gas

[Lollygarve]

How safe is using gas in a caravan and are there any alarms available

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

How safe is using gas in a caravan and are there any alarms available

hi, not sure exactly what you mean!!!
if you are refering to the standard equipment, providing it has has been properly serviced and none of the vents have been blocked.
then it is perfectly safe as the equipment has it own exhaust system ie heating fridge ect the cooker doesn't but has never appeared to be a problem.
using mobile gas appliences is not a good idea though, there is a thread on here about carbon monoxide poisoning, you should look at .
http://www.practicalcaravan.com/forum/general/carbon-monoxide-barbecue-death-follow
if you explain in a little more detail what itis you are refering to I am sure the the forum members could help?/

 

[Lollygarve]

Sorry was'nt very clear, We will be picking up our first tourer a Compass Corona 482 2004 in 2 weeks time and my husband is getting a bit jittery about having gas on in such a small space, we will be touring UK and Europe before heading back home to the Algarve in autumn. Are there alarms and what safety precautions should we take?

 

[Dustydog]

Sorry was'nt very clear, We will be picking up our first tourer a Compass Corona 482 2004 in 2 weeks time and my husband is getting a bit jittery about having gas on in such a small space, we will be touring UK and Europe before heading back home to the Algarve in autumn. Are there alarms and what safety precautions should we take?

Hi Lollygarve

Are you buying from a dealer?
Either the dealer or a qualified mobile caravan engineer should give your new purchase a full service before you go away, assuming it hasn't been done recently. This will include full testing of all gas and electrical appliances.
This time of year , in fact all year for us, we use propane rather than butane as it freezes at a lower temperature.
As Sir Chunky said all the gas appliances vent externally which is for your safety.
I'd definitely invest in a decent Carbon Monoxide alarm as well as a smoke detector.
Then you can relax .

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Sorry was'nt very clear, We will be picking up our first tourer a Compass Corona 482 2004 in 2 weeks time and my husband is getting a bit jittery about having gas on in such a small space, we will be touring UK and Europe before heading back home to the Algarve in autumn. Are there alarms and what safety precautions should we take?

hi again, congratulations on your new purchase, and welcome to the forum.
as I said in the earlier post, standard equipment poses no problems as they have been well tested and designed, and with many years of use there has has not been any problems using gas equipment, even in the olden days when caravans had gas mantles for lights.
I assume the seller of the van has had a full service before pickup so there is really no need to worry, caravans are by nature well ventilated and providing the appliances are working correctly there is no problem,
if you still need assurance CO (carbon monoxide) alarms are available from most diy stores priced at about £10 and are simple to fit,
I have one from B&Q cost £7.99 but in the last 2 seasons it has never gone off, prior to that I never had one and in 40+ years of touring never had any problems using gas,

edit, ps, I see from your post that the new van is a 2004 compass, in that event you may find the water heater has a external dust cover, "like a plastic box" over it this must be removed before using gas to power the heater, and the fridge may have winter covers. fitted these also need to be removed, when using gas,
sorry about the criptic last minute comments but it was an after thought being new to caravanning you may not be aware of this, the dealer should explain these points when you go pick up the van, if not just ask,

 

[Lollygarve]

Thanks for all the help, its very reassuring we will buy alarms for piece of mind.

 

[Gafferbill]

Hi....... since you say this is your first tourer, I would like to emphasise Colin's point of not blocking any ventilation points especially the ones in the floor of the caravan. There may be a temptation to do this if you do not understand that they are an essential safety measure and an integral part of gas safety in caravans.

A lot of the time there will be electricity available and you will likely have paid for it anyway in the pitch fee.
It makes sense to use this instead of gas. Small electric hot plates and low wattage kettles can save a lot of gas and of course the built in appliances will be dual fuelled.
It is not clear from your post (you say you live in Portugal) what type of gas cylinder you will be using.
Remember UK cylinders are different than those available in Portugal and will need a different adapter.
The only cylinder universally available throughout the UK and Europe is CampingGaz.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Colin wrote:-

I assume the seller of the van has had a full service before pickup so there is really no need to worry.

I do not wish to cause any alarm, but I do take issue with Collin's assumption.

If you are purchasing from a dealer, then it is in the dealers interests to ensure the caravan is safe because of their responsibilities under SoGA. So insist on evidence of safety checks on gas and electrics. If you are buying from a private seller, then unless there are records of recent service and checks, then assume they haven't been checked. That not to say the caravan is unsafe, but it's wise to be cautious, and arrange to get the van checked before its used.

I can reinforce the view that the numbers of incidents involving caravan gas systems and appliances are thankfully very low, and when they do arise, its frequently the result of inadequate maintenance, or deliberate tampering.

Properly maintained and operated caravans are no more dangerous than any other domestic gas systems.

 

[otherclive]

Don't forget to turn off the gas cylinders when touring!

 

[RayS]

If you are mainly in Europe it may be worth getting the gas connection changed so you can use Portugese supplied gas. If this is like Spain, it will be VERY much cheaper than UK - Current Spanish price is about 16 euro for 12.5 litres against around £23 for 6 litres in UK (Refill prices). Repsol have smaller bottles, but one 12.5kg is just about the same all-up weight as 2 x 6 kg if you have room for it in the locker and can manage the noseweight.

If your van has a fixed regulator, you will probably need the Salida Libra type bottle connection and the appropriate hose. If it does not, you will need the type of bottle connection that includes the regulator, and then the appropriate low pressure hose.

I must stress that such changes should not be a D-I-Y job unless you have the direct knowledge and experience of gas connection. The whole installation needs to be checked and possibly retested after any modifications, but this cost should soon be recovered by lower gas prices and better availability.

As a guide we reckon that about 3kg/gas per month is enough for European and UK touring, assuming you go to sites with electrics and use electricity whenever possible fridge, water heater etc.