Gas Bottle Container For Selfbuild

[shawn&emma]

For a while we are going to be using a butane 13kg bottle in our self build. What have others used as a cabinet? Have you brought or made your own? Ive seen a few made of thick ply, is that suitable or does it have to be sealed metal? Or have you just the bottle sitting in the back/under the hob etc.

Thanks

Shawn

 

[tonka]

In a Trigano panel van we once had, the gas bottle was just inside the rear door inside a "wooden" cupboard.
So this was a "professional" conversion. Guess it must meet safety requirements.
It did have a drop vent in the floor oh and a sticker on the door.

 

[mitzimad]

sealed cupboard with drop out and door seal

 

[vwalan]

if you can why not make it big enough for a 19kg propane bottle .
can work pout good for prices if you ask around at local flat roof companies etc for gas.

 

[rosalan]

A sealed container would be safest, allowing for possibility of a gas leak and keeping fumes out of the habitation area. Thin sheet steel made into a sealed box using pop rivets along folded edges with a reinforced ply base. Outer doors are available and fitted like cassette doors.

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[gus-lopez]

Why not go underslung? saves room in the van-

 

[csd4t]

Must be sealed from the habitation area with dropouts, this was mine in the self build I did some years ago, had the box made up by a local sheet metal worker.

 

[Misterg]

It should also have a (minimum) 50mm lip at the bottom of the door. This is our self build:

Again, a local fabricator made the basic box / door to my design (cunningly shaped to fit a 6kg cylinder in the space between the wheel arch and the rear pillar on the Ducato/Relay/Boxer L2 & L3 versions). I fitted the hinge & latches and caulked the seams with sealant to make it gas tight.

Went with a refillable cylinder, so only needed space for one. (Dropout is to the right of the gas bottle; hole for filler pipe just behind it.):

 

[shawn&emma]

Why not go underslung? saves room in the van-

I think further down the line we will install under but as we seem to have loads of spare storage space in the rear along with fresh water tank want to try to fit them altogether there.

We tend not to use that much gas, 13kg tends to last a couple of months in winter. maybe when we are based back in the uk for longer periods and using more we'll install under them.

Shawn

 

[shawn&emma]

Thanks @Misterg very informative. Think your self build puts my efforts to shame, I can only dream of a finish like that.

Think there's a guy near me here that does some metal work so maybe I need to pay him a visit.

What's the reason for metal box's, surely a wooden with sealed edges and the dropout serves the same job. It's obviously not to help protect the bottle.

Is a sealed container part of the gas regulation on a campervan or just what's recommended?

Thanks again for comment.

Shawn

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[Misterg]

I can only dream of a finish like that.

Thanks . I guess you haven't noticed the duct tape holding the light on then?

Is a sealed container part of the gas regulation on a campervan or just what's recommended?

As I understand it: if you're building a van for your own private use, you can do what you like. There is a standard that applies otherwise which it made sense (to me) to try and follow. Unfortunately, the full standard is expensive to obtain, but the relevant bits of it are quoted on a few websites (Example). Section 2.3 is the relevant one for panel vans (IMHO):

"BS EN 1949:2002 Installation of LPG Systems – Specification for the installation of LPG systems for habitation purposes in leisure accommodation vehicles and in other road vehicles

2. Cylinder Compartment
2.1 Requirements for the construction of the compartment
With the exception of 2.3 below, cylinder compartments shall be sealed from the inside living accommodation part of the vehicle and shall be accessible from the outside of the vehicle only.
LPG cylinder must be positioned away from heat sources (exhaust system) as described in 2.4 below.
The compartment must be designed so that cylinders can be secured rigidly (to prevent cylinder movement when the vehicle is in motion) and in the upright position with the valve uppermost (to ensure only gas [vapour] can be drawn from the cylinder and not liquid LPG). There must be means of securing cylinder/s at both high and low level.
Access to any connections, changeover valves and pressure regulators must not be obstructed.
Replacement of cylinders must be possible without disturbing any installations or ancillary equipment.
Devices to secure cylinders in position must be able to be opened and closed without the use of tools.
No appliances, components or fittings shall be installed in the cylinder compartment that can cause damage the LPG installation or ignite escaping gas. (E.g. batteries or uninsulated electrical components etc.)

2.2 Cylinder compartments accessible from outside the vehicle
Cylinder compartments must be permanently ventilated to the exterior of the vehicle.
If the ventilation is provided only at low level, the ventilated area must be 2% of the compartments floor area, with a minimum of 10,000mm2. (E.g.100mm X 100mm). If the ventilation is provided at both high and low level the ventilated area must be 1% of the floor area, with a minimum of 5,000 mm2 (50mm X 50mm).
It shall not be possible for the cylinder/s to obstruct the ventilation area.

2.3 Cylinder compartments accessible from inside the vehicle
For motor caravans where penetration of a type approved base vehicles bodywork would be required to provide external access, internal access to the cylinder compartment would be permitted providing the following conditions are meet:
The compartment can contain a maximum of two cylinders each having a capacity of not more than 16kg.
Access to the cylinder compartment from the inside living accommodation part of the vehicle is only provided via an attached sealed door or hatch. The bottom of such a door or hatch must be a minimum of 50mm above the floor level of the cylinder compartment.
If the cylinder compartment accessible only from inside of the vehicle cannot be ventilated similarly to that referred to in 2.2 above, the following alternative arrangements must be made:
Ventilation may be provided by a single duct providing the following measures are taken:
Only one cylinder may be installed with a maximum of 7 kg.
The duct shall have a minimum diameter of 20 mm.
The maximum length of the duct shall not exceed 5 times the internal diameter of the duct, but may be extended to 10 times the internal duct diameter to avoid interference with under-floor flue outlets.
The duct shall be at low level in the floor and resistant to LPG.
The duct shall fall throughout its entire length to the outside of the vehicle."​

In my case, for a panel van conversion, I've worked to section 2.3 above, and as I didn't want to carry more than 1 x 6kg cylinder, I didn't have to provide the full 10,000 mm^2 drop-out vent as specified in 2.2 (I could have used a single 20mm diameter vent, but it was just as easy to fit a ready made 500mm^2 vent).

I used a metal cupboard as it was easier to get it to fit neatly in the space between the wheel arch and the rear pillar with something 1.2mm thick than 12 or 15mm thick, and it fitted the style of our 'garage'.

There may or may not be a recommendation that the locker is 'fireproof' - I'm pretty sure that it's not part of the above standard - maybe it's in some trade standard somewhere (NCC??). It seems to be more honoured in the breach than the observance anyway.

​

 

[rosalan]

In the very unlikely event of a fire, a metal box should delay fire entering or leaving the gas locker, so metal would be favourite for me if only for that reason.
Please construct a good argument against a refillable bottle(s) as you seem keen to travel outside of the UK.

 

[Terry]

Hi on my self builds I usually make a ply locker with drop vent.. I then line it with thin metal stuck to the inside ...steel or Ali sheet whatever is at hand ....I have to line it or my mate won't give me a gas certificate

 

[shawn&emma]

In the very unlikely event of a fire, a metal box should delay fire entering or leaving the gas locker, so metal would be favourite for me if only for that reason.
Please construct a good argument against a refillable bottle(s) as you seem keen to travel outside of the UK.

We've used a underslung tank on our other van for nearly 10 years. And as we tend not to use that much I cant justify the expense for underslung at this time or refillable bottles. The Spanish bottles we mainly use are around €13 a time so litre price will be similar to pump prices so not a huge saving.

Shawn