6 Do's and Dont's For Gas Safety In Your Campervan

Heating, cooking and hot water are often powered by camping gas or diesel fuel in your campervan or motorhome. There are no real advantages to choosing a campervan or motorhome with one or the other and both are effective ways of heating your campervan and water. Despite which one you choose to heat your campervan, nearly 100% of cooking facilities on modern campervans will be gas fueled. Cooking with gas is nothing to be afraid of, but needs to be managed properly to ensure the safety of everyone on board. To help assist you, we have put together 6 gas safety points on the Do’s and Don’ts of using gas in your campervan or motorhome.

1. Do Get Gas Safety Tested

First of all, every campervan is required to be gas safety tested at least once a year – this is becoming increasingly common, even among newer vehicles which use household quality gas components. Do get your campervan checked by a registered gas safe engineer.

2. Do Check your Gas Compartment

When you open the gas compartment or locker (where your gas canister will be housed) you will notice that there are air vents directly to the outside of the van which will allow any leaking gas to vent to the exterior of the vehicle. These gas compartments are usually sealed to prevent gas getting into the habitation area in the event of a leak.

3. Do Correctly Install your Gas

When you insert a new gas canister it is important that you use the correct fittings – the correct hose and regulator. If you are in any doubt about this, please consult a local gas specialist. Remember that certain gas hoses require a small rubber washer which can be lost easily and try not to bend the hose which places increased pressure on it.

4. Do Install a Gas Strap

These are straps which are secured into the interior of the gas compartment and fix themselves around the canister to stop it moving around in transit. As you are likely to be do a lot of driving in your campervan, it is important to have this gas strap to hold your canister in place while on the road.

5. Do Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector

It is a great idea to install a carbon monoxide detector in the habitation area just in case of a stray gas leak, alongside a fire extinguisher.

6. Don’t Leave It On

Always turn off your gas whilst in transit! This is often done by turning the regulator clockwise. You can also turn off your gas safety switches – these are often yellow in colour and are located close to the gas canister. They close the piping, which carries the gas to any facilities around the vehicle. The best safety tip is to exercise common sense at all times and keep yourself and your family safe.