Gas And Electricity Testing On Motorhomes

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Gas and Electricity testing, with Erik Baxendale

Testing of gas and electricity on used vehicles is something that is not always taken seriously by other dealerships. We at TravelWorld take it extremely seriously. We have taken the decision that we do want to issue a full certificate saying that the vehicle and system is safe.

What does gas and electricity testing involve?

With the gas test we check everything from the bottle all the way through to the exhaust gases at the end of the process. We check all the connectors, we test the system to 143 millibar, we do a 1949 test on it, we check all the hoses that’s on the system for dates because they normally have about a five year life span, and then check all the individual burners for any noxious gases that might be coming off and we also check for gas leakage into the vehicle, because that’s obviously the last thing you want when there’s people sleeping in that environment.

The electrical test we do, we test all the electrical sockets to make sure there’s no corrosion, loose wires or anything that’s gonna cause danger to the customer or the user and we actually put 500 volts through 250 volt circuits so they’re tested to double what the circuit would be expected to withstand during daily use.

Is the test different for a new and used vehicle?

The difference between the new vehicle and used vehicle is on a brand new vehicle obviously you’ve got components that have never been used before and have been quality checked at the factory – so there’s less likelihood that they’re gonna have leakage around the vehicle from gases or exhaust fumes, so it is a little easier to initiate gas systems and electric systems. Obviously on a used vehicle, we don’t know if a customer’s modified something, or a previous dealer has modified something and not quite done it the right way, so there’s far more in-depth checks to do on a used vehicle.

Are TravelWorld service technicians fully trained?

All our staff are either ACOP and CITO approved or trained, so safety is given top priority. The ACOP accreditation is to do with gas – its like gas safe as most people know as being a home industry standard. ACOP accreditation is pretty similar to gas safe, but obviously it’s in relation to motorhomes and caravans.

The ACOP and CITO accreditation is quite expensive, in terms of getting staff certified and then administering the scheme. We bother to do it because it’s peace of mind for our customers and peace of mind for us as well as a management team.