Please help! I have bought a cosalt piper 1978 caravan, and iy still has the original gas light.There is no shade or anything and i dont know how to use it hope someone can help me. I would like to keep this light.
------------- boozybird1969
home is were you pitch it
fist of, you will need a mantel, somthing like theseis usual in a caravan, you may be lucky and a caravan dealer near you might have them is stock, I know dickinsons in bradford still stock them.
when you have this, fit it carefully, its a beyonet type fitting, you need to then burn the mantle with the gas turned off.
when you have done that, turn the gas on, and hold a lighter/match UNDER the mantle, so the flame touches it, it should catch and glow a bright white.
when you get the mantles, but a spare or two, once burned they are very delicate, I managed to keep mine the 3 years I had the van, but that was pretty lucky.
you might also want to get the gas system, including the lights serviced.
as to a glass shade, you will probably have to scour ebay etc, unless you get lucks and a current glass for a gas lantern will fit.
My first van was a 1969 sprite alpine this had a gas light. I must admit on a cool night it warmed the van up. I did all what tim the chanter said but the mantles did not travel and were forever breaking. In the end I gave up because they were getting quite scarce. I should think after many years the must be getting impossible to find. But good luck.
------------- A barman is just a pharmacist
with a limited inventory
Hi, boozybird1969, Takes me back a bit, had a few for old Ace caravan when re built it, still got one mantle somewhere in garage(boxed)will have a look,like looking for a needle in a haystack, looked on ebay, dont think it even cost the £2.50 postage thats asked to send it.dont have shade though.will have a look and get back to you.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
If in Doubt Check it Out.
I think that the light from a gas mantle is better than a light from an electric bulb. Maybe when we are unable to get decent bulbs any more as they are being replaced with the useless for reading energy saving bulbs, we will revert to a gas light in the home.
A search on Ebay for 'caravan gas lights' came up with a few shades and a number of different sized gas mantles - so you may need to find out what size the gas mantle is!
I loved the days when vans had gas lights, There was some spray stuff that you treated the mantal with after it had been lit and cooled down to stop it from breaking up when you was on the road.
I have come across a site on the net that sell all this old caravan stuff, I will see if I can find it when am on the pc, hard work on the Iphone.
------------- Roughing it in style at Calloose caravan and camping holiday park nr St Ives.(seasonal pitch)
Its not a hangover, its wine flu!
I remember those days from when I was little and Mum and Dad had a little tourer with gas lights. It was a lovely thing to listen to when Mum lit the lights, a hiss of gas, then a pop and a roar before you turned it down to a gentle glow.....
Then a curse as the whole thing had disintegrated and she had to start again! Imagine trying to fit a piece of plastic with a delicate cobweb to avoid putting your fingers through, and you have it.
I don't know if I'd go back to these, gas is smelly these days as they put a smell into it so you know if it's leaking. And it smells when you cook on it as well, so I'm assuming you'll get a 'cooked gas' smell from a gas mantle.
Surely getting a retro lightshade and having a 12v bulb inside would be easier?
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Topic: caravan gas light
sorry
