Gas explosion

[Guest David Powell]

At the Malvern show I was talking to and old friend of mine about gas leaks, and told him about Mel B and her nasty gas experience, and he told me of a similar thing where a member of his club stopped for a cuppa etc. He went out and turned the gas on, She put the kettle on then went into the loo...On flushing the electric flush loo, it exploded. Having a look at our 'van there is a biggish hole through every bulkhead around the inside of the van carrying electric wires and in some water pipes. there is nothing to stop gas if leaking from the cooker, fridge etc from going through the 'van to most compartments and lying there waiting for the vital spark. I supose the answer is more gas vents in those out of the way spaces? Or something?

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

I've been told that the gas 'safety drop-vents' traditionally beloved of UK motorhome converters have gone out of fashion due to harmonisation of European motorcaravan construction standards (though ventilation of the gas-locker itself is still compulsory). In fact, many of the drop-vents I've seen on UK 'vans appeared to be token efforts based on the premise that leaking LPG will act exactly like water funnelling down a plug-hole. I recall seeing a Swift fitted with a Truma Combi gas heater in the wardrobe base. Near the heater was a substantial hole in the floor leading to the exterior and there was a prominent notice warning that this hole should not be blocked. However, any gas leaking from the heater would be distributed throughout the motorhome by the blown-air system (unpleasant thought this!) and a hole in the floor wouldn't prevent that happening. Besides which, the Combi is designed to recirculate warmed air within the vehicle not inhale cold air from outside. What does surprise me with motorhome gas installations is how rarely a pressure-gauge is included as standard. Regulators with in-built pressure-gauges (or stand-alone gauges) are readily available from companies like Gaslow or Truma. They are often marketed as indicators of gas-bottle contents (though I never found them much cop for this), but they are definitely valuable in offering a regular and simple check of the integrity of the gas-system. Although a gauge can't guard against the catastrophic gas-system failure experienced by Mel B (any more than regularly checking tyre-pressures can guard against a tyre being written off by road-debris), it does allow a motorcaravanner to keep a weather eye on a potentially lethal system that (probably at best) gets checked only once a year.

[Guest Bill]

Gas leaks pose another threat beyond that of a fire/explosion. My friend Iain went on a canal holiday in Holland with his girlfriend and her 12-year-old daughter. The gas leaked, girlfriend and daughter were killed, Iain was in a coma for days and ended up brain-damaged. I think the moral is: turn the gas off when you are sleeping (though I do realise this can cause a problem with fridges heaters etc)