Interior Gas inside van

[Crusty181]

Hi Holden Man,
Sorry to hear about what happened to your folks and thank god they are ok with just minor burns as it could have been lot worst. Hope they have speedy recovery and get back on the road as soon as possible.

It is better to be safe than sorry. When we bought our panda, one of the first things we did was to install a GAS/CO/LPG detector. I purchased it from ebay and the supplier is in UK. Refer below for the site:

It is a 12V unit and needs to be installed and tested. I have it in front of the Fridge and literally an inch above the floor as the CO is heavier than Air. It also has the capability of detecting LGP Gas. So IMO it is well rounded unit.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/GAS-CO-L...200?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c9ceb0dc0


Hope this helps. Happy and safe camping!

Just reading some stuff as a result of the good chit chat here in this post, and it would appear a combo may not be ideal. The various gas weights effectively will always render one of the three alarm sensors in a combo unit useless, in favour of the other sensors dependant on where you choose to mount it. Smoke alarms need to be high, rendering gas alarms useless, yet gas and CO alarms need to be low rendering the smoke alarm useless. You would suffocate before the CO reached a roof mount, and be over come with smoke and burn to death with the floor mount

Im blown away that in 2015 we humble forum'ettes are discussing the yes, no, maybe's of something that should have already be known for 50 years as common knowledge, legislated and mandated in the caravan industry.

It seems manifestly ridiculous that in light if what we are now discussing a $50k van has at best a $2 smoke alarm only .... and caravan manufacturers bottom line of saving $50 puts my family at a very real risk. At least these pin heads could warn us, when they reach for the cheque

 

[kozza]

Hi All,

We are expecting our new van in October so I have been reading the various threads with great interest trying to find out what I need to add onto the van and as with many of you now looking into the various gas monitors. Carbon Monoxide has a very similar atomic weight to air (Nitrogen, Oxygen and some other gases) so dissipates throughout the container.

Carbon Dioxide is heavier than air so will sink.

LPG is also heavier that air and will sink.


weight of CO
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21536403
http://www.jaymarinspect.com/carbon-monoxide-detector.html
weight of LPG:
http://www.elgas.com.au/blog/453-the-science-a-properties-of-lpg

 

[ShaneT]

Don't forget your RVD while your all shopping. $190 will save you all from being electrocuted by your inverters and generators, as the standard RCD will let you fry unless you are plugged into your house or caravan park. Another thing that should be standard.

Maybe since theses explosions are coming out from the cupboards this may be the best place for your gas detectors, and maybe another one inside the van??

LPG for you house and BBQ has to be a certain % of a propane and butane mixture. LPG for you car can be any % they want.

 

[relgate]

Don't forget your RVD while your all shopping. $190 will save you all from being electrocuted by your inverters and generators, as the standard RCD will let you fry unless you are plugged into your house or caravan park. Another thing that should be standard.

Maybe since theses explosions are coming out from the cupboards this may be the best place for your gas detectors, and maybe another one inside the van??

LPG for you house and BBQ has to be a certain % of a propane and butane mixture. LPG for you car can be any % they want.

Can you post the link for the RVD again please @ShaneT

 

[Meanderthals]

Back in civilisation and reading this. Not good but far better outcome than could have happened.

Have been a bit paranoid about gas, anywhere, for a long time. Had a CO detector (halfway up wall) and a gas detector (floor level next to door) fitted post delivery to Dealer but prior to pick up. Still don't like gas to stove, water heater and fridge though. Was one reason for going to diesel heater.

RVD fitted prior to this trip. Only choices left would be compressor fridge, diesel cooktop and combo diesel air/water heater. Some issues with each.

 

[ShaneT]

Can you post the link for the RVD again please @ShaneT

Brought mine here, just check the amp rating on your RCD (mine was 16 but someone on here did have a 20) and then choose that size in the RCBO box.
http://www.safelec.com.au/store/p43/RCD/RVD-EMR.html

 

[ShaneT]

Only choices left would be compressor fridge, diesel cooktop and combo diesel air/water heater. Some issues with each.

