Storage of Refillable LPG in Motorhome To Sell Coffee

by Craig
(Durham)

“LPG safety basics for motorhomes converted into mobile coffee vans.”

“LPG safety basics for motorhomes converted into mobile coffee vans.”

Hi all,

I hope you're well. I am very grateful for this wonderful website with is a great reousrce for people just starting out.

I am in the process of converting my vintage Sherpa van into a mobile coffee vehicle. I have a large battery bank and lots of solar as well as a B2B charger, my espresso machine is also just 1200w so I will be running solely on electrical.

My question I can not seem to get answered is this. The vehicle is a motorhome on the log book, and as such it has a refillable LPG tank under the kitchen sink, in a cupboard. There is ventilation to the floor and it meets the requirements for LPG safety in a motorhome or leisure vehicle. Now with this being totally irrelevant to the catering side of the vehicle, will this still need to meet LPG regulations for a catering vehicle despite not being used? It is connected to a Carver Cascade 2 water heater and a small oven/hob setup which is all fixed in place. I have a handeman portable sink to supply my handwash throughout the day so the LPG is totally unused throughout my working day. With the rear doors wide open the coffee machine sits on a purpose built station.

I have spent hours researching but can find very little reliable information on storing LPG in this way, in a van. The van has a single sliding door. Guides I have found for catering trailers say that the bottle must be accessible from the outside, stored in an airtight locker. This can't possible be feasible for somebody running a business out of a van, as it would require significant modifications to the vehicle body (a large hatch fitted in place).

I have been looking on eBay at vehicles for sale and all sorts have come up. Lots of people with gas set ups, fracino coffee machines with dual