LPG in the motorhome is used to heat the cabin, heat water, cook and power the refrigerator. There is no vacation without it!
The gas source is a cylinder. Its connection may scare people who are not used to this type of installation, but when applying the basic safety rules, there is nothing to be afraid of.
What cylinder for the motorhome?
The most common gas used in a motorhome is propane-butane, sometimes also propane itself. The motorhome requires one or two cylinders of 11 kilograms. In older models, we can also find 5-kilogram cylinders. Composite cylinders are a novelty. They are lighter than steel ones by about 10 kg (remember that 11 kg is the weight of the gas itself) and transparent, so you can control the liquid level without additional meters.
What gas reducer?
Gas cylinders are equipped with gas pressure regulators. They are designed to limit the pressure of gas supplied to receivers to 30 mb or 50 mb (this is the case in older models). All gas receivers must be adapted to work under the same pressure.
With newer reduction systems, such as Duo Control, gas-powered devices can also be used while driving. Then a special regulator is equipped with a gas flow monitoring function. In the event of a strong impact (already at a speed of 20 km / h), it immediately cuts off its flow to the device.
This type of regulator can be recommended especially to people traveling in winter - with the gas heating on all the time, we will not cool down the living area. Duo Control, as well as other accessories, can be purchased from CarGO .
Valve with switch
When the motorhome is equipped with two cylinders, an interesting option is an automatic valve for switching power between them. When one of the cylinders runs out of gas, the valve automatically switches power from an empty cylinder to a full cylinder. This solution is especially useful in winter, as it prevents you from waking up in an icy motorhome at night and having to change the cylinder ...
Remember that the type of cylinder differs depending on the country (different from Polish ones are e.g. in Spain or Portugal) and therefore they have a different connection system. Then you will need a special valve and adapters, i.e. a camperfit adapter.
Safety rules
For safety, it is essential to ensure proper ventilation of the motorhome. Remember not to obstruct the ventilation grilles through which air enters and gas exhaust on the other side. The lack of an exhaust hood above the stove means that it must be used with open roof vents.
The lockers in which we keep gas cylinders must also have efficient ventilation and appropriate cylinder mounts. Gas pipes should be replaced with new ones every few years, so it is worth having them regularly checked by authorized service technicians. Usually, after the examination, a sticker is affixed with the date and expiry date.
It is true that in Poland such research is not required, but in many countries it is. Therefore, when crossing the border of another country, we can expect control of the police or other authorized services.
How to replace a gas cylinder?
Fortunately, replacing it is not difficult. To do this, open the gas cylinder compartment on the right side of the car. Screw off the empty bottle. Using the appropriate wrench, unscrew the supply hose. Now you can pull out the cylinder. You put the full bottle in the clipboard. You screw the hose back on. Remember to secure the cylinder carefully with a belt. Lock the gas cylinder compartment and you're done.
Especially for you , CarGO has prepared a video about gas cylinder replacement in a motorhome.
A lawyer who loves traveling. Always with a book on the go. I collect memories of the color, taste and smell of every place I visit.