Yer now your talking have the fridge just need the $6k for the other 2 items, unless you want a diesel oven because that's around $6k on its own.
The old man is gearing up for his new van now. 700amp/h of lithium, 1.5kw of solar, split system A/C, Induction cook top, instant electric hot water and120amp DC-DC charger on the tug. The only gas is a 4kg lpg cylinder on the draw bar for the baby Q.
Im very jealous.

 

[Meanderthals]

Yer now your talking have the fridge just need the $6k for the other 2 items, unless you want a diesel oven because that's around $6k on its own.
The old man is gearing up for his new van now. 700amp/h of lithium, 1.5kw of solar, split system A/C, Induction cook top, instant electric hot water and120amp DC-DC charger on the tug. The only gas is a 4kg lpg cylinder on the draw bar for the baby Q.
Im very jealous.

Spending the kid's inheritance???????

 

[Bellbirdweb]

The combined CO / LPG detectors are no good for this purpose.

The CO as has been stated earlier is lighter than air and is a result of the gas burning. The CO detector should
Be mounted up high, on the roof near the smoke alarm is fine.

LPG is heavier than air, and has not yet burnt, so the LPG detector should be mounted down low and not far from the appliances such as stove and fridge.

The gas detectors also need to be powered by 12v whereas most CO detectors are battery powered.

Will be fitting a LPG detector as soon as it arrives !

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Theory is spot on @Holden_man.

 

[Drover]

Or leave the door open and just have the screen door closed .........I suppose if you had a diesel/LPG heater I could see the need for an CO detector but otherwise I can't see what would be generating carbon monoxide when asleep, unless you use your stove/oven as a heater.
I'll be fitting an LPG detector in the space below my cook top, should detect the gas before it fills a cupboard up. Mind you if you had a diesel cooker/HWS etc you would probably smell like a truck stop and need fans as well as CO sensors.

 

[crackacoldie]

While I would like to see the pictures, I would wait until the insurance and any manufacturer issues are settled prior to posting. The manufacturer may not take kindly to being published prior to them being able to work with both you and the insurance company for a rectification.

 

[Tone]

I can't see why not @Holden_man if it was in the media it wouldn't hid the brand.

 

[Bmhdg76]

Glad everyone is ok as they can be!
At the end of the day it was an accident and you are not laying blame, just showing the outcome of what could be have been even more devastating than it ended up.
Talk to your parents and get advice from the moderators before posting any pics.

Best of luck to all involved and hope for a very speedy recovery and that it doesn't put them off still traveling and seeing this wonderful country.

This is also one reason that I strongly believe people should consider any possible incidents when they look at selling their homes before traveling. I do not mean to offend anyone, in saying this and I hope it is not taken that way, but When things go wrong to still have a home to return to to decide the next steps is something that must be considered. Likewise if traveling with life partner that if something was to happen to one, that the other knows how to drive the vehicle and van combination happily so that it is one less thing to worry about when life throws curve balls.

BJ.

 

[lee]

I probably would post the photos as your parents haven't done anything wrong and your not blaming anyone . It's a good wake up call for everyone who has a Caravan, as I know I had not even thought about those things happening with a new van , just took it for advantage that we have a brand new van and those thing don't happen to new vans . Has given me a big wake up call . I just think a photos say 1000 words

 

[dagree]

Let's see if I can blur the brand names without taking away the impact the photos show.....

Beat me to it @Holden_man ... Was going to suggest that! If you have any issue doing it send the over and can help out if needed.

 

[Axl]

Wow your mum and dad are so lucky, thank you for sharing this it cant be an easy thing to do in such trying times and with your parents still so far away from home. Please let your mum and dad know we are thinking of them..... @Axl and family.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Wow, I've been fighting fires for 38 years and have never seen a caravan like this before.

I have seen complete houses destroyed by similar incidents so I guess shouldn't be surprised.

The brand of the van is irrelevant. This could happen to any van.

 

[peterg]

http://m.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1071014

Just found this if it hasn't been posted already.

 

[Drover]

Bloody hell !!!!!!!!............like a grenade was chucked in, minus the schrapnel..........your Mum was very lucky. It's wonderfull how people have rallied to their aid.