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Very happy with the vent. Great service
1st order by Kim from NSW
Two-Way Gas Ball Valve - 3/8 inch Male SAE x 3/8 inch Male SAE - 2 Flare Nuts Included
$22.60
$20.95
This guide is for planning a caravan, motorhome or camper trailer gas layout before the licensed gas fitter does the installation and certification. It explains the main issues to think about early, such as cylinder position, regulator location, pipe runs, valves, appliance choice and ventilation.
It is not a guide to becoming a gas fitter. Gas appliance installation, relocation, regulator installation, pipework, testing and certification must be handled by a licensed gas fitter. If you are building or modifying an RV, get your gas fitter involved before the cupboards, walls and floors hide the pipework.
Rules and accepted methods can change, and state requirements can vary. This page gives practical design guidance only. Your gas fitter, the appliance instructions, the current AS/NZS 5601.2 edition and amendments, and your state or territory gas regulator are the authorities for the final installation.
There is also a companion guide for those replacing regulators or pigtails.
Plan the gas system before you finalise the furniture layout. The easiest time to avoid trouble is before the pipework is hidden and before appliances are locked into awkward positions.
At the planning stage, confirm:
In some instances a gas fitter may allow a DIY builder to run pipework during construction, but the gas fitter remains responsible for the final certification. They need full access to inspect pipework, joins, supports, appliance connections and ventilation. Do not assume hidden work will be accepted later.
A licensed plumber who is certified to carry out gas fitting is required for installation, relocation or replacement of gas appliances, as well as installation, relocation or modification of gas pipework.
Replacing like-for-like pigtails or regulators is often treated as maintenance, but the safe answer is still to check the exact job with a licensed gas fitter. If pipework, appliance position, regulator position, test points or compliance certification are involved, treat it as gas fitting work.
If you smell gas, suspect a leak, find damaged copper pipe, see a kink in a line, or are unsure whether a fitting is correct, turn the gas off at the cylinder and have the system checked by a licensed gas fitter.
A gas cylinder cannot be installed loose inside the living area of a recreational vehicle. An RV includes caravans, motorhomes and camper trailers.
A cylinder can be installed in a compartment that is sealed from the inside of the RV and vented to the outside. A red reflective LP Gas Storage sticker is required adjacent to the compartment.
A cylinder can also be mounted externally, such as on a drawbar, provided the location and mounting comply. It must be mounted vertically with the valve at the top.
Rear mounting, under-body mounting, toolboxes and converted buses or vans can be more complicated than a normal drawbar installation. The issue is not just whether a cylinder fits. The gas fitter will need to consider impact risk, ventilation, access, regulator position, drains, labels, nearby ignition sources and vehicle/body rules.
If a cylinder is in a sealed external locker, the locker needs to be sealed from the living area and vented correctly to the outside. If it is mounted externally in open air, it does not necessarily need to be enclosed, but it still needs a safe compliant position and secure mounting.
The regulator is connected to the gas cylinder with a pigtail. The original rule of thumb is to allow a minimum pigtail length of 300mm. The regulator must be a two-stage regulator mounted vertically to a rigid mount, with the vent pointing down. The pigtail should slope down from the regulator to the gas cylinder to help prevent liquid gas reaching the regulator.
There is a companion guide for those replacing regulators or pigtails that goes into more detail about pigtail and regulator options.
All pigtails sold by CaravansPlus comply with AS 1869 Type C or exceed the standard. Regulators must have a maximum outlet pressure of 3kPa. All regulators sold by CaravansPlus meet this requirement.
The pipe size depends on the distance the gas needs to travel and the appliances connected, together with their gas consumption. Because this is a calculation based on your appliance choices and layout, it should be checked by your gas fitter after the layout and appliances have been selected.
As a rough planning guide, most RVs up to about 6 metres would often use 5/16" copper pipe. Longer RVs may require 3/8" copper pipe. There can also be a combination of sizes, where the main run is 3/8" and branch lines to individual appliances are 5/16".
