Your underslung gas tank installation! Maybe you’re a novice DIY-er feeling apprehensive about undertaking such a scary challenge. Or perhaps you’re confident with tools but worried about making a mistake that could lead to a serious gas leak. Maybe you’re a fearless handyman (or handyperson!) but don’t know where to begin?
Whoever you are and whatever your current anxiety levels, we’re here to support you in safely installing an underslung LPG tank on your campervan.
When we carried out our underslung gas tank installation, we followed the Autogas manual, but we struggled and felt frustrated by not having detailed step-by-step instructions. At these times, we contacted Autogas, who helped us solve these issues.
This post combines the Autogas installation instructions, Autogas technical support’s additional help, and our own insights and experience. So even if you’re a DIY newbie, you’ll be able to follow our tried and tested step by step guide to installing your underslung LPG tank.
Additionally, there are super helpful tips, hints and notes throughout the build guide. Just look out for these icons:
Either we’ve got some extra information to share with you, or we’ll let you know what we did in our gas tank installation.
Handy hints and nifty tips from Jolly, the DIY master.
STOP!! These are build notes that must not be overlooked. They relate to build steps that could impact your safety and could damage your van if not done correctly.
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Table of Contents:
Our Underslung LPG Tank
16 Litre LPG Underslung Tank Kit
VW T5 16Ltr Caratank Domestic Under-floor kit
LPG Vapour Tank Specification
Tank measurements – 200mm x 585mm
Tank Weight empty – 12.9kg
LPG in litres @ 80% – 12.8ltr
LPG in kg @ 80% – 6.4kg
Overall weight – 25kg
Gas Tank Kit Components
| Product Definition | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1) | LPG Tank 16-Litre | Caratank 16-Litre (12.9kg) | |
| 2) | Bracket mounts | Flat to floor tank bracket 200mm (pair) | |
| 3) | Cradle hoop brackets | VW T5 cradle hoop fixing brackets (pair) | |
| 4) | Rubber strips | Weather shield rubber strips for cradle hoop bracket | |
| 5) | Filler Hose | 1.5 Metre filler hose | |
| 6) | LED readout gauge | Flat, 9 LED readout gauge | |
| 7) | Sender gauge | Gauge sender 0-90 Ohms | |
| 8) | Regulator | 30 Mbr regulator (M20 x 8mm) | |
| 9) | Pigtail hose | 750mm Stainless steel pigtain hose (M20 nut) | |
| 10) | Filling point | UK bayonet filling point for 3/4" JIC hose | |
| 11) | Filler point bracket | Long universal mounting bracket | |
| 12) | Mounting plate | Filler point mounting plate with screws and nuts | |
| 13) | Square box cover (Unused) | Black square filler point cover | |
| 14) | M10 bolts (long) | Bracket mount bolts (M10 x 2) | |
| 15) | M10 bolts (short) | Bracket mount and cradle hoop bolts (M10 x 6) | |
| 16) | M10 nylon nuts | Bracket bolt nylon nuts (M10 x 8) | |
| 17) | M10 bolt washers | Bracket bolt washers (M10 x 18) | |
| 18) | Spacer tubes | Bracket mount spacer tubes (x2) | |
| 19) | Fixings | 8mm Pipe clips, screws and metal self driving screws | |
| View the complete gas tank kit |  | ||
| Additional Components | Image | Description | |
| 20) | Circular filler point mounting box |  | UK filling point housing box (circular) |
| 21) | 8mm plastic coated copper gas pipe |  | To connect the cooker and heater to the regulator (external use). |
| 22) | 8mm copper gas pipe |  | To connect the cooker and heater to the regulator (internal use). |
| 23) | 2 Branch LPG Manifold |  | Turn the gas on/off to our cooker and heater from inside the van. |
| 24) | Inline gas valve 8mm |  | Turn on/off the external gas cooker point. |
| 25) | European travel LPG filler adapter set |  | Allow us to fill up with LPG anywhere in Europe. |
Time And Cost
Our overall timescale – gas tank installation and commissioning
1 day
Our overall costs – kit and additional components
£570.00
But we had these advantages:
Gas Tank Installation Plans
FAQ’s
What is an underslung LPG tank?
