Gas on or off?

[Pechris]

Hello peoples, just wandering what you all do when on a car ferry.(Portsmouth to santander) I have read that gas should be turned off at the bottle but others leave the fridge on. What are your thoughts/experience. We are going next week.
Thanks.

 

[Simon Meadwell]

Gas off.

 

[scotjimland]

Off

 

[Riverbankannie]

Always off. Pre-freeze some milk or water bottles and put in your fridge, they will keep things chilled enough for the journey.
Would you want to be on a ferry with unattended gas flame on vehicle deck?

 

[Neil S]

Definitely off
I was inspected by security at Portsmouth .

 

[David and Sally]

Off. No question. Security checked us at Poole.

 

[dunnah01]

Both gas and fridge off otherwise the igniter may just keep sparking away which is as bad on the car deck as lighting a flame.

 

[scotjimland]

Both gas and fridge off otherwise the igniter may just keep sparking away which is as bad on the car deck as lighting a flame.

Would that happen if the fridge was set on 12v for travelling ,?

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[Lenny HB]

Would that happen if the fridge was set on 12v for travelling ,?

OK if the fridge is switched to 12v manually any running from the leisure battery.

 

[Lenny HB]

Gas must be off, to leave it in is against maritime regulations.

 

[meanders]

No if's or but's, definitely turn the gas off at the cylinder.

Read this thread for a good discussion on risk rather than 'it's never happened before.' Just turn the gas off and put ice blocks etc in to keep it cool. Car decks are often very cool anyway.

 

[dunnah01]

Would that happen if the fridge was set on 12v for travelling ,?

If the fridge allows you to select 12v without the engine running then it wouldn't try to ignite the gas but most AES fridges won't allow it if the engine isn't running so the default if the gas is turned off and the engine isn't running is to keep trying to ignite the gas.
Most have a safety system that throws a really annoying beep after a few failed attempts but at least it cuts the igniter. I wouldn't want to be any crew on the car deck with a load of beeping fridges chattering away for a 8hr ferry crossing

 

[BikerGraham]

Shouldn’t be something to argue against really. Turn the gas off, at each cylinder or tank.
It’s just not worth the risk really.

 

[Lenny HB]

If the fridge allows you to select 12v without the engine running then it wouldn't try to ignite the gas but most AES fridges won't allow it if the engine isn't running so the default if the gas is turned off and the engine isn't running is to keep trying to ignite the gas.

It's not the fridge it's the way they are wired that is the problem.
We are on our 4th van all have been cabable of running from the leisure battery.

 

[Mzracer]

Definitely should be off but in a huge number of trips from all the South Coast ports apart from Plymouth then I have never had anything said about gas on or off by any security or ferry staff.

 

[meanders]

Last car ferry I went on, (always use the tunnel across the channel) was across the Gironde to Royan which is only about half an hour from memory yet they checked that I turned the gas off.

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[gus-lopez]

Always off

 

[fishplug]

OFF - always.


My bottle had a solenoid valve on it so I would 'belt and braces' the 'off' process EVERY time I'd finished cooking.

Turn the bottle off with the hob still lit and wait until the flame goes out. This confirms the valve has closed correctly and also burns off any residual gas that might be in the line.

 

[scotjimland]

If the fridge allows you to select 12v without the engine running then it wouldn't try to ignite the gas but most AES fridges won't allow it if the engine isn't running so the default if the gas is turned off and the engine isn't running is to keep trying to ignite the gas.
Most have a safety system that throws a really annoying beep after a few failed attempts but at least it cuts the igniter. I wouldn't want to be any crew on the car deck with a load of beeping fridges chattering away for a 8hr ferry crossing

Ok , never had an AES fridge thanks

 

[Howard B]

Coming back from Santander in May a bloke looked at me with incredulity when I told him i switched my gas off on the ferry. Apparently because no one told him to when he boarded the ferries , he never did.
Im surprised the ferry companies don't get the deck hands checking.

 

[carolyn]

Off.
The ferry to Iceland were much more strict about asking this year. You also had a big orange card for your van. I think it was the same when we went to Norway.

We always do it anyway. It’s in the Brittany ferries small print.

I am always surprised there aren’t signs up at the Ports though. Whilst it seems obvious to most of us that it’s dangerous there are some who just might be naive. There are some who choose to ignore it as they’re special of course and don’t believe it’s dangerous.

 

[Go_buddy_go_]

Off for def!
We were asked at Poole before we boarded too

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

Definitely off, It's better shortening the shelf life of your milk than the lives of everyone on board

 

[Mzracer]

Off for def!
We were asked at Poole before we boarded too

I must have a sweet innocent face, went through Poole on the 14th Sep and back via Cherborg on the 22nd, not a squeak from anyone and there never has been.

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[meanders]

Hopefully the OP has taken on board all the comments and will turn it off. One thing that many people do not understand about risk is there are two elements to it. Probability and Potential Impact. Anything where either element score 'high' automatically becomes a Red Risk. So the probability may be much less than one (as it appears never to have happened up to now), but the Impact would be very high. As such it's in marine law for good reason.

 

[f6c]

OFF

 

[nickandcelina]

Always off. We are constantly surprised at how infrequently anyone asks and even more infrequently wants to check. We were on one ferry (can’t remember where - possibly Scandinavia) where the check-in staff not only looked into the gas locker but then sealed the door with a paper sticker.

 

[varaizian]

Last car ferry I went on, (always use the tunnel across the channel) was across the Gironde to Royan which is only about half an hour from memory yet they checked that I turned the gas off.

This is strange because that crossing is only about an hour from home, we are very fond of the Medoc and we have used it lots of times and never been asked to turn the gas off. I assumed that was because the vehicles are all in the open air. The ferry across from Blaye is the same.

 

[Jimhut]

I'm a bit surprised by this thread, as we always turn the gas off at the cylinder before driving anywhere. Our Autosleeper Broadway has a 12v setting on the fridge which works fine when we are moving, and even on an overnight ferry the freezer stays frozen despite being off.
With the cylinder on, I would be worried if we had a crash on the motorway with the possibility of a fractured gas pipe.
So for me - always OFF when moving.

 

[Lenny HB]

I would be worried if we had a crash on the motorway with the possibility of a fractured gas pipe.
So for me - always OFF when moving.

Most vans these days have crash sensors on the regulator and anti-rupture valves on the high pressure hoses to prevent this. So it is safe to travel with the gas on apart from when on ferries.