The gas bottles should be in the locker, you have no reason to use them outside. A permanently sited caravan might have a gas bottle too large to fit in locker for reasons of economy but for a tourer there is no reason to have them outside.
but there is no should or should not . you can have them outside if the site owner allows it . some caravans havent got gas lockers and have never had them . saying should is very miss leading .
Quote: Originally posted by vwalan on 25/9/2013
but there is no should or should not . you can have them outside if the site owner allows it . some caravans havent got gas lockers and have never had them . saying should is very miss leading .
True, my first van didn't have a gas locker. Had a clamp affair bolted to the A frame, you sat the bottle on it and turned the screw to expand 2 dogs which gripped inside base of bottle.
------------- 73 going on 25
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder
We always use gas bottles externally and have never had any issues al all from campers or site owners. We have used them externally also on C&CC sites.
The cylinder used for the internal cooking facilities may be in the locker but may also be sat on the grass in front of the van. The cylinder used for our free standing external cooking hob will always be on the grass near the hob.
I cannot really see why anyone would have a problem with it.
and who are the c&cc .yes on their sites they can say no bottles outside but its not law . nothing but little hitlers . thats what i think .
best not use their sites if you dont want to have a gas locker .
Quote:
I cannot really see why anyone would have a problem with it.
The issue as I understand it is a safety one, primarily that an external bottle might be knocked over. If so then the regulator is dealing with liquid LPG not the vapour, ie gas. This is potentially very dangerous, hence the limit in size to avoid over Lanky bottles and the requirement that the bottle is secured up right.
Yes it is widely done but that only increases the risk of things going wrong oneday.
so the answer could be must be secured in a safe way . be far better to insist on excess flow valves were fitted . thats if safety really is the issue .these would stop the escape of all gas .
Any excess flow valves, and just as importantly the low pressure side of the regulator, plus the pipework from bottle to flow valve would have to withstand the full vapour pressure of the Propane or Butane in use. Otherwise the bye passing LPG will blow those into pieces. The kit you have access to is simply not designed for such use.
So make sure the bottle is very securely held upright and then arguably an external bottle is the safer option.
I was mainly pointing out to the op that the usual thing is that the bottles stay in the gas locker, it is what 99.9% of touring caravanners do & the most convenient way. Why bother heaving gas bottles around on site when there is no need to?
Bottles too large to fit in locker are cheaper overall & make sense for a permanently sited 'van if site permits them, but for normal touring there seems little point.