Converting a van or a bus into a home on wheels is an exciting challenge. Having a well thought out plan of where everything needs to go is great but you also need to know where the gas compartment box can and can't go. You also need to know what clearances there are from the gas drain or vent to electrical items, clearances from gas appliances to combustible material, clearances from the hot water flue to openable windows, doors etc. If you leave the gas side of the build till the last minute or you get bad advice from someone who may have a gas license but doesn't often do RV work then you may find that your proposed gas system ends up being non compliant. An updated Australian Standard for gas installations in recreational vehicles came into force in 2020 so even if you have done RV conversions in the past, it pays to ensure that you are staying one step ahead. Always use a gasfitter that specialises in vans, buses, caravans and campers when planning your journey! It will make things much go so much smoother.
At Gas Connections we stock just about every brass fitting available for installing gas systems on RV's. We also stock John Guest plumbing pipe and fittings, continuous flow and storage hot water units as well as Dometic and Thetford gas cooktops. We don't stock gas fridges unfortunately but if you really insist, we can install them providing you have done your homework regarding the gas flue location and vent system. Hint... 12v compressor fridges are great if you have good solar.
If customers wish to drop by in their RV at the weekend for advice then that may be an option. Failing that we are happy to visit you to make sure you are on the right track with the gas and plumbing.
Click the pictures below for a larger image.
Above: This big Volvo bus was done in 2019 and we installed 3 x water tanks, pump/filter and city water inlet as well as the gas system for hot water, cooktop, Thetford oven and nearside bayonet point for a BBQ. The owners have been living in their bus at various Sunshine Coast beachside parks ever since and are enjoying the simpler life that comes with not owning or renting a house. We did manage to fit a Thetford three way fridge in this bus by removing one of the top sliding windows and sealing it off with a metal plate and Thetford upper fridge vent.
When it comes to housing the gas cylinder(s) you have to decide how much gas you wish to carry. If you plan on living full time in your van or bus then two is definitely better than one. You can fit the cylinders side by side or in tandem. Many people build their own gas compartments from 12mm or thicker plywood. Glue and screw it firmly, paint the inside and then silicone all seams. That's perfectly legal as long as it's done well. You can also make a metal gas box or you can buy a fibreglass box that may or may not be made to fit the profile of your van. With a fibreglass box you need to be aware that the door does not seal and therefore you have to have full clearances to any electrical item. We stock various sizes of lockable Coast2Coast rubber sealed doors. See the side bar or below for more info.
Other things to consider.
1. There are some rare situations where it may not be necessary or possible to cut a box into the side of your van or bus. In this case a box fitted at the rear door facing out may be a possibility. There are strict rules for an internal gas compartment door though. If a stealth van is high on your list of priorities contact us first before doing anything.
2. We have made gas compartment boxes from 12mm plywood before. It's time consuming and we don't always have time. If you have some handyman skills you'll be fine.
Above: The ever popular Toyota Coaster. The rear offside is a good place to fit a gas hot water system. You could fit it on the opposite side but it is not recommended to fit gas flues under the awning area as this prevents the awning from being enclosed for safety reasons. The opposite side can be utilised for the gas compartment. Also with the Toyota Coaster, be aware of the central roof support running down the middle of the bus. If you are fitting a Maxx fan or similar it may pay to offset it to avoid the roof support. If you only have a two or three burner cooktop and no grill or oven, then you can fit a single mushroom vent which will provide sufficient upper ventilation.
The gas regulations regarding ventilation require a total free area to be calculated based on the gas input of the cooking appliance. If you have a grill and or oven then we can calculate the required ventilation. Don't just assume that your 14" Fiamma with 50cm2 of ventilation free area will suffice. If you are going to cut a hole in your roof, do it once and do it right. Also beware of skylights. Dometic skylights have a lever that can be pushed to allow ventilation but they are not permanent so are not suitable as a gas appliance approved ventilator despite what some erroneous websites may say. If you have no gas cooking but have a hot water unit or fridge, you still need some permanent ventilation. 20cm2 free area top and bottom.
Above: Hot Water systems. You may be lucky and have kilowatts of 12 volt power available but for the rest of us, it's a gas hot water system that will provide the essential hot water that we all need and love. There are portable units that can be had if you are on a really tight budget but you will probably tire of only being able to use them once you've plugged them into a cylinder and connected hot and cold. They are not designed or approved for connection to a fixed gas installation. There are circumstances where they can be mounted to the inside of a suitable door and have hot and cold connected but ultimately, you will not regret spending extra on a dedicated RV hot water system. The choice then comes down to either continuous flow types that heat the water as you go or small storage heaters that have 14 - 28 litre capacities. There are pros and cons of each type.
Below: Dedicated RV cooking appliances generally have smaller burner sizes than traditional home appliances and therefore the clearances above to cupboards or extractors may be less. These RV appliances are designed for the rough and tumble of life on the road. They may have 12 volt ignition systems and generally have fixed burners and trivets that don't come loose. Compare that to regular household cooking appliances. The clearance above will be a minimum of 650mm, they have 240v cables for the ignition, loose burners and cast iron trivets and the manufacturer instructions may not even allow them to be installed in an RV. Tread with caution. See the sidebar or below for RV appliances that we stock.
