Motorhome gas and heating is one of those subjects that feels dull in August and becomes the only thing that matters in October. I have been caught out once, on a cold night with an empty bottle and a campsite shop that closed at five, and I had no intention of repeating it. Now that the nights are drawing in, here is the system I use to keep the van warm without ever running out.
I work from the motorhome a fair bit, so heating is not a luxury for me. If the van is freezing, I am not getting any work done, and a long call in a cold cab is a miserable way to spend a morning. Gas is basically my office heating bill.
Know How Much LPG You Actually Use
The first mistake most people make is guessing. You cannot plan gas for the season if you have no idea what a cold weekend costs you in bottles. So for the first few trips of the autumn, I keep a rough note of when a bottle goes on and when it runs out.
It is a very simple habit and it tells you more than any forum thread will. Heating, hot water, cooking and the fridge on gas all draw from the same supply. Once you know that a three night stay in October takes about half a bottle, everything else gets easy.
Heating Is The Big Spender
Heating eats gas far faster than cooking ever will. A cold, damp week with the heating running most of the day can empty a bottle in a few days. A summer week of cooking and the odd shower might make one last a month.
Propane Or Butane For Cold Weather
This one catches people out every single year. Butane stops turning into gas properly once the temperature falls towards freezing, so a bottle that feels half full can deliver nothing on a frosty morning. Propane keeps working in the cold, which is why I would always choose it for anything beyond the summer months.
If you use exchange bottles, check what is actually in the one you are carrying. If you run refillable bottles fitted to the van, you are usually getting propane anyway, and it is one less thing to worry about. Either way, make sure your regulator suits the gas you are using.
Always Carry A Spare
I never leave home in the cooler months without a full spare. It does not matter how well you have planned. A spare bottle turns an emergency into a minor chore, and it is the cheapest bit of peace of mind you can buy.
Plan Your Refills Before You Need Them
Refill points are not on every corner, and they do not all keep sensible hours. Before a longer trip, I look at where I can swap or refill bottles along the route, and I make a note of the opening times. Rural campsites often have a gas stock, but out of season they may well be short or shut.
My rule is simple. When one bottle runs out, I swap it at the next sensible opportunity, not the next convenient one. That way I am never running on the spare with nowhere to get another. It sounds boring, but it works.
Check The System Before The Cold Arrives
Autumn is the time to give the gas system and heating a proper once over. Light the heating and run it for a while, then check that the hot water, hob and fridge all behave. Make sure hoses are not cracked or perished and that your regulator is within its date.
I do this alongside the annual habitation check, which includes a gas safety test. If your heating struggles to start in September, it will not magically behave in December. Fix it while there is still time to get an appointment.
Reduce What You Burn In The First Place
The cheapest gas is the gas you never use. A few small things make a surprising difference when the temperature drops.
Insulation And Condensation
Window covers and a decent cab screen wrap stop a lot of heat escaping, and they cut condensation too. Open a vent a touch even when it is cold, because a sealed damp van is worse than a slightly cool one. Damp is the enemy of every motorhome, and heating a wet interior wastes a lot of gas.
Use Electric Where You Can
On a campsite with a hook up, run an electric heater to take the edge off and let the gas heating handle the rest. When you are on battery only, a good solar setup helps keep the lights and fans running without touching your gas. I covered the basics in my guide to motorhome solar and battery setups, and it fits neatly with the gas plan.
Winter Touring Needs A Plan
If you are planning to keep touring right through the colder months, gas is only one part of the picture. Water can freeze, campsites close, and the daylight is short. I wrote about the whole thing in my guide to winter motorhome touring in the UK, and it is worth reading before you commit to a December trip.
For anyone who would rather avoid the cold altogether, my winter storage guide covers how to put the van away properly. Both are valid choices, and neither is better than the other.
My Honest Take
Running out of gas is nearly always a planning failure, not bad luck. Know your usage, pick propane for the cold, carry a spare and swap bottles early. Do those four things and the cold nights are genuinely enjoyable, with a warm van and a decent cup of tea.
It is the same lesson I keep relearning in business, which is that the boring preparation beats the clever fix every time. If you want more on that mindset, it runs all the way through The 28 Day Startup. And if you are building a business you want to run from anywhere, even a motorhome in a damp field, get in touch through the services page.
