Gas Installation

[Taken from the original 'The Alice Project' bus conversion and motorhome website 2002-2003]

The installation of the Gas was one of the few challenges partly beyond our capabilities. We have installed a second hand upright Chef Gas Stove/Oven which was already configured for LP gas. It was a great little purchase and fits well in our full-sized kitchen. This is the only appliance at this stage that we are running on gas (except for our little outdoor BBQ). We have no need whatsoever for a gas hot water system. With no permanent shower, the need for hot water is reduced to the kitchen sink only and it is all too easy to boil either the electric jug or the billy on the gas stove top when we are washing up. The only addition we may make in the future is an extra line from the gas bottle to a 3-Way Fridge (when we get around to buying one).

There are certain regulations for the installation of gas cylinders in campervans and motorhomes, and these are best covered by other people (the CMCA website has plenty of information on this subject). Our greatest problem was locating a ’space’ for the storage of the cylinder/s. Being an ex-city bus with no luggage bins underneath and a very low floor, finding a safe spot for the cylinders proved a challenge. In the end, I managed to weld a new compartment in the ’space’ just before the rear wheels. I also made a vented and hinged opening for easy access to the gas cylinder. With limited space, we only had room for one 9kg cylinder, but could easily carry a spare one on the roof rack somewhere.

Once we had built the compartment and fixed the new access door in place, we then found ourselves a licenced gasfitter to fit the appropriate piping between the cylinders and the stove (located not far from where the cylinder is underneath the bus). This was a relatively straight forward job for the gasfitter, who also fitted a regulator at the cylinder end of the piping and an emergency ’shut off’ tap at the base of the stove. Total cost for fitting and issuing the appropriate certificate was about $250 all together. Could have probably done most of it ourselves, but still needed the certificate anyway. We use our stove everyday and have so far made 2 and 1/2 months out of one 9kg bottle. (knowing our luck, it will now most probably run out tonight halfway through cooking pizzas…..)

(Keiran Lusk 2003)

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