How to get gas in your van

Another scary step of your van conversion: installing the gas to use for the kitchen.

It i VERY important to plan thoroughly were and how to install your gas bottle and to be aware all of the necessary safety rules. You really don’t want to mess up with gas!

In the UK anyone can install its own gas bottle if the vehicle is not going to be hired out. That said, if you don’t feel comfortable with the process, you might want to get it done by a gas engineer for sake of peace of mind.

As for everything van conversion related, fitting the gas looked like a fairly simple job at the beginning. Well it turns out that the more you research, the more you’ll find that the world of gas bottles, adaptors, and fittings isn’t that straightforward after all. Hopefully reading this guide will help you feeling more comfortable fitting your own system.

CHOOSING THE GAS BOTTLE

The choice of which is the right gas bottle for you depends on a variety of factors such as space, travelling plans and budget. Here’s a little diagram I made to help you out with the choice:

To not over complicate things I have not differentiated between propane/butane bottles. Each gas has its particular properties but to summarise: butane will cook your stuff quicker but cannot be used below 0˚C while propane is lighter, can be used under 0˚C but takes longer to heat up stuff.

I chose to go for butane as the  Campingaz 907 cylinder was the only one that fitted under my kitchen compartment!

Campingaz cylinders are very compact, and are exchangeable throughout Europe so you don’t need to buy European connectors and refill the bottle yourself. Campingaz cylinders are also very straightforward to install: you just need your bottle, the designated campingaz regulator, hose and jubilee clips. 

If you can afford it, you might want to invest in a sealed box for your bottle.

 

1. CUT THE HOLE FOR THE DROP OUT VENT

Fit a drop vent in proximity to the gas bottle (if you have more than one connection,  it is recommended to have one at each connection). This is SUPER important as any gas leaks will have somewhere to escape. To do this:

Make a hole in the wooden floor of the size of your drop vent using a hole saw (yeeees bring it ooon). Stop when you reach the metal, then drill some holes on the floor of the van. Make sure you are drilling holes somewhere safe!

2. FIT THE VENT

Fit the drop vent and secure it.

3. FIT THE REGULATOR

Fit the regulator to the bottle. The Campingaz regulator simply screws in.

4. FIX THE HOSE

Connect the hose to the regulator.  Secure with jubilee clips.

 

5. FIT THE HOSE TO THE APPLIANCE

Don’t just fit the hose directly into a smooth pipe! That’s very dangerous as gas could easily escape. I fitted my smooth appliance pipe with a 8mm fulham nozzle  (wrapping the pipe with sealing gas tape first) and then fixed the hose with a jubilee clip (don’t over tighten it or you could damage the hose).

6. SECURE THE GAS BOTTLE

Secure the gas bottle so that it won’t move when driving. I simply fitted a piece of wood that blocks the bottle from the front. The wood slides up when the bottle needs changing.

7. SECURE THE HOSE

Fix the hose to the sides of your kitchen so that it doesn’t move or hang around. I used steel pipe clasps to secure it to the sides of the kitchen.

8. CHECK FOR LEAKS

Please, don’t jump this step! You really want to make sure there aren’t any leaks before using your cooker.  Apply soapy water to all of your connections (in my case where the regulator is and where the hose connects to the cook top) Turn the gas on and look for any bubbles. Even a tiny leak will produce bubbles. If there is any leak tighten your connections and try again.

9. CHECK EVERYTHING

Check that everything works, make your first cup of coffee in the van and give yourself a pat on your shoulder.

 

JUST A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER

• For peace of mind, I always make sure to switch off the gas bottle once I finished using it,
• The LPG gas hose needs to be changed every 5 years (there should be the production year printed on the hose). Nevertheless, you will want to inspect the hose periodically to make sure there are no signs of wear and tear.
• If at any point you are not 100% sure of the safety of your installation, refer to a professional! It would be a good idea to get your set up checked by a gas engineer once your done, just for peace of mind.

 

Have I forgotten anything? Do you have a better procedure? Let me know in the comments!

 

Useful Links

• Camping and Caravanning club, super useful table with information on various cylinders;
• Campervanlife.com , info on UK current legislation;
• Buildacampervan.com, info and tips on gas cylinders fittings;
• vandogtraveller.com, guide on how to install a 11 kg Gaslow bottle.

 

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  -A ridiculous amount of coffee has been sacrificed to write this blog post so if you are feeling particularly generous, you can buy me one HERE   -

You can also support Pamthevan’s adventures by visiting my Etsy shop HERE –

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