In light of the current lockdown, we anticipate that many individuals will be looking forward to making plans for weekends out once this is all over. Some of these individuals may be updating their caravans and campervans during their newfound free time and will be excited for a chance to use them in the future.
We recommend that you check the latest government guidelines before exiting your property, but in the meantime, we’re going to look at the type of caravan cooking equipment that you might want to consider installing in your van if you’re using this time to prepare for an amazing self-sufficient camping holiday in the future.
Caravan Cooking Equipment
The size of your van is going to dictate the size of your cooker significantly, so when it comes to choice your main question is likely going to depend on what type of fuel you want to be carrying to power your van’s appliances.
For camping cookers that can run off-grid, there are typically two types; butane cookers and propane cookers. These refer to the type of fuel consumed by the cookers. If you already have other appliances installed using one of these types of fuel, then you should choose a cooker that matches your preferred fuel type so that you don’t have to waste space on extra fuel storage.
It may also be cheaper for you to buy one type of fuel in greater bulk, than two types of fuel in smaller portions, but there are benefits to each type that you may not have previously considered. We’ll talk about these in the next section.
Propane vs Butane
Both are popular choices for camping fuel, but they each have setbacks and advantages. Knowing how each type of gas works will help you to choose a camping gas that most suits your camping style.
If you like to camp during cold weather and the winter months, propane is the better choice for your caravan. When it gets cold, butane can compress too much and so it becomes difficult to get the gas to flow correctly. This may mean that butane appliances will have notably worse output during colder months than propane.
On the other hand, if you love the warm weather and only camp during the summer, you should consider a butane cooker because butane burns more efficiently and therefore will save you money and time whilst cooking.
Don’t forget to check what type of fuel your camping stove officially supports before you order anything or try to use it.
Once you’ve decided what type of fuel you will be using in your van, here are some extra tips to help you to find the perfect appliance:
Always check the fuel-to-boil speed. This will tell you how efficient the cooker will be using the fuel you buy and will save you money in the long run.
It’s important to put the size of the cooker first. Don’t buy a huge cooker if you rarely go camping with more than four people or you might regret the space it takes up in your van.
A second-hand cooker might be cheaper but be careful to check the warranty on it.
Camping Breakfast
A stereotypical camping breakfast will include a lot of tinned ingredients, especially if you’re on a long stint away from the local shops. Here are some popular ingredients used in a camping breakfast:
Tinned beans
Pre-made pancakes
Spam
Bread
Oil
Eggs
Cheese
Black pudding
Tea bags and milk
Cereals
Fruit Salad
It’s important to eat a hearty breakfast when you’re preparing for a long day of physical exercise.
National Garden Camp Out
If you can’t wait to try your newly fitted out campervan then don’t worry – you don’t have to wait! Plenty of avid campers are enjoying their vehicles without leaving their property, and their raising money while doing it, too.
There have even been competitions challenging campers to show their best set-up from their gardens, encouraging people to get outside and enjoy nature without impacting on current government health regulations and social distancing.
You can learn more about how the campervan community is supporting the NHS during the coronavirus crisis at Out&AboutLive. The latest national garden camp-out was April 11th, but there may be more in the future if the lockdown continues into the summer months.
You can read more about other appliances in your caravan which might require gas and how we can help to supply you with the gas that you need on our blog: Uses for Calor Gas in Caravans. Our camping gas bottles are refillable, and we stock both propane gas and butane gas.
