libby Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 To me this an extreamly serious consideration, hence the new thread. Ok so most of us drive sensibly, but I prefer to be one step ahead of any potential problem. My thoughts are that following a potential accident a vehicle maybe wedged in "the bottle locker". With the gas bottle ON a fractured pipe or connection may leak gas that could be ignited. Should the occupants be injured or trapped and unable to exit quickly it is in my view "Life threatening". Propane is heavier than air, however once ignited in a confined space it can be lethal. Regardless of what anyone else thinks I would never travel a yard with the gas turned on. I even light the gas rings to empty the pipes of gas! No doubt some will suggest its stupid, but my whole working life has been associated with flammable and explosive gas mixtures so I'm well aware of the potential hazards. (One of our show tricks was to make 'gas fireworks' to propel an object at a target) As we are becoming a country of 'non engineering' and 'non practical' personel, many will have no knowledge of gasses. I believe they should be made aware of the potential dangers. Turn off all gasses before driving anywhere! I'm surprised how lighthearted some appear to be. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocsid Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Dometic assume you would be travelling with gas enabled. In that their "Auto" fridges wait for 15 minutes before initiating gas ignition on loss of the 12v alternator derived power, to cover that you might have stopped to refuel your vehicle in a petrol station. I am not saying its right or wrong but in this litigious world they must have carefully considered the implications before marketing this feature. Personal I run with it to take full advantage of this feature so I dont have to think about switching on gas, and then going and doing it evertime I stop for a hour or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 This is an earlier forum thread that discussed 'On or Off' http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=3945&start=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 We run with one gas bottle switched on. Bu then we also run with a full tank of fuel, and with shatterable glass in the windscreen, on 4 highly pressurised explodeable rubber tyres, passing thousands of one-tonne metal missiles heading towards us at a combined possible impact speed of maybe 100+ miles per hour. We are reliant on the vehicle brakes not failing, on it's steering not failing, on other vehicles not crashing in to us, on not having a heart attack at the wheel, on planes not falling from the sky...etc etc. Of course there's a risk in each of these, and a million other, factors.....as in all and any other human activity. I guess in the end it depends on each individuals assessment of each of those risks.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Its where you sit between a "cotton wool society" and acceptable risk. BGD makes a good point. If none of us took any risks then we would not move, not eat ..... C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Clive, you mean you move and eat! is this safe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted December 29, 2008 Author Share Posted December 29, 2008 Clive, Quite agree but its one less with the gas off. Oh well we're all different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 breakaleg - 2008-12-29 11:37 AM Clive, you mean you move and eat! is this safe? No - it's not safe. It can give you indigestion. ;-) p.s. We turn the gas off. As I see it, if they are any risks I can easily reduce, then that is what I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 We all takes risks, broadly speaking either out of necessity or for pleasure. If the risk is for neither of these reasons then why take it? IMO travelling with the gas to the fridge turned on does not fall into either. I'm with libby on this - reduce risk where one can. We always turn the gas off at the bottle when travelling. Cattwg :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 So on the basis of sensibly reducing risks can anyone see the sense in removing the regulator from a direct fit on the gas bottle to a remote bulkhead fitting fed by a rubber hose? Or am I getting paranoid in me old age? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter42 Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Until I read this forum I never considered that there might be people travelling with gas bottles 'open'. When I learned to drive, almost 50 years ago, I was taught that there are a lot of accidents out there waiting to happen and regardless of how careful I was I could not guarantee that I would always avoid one. Ergo, that 30 tonne giant hurtling toward my rear end might well end up coming inboard. My diesel tank might not explode on contact (diesel being less volatile than some other liquids) but propane gas certainly will if ignited. For the amount of work involved in switching on/off the regulator it is surely worth the effort, when one considers the alternative. I was once involved in a (small) vehicle fire and was told by the Fire Officer in charge of the incident that where 'open' gas cylinders were involved they would not hurry unduly, as the explosion would have happened before they arrived anyway. Probably said with tongue in cheek, but gives one food for thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I tend to leave gas on on short local journeys but turn off on long jouneys, on motorways ect. but as to why it was decided to put a flexible between the cylinder and the regulator, it's daft as its at high pressure in the event of a fracture. This was obviously decided by a clever person in a office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I always turn mine off as I'm a born worrier and try and be safety conscious...... But once, when I forgot, but remembered half-way through a journey, I pulled over on a busy road and almost got run over as I was turning it off. :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I refuse to declare on the forum! Face to face maybe!