It’s a gas! Dave King explains how to avoid clogging up your caravan’s gas regulator

Published in Caravanning Top Tips on   - 13 Comments

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  1. Martin betchley says:

    I recently encountered this problem with my new 2016 March Fiat Trigano tribute… The gas regulator fitted is a Trumar mono control CS with the anti collision device fitted … I’ve booked up on Boxing Day for a five day tour of Somerset and within two days I noticed the flame on the burner which only has two burners was getting lower and lower and lower until it stopped working completely I was under the impression that gas bottle was empty so I went to the reception at the caravan site and exchange the bottle that was fitted for a new one.So I fitted the new bottle on and was hoping to be able to have a meal as I was getting extremely hungry and to know avail the same thing happened the burner would light slightly for a few seconds and then just go out dismay! I contacted the campsite reception who were extremely helpful and gave me the card of the gas man who services caravans and motor homes and was local he came round the next day looked at the problem and diagnosed it straight away ..yep!.. It’s your gas regulator it’s blocked up with oil from the gas bottle..it gums up the diaphragm and no Gas can get through…simplest solution take your regulator off and fit the old style regulator there more robust more reliable and the only reason your van is fitted with the Trumar Mono control CS is because by EU law you have to have it fitted if you travel in Europe and have your gas heater going while your vehicle is moving! He fitted the old style regulator done a complete gas check and everything was fine…thanks campertec.

    • Liz @ Caravan Guard says:

      Thanks for sharing this Martin and glad you managed to get back to cooking on gas!

  2. Andrew Harcourt says:

    I am a gas man and I think this article is excellent. The only comment on the article I would make is that you don’t explain why you should wrap the old filter in the glove. The reason is, that the oil residue stench makes a skunk smell of Dior perfume in comparison. You cannot get it off your clothes, you have to throw them away if you get this oil on them. If you get it on your hands, your wife most certainly will not want you to scrub her back, you will be lucky if she allows you in the same county. It will take three weeks to wash off. The oil is most likely to settle at the bottom of a U bend, if you have any gas pipes that loop down then up. It is true that you get this oil residue in LPG. I once went to a house that ran its central heating off a LPG tank in the garden. The boiler had stopped working because the feed pipe was blocked with this oil. I have heard that Autogas (what you use to refill your on-board tank) is more likely to produce it than for example Calor gas but I am not an expert. As for the fact that caravans have been using Calor gas for 60 years with no bother, I might hazard a guess that either refinery processes may have become less rigorous so letting more oil through, or LPG comes from different parts of the world and what we are using now is more oily, or possibly that old regulators were more robust. Possibly we use caravans and motorhomes more than we did 50 years ago. I don’t recall having showers in caravans then, even in Bessacars and Safaris, we were lucky if we had a foot operated water pump. That was a deluxe extra, I remember.

  3. Rick Bowden says:

    Is it possible to flush the regulator/pipes with a solvent or is this likely to damage it ?

    • Craig @ Caravan Guard says:

      Hi Rick, I have spoken to Dave King following your comment and his advice is not to use the solvent as that could cause a number of issues. He recommends fitting the filter as described in the article.

  4. Lucie @ Caravan Guard says:

    Hi Dave, many thanks for getting in touch.
    I’m not sure there’s a lot we can do to help on this occasion I’m afraid. If the gas regulator failed after one year then it’s likely it won’t be covered under warrenty – presumming the warranty was for 12 months only? If you would like to email me directly on [email protected] I would be more than happy to put you in touch with a representative at Lunar.

    Sorry I can’t be of more assistance.

    Many thanks

    Lucie

  5. Dave Harrison says:

    I purchased a new Lunar caravan in April 2014, a year later on its annual service I am advised I have to pay £137 + 30 minutes labour to fit a new filter and it is not covered by warranty!!!

  6. RAY CARLTON says:

    Purchased a new van in 2009 had to replace regulator in 2011( still under warranty) clogged up completely, loss of gas pressure again this weekend had to replace regulator again, replaced pigtail as well as it was out of date by 12 months, been told to get a inline filter from truma this should ” Stop the rot” as it were. Filters got be worth it as regulators cost around £40-45 depending where you have to get one from on a Sunday morning.

  7. Bill Gardner says:

    This system has had it’s problems since it was first introduced. What dos this system do better than the old and well established screw on to the cylinder type ?
    Maybe cost us more and be more problematic and possibly create a new item ie filters to be purchased, more money to the greedy caravan traders? or am I being cynical ? If it aint broke don’t fix it!

  8. doug gregory says:

    can you tell me, the cost and best place to get a filter, thankyou

    • Craig says:

      Hi Doug
      We would recommend searching for your nearest authorised service centre on the Truma website: . The produce is relatively new so if the service centre or dealer need to find out more they could take a look at this page on the Truma website “
      Kind regards
      Craig
      Caravan Guard

  9. Mr J. Ross says:

    Could you please advise what the cost of these Gas in line filrers and
    the model number or type of filter required as there seems to be great many
    available, some of them do not look like the filters shown on your article by
    Dave King on Gas regulators clogging up.
    Would I be able to purchase this filter unit from a Calor Depot ?

  10. Philip Howarth says:

    If the design had been properly designed and proved in the first place this procedure would not be necessary… It is poor that a new design is introduced which necessitates the owner to fix extra expensive equipment All of our caravans (1981 on) have and have had the old style regulator on the gas cylinder- yes I do carry a spare regulator (-all moving parts wear out eventually) so far it has not been out of its bag.
    apparently they call it progress and improvement……


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