thought, but would a diesel heater be a better option than an underslung lpg? We really wouldn’t be without ours, we barely use any gas, have had our 3.9k bottle for about 18 months 😂 & that’s using it for at least 3 x month long tours. Great video. Em & G 💜
Totally agree. I have diesel heating in my van, and use gas only for cooking. On average a 907 cylinder lasts me about a year of regular trips away. I looked at refillables and underslung tanks and it would take years to recoup the investment. Especially since all gas tanks should be fully serviced and pressure tested every ten years and there aren't many places which can do that job. But each to their own. Everyone uses their van differently and has different priorities.
@@janfurze5708 We’ve camped in Scotland for a month in January this year with temps -10 and got snowed in on site 😂 To know we had the diesel heater & not have to worry about burning through gas was brilliant 🤩 Yes, absolutely everyone has their own reasons, but we’d always opt for a Webasto if ever we changed our van, it’d be the first thing we’d put in 😂 Happy travels, Em 💜
Hi guys, diesel heaters are great, had one in our last van and loved it. We are just going with the " if it ain't broke don't fix it" approach. The gas / electric combination for heating and hot water is working really well as is the gas for cooking, the only thing for us is the gas supply and that's why we are going underslung and refillable lpg at the pump, and it also frees-up the gas locker for more internal storage👍💕🐾
I wouldn't get an underslung gas tank. Reason 1, unless it is insulated, in very cold weather it will not liberate the high gas flows needed. 2. Motor Fuel group is now the main player in the market in the UK. They have just bought morrisons fuel forecourts as well. They have said, so I am told, that because of the lack of profitability in selling fuel gas and the large areas required to store it etc. (Large bulk vessels on site, pumps etc. )They would be phasing out autogas. The reason is quite clear rapid chargers for electric cars are more profitable and there are more customers for their use and therefore a greater profit. Reduce the amount of gas you need by having a diesel heater fitted, which you can always buy fuel for and always carry a full 907 camping gaz cylinder. My 907 butane cylinder lasts for multiple weeks just using it for cooking. We use the 6 kg calor gas cylinder in our caravan. Our campervan only uses a small amount of butane because we only use it for cooking because we have a diesel heater for heating. We always carry a spare 907 camping gaz cylinder in the camper van, which we tow the caravan with. I have bought a dedicated pig tail for the caravan, from Amazon ( about £20 ) with a cylinder attachment and valve on it, which fits a 907 camping gaz bottle. We use this whilst we are looking for a re-fill 6 kg calor gas cylinder, then change it back to the calor cylinder when we have procured one. It saves on weight doing this as well. Hope this helps ?
Diesel heaters are great, had one in our last van and loved it. We are just going with the " if it ain't broke don't fix it" approach. The gas / electric combination for heating and hot water is working really well as is the gas for cooking, the only thing for us is the gas supply and that's why we are going underslung and refillable lpg at the pump, and it also frees-up the gas locker for more internal storage. Know all about Morrisons but other suppliers will take over, maybe just need to drive a bit further to find it. Thanks though for sharing your thoughts.
Glad you managed to find the gaz… It is getting harder to find,even in the Uk especially as they have to have the newer fittings now.. The place your gaz is kept is in quite a difficult location….but then it is in most camper vans including ours!! Another great video….would like them a bit longer to be honest..🏴👍🏴
Yep, don't like the gas and definitely going to change it. Thanks for the feedback, I am very strict in the edit and cut cut cut which is why my videos are getting shorter and snappier. Analytics show average watch time is about 6 minutes.
Regarding Gas, if you listen to Motorhome Mat podcasts on youtube (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s0q3ZjZ9_aw.htmlsi=navcGRo3XL1npCVM), it appears Calor have now totally reversed the decision, so Swift can breath a sigh of relief! When purchasing our Swift Carrera 132, we asked a number of industry experts about the gas issue, including Swift themselves. Swift would not speculate on their 2025 model Carrera vans (Year of van we will be getting), but now Calor has reversed their decision, Swift is unlikely to change anything (It was if they knew Calor would change their minds!). From industry experts, we seemed to get more negative than positive views on underslung gas tanks at the NEC Feb 2024 show, especially for the future, for reasons not listed here. The general industry view it would appear, is the future is electric for cooking and heating, causing gas to be used less and less because of this, that will also mean it will become less available (Supply & Demand). This was Calor's thinking and reasoning, yet pressure from customers and the commercial sector (i.e.Swift) has currently stopped this for now! All the fun of van lifestyle! Enjoying, as always, your videos, thank-you.
Motorhome Mat is not correct, Calor has decided on a longer phasing out period to allow users time to prepare. A spokesperson said: “To support these customers, we will, subject to availability, continue to exchange and refill serviceable 3.9kg propane and 4.5kg butane cylinders, phasing them out of supply over a longer time. “These cylinders will still be discontinued from our range, but this limited additional supply will give customers additional time to source an alternative way to power their onboard facilities. “There is a limited number of in-service cylinders and this stock will be available in exchange for an empty cylinder at Calor’s Distribution Centres. “Customers will need to phone their nearest centre to check if they have stock, place an exchange order, pay for the gas and obtain an order number prior to collection,” said the spokesperson.
