Gas-powered caravans on the nose

A growing number of off-road caravans are now being delivered ‘gas-free’, judging by some of the caravan makers we spoke to at the recent Queensland Caravan Show in Brisbane.

Dedicated hard-core Queensland off-road caravan builder Bushtracker said that nearly 60 per cent of all its upmarket caravans are now being built gas-free to order, although customers could also choose 'old school' gas cooking, gas refrigeration and gas heating.

While the majority of caravans in Australia are still sold with a combination of electrical and gas appliances, gas is increasingly ‘on the nose’ with buyers of top-tier off-road caravans destined to spend much of their life ‘off the grid’, with the increased popularity of lithium batteries, charging systems and induction cooktops all contributing to the trend.

While modern dust supression systems have kept the Outback outside, it has been the space and weight-saving and greater efficiency of the latest mobile electrical equipment to have been the main motivator.

Because they are usually lived in longer, many dedicated off-road caravans tend to stretch 18ft or more which allows room to mount six or more 200 Watt rooftop solar panels that typically charge a battery of at least 200AH or more. As lithium batteries typically weigh up to a third less and are smaller and last longer than conventional lead-acid batteries of similar output, increasing supplies mean they are now the first choice or optional for most off-road caravans, potentially liberating more storage space.

On most Bushtrackers, the front-mounted twin 9kg gas bottles are now replaced by twin slim diesel tanks for the caravan’s hot water and diesel space heating systems. As tow cars for their vans are usually diesel-engined, topping up these tanks is simply done at fuel stops.

Gas-free appliances are also multiplying in choice, with the capacity of electric compressor fridges now matching those of their three-way counterparts.

The other factor is the growth in popularity of induction cooktops, with box-fixed and portable models now available at more affordable prices.

Bushtracker Director Matthew Kurvink said a main benefit of going gas free is that there is no need for the mandatory venting in the entry door or upper walls for gas-equipped vans, meaning that with proper sealing dust can be kept completely at bay.

The main disadvantage of induction cooking is that an inverter of at least 2000 Watts is usually required to operate it.

The final advantage of going gas-free comes at re-sale time, when the growing gas-free market will be more welcoming for your caravan than if it still relies on gas.

Despite the trend, some buyers overcome the dust problem by still specifying gas-free appliances inside their vans, but retain gas for outside kitchens and BBQs.

The new 18ft 6in Zone Expedition hybrid caravan displayed at the 2023 Queensland Supershow is a latest example of this, with a gas and purportedly dust-free interior but the ability to run a gas BBQ outside with an external gas bottle fitted externally...