It's a Gas

Here's a useful titbit of information - France is the only country in the world where wearing a face covering is both illegal (burqa) and mandatory (facemask).

Got myself a refillable AutoGas cylinder for the van. A 10 kg cylinder weighs in at £175, delivered.

Went to a Shell petrol station nearby that is supposed to sell AutoGas, but they've stopped doing it, so went a bit out of my way to Gordano Services on the M5 - at least it's good to know there's an AutoGas emporium there for when we head to Devon or Cornwall. Now I need to find one on the M5 north, although I know there's one in Stroud.

As you can see, it cost me to fill it is £12.11 as opposed to paying £40.50 for a 10 kg Calor refill of propane. So, after 6 refills it will have paid for itself. Being made of a polymer it's far lighter than a steel cylinder and you can see how full it is, which is a distinct advantage over a metal cylinder.

I'll keep the 6 kg propane bottle as a backup, as the cabinet will hold 2 bottles.

Next is to figure out what size solar panel I require. We have no problem living on 12 volts, so we only need something that can keep the leisure battery topped up after daily usage. Going for some huge panel that requires an inverter would be overkill, as well as expensive. Also, it would make sense to have a ground-mounted panel. Firstly it can be aimed more accurately, and secondly there's no need to have a panel on the roof when driving, as the alternator will keep the battery topped up. I'm thinking that 80-100 W monocrystaline panel with a voltage regulator, retailing for around £150, would be the ideal size.