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Two incidents spring to mind. Builder's van travelling through a village about a year ago (Maybe more)where an acetylene cylinder exploded inside the van. Not a lot left, and demolished the High Street. M3 where a lorry carrying about 40 lpg cylinders caught light. Best firework display for years said the local Police and that was from 2 miles away ! Maybe not the same, but you get my drift RGds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 trooper - 2008-12-29 1:58 PM I tend to leave gas on on short local journeys but turn off on long jouneys, on motorways ect. but as to why it was decided to put a flexible between the cylinder and the regulator, it's daft as its at high pressure in the event of a fracture. This was obviously decided by a clever person in a office. Statistically more accidents happen close to home than on a long run - so I was once told by a nice copper who let me off with a warning for trying to outrun his Granada with a Mini Cooper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porky Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I have to admit to being ignorant about gas, but the image springs to mind of the excess gas being allowed to escape and burnt off in oil fields. Where bottles are sealed and then explode is this where most damage is done? So fire or explosion is that the choice? Porky well fed and happy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 If you have dual fuel (LPG) vehicle you can't use it if you turn the gas off! Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Tracker - 2008-12-29 3:02 PM trooper - 2008-12-29 1:58 PM I tend to leave gas on on short local journeys but turn off on long jouneys, on motorways ect. but as to why it was decided to put a flexible between the cylinder and the regulator, it's daft as its at high pressure in the event of a fracture. This was obviously decided by a clever person in a office. Statistically more accidents happen close to home than on a long run - so I was once told by a nice copper who let me off with a warning for trying to outrun his Granada with a Mini Cooper! The Copper was quite right....the vast majority of people who have accidents whilst driving have them within a couple of miles of their home. To avoid this risk, just don't ever drive within two miles of your home. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 BGD - 2008-12-29 4:00 PM The Copper was quite right....the vast majority of people who have accidents whilst driving have them within a couple of miles of their home. To avoid this risk, just don't ever drive within two miles of your home. :D Which is why we always go a long way on holidays! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 If the gas is turned off, then obviously it cannot escape from any fractured pipes attached to the cylinder. Vehicles are propelled by flammable liquids and or gasses and these cannot be turned off whilst in motion. I normally run with the gas turned on and accept the additional risk. If I come to a point on the route, where there is a request to ensure that gas is turned off; I turn it off (for example, some tunnels, ships and other sensitive areas such as refuelling stops). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BGD Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Peter42 - 2008-12-29 1:30 PM Until I read this forum I never considered that there might be people travelling with gas bottles 'open'. When I learned to drive, almost 50 years ago, I was taught that there are a lot of accidents out there waiting to happen and regardless of how careful I was I could not guarantee that I would always avoid one. Ergo, that 30 tonne giant hurtling toward my rear end might well end up coming inboard. My diesel tank might not explode on contact (diesel being less volatile than some other liquids) but propane gas certainly will if ignited. For the amount of work involved in switching on/off the regulator it is surely worth the effort, when one considers the alternative. I was once involved in a (small) vehicle fire and was told by the Fire Officer in charge of the incident that where 'open' gas cylinders were involved they would not hurry unduly, as the explosion would have happened before they arrived anyway. Probably said with tongue in cheek, but gives one food for thought! But whether or not a propane or butane cannister would explode isn't dependent on whether the regulator switch on the top of it is open or closed. An actual explosion would surely either need a massive sudden crushing force against both sides of the cannister accompanied by extreme heat or naked flame (to ignite the butane or propane as it turns from liquid to gaseous form as it all escapes in milliseconds); or the very prolonged application of extreme heat alone, sufficient to cause the contents to expand to such a degree that the bottle ruptured. I could imagine that in a vehicle crash and subsequent fire which melted the flexible hose, that then the slowly (I say slowly because the metal regulator would still be attached to the actual bottle) escaping gas would ignite, and thus you'd get a sort of "bunsen burner" type flame coming from the regulator. But frankly I'd have thought that such an amount of regulated flame would be the least of your worries if you were still inside the Motorhome after there was already sufficient fire in it, for long enough, to have melted the flexible hose in your gas bottle compartment right at the rear/bottom of the vehicle in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Tracker - 2008-12-29 4:09 PM BGD - 2008-12-29 4:00 PM The Copper was quite right....the vast majority of people who have accidents whilst driving have them within a couple of miles of their home. To avoid this risk, just don't ever drive within two miles of your home. :D Which is why we always go a long way on holidays! But how do you do that without driving within two miles of your home on the first and last days of your trip ? ;-) (Or is your vehicle in storage over two miles from home ? ) :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 malc d - 2008-12-29 4:23 PM To avoid this risk, just don't ever drive within two miles of your home. :D Which is why we always go a long way on holidays! But how do you do that without driving within two miles of your home on the first and last days of your trip ? ;-) :-| Simply turn the gas off for those first and last two miles - simple innit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Tracker - 2008-12-29 4:58 PM malc d - 2008-12-29 4:23 PM To avoid this risk, just don't ever drive within two miles of your home. :D Which is why we always go a long way on holidays! But how do you do that without driving within two miles of your home on the first and last days of your trip ? ;-) :-| Simply turn the gas off for those first and last two miles - simple innit! Don't get complacent mate - - turning off your gas won't stop you having an accident within two miles of your home ! :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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