If I wanted to carry a third small cylinder for a BBQ with me, is there any reason this shouldn't be carried inside the caravan? I would stow it in the cupboard underneath the cooker where there are drop vents and fit the appropriate strap to keep it secure and upright. It would be removed and placed outside when on site. I've done some searching on it with very limited results. 3.9kg Propane cylinder always travelled in the boot of the car when I was a tenter.
Carrying an extra gas cylinder
- Thread starter Christhecaravanner84
- Start date
Should be OK providing it was well secured I would have thought.
Having an external BBQ point would be easier, and save a bit of payload compared to another cylinder.
Having an external BBQ point would be easier, and save a bit of payload compared to another cylinder.
My Camping gaz R904 1.8kg went into the front ( gas) locker in the very side outboard of the 6 kg Calor cylinder and penned in with things like ramps and my wood blocks. Never moved an inch in the journey. From a safety perspective being adjacent to my Calor in the front locker wouldn’t detract from fire service actions in the event of an accident. Putting a cylinder inside the caravan how would FRS be warned, you might be unconscious, or worse.
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I would probably suggest you should mark it with an appropriate LPG sticker externally and internally, emergency services wouldn’t know it was there in the event of an accident 🤔
Probably a more elegant solution, but more expensive. I'm not overly worried about overall payload as it would be a 5kg Gaslight and I don't load my caravan up to the gunnels when going away.
Good point. But if the caravan is up in flames isn't the whole caravan a regarded as a ticking bomb regardless of a cylinder inside or only in the locker?
I’m not going to debate a hypothetical situation like that. Your car may be on fire or an adjacent vehicle and FRS at have to start boundary cooling so wouldn’t it be sensible to keep gas cylinders together were they are supposed to be. If per chance you have a small mid positioned gas locker then put the extra cylinder in the front locker and fix a “ gas” label on it.
So which is it? Will their attention be focused on the gas locker or will they assume that due to the nature of the beast, the whole caravan is a potential bomb?
You seem best placed to answer your question. I’ve only had “ limited” experience in firefighting at a professional level, which of course influences my view. I have given you my answer to your question. Take it or leave it.
I respect your view Clive. I'm questioning things for my own understanding and thought process. I do prefer the idea of having a BBQ point instead of messing around with extra cylinders, just don't want to pay through the nose.
The carriage of Gas Take Off LPG cylinders require them to be secured in an upright manner, in a container which has both high and low level ventilation with the external air, with no electrical wiring fittings or switch gear, or other potential sources of ignition passing through the storage area.
Propane gas cylinder should never be stored inside a caravan, becasue of the extra high vapour pressure compared to Butane, the risk in a fire is even greater.
I think it is unwise to hide gas cylinders in unusual places. The fire service has a difficult enough job so why make it more difficult and potentially dangerous for them or others. Use the storage positions set out by the caravan manufacturer.
Propane gas cylinder should never be stored inside a caravan, becasue of the extra high vapour pressure compared to Butane, the risk in a fire is even greater.
I think it is unwise to hide gas cylinders in unusual places. The fire service has a difficult enough job so why make it more difficult and potentially dangerous for them or others. Use the storage positions set out by the caravan manufacturer.
When we had our caravan in the front locker we had one 6 kg Propane cylinder and a 3.9 kg Propane just in case we wanted a BBQ .we never look in for carrying a extra one . but that was our choice
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Spending £100 to fit an external gas point is cheaper than expending your life or the life of someone else. In addition an insurance company may look at it differently whether it is your insurance or a third party insurance if there is a claim involved as the gas bottle inside may be a hazard?
Why would you put a notice inside a locker, that would make no sense 🤔
I carry 2 gas bottles, a 6kg to run the cooker in the caravan and the water heater and heating of the caravan, and a smaller patio bottle 5kg to run the cadac, both bottles are used extensively and last easily for a 3 week holiday, should one or both be empty it would easily be replaced as calor are everywhere, both of my bottles fit in the gas cupboard with no need to carry a third.
BP
BP
I had an external gas point on our previous caravan, it was never used because the point where the gas point was came out on the same side as the awning was fitted, to get the bbq plugged in it required a pipe long enough to get it outside of the awning which meant an extra long pipe and it was then easily tripped over, the benefit of having a bottle you can move to where ever you want is you can site the bbq wherever is best to be out of the wind, I tried using the outside point once and gave it up.
.....because one of the first things the fire brigade do when attending an incident involving a caravan is to go to it's gas locker and remove the cylinder. (providing the crew deem it safe to do so)
The notice would then tell them there is another cylinder.
They also disconnect the battery.
Some DIYers add second batteries away from the battery box.
Similarly a sign in the battery box should warn of this (IMO)
Is the quote from a dealer or an AWS mobile technician? The unit itself is about £50 then you have the metal piping to connect it to the main supply. Your choice as no one said caravanning is cheap. LOL!
I've had a quote of £160 from a mobile tech today which I think I'm going to go ahead with. It's a much nicer solution having an extra cylinder. I can always make up a separate hose and regulator so that I can borrow a cylinder from the locker if needed.
That is about right and I am sure you will be pleased with the end result.
I have a BBQ gas connection on the caravan, but also have a separate connector for a gas bottle as you mention, that way if you have a wind blowing from an inconvenient direction , you can move around.
All booked in with mobile AMS / Gas safe tech for 1st March. Thanks all for your replies and guiding me in the right direction on this.
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