An underslung (also called underfloor) gas tank is designed to be installed underneath your van. The tanks have corrosion protection to ensure they can withstand the outdoor elements.
How do you refill an underslung LPG tank?
Autogas have a handy instruction manual on how to refill an LPG tank. Download it here.
What is LPG?
LPG stands for liquefied petroleum gas. It’s a mixture of both flammable gases propane and butane. LPG is liquefied under pressure and stored in pressurised gas bottles. The LPG turns to a gas under atmospheric pressure and room temperature.
How long does the gas last?
A full 16 Litre LPG tank lasts us about 4-5 weeks. This is based on living in the van full-time and cooking all of our meals on the gas hob. So, that’s cooking 2-3 times a day and boiling a kettle 5 times a day (on average) for hot water, washing, tea and coffee.
In winter months, however, we use more gas if we’re running our Propex heater.
Where do I fill up with LPG?
LPG is available across the UK and Europe. However, not all petrol stations have LPG pumps. We use the myLPG app to find up to date LPG pumps and prices.
Can I install a gas tank to my campervan if I’m not a qualified gas engineer?
Legally, unlike gas in your home, you don’t need to be a registered gas engineer to install gas into your campervan.
However, to ensure the system is safe, we strongly advise you have the gas tank installation tested and inspected by a registered gas engineer that is qualified to work on LPG bottles. They will provide you with a gas certificate.
Tools, Materials and Accessories
These tables list all the tools, materials and accessories we used on our gas tank installation.
Most of the items listed can be used on other campervan build projects, these are noted in the ‘other uses’ column.
Essential Tools
| Product | Description | Other uses |
|---|---|---|
| Tape measure | Stanley 5m/16ft tape measure | - Essential tool for use throughout the van build. |
| Metal files | Rolson 2pc metal file set | - Filing any cut metal e.g. windows and ventilation. - Filing any protruding bolts and screws. |
| Socket set | 39 piece ratchet socket set | - Essential part of the van maintenance toolkit. - Water tank installation. |
| Screwdriver | 73 piece screwdriver set inc. magnetic ratchet wrench | - Essential van build tool. Used throughout the build. |
| Spanners | - Engine maintenance or repair. - Heater installation. - Water tank installation. |
|
| Adjustable spanner | Adjustable spanner wrench | - Water tank installation. - Commonly used tool for mechanical jobs. |
| Adjustable pliers | 250mm Adjustable Multigrip Pliers | - Essential van maintenance tool. - Installing compression fittings, nuts and bolts. - Water and gas tank installations. - Window and ventilation installations. |
| Right angle square edge | Right angled square | - Installing furniture. - Kitchen fitting. - Drawer making. |
| Spirit level | 10" spirit level | - Furniture building. - Kitchen building. - Van leveling. |
| Ratchet strap | Ratchet strap with hooks (8 metre x 50mm) | - Securing items on the roof. - Handy tool to keep on the van. |
| Hammer | 20oz hammer | - Essential van build tool. Used throughout the build. |
| Hacksaw | Metal/Plastic hacksaw 12" (300mm) | - Cutting plastic and copper pipework. - Cutting metal bars, bolts and screws. |
| Torque wrench spanner | Torque wrench spanner set | - Mechanical maintenance work. |
| Protractor | Protractor tool/Angle measurer | - Only used for the gas tank installation. |
| Wire wool | Steel wire wool | - Prepping wood ready to paint or oil. - Cleaning any metalwork for painting. - Installing copper pipework. |
| Electrical multimeter | AC/DC digital multimeter 600 Volt | - Electrical maintenance. - Battery installation. - All electrical installations. |
| Knife | Retractable knife | - Essential van build tool. Used throughout the build. |
| Marker pen | Sharpie pen set | - Essential van build tool. Used throughout the build. |
