# gas in spain and portugal



## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

we're heading off to Portugal in the next couple of weeks for a six week round trip.
This not our first visit to portugal but will be the first time using aires say 50:50 with sites. We have a solar panel and twin batteries etc but will be using the fridge on gas while using the aires. We will have two full 7 kilo gas bottles to start (no gaslow) 
My concern is that the gas will not last - and thought as a contingency I'd buy a bottle locally with regulator.
To the seasoned travellers , does this sound feasible?


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

14kg sounds OK as long as you're not going to use a heater.

You'd be able to pick up 'something' in the way of gas down there, connection to the 'van will be the issue.

Peter


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## marionandrob (May 14, 2005)

Our experience - albeit from 4 years ago, is that you can get your gas bottles refilled in Portugal.
Usually in rural areas there will be an LPG depot close by a petrol station, either bhind or on the opposite side of the road - they are often BP stations.
The LPG depot will have the necessary adaptors and ususally has a long list of the corresponding volumetric fills for virtually enery shape/size/make of LPG cylinder from europe and beyond!

A lot of folk on here have posted in previous enquiries that they acquired Spanish gas bottles at car boot sales in Spain. We have a stainless steel CEPSA bottle that we bought ( with paperwork) from the CEPSA delivery driver on a campsite near Torrevieja during a short stay there. The regulators can be found in supermarkets and the Spanish equivalent of the Bricolage in France ( sorry cannot remember the Spanish name).

Hope this helps - have a good trip!


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## OurTour (Nov 29, 2011)

*30 litre LPG tank lasts us 6 to 8 weeks*

Hi Gordon

We're full timing, travelling mainly within warmer climates, avoiding sub-zero weather. Our van has a 30 litre tank, about 12Kg at 80% full. We stay on stellplatz, aides etc and rarely get hook-up, so the fridge runs off gas almost all the time we're not driving. We use it for cooking and water heating for washing. The blown air heating goes on once per blue moon, and the gas lasts for over 6 weeks.

Cheers, Jay


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## jackeen (Dec 14, 2007)

Gaslow stock the Jumbo adaptor (£15) which you can fit to my Cepsa bottle. See my ad. in "Giveaways"
Jackeen


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

Yep, we did just that this winter.
Bought a Portuguse bottle and clip-on regualtor and tubing and just connected it up to one side of our pig-tail.
It might be worth buying a spare pig-tail connector before you leave just in case you can't find what you need when you go to change your bottle


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## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

jackeen said:


> Gaslow stock the Jumbo adaptor (£15) which you can fit to my Cepsa bottle. See my ad. in "Giveaways"
> Jackeen


I am tempted by your kind offer (your not far from my daughter in Clithero) but don't think I'll have room for a third bottle out going - I'd thought that if I have to source a bottle out there I might have to dump one of my empty bottles to make room.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

I found no problem buying an (empty) Spainish gas bottle at one of the street junk markets & then changing it at a garage for a full one.


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## SilverF1 (Feb 27, 2009)

Don't forget to turn up the thermostat to full cold when your on the road, then back to low when you camp. This will reduce the amount of gas used as the fridge will stay cool for a good while after you pitch up.

Mind you it makes your butter hard to spread.  

HTH


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## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

if your going into portugal at the villa real de san antionio algarve end there is a gas station that will refill calor he has all the adaptors you have to have an empty bottle and he upends them and will only fill to twice the kg markings for safety eg 12ltrs in a 6kg bottle this is 75% of capacity rather than the 80% over here but at £6 a refill who's counting i took 4 calorlites with me refilled 3 at this place and after 7 weeks came back with a full bottle, i have the large fridge and reckon on a kg a day when wilding and a litre a day on hookup,
if your crossing into portugal from spain on the A49 go left at the last junction in spain down to the first roundabout left again the road turns to the right and its second or third plot in on the left a german lad on the site at manta rota gave me this as a reference but i found it slightly out but near enough you will go by it using this by about 100 yds N 37.23184 W 7.39857


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## McGeemobile (Jun 10, 2010)

Do you have the aires guide ? There's a list of LPG outlets at the back. Although we have an LPG tank rather than bottles, we have brought friends with bottles to some depots where they have been able to refill.
Hope this helps.


