What do you keep in your gas locker? Many motorhomes are lacking in storage space, particularly outside storage (which is why people can be so keen to maximise their campervan storage options), and the gas locker can often appear to be underused, but it is called a gas locker for a reason – its purpose is simply to store gas cylinders.

On a recent motorhome habitation inspection, I spotted rags covering the gas dropout grill in the bottom of the locker while the vehicle was up on the lift. Once the motorhome was back on the ground I opened the gas locker to find cloths and a spray can completely blocking the dropout grill, as well as a Frisbee and window mop in the locker.

There is a very real and potentially dangerous risk involved here. LPG (which is a blanket term for several gases, including propane and butane) is heavier than air, so if there was a leak it falls to the lowest area it can reach. This is why we have drop-out vents in gas lockers, so that if a leak occurs it can escape to atmosphere without building up in a confined volume to a level where it could ignite.

Obstructing the drop-out grill has a very real potential to create a small bomb. Even a small leak in the locker will build up over time.

Propane’s lower explosive limit – the concentration in air that can be ignited – is as low as 1.7%. The upper explosive limit is just 10.9%. A typical gas locker could have a volume of around 100 litres; just 2% concentration of propane in that volume would create a fireball that will at the very least remove all your upper body hair and probably a fair bit of skin, and will definitely need a visit to A&E. At the upper explosive limit you and your motorhome may not survive!

Now, I’ll be perfectly honest here and say that my gas locker does contain other stuff – a motorhome toolkit, levelling ramps, door mat and a few other essentials. However, that’s because it’s no longer used as a gas locker since I fitted a 55-litre underfloor tank; the pipework from the new tank does come into the locker, but it has a clear drop-out channel to allow for any leakage.

Gas lockers on a motorhome are intended to store gas cylinders, nothing else. It is vitally important that you do not obstruct the drop-out vents, whether they are in the bottom of the gas locker or through the floor near appliances such as the boiler – so please do make sure that all gas drop-out vents are clear.

Take a look at what I had to say about why you should empty your motorhome before it goes to a workshop for repairs or servicing, too.

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