| Brush | Hard scrubbing brush | - Prepping the underside of the van. |
Materials
| Product | Description | Other uses |
|---|---|---|
| Cable ties | 300mm x 4.8mm black heavy duty | - Essential material for all situations |
| Cable | Alarm cable (0.20mm(squared)) | - Electrical installation. |
| Degreaser | Heavy duty degreaser | - Window and ventilation installation. - Insulation installation. |
| Stone chip paint | Hammerite stone chip paint spray | - To protect any metalwork installed underneath the van. |
| Cable lug (ring crimp) | 4mm red ring crimp/lug | - Electrical wiring. |
| Adaptable box | 150 x 110 x 100mm plastic adaptable box | N/A |
| Self drive metal screws | 4.8mm x 38mm self driving screws | - Battoning out the walls ready to insulate - Installing furniture - Fitting ventilation and windows - Flooring - Securing pipework and cables underneath the van |
Power Tools And Accessories
| Product | Description | Other uses |
|---|---|---|
| Cordless combi drill | Dewalt 18volt combi drill with 2x batteries. | - Essential tool. - Drilling pilot holes in wood and metal. - Used as a battery screwdriver. - Uses the same batteries as the impact driver. |
| Impact driver | Dewalt 18volt impact driver with 2x batteries | - Installing self-driven screws in metal. - Making the wooden furniture. - Uses the same batteries as the combi drill. |
| Metal drill bit set (5, 10 & 12mm required) | Bosch 19-piece HSS metal drill set | - Pilot holes in wood to build the interior furniture. - Pilot holes for cutting out the windows and ventilation. - Heater installation. |
| 70mm Hole saw | Good quality 70mm multi material holesaw with arbor | - Cutting sheet metal, wood and plastic. - Ideal for cutting holes in the chassis for pipework, electrical cables and vent holes. - Heater ducting installation. |
| Cutting compound paste | Metal cutting paste for use with hole saws and metal drill bits | - Water tank installation. - Heater installation. - Windows and ventilation installation. |
| Soldering iron | 230volt soldering iron kit | - Soldering electrical wiring cables. |
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)
| Product | Description | Other uses |
|---|---|---|
| Safety glasses | Grade F low energy impact. Clear and anti-scratch. | - General use of hand tools. - Protection from screws, materials and dust from cutting wood or metal. - Comfortably wear them all day. |
| Ear defenders | 30db Ear defenders | - When using a jigsaw to cut wood or metal. - Drilling metalwork or wood. TIP - You're less likely to be bothered or disturbed by nosy neighbours when wearing them! |
| Gloves | Work gloves, cut resistant | - Essential PPE for every stage of the camper conversion. - Help to grip when lifting heavy items. |
| Respirator | P3 half face dust mask respirator. | - Protect against fine dust particles like sawdust and metal dust when cutting. NOTE - Not suitable to protect against organic vapours and gases caused from paints and aerosols. Filters with an 'A' rating are required. |
25 Step Gas Tank Installation Guide
All the information in this build guide is based on our experience installing an underslung gas tank onto our Volkswagen T5 camper van. However, if you don’t have a VW T5, don’t go! The installation process itself will be exactly the same.
The build guide is broken down into 25 stages. Each stage covers a different part of the gas tank installation process and is broken down further into simple steps, making it super easy to follow.
If you really don’t feel confident, we advise you seek the help of a professional installer. However, whether you install campervan gas yourself or seek help, you must get an approved gas engineer to check it for safety once you are done.
Find a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Jump To
Stage 1: Spray The Tank
The tank has a red paint coating to protect it from the outside environment. However, we advise spraying it with stone chip protection paint to protect against stone chips, salt, dampness, and rust.