Copper pipe and copper saddles can be viewed here.
Copper pipe must be located where it is not likely to suffer physical damage. If damage is likely, the pipe must be protected. A suitable way to reduce stone damage is to protect exposed pipe within hose or pipe, while still keeping the installation inspectable and acceptable to the gas fitter.
Peter's practical note from past customer questions is that there is no special CaravansPlus product required just to sleeve pipe against stone damage. Black 12mm irrigation hose is often used as a protective sleeve, and rubber grommets are commonly available from hardware or rubber suppliers for penetrations. Your gas fitter still needs to approve the finished method.
Where more than one appliance is installed, the main run of copper pipe should be located outside the RV. Each appliance should have its own branch pipe, and each branch pipe should enter the interior of the RV adjacent to the appliance.
Joins and junctions are not permitted within a sleeping area or engine compartment. Joins and junctions must be readily accessible for future maintenance. There should be no joins between a main run and a shut-off valve on a branch to an appliance.
Pipe must be supported at least every 600mm in a horizontal run by non-ferrous metal clips. Use a maximum of 1250mm for vertical runs and a maximum of 150mm each side of a change in direction.
A kink in a copper pipe is a safety issue. Do not straighten it and hope for the best. Turn the gas off and have the damaged section assessed or replaced by a licensed gas fitter.
Each appliance needs its own shut-off valve, and the valve needs to be readily accessible.
Flexible hoses have a limited life and are more easily damaged, so they are discouraged as permanent long runs. If essential, a flexible hose can generally be fitted only between a shut-off valve and an appliance. The original maximum length inside an RV is 1200mm.
The standard appliance installation uses copper pipe to provide maximum life span.
Gas valves to isolate each appliance are listed below.
Slide-out kitchens and long moving hoses need special care. A long hose that moves every time the kitchen slides out can be damaged without being obvious. This is exactly the sort of layout to show your gas fitter before building the box, runners and cable tray. They may require a different arrangement or extra protection.
Gas appliances fitted inside an RV must be low pressure, meaning they operate at or below 2.75kPa. Gas appliances shown on the CaravansPlus website are low pressure unless clearly stated as high pressure.
A flueless gas water heater cannot be used inside an RV. Space heaters can be used only where the combustion exhaust is sealed from the living area. The appliance installation instructions must also be followed.
Domestic household cookers and unflued appliances are not automatically suitable just because they burn LPG. Use appliances approved for the intended RV installation, and have the selection checked by the gas fitter.
Where the RV has a fuel tank other than diesel, there must be a minimum distance of one metre between the fuel filler cap or fuel vent and the appliance flue or combustion air inlet.
Installation instructions for fridges and heaters that require outside flue ventilation should be studied carefully. Check minimum distances from inlet vents, windows and annex areas. For example, do not allow combustion exhaust to enter an annex.
Appliances must be secured to prevent movement.
Wall-mounted gas lights are rarely used since the advances in LED lights. If this affects your build, consult the current standard and a licensed gas fitter.
Gas appliances can be grouped into two sections.
1. Room-sealed appliances. These are appliances where the combustion and exhaust are already sealed from the living area, such as space heaters, most current fridges and hot water systems. In this section, ventilation requirements for the appliance are met by following the appliance instructions for room sealing, external ventilation and flue setup.
All current model Dometic and Thetford fridges are room sealed. Many older gas fridges are not room sealed.
2. Appliances that are not room sealed. These include cooktops, ovens and some older fridges. In this section, there are additional requirements based on the combined gas consumption of the appliances.
There is a requirement to have two openings that are permanent and unrestricted. These vents need to be at opposite ends or sides, one high and one low. Camper trailers only need to meet this when open. Pop-tops need to meet this with the roof up and have one open vent even when the roof is down.
The lower vent is usually within the door and should never be sealed. The upper vents can be wall mounted or combined within permanently vented roof hatches.
