Gas - switch off or leave on when driving?

wildebus

wildebus

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I know some motorhomes have a recommendation that Gas should be turned off at the bottles when on the move. And others say it is ok to leave on as they have some system or other that permits the gas to be left on.

How do you know which 'class' your motorhome sits in?
What would be the recommendation for a 2008 Autotrail?
 
I only ever turn mine off when I fill up. My bottles will shut off in a crash or if a pipe ruptures
 
People are saying "turn it off"
People are saying "leave it on"

What I was hoping for was people would reply not with just a one liner but actually an response based on fact or documentation, otherwise it is just an opinion without substance to be blunt.

Thanks to Nabsim who made his reply together with the rational behind it (and he has a Giest Motorhome, so that likely covers the policy of that make?)
 
We have fitted the 'Crash Safe' system, or whatever it's called nowadays.
The high pressure pigtails have valves which shut if the flow is too high such as when the pigtail is ripped apart in a crash, or some other catastrophic failure, and the regulator has a inertia operated valve similar to that on vehicle fuel systems.
I do turn off the gas at cylinder when van is not in use. AFAIK the system complies with French regs for gas shut offs when vehicle is being driven.
 
I always turn mine off when not in use, just to be safe. My locker is near the cooker, which is the only gas appliance in my build so easy to do. Would always reccomend turning off while driving, even with a crashsafe system you can't predict the outcome of any collision....
 
Only turn mine off when refuelling or for ferry whilst i using it
 
We have only ever turned the gas off while travelling when we had VW’s in the ‘80’s and 90’s.
Otherwise, we only used to turn it off when on the tunnel.
Our latest van has a crash protection system fitted which allows it to be driven, officially, with the gas left on.
Driving with the gas on without some sort of crash protection system is probably against some regulations and certainly against recommendations.
Now we have the system, I don’t think I’d feel as safe driving a van without one fitted and the gas turned on.
 
Only turn off when parked up on drive.
Motorhome has gas safe system and the Truma heating can be used when on the move, something i have never done but my friend often has his on.
 
Obanboy666 said:
Only turn off when parked up on drive.
Motorhome has gas safe system and the Truma heating can be used when on the move, something i have never done but my friend often has his on.
Click to expand...
Off on Drive as you are on EHU I am guessing?
 
If you don't have a crash sensor valve the gas MUST be turned off to travel

If you have a crash sensor the gas MAY be left on, but I personally always turn it off even though I have a crash sensor system.

If you do leave the gas on you MUST switch the gas off before entering a filling station.

If you do leave the gas on you MUST switch the gas off before using a ferry or the Chunnel or certain road tunnels.

If you use run on 12v whilst travelling and set the fridge to "Auto" make sure there is a 15 minute delay before the AES switches to gas.

The crash senor valve is either located between the bottle and the regulator or is build into the regulator. Check the components to see if you have one.

With motor homes as of construction year 01/2007 a safety shut-off device must be provided that prevents gas from inadvertently escaping if a line breaks in the event of an accident. However, someone may have replaced / removed it to sort out a fault. Checking is the ONLY way to be sure.

See also https://www.truma.com/uk/en/faq/operate-truma-appliances-while-driving








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There is a humorous story told, authenticity dubious, of the boat in the harbour which had a gas leak. The gas of course being heavier than air gathered in the bilges. Bystanders were bemused to see two people carefully bringing buckets up from the cabin and carefully emptying ‘nothing’ over the side.

As a yottie most of my life, I always gave the bilge pump a few extra strokes after it stopped shifting water in the hope that it would remove any accumulation of gas.

Davy
 
After the failure of two expensive Truma SecuMotion regulators I fitted a simple Cavagna 424RV regulator. I asked GAS IT this question in February 2019.

I do not use any gas appliances while driving but it is convienent to turn the gas on at the cylinder at the start of a trip and off at the end - as opposed to everytime I stop and start driving. Reading the specificications on your web site it appears that it is safe to drive with the gas turned on at the cylinder.
1) The Gas outlet has a large flow capacity and is fitted with a full excess flow valve meaning the tank will shut off automatically if the pigtail bursts or the bottle is removed. Under EN1949:2011 regulation, this GAS IT Plus bottle does not need a expensive secumotion type regulator to use your appliances whilst driving (if the appliances are approved for use whilst driving )
https://www.gasit.co.uk/leisure-gas...13kg-gas-it-plus-refillable-gas-cylinder.html
Please confirm.

The reply from Nick was

Yes all GAS IT Plus bottles have the automatic excess flow valve fitted, that’s why the vehicle manufacturers fitted our GAS IT Plus bottles, so as long as the vehicle is certified to allows you to use the heating whilst your travelling then under 1949 a GAS IT Plus gas cylinder with the excess flow valve is acceptable and perfectly legal.

The only thing I can’t pass comment to is if your insurance company would accept you using your heating whilst travelling even if the British and European written Standard EN1949, which all accommodation vehicle have to be built to, states is to be one of only 2 options as an acceptable practice. Insurance companies are a funny animal and whilst I’ve never heard it being a problem I’d either not use the heating whilst your travelling or if you want to ask them first.
 
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