The Autogas manual advises ‘the tank and fixings are sprayed afterwards’. However, we recommend also spraying the tank before you install it under the van because:
1: It’s awkward to access the entire tank once it’s installed.
2: It adds another layer of protection.
Don’t worry if the stone chip protection paint gets scratched when installing. You’ll give it another coat once the installation is complete.
Stage 2: Access To Fit The Tank
We were lucky that a friend of a friend could lend us their vehicle ramp for a day to install our heater. (It’s not what you know…)
Ask around independent car garages, as they may lend you their ramp. They might charge you a small fee for the pleasure, but you could find yourself a friendly mechanic who may also lend you their tools!
Stage 3: Tank Location Preparation
The underslung tank kit we installed is specifically designed to fit a Volkswagen Transporter T5 van.
Autogas 2000 Leisure Ltd provide kits that will fit different makes and models of campervans. See the complete list here.
The VW T5 brackets are designed to fit the tank between the rear wheels and in front of the spare wheel.
Although you can install the LPG tank anywhere underneath your campervan, the brackets are designed to be used in a specific location. Therefore, if you’re installing the tank somewhere else, you may need to make custom brackets.
The tank needs to be installed away from the exhaust system, suspension and any other moving parts that could cause damage to it.
The exhaust heat shield prevents the tank from being installed in the centre of the van, so it will be off centre.
Stage 4: Mark The Brackets
Whichever tank kit you bought, the brackets will be designed to fit into a specific location. However, you will still need to measure, mark and drill the fixing holes for securing the brackets to your van.
B: Gap between the hoop bracket and the valve casing.
Stage 5: Fit The Bracket Mounts
The tubing is designed to stop the floor beam from buckling as you tighten the bracket bolts. It should be pushed in all the way, so it’s the same depth as the floor beam.
Fit the bracket mounts to the floor beams using the nuts, bolts, round washers and (if necessary) square washers from the kit.
You need a torque wrench (either a torque spanner wrench or torque socket wrench) to tighten the nut to a specific Nm (newton meter) setting. This prevents you from overtightening, which could cause damage.
Although you can do it without a torque wrench, it’s a bit of a faff involving measurements and calculations. So, we recommend hiring or borrowing a torque wrench. Tool hire companies will hire out tools for half a day to a few days. It’s a small price to pay to be safe.
Stage 6: Fit The Hoop Brackets
Fit the hoop brackets to the bracket mounts using the nuts, bolts and washers provided.
The hoop brackets only attach to the bracket mounts one way.
Stage 7: Lift The Tank Into The Brackets
Lifting the tank into the brackets can be pretty tricky, depending on how much room you have under the van to work. Therefore, we recommend having a second pair of hands here to help lift and manoeuvre the tank into position.
Don’t worry if you scratch some of the new stone chip paint. You’ll give the tank another coat later.
Be mindful that while the van is jacked up, the rear wheel suspension arm will be in a slightly different position to when it’s on the ground.
SLOWLY lower the van onto the ground, continuously checking the tank has clearance from all suspension components.
If any part of the suspension is likely to touch the tank, STOP lowering the van as you could damage either the tank or suspension. Try to move the gas tank over in the bracket. If you can’t, jack the van back up and move the mounting brackets.
Stage 8: Position The Tank
The tank has to be positioned 105 degrees from vertical. (This is so the filler cut off valve will shut off the gas when it reaches 80% of its capacity. Otherwise, it could result in dangerous overfilling.)
Because of the weight of the tank, the hoop brackets will have sagged slightly. You’ve now got to close this gap and bolt it to secure the tank. While keeping the tank at 105 degrees (we’ll get to this in a mo!), you’ll need to lift it and secure the hoop brackets.
To help, use a ratchet strap to hold the tank in the brackets. This makes securing the brackets easier and holds the tank in the correct position throughout.
To position the tank to 105 degrees, the van needs to be level (whether on a ramp/lift or the floor).
