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Does a Gas Bottle Locker on a Catering Trailer Need to Be Fully Enclosed?

by Lisa
(Jersey)

Powder blue single-axle catering trailer with a metal gas locker on the drawbar, serving a harbourside queue

Powder blue single-axle catering trailer with a metal gas locker on the drawbar, serving a harbourside queue

I want to fit a box for gas cylinders to a catering trailer, where they will feed into the trailer. I am confused by what I need exactly, does it need to be completely enclosed and fireproof or is it ok to have no back where it is attached to the trailer? Where can I buy these boxes? I am in Jersey and struggling to source something. I need to get it before I can get certificate from gas engineer. Thanks.

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Nov 05, 2026
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by: MobCater

Lisa, you're right to sort this out before the engineer comes. The cylinder box is one of the first things they look at, and it's far cheaper to get it right now than to have it fail on the day.

The idea behind a gas locker is simple. Propane is heavier than air, so if a cylinder or regulator ever leaks, the gas sinks and collects at the lowest point it can find. The box is there to make sure that point is outside your trailer, never inside it. So the side of the locker facing the trailer has to be sealed, so no gas can get into the unit. The box also needs permanent ventilation to the open air at low level, usually vents or gaps right at the bottom, so any leak drains straight out. The lid or doors should lock but still let air through.

Now, the open back. It isn't automatically wrong, but it only works if that part of the trailer wall is solid and gas tight. There can't be any vents, windows, cable holes or gaps behind it, and the gas pipe has to come through in a properly sealed sleeve. In practice most engineers prefer a fully enclosed box with its own back, because there's nothing left to guess about. Steel or aluminium is the usual choice, because metal won't burn and it protects the cylinders from knocks. The cylinders should stand upright and be strapped or chained so they can't fall over while you're towing.

To buy one, try trailer and caravan parts suppliers. They sell aluminium chequer plate gas bottle lockers made to sit on a drawbar. Catering trailer builders will often sell a locker on its own as well. Most mainland suppliers will ship to Jersey, but check the freight cost first. A local metal fabricator can also make one to measure, which is sometimes the easiest route on an island.

My strongest advice is to ring your gas engineer before you buy anything. Tell them how many cylinders you'll run, what size they are and where you want the box, and ask them to agree the design. They sign the certificate, so theirs is the approval that counts. Jersey has its own health and safety law, so your engineer and the Health and Safety Inspectorate in Jersey can confirm any local requirements. Bolting an empty box to the trailer is bodywork, but connecting the cylinders and running the pipework into the unit is gas work. That has to be fitted and tested by a qualified LPG engineer.

All the best

David

Disclaimer: Gas installation and maintenance must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Never attempt gas work yourself. Check gassaferegister.co.uk for qualified engineers in your area.

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