The formula is:
| Item | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Formula | A = 3 x T |
| A | Ventilation area in square centimetres |
| T | Total gas consumption of all appliances in the area, measured in MJ/h |
If the appliance is rated in BTU instead of MJ, divide BTU by 948 to get MJ.
Ventilation only counts if it is permanent and unrestricted. A roof hatch or vent that seals shut may not count as permanent ventilation when it is closed. Check the actual permanent free area of the vent, not just the outside frame size.
Examples of hatches that provide permanent ventilation are listed below.
There is also a minimum ventilation area that depends on the size of your RV, no matter what appliances are fitted.
| RV length | Minimum ventilation area |
|---|---|
| Up to 4 metres | 240 cm2 |
| 4 to 5 metres | 300 cm2 |
| 5 to 6 metres | 360 cm2 |
| Over 6 metres | 420 cm2 |
These are to be split 50% between upper vents within 300mm of the highest ceiling point and lower vents within 150mm of the floor. The CAMEC Odyssey Doors provide 238 cm2 permanent ventilation, so they meet the lower vent requirements in many layouts.
Do not block lower vents while travelling unless your gas fitter confirms a compliant arrangement. Even if gas appliances are isolated, the installed ventilation is part of the certified design.
Since you have now researched each appliance's gas consumption for the purpose of working out the ventilation requirements, you can also estimate how long your gas will last. Estimate the time used per day for each appliance, then total them up.
With appliances like stoves, remember you will rarely use all burners at once. With fridges, operation time will vary depending on the outside temperature, how often you open the fridge and the temperature of new items you add. Hot water system use depends on water storage and shower habits.
An 8.5kg bottle, such as a swap-size BBQ bottle, holds about 17 litres of gas and provides approximately 420MJ of energy. As a rough example, a gas stove that uses 20MJ per hour would burn for about 21 hours on a full bottle.
Use proper LPG suitable for gas appliances. Auto LPG can be a different propane/butane mix and should not be treated as the same fuel for caravan appliances.
Do not build an unapproved portable or flueless gas water heater into a cupboard or interior space. Combustion gases and heat need to be managed correctly, and the appliance must be suitable for the installation. Speak to a licensed gas fitter before buying parts or cutting holes.
This depends on the gas component, appliance, flue, venting, ignition sources and the exact electrical item. Customers often ask about batteries, inverters, switches, split-system outdoor units and hot water heaters near gas lockers or pipework. Treat this as a design question for the gas fitter and, where needed, the auto electrician. Do not guess clearances after everything is installed.
Possibly, but it is not a simple yes/no question. The bottle must be mounted securely in a compliant external location, protected from impact and heat, and acceptable for the vehicle body and use. Rear doors, ute campers, school bus conversions and under-body mounts all need checking before fabrication.
Do not substitute materials because they are easier to run. Use materials and fittings accepted by the current standard and by the licensed gas fitter certifying the installation.
Use a licensed gas fitter who is authorised for LPG/RV gas work in your state or territory. For a new build or modification, involve them before the work is hidden so they can inspect and certify the complete installation.
Standards Australia currently lists AS/NZS 5601.2:2020 — Gas installations, Part 2: LP Gas installations in caravans and boats for non-propulsive purposes, together with Amendment 1:2021 and Amendment 2:2024. Check the Standards Australia record for the current edition and amendments when the work is done; access to the full standard may require purchase.
Requirements are also applied through state and territory regulators. For example, the NSW Building Commission advisory for recreational-vehicle gas installations requires AS/NZS 5601.2:2020 in NSW and says LP gasfitting work must be carried out by a qualified person. The Gas Technical Regulators Committee membership list identifies the gas regulatory authority for each Australian state and territory.
Very happy with the vent. Great service
Fantastic work guys 💯 and was delivered so quick thanks again
Parts as described. Quick delivery. Great supplier