Stage 9: Fix The Tank In Position
Stage 10: Route The Filler Hose
The filler hose is a 1.5 metre, flexible, high-pressure hose with factory fitted nuts on each end. These nuts attach to the tank filler point (straight nut) and the other to the hose filling point (90˚ nut).
This hose must not be shortened or altered in any way. Subsequently, you’re restricted as to where you can install the filling point.
The position of our tank allowed us to install our filling point at the rear of the van.
Be mindful that the hose needs to be routed underneath the van, avoiding anything that will cause damage to it by rubbing or cutting (sharp edges).
Stage 11: Filling Point
The filling point is where you will fill the tank with LPG. It is specifically designed to withstand the high pressures involved when filling the tank.
The filling point needs to be mounted securely onto the chassis of the van and easily accessible to attach the LPG pump gun.
Although it can be mounted underneath the van, we mounted ours in the rear bumper, protecting it from damage (unless someone drives into the back of us!). It sits flush with the bumper (rather than protruding from anywhere), and it’s also easily accessible.
The filling point is made up of 4 parts:
- The filling point with a non-return valve.
- Long universal mounting bracket.
- Mounting plate screws and nuts.
- Black square box cover (to protect the filler point).
We didn’t use the black square box cover because the filling point is installed in the bumper. Therefore, we had to purchase a circular filling point housing box from the LPG shop.
Stage 12: Assemble The Mounting Bracket
The mounting bracket has a hole at one end for the filling point to attach to. It can be bent and drilled to fix the filling point into the correct position.
Stage 13: Filling Point Bumper Hole
Before the bracket is bent and mounted, you need to drill a hole in the bumper. Once drilled, the filling point can be aligned with the centre of the hole and the bracket marked where it needs to be bent.
Use a drill bit smaller than the centre drill bit of the holesaw. We used a 5mm metal drill bit.
Don’t worry about drilling a few holes in the bumper! The circular housing box, and therefore the filling point housing hole, will be 70mm. (Double-check yours is the same size!) So, as long as your drilled holes are within that diameter, you can make as many mistakes as you like!
Stage 14: Bend The Mounting Bracket
The mounting bracket must be fixed to the chassis metalwork of your van. The LPG pump hose and gun are surprisingly heavy, so they pull the filling point down when attached.
If the bracket is attached to something plastic or merely cable tied in place, it could damage the hose or fill point and cause a leak.
As mentioned, the bracket can be bent, but only with the right tools (please, don’t try and bend it using your hands or knee, you’ll be unsuccessful, in pain and embarrassed).
To make bending easier, heat the bracket using a blow torch for a few seconds.
It may take several attempts to get the bend in the correct position. Take your time to make sure the centre of the filling point is central to the bumper hole. The recessed filler housing doesn’t leave much wiggle room for the LPG pump gun, so if it’s not central, the gun may not fit.
Stage 15: Mounting Bracket Fixing Holes
The mounting bracket must now be fixed to the metalwork of your van. An LPG pump hose and gun are surprisingly heavy, so they will pull the filling point down when the pump is attached, if there’s no mounting bracket.
The bracket must be securely attached to the metalwork (chassis) under your van. Otherwise, if it’s fastened to plastic or not securely attached, it could damage the hose or fill point and cause a leak.
Fix the bracket to the van using nuts and bolts or heavy-duty self-driving screws.
We recommend installing 3 fixings for the bracket to ensure it’s attached securely.
The fixing holes need to be slightly larger than the diameter of the fixing screws/bolts you use. For example, we used 4.8mm diameter screws, so we drilled 5mm holes in the bracket.
Use the slowest speed setting of the drill (typically speed 1). Also, use a cutting compound to reduce heat and swarf from the drill bit as you’re drilling.
Stage 16: Fit The Mounting Bracket
The 90-degree filler hose nut on our pipe wouldn’t fit in the correct position because it was touching the bracket. Therefore, we had to cut a notch into the bracket using an angle grinder.
