This information is as of 26/12/2019 but if there are any changes, I will update this document immediately and re-post it.
LPG/Gas
Whilst overlanding anywhere in Europe is pretty much a doddle when using a refillable LPG system (this, after all, is why we had it installed…oh, and yes, it’s LOADS cheaper to run than Camping Gaz/Butane/Propane bottles that need to be swapped), when in Morocco, the same doesn’t apply. Morocco doesn’t have any LPG filing stations.
So here’s what we’ve done……we’ve stopped worrying about it!
Although we have installed an external BBQ point. Luckily enough the BBQ points are not one-way systems but 2 way i.e. gas can flow in or out from the external point. We needed one anyway for outdoor gas cooking so this seemed a good route for us. No messing with our LPG system which we turn off at both bottles, then we attach a local bottle and regulator, make sure the BBQ point is turned on at the gas tap and et voila, we have gas for our heating and cooking again.
Some LPG systems do have an additional pigtail that you can use to do the same thing i.e. attach a local bottle of gas but you would need to make sure that this pigtail has the correct connections for the local bottles.
There are 3 bottle sizes in Morocco, small (3kg), the same as our CampingGas bottles in the UK, medium (6kg) and large (11kg) and are red, blue, turquoise (blue?) and green in colour. We have met some lovely locals and they have said to avoid the green ones at all costs, and the first choice should be blue first and then red.
Average prices “a complete” i.e. for a bottle and the gas that we have found is around
| Small 3kg | MAD50 |
| Medium 6kg | MAD80 |
| Large 11kg | MAD122 |
Prices correct at the time of publishing – Nov2019
THIS IS NOW CONFIRMED the SMALL 3kg local gas bottles in Morocco have the same connections as our 3kg CampingGaz bottles. We have brought our regulator from home with us and are using it. Local regulators are available quite readily for between MAD30-50.
Something to bear in mind though. If you are coming to Morocco in winter and using the blue bottles of gas, you may experience the gas failing to ignite at night when the temperatures drop into single figures. We suspect that, like at home, the blue bottle contains higher quantities of butane. Although it has a higher calorific content than red bottles (that have higher quantities of propane) i.e. burns hotter, it fails to ignite at low ambient temperatures. We’ve had it fail to ignite at around 8degC.
Electricity / EHU
We have read on the internet that the electricity supply for EHU in Morocco can fluctuate between 187V-220V (we’ve had it as low as 116V in the Sahara around Merzouga!) and that some people have had problems with this feed.
To date (26/12) we had no serious problems with this issue. Although when it drops as low as 116V if you’re running the heating overnight on electric, this doesn’t perform very well.
When staying in campsites we have had access to 6A, 10A and 16A EHU. The connections are sometimes fairly dodgy (fuse wire is still used) and we’ve had EHU that has no earth connection, so dispel all H&S or don’t hookup!
One thing we have not had a big issue with is low voltage input or lower than 220V. The charger for our lithium batteries has charged (along with great solar input), we have an electric ring in our motorhome as the 4th ring on our stove and that works, my hairdryer works, our 12V/220V fridge runs as does my electric 6-in-1 IPDUO pot and there has been no problem recharging our laptops, cordless vacuum cleaner and other 220V bits and pieces. (Yes, we have lots of gadgets!!!) although they all work at slower or low speeds.
In the event that there is ever a problem with a low voltage feed that affects our electrical items, we had already installed a Sine Wave 2Kw Inverter for when we’re wild camping ,so if there is ever a problem with input, we’ll charge/use our gadgets (within reason!!) directly from the battery.
Other than that everything is pretty much hunky dory. Unless there is any further update at a later stage, I would seriously not worry about a step up/step down converter for EHU.
I suppose that if you are coming over you, in order to conserve gas, perhaps think of bringing an electric kettle or toaster or any other cooking device that you might be able to use on electric that could make your life easier abd to stretch out your gas. An electric oil heater would work if your motorhome heating doesn’t have the facility to run on electric (but you would probably have this already anyway). Oh yes, we also do all our BBQing (braaing really as we originally come from South Africa!) over charcoal not gas and, in addition to which, eating out is so cheap that at times it doesn’t pay to cook and eat in!!
This information is as of 26/12/2019 but if there are any changes, I will update this document immediately and re-post it.
Happy travels!!
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