Three Ring Kookaburra Camping Stove

Hello again Grumblebum,
Despite your nickname, it is always a pleasure... Ha!

I got one done years ago just like that at a Camping/Disposal Store. 10 foot hose, self sealing /closing ends, to fit a little stove with the bottle a long way away, and the regulator to suit screwed right into the bottle.. Mine was a 4.5 kg bottle from memory. Some of the Camping / Disposal type stores must have a licensed person to make up special long gas lines like I wanted to hook a stove up to the bottle, and they make up their own fittings on the ends.. Try a phone call or two... I would get you the current Regs but our Gas Man is not here today..

You don't need a Plumber, you need a Certified Gas Man for the real answer.. You may speak to our Gas Man here if you like, with your specific requests, but I do not think it a problem... Call a Camping Store that makes up gas fittings out of bulk stock for such applications... Try that OK?

Cheers, from BT

We run our portable BBQ off a gas bottle with the large thread that is in the 9kg bottles. We just have the adaptor from the large thread down to the normal small gas cylinders thread size that has a standard regulator on the bottle end of the hose. We only use the standard length hose but the camping supply shops sell longer hoses.

I think the only illegal or dangerous thing that the plumber might have been talking about is that you are not permitted to have a long flexible hose as a permanent fixture on a caravan or camper etc. That is why all caravan have a solid gas pipe line with a protective cover on it, and only a very short flexible hose to the bottle. If it is not a fixture, then I don't believe there is any problem.

Hi GB & Dragon,

We have had a Gas Fitter (licenced to do "mobile" work i.e. on caravans and vehicles, etc) install a tee into the original gas reticulation piping on the BT en-route to the gas stove and water heater. He fitted a protection sleeve over the copper tubing and an isolating valve plus a bayonet fitting (female with sealing cap/plug) under the kerb side edge of the van foward of the wheels. Upon completion he pressure tested the complete system.

To this bayonet fitting we connect a "marine" gas BBQ which has a short flexible gas hose and the appropriate male bayonet end fitting.
We used the same BBQ on our previous (non BT) van with the mods carried out by the same gas fitter and made an 18,000 km trip up the Centre and back gown the west coast with no problems and no damage. Mind you, we do not tackle the "absolute" trails.
Cost in both cases was around $250.

For Copeton 2005 we have added a pair of 25mm square tubes to accomodate two long 20mm square removable tubes upon which the gas BBQ sits - very similar to the arrangement for the stone screen on the front of the BT. The tubes are level with the underside of the BT chassis. The back of the BBQ is about 120mm clear of the BT aluminium cladding to avoid any heat or smoke damage.

Can email pics if you so requested to rosedene@westnet.com.au
Cheers from the 'paca people - Bouvard W.A.

Thanks folks - I'm off to see if this humble town as a licenced gas person to do the necessary.

Thanks for your input

John