Stage 17: Filling Point Housing
The filling point cover is designed to protect the filling point from ingress of foreign objects like mud, dirt and grit, as these contaminants could get inside the tank when you’re filling it with gas. It also provides some protection from damage.
A square cover is supplied with the kit, but this is only suited to filler points installed underneath the van. The cover simply clicks onto the filler point mounting plate. However, we used a recessed circular filling point housing because the filler point is recessed into the bumper.
The circular filling point housing is in 2 parts; the housing and the filler cover. The housing fits into the bumper, and the filler cover twists onto the filler point.
The housing is designed for the filling point to fix onto. However, there wasn’t enough depth for the housing and attached filling point because of our filling point position. Therefore, we reduced the depth (by cutting off the bottom), allowing the housing to sit in line with the bumper.
Because bumpers have a slight curve, the housing won’t sit perfectly flush with it. And that’s ok! You want the housing to align with the filling point, NOT the bumper. Aligning with the filling point ensures the LPG pump gun will fit. As long as the housing is in line with the bumper, it’ll look neat; don’t worry about it being perfect!
Stage 18: Regulator
The flexible stainless steel pigtail hose connects the campervan gas regulator to the tank. Although it’s flexible, avoid twisting it or making tight bends, as these cause damage to the hose.
You’re restricted on where you can install the regulator because of the pigtail hose length.
The pigtail hose has a 22mm nut at one end to fit onto the tank and a 20mm nut at the other end to fit onto the regulator.
Nuts usually follow the “righty tightey, lefty loosey” pattern. However, this nut has a left-hand thread meaning it’s “righty loosey, lefty tightey”!
A rubber washer inside these nuts ensures the joint is sealed. Be mindful that it doesn’t fall out or get damaged during the installation.
Be mindful of these things when positioning the regulator underneath your van:
- You need space to access the nuts once it’s installed.
- Position it above the tank, so gas droplets can’t run down through the pigtail hose.
- The breath hole needs to face downwards.
- The test point (white nut) needs to be easily accessible.
- Insulate/protect it from rain, mud and dirt.
- The pigtail hose must not have tight bends or any twisting.
When you’re tightening the nuts, make sure the pigtail hose isn’t also twisting.
Stage 19: Fit The Sender Gauge Unit
The tank is fitted with a simple clock face, allowing you to check how much gas you have. However, you’ll need to crawl underneath your van to access the tank every time you check the gas level.
To overcome this, replace the clock face with a sender gauge unit that sends the reading to a separate readout gauge inside your van.
The gas level is measured by a magnet inside the tank. This then aligns with a magnet inside the gauge sender unit.
When changing the senders, the magnets may become misaligned. But don’t fret! The magnets should realign by themselves because of the fluid motion inside the tank.
Stage 20: Fit The LED Readout Gauge
Our gas tank kit came with a 9 LED readout gauge to monitor how much gas is in the tank.
The LED readout gauge can be installed anywhere in your camper but must be easily accessible to read the gas level. We have ours installed on the bulkhead above the sink.
If it’s on display, we would advise installing a switch to turn it on/off, so the LEDs aren’t on all the time. Simply switch it on to read the gas level.
The LED readout gauge is designed to be mounted onto a flat surface with the wiring routed through it. A sticky pad on the back of the gauge secures it in place.
Stage 21: Sender Gauge Wiring
The sender gauge and the LED readout gauge are separately prewired in the factory. Therefore, you need additional wiring (not included in the kit) to connect the units together.
The sender gauge has 2x wires;
- BLACK wire – Secured to the chassis (ground) of the vehicle. Ensure it has the same ground path as the LED readout gauge.
- GREEN wire – Connects to the GREEN LED readout gauge wire.
The LED readout gauge has 3x wires;
- RED wire – Connect to a 12 Volt power supply (e.g. 12 Volt fusebox), protected by a fuse. If you’re fitting an inline switch, it will connect to this wire.
