Gas flue terminals in recreational vehicles (RVs)
Proper ventilation must be considered when fitting an annex to any RV (motorhome, campervan, camper trailer, or caravan).
Gas appliance flue terminals must terminate and discharge outdoors. A flue terminal cannot be terminated indoors (i.e. inside an annexe) — this is to prevent excessive build-up from the products of combustion, condensation, or other toxic conditions, such as carbon monoxide (CO) build-up.
Examples of flued gas appliances:
- refrigerators
- hot water heaters
- room heaters.
Flue terminals under a covered area
If the area is covered, such as that under an awning or within an annex:
- the area must be open on two sides and the flue terminal located to ensure a free flow of air across it is achieved
- in the case of a fan assisted flue, the area can be open on one side, if the terminal is within 500mm of the opening and the direction of discharge is towards the open side.
If in doubt, consult an authorised gasfitter before proceeding.
What should you do?
- Caravan designer/manufacturers should:
- modify caravan design to ensure gas appliance flue terminals are located to allow for the addition of aftermarket annexes without compromising existing gas system compliance. The majority of new RVs are manufactured with all flued gas appliances on the off (or driver) side of the vehicle which eliminates this issue as annexes are normally located on the passenger side where the door is located.
- educate caravan purchasers about the flue terminal requirement and advise on appropriate annex/awning design.
- Annex/awning manufacturers/suppliers should:
- ensure the design and placement of any proposed enclosed annex does not compromise the compliance of an existing gas system.
- not provide annexes that are known to cause a non-complaint system
- education caravan users about the requirement.
- Owners of RVs need to:
- be aware of the requirement when purchasing or using RVs and annexes to ensure safety and compliance of the gas system is not compromised
- understand that alterations to flue terminals or their locations cannot be undertaken by unlicensed persons and would require further approvals
- contact a licensed gas installer or the Inspectorate if they need any further advice.
Please note: the standard AS/NZS5601.2:2013 specifies the minimum safety requirements for fluing gas appliances installed within recreational vehicles. It is an offence for a person to cause an existing gas system to not comply with the standard.
Find out more
If you have any further questions, contact the Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate or email: gassafe@rshq.qld.gov.au.