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## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

SilverF1 said:


> Don't forget to turn up the thermostat to full cold when your on the road, then back to low when you camp. This will reduce the amount of gas used as the fridge will stay cool for a good while after you pitch up.
> 
> Mind you it makes your butter hard to spread.
> 
> HTH


I assume that you mean when the fridge is being run on 12v when driving? I thought though that the 12v simply maintained the temp of the fridge rather than making it colder?
Am I right on this??


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## SilverF1 (Feb 27, 2009)

cheshiregordon said:


> SilverF1 said:
> 
> 
> > Don't forget to turn up the thermostat to full cold when your on the road, then back to low when you camp. This will reduce the amount of gas used as the fridge will stay cool for a good while after you pitch up.
> ...


Our Dometic fridge cools down really well on 12v while driving. Have used this method to cool a Thetford fridge prior to a 19 hour Santander trip from Plymouth (used no hook-up on the boat, contents ok on arrival).

Are you thinking of the icebox limitations for freezing down fresh (not pre-frozen) food?


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

That looks about spot on with rugbyken's co-ords,cepsa gas depot on Calle Ribera de Guadiana.Will mark that in my all the aires book.


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Here is my 2ps worth - we are currently in Portugal and have just had the bottle refilled at Boolequime for 8 Euros each 6kg bottle and you can fill them up again as you leave Portugal and head into Spain - other than that LPG stations that will fill a Calor bottle are scarce so I have bought a conversion LPG kit with LPG adaptor and pipes to suit all countries from eBay (and I collected it from the UK last weekend on a flying visit and brought it back with me.

Gas is a constant pain. I used a Portuguse GALP but it ran way to high a pressure for the fridge and although I cannot swear it is the case - it is now refusing to stay lit after igniting and hence we are off to Camperserve at Loule tomorrow to get it sorted. The GALP bottle wouldnt fit in our gas compartment either so it had to live outside (not great when you are on an Aire.

Our fridge/cooker hob lasts for 14 nights on a 6kg bottle so with two and a little electric here and there you might get away with 6 weeks - ours actually lasted 8 weeks but that was with some elec use and a few days in a friends house etc etc..

I recommend the LPG kit I bought at £58 to your door as you can fill up in the UK for £7 versus a Calor exchange at £22 - it soon pays for itself and you have the freedom when in Europe. PM me if you want the ebay link...

Paul


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## cheshiregordon (Sep 24, 2011)

SilverF1 said:


> cheshiregordon said:
> 
> 
> > SilverF1 said:
> ...


intersting - on staring from home I usually load some ice packs into the dometic fridge along with the frozen food and then put it on 12v while driving - so have not really noticed how effectively it cools on 12v - but can remember reading somewhere that the 12v setting was simply to maintain the coolness of the fridge between operation by elec or gas.
I'll try as you suggest and report back - thanks.


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## SilverF1 (Feb 27, 2009)

cheshiregordon said:


> intersting - on staring from home I usually load some ice packs into the dometic fridge along with the frozen food and then put it on 12v while driving - so have not really noticed how effectively it cools on 12v - but can remember reading somewhere that the 12v setting was simply to maintain the coolness of the fridge between operation by elec or gas.
> I'll try as you suggest and report back - thanks.


Might well be true for some older fridges, I can't say. The method I described is our actual experience. Good luck with the trip.

BTW, the method used on the Santander Ferry was to _avoid _ using the on-board hook-up.


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

Thanks 1302 (paul) that's another one to add to my lpg list,I take you meant Boliqueime? As I have posted on here that kit let me enjoy my holiday without the worry of running out of gas. :wink:


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Here is the link chums...

(I didnt have it when i posted)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150852650735&ssPageName=ADME:L:

I did mean Boliqueime - there was one in Guia but its gone.

Cheers
Paul


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## bigtree (Feb 3, 2007)

That's the one I bought as well Paul,then got 2 adapters (french & spanish) from someone else,I have since bought the acme one.I'm going to get another fitting so that I can fill the 11kg German bottle that I got with van.That will give me a 13kg and an 11kg (42 litres) or thereabouts.


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## Pet12 (Oct 10, 2011)

Hi Gordon

Dont forget if you are connecting a Spanish/ Portugees bottle to your vans regulator you will need an adaptor on the new bottle NOT a regulator has two regulators dont work. Pete


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