- BLACK wire – Secure to the chassis (ground) of the vehicle.
- GREEN wire – Connects to the GREEN sender gauge wire.
Each wire goes to a different location in the van. So, separate cables for each wire need to be installed.
Chassis Ground
The chassis (metal underside of the van) is used as the ‘ground’ point for 12 Volt electrical wiring in vehicles.
When attaching a ground wire to the chassis, ensure the exposed wire is touching the exposed metal of the chassis. This will ensure a good ground connection.
Cable Sizing
Installing the correct cable size is crucial so it can withstand the power demand of the LED readout. However, very little power is required to operate the LEDs (we measured the current at 0.03 Amps / 0.39 Watts).
The cable needs to be PVC sheathed and double insulated, and suitable for use with 12 Volt installations. We used a 0.20 mm² cable typically used for security alarm installations. However, we would advise not using a cable larger than 0.50mm² because it will be difficult to join onto the sender and readout gauge wiring.
1. If the cables pass through any holes, they have adequate protection from sharp edges.
2. They’re not running alongside any cables carrying 230 Volts. This is standard practice when installing electrical wiring; we don’t need to go into depth about it here.
Learn how to solder with these super helpful videos.
Stage 22: Test The Gauges
Make sure the gauges are working at this stage before you fill the tank with gas and start using it. That way, you can be sure the readouts work correctly.
The sender gauge on the tank sends current with a resistance value to the LED readout gauge. The level of the gas in the tank will change the resistance value sent to the readout gauge. Thus, determining which LED’s will illuminate (showing you how much gas is left in the tank).
The gauge is designed to show a slow readout, like a fuel tank readout. Otherwise, the readout would jump around as the fluid in the tank moves while you’re driving.
Stage 23: Regulator Protection
Give the regulator a protective cover to shield it from stone chips, mud and rain. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything specifically designed for this, so you need to make something yourself.
You can use any materials to create a cover. However, it must not be airtight or block the breather hole in any way.
We used a plastic 150x110x100mm adaptable box (typically used for electrical equipment).
Stage 24: Stone Chip Protection
The final step in our LPG gas tank installation process is to apply another coat of stone chip protection paint.
It’s the same process as when you painted the tank before installing it; only this time, you’ll paint the brackets as well. But don’t paint the regulator as this could block the breather hole.
Stage 25: Safety Check
At this stage, you’ve completed the installation of the tank and its components. However, the gas system isn’t connected to any appliances, so it can’t be used.
Before using the gas system, you must have it inspected and tested by an approved gas engineer who will issue a gas safety certificate.
You can have the safety inspection carried out at this stage. Still, a more efficient, cost-effective way is to have a gas safety inspection carried out once your gas system is complete, with all gas appliances installed.
Gas Safety
Once your underslung gas tank installation is complete and you have gas appliances in your van, there are 6 essential safety aspects you need to adhere to:
1. Safety Inspection
A safety inspection is not required if you intend to use your campervan for personal use only. However, the regulations do state the person installing the gas must be competent.
If you intend to rent out your camper, a gas safety inspection must be carried out on the gas installation and a landlords certificate issued. Additionally, this inspection must be carried out by a registered gas safe engineer qualified to work on leisure accomodation vehicles (campervans) and LPG systems.
Find a registered Gas Safe engineer
View the current campervan gas regulations
2. Carbon Monoxide Detector (CO)
Carbon monoxide is a colourless and odourless gas produced by a malfunctioning appliance. Furthermore, CO gas is poisonous; breathing it in can cause flu-like symptoms, cause you to pass out, and kill you.
This is why you must install a CO detector in your van.
3. LPG Warning Sticker
Unlike vehicles used for work purposes, mobile homes (campervans) arent required to have an LPG warning sticker. However, it is highly recommended to have one because it notifies the emergency services of LPG being present in case your van is involved in a road accident.
4. Drop Out Vents
LPG is heavier than air, so it falls and forms “puddles” of gas inside your camper. Drop out vents are installed in the camper’s floor to allow the LPG “puddles” to escape.
Along with the essential drop out vents, it’s a good idea to have other forms of ventilation to ensure any leaked or unburnt gas doesn’t build up. This ultimate campervan ventilation guide will give you some ideas.
5. Fire Protection
A fire extinguisher is a must-have item in a camper van, especially when gas is installed. A fire blanket and smoke detector are also recommended.
6. Travel Limitations
Most ferry companies and the Eurotunnel require you to turn off your gas at the bottle whilst onboard. Furthermore, the Eurotunnel has restrictions on how much gas you allowed to carry onboard.
2.5.6 The maximum permitted volume and quantity of flammable gas cylinders and tanks per Vehicle is:
– For portable containers (cylinders/bottles, etc): Maximum of 47kg per cylinder and no more than 50kg per Vehicle if more than 1 container;
– For fixed containers (tanks): Maximum of 47kg per container and no more than 50kg per Vehicle if more than 1 container;
– Fixed containers must be no more than 80% full. The capacity of the container will be checked by Eurotunnel staff.
Regulation quoted from the Eurotunnel website The Carriage of Dangerous and Hazardous Goods and Hazardous Articles page.
Troubleshooting
This section is here to help if you’ve encountered problems with the gas tank sender gauge and LED readout gauge.
Hopefully, by following this troubleshooting guide with detailed flowcharts, you’ll be up and running again in no time.
A word of caution: If you’re not confident to carry out electrical testing, we advise you seek the help of an electrician.
These are the 3 common problems you may encounter:
#1 – No LED’s showing on the LED readout gauge.
#2 – The LED readout gauge is on but isn’t reflecting the sender gauge dial value.
#3 – The LED’s on the readout gauge are flickering or going on/off sporadically.
Jump to the troubleshooting flowcharts to solve these issues.
Before carrying out any electrical testing, you must ensure the multimeter is functioning correctly.
There are many different makes, models and designs of multimeters. Whether you have an all singing and all dancing model or a DIY compact model, they all work in the same way. However, their design, display and readings may differ slightly.
This is a very basic overview, if you’re unsure about how to use your multimeter, consult the manual.
Proving the continuity function of the multimeter
Proving the voltage function of the multimeter
Don’t worry if you get the probes the wrong way round. The multimeter will still show a voltage, but will display an arrow symbol that means ‘cross polarity’.
The amount of charge in your battery/batteries will affect this test voltage.
A healthy 12 volt battery will have a voltage of approx. 12.6 volts and a healthy 24 volt battery will have a voltage of approx. 28.7 volts.
Troubleshooting Flowcharts
These flowcharts concentrate on the gas tank electrical wiring only. If you find the issue is with other parts of your electrical installation, further investigation will be required that isn’t covered in this guide.
We advise you seek the help of an electrician if you get stuck and contact your supplier if the issue points to a faulty gauge.
We can only help to advise on what the issue may be, so use these flowcharts as a guide.
1# – No LED’s showing on the LED readout gauge?
2# – The LED readout gauge is on but isn’t reflecting the level on the sender gauge?
3# – The LED’s on the readout gauge are flickering or going on/off sporadically?
Recap
Hurrah! Just look at what you’ve accomplished!
By following our build guide, you’ve methodically worked your way through 25 stages and have successfully installed an LPG underslung gas tank on your camper.
Is there anything you wish we’d included? Let us know in the comments or via e-mail as it may benefit others taking up the gas tank installation challenge.
The next step is installing your gas appliances and becoming one step closer to reaching your campervan dream. Maybe your thinking of installing a heater to your camper? If so, here are two posts that could help you:
2 Comments
Steve Smith
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FREE Safety Guide to the Campervan Gas Regulations Uk
06/12/2021 at 5:36 pm[…] Autogas 2000 Ltd underslung gas tank manufacturer instructions. See our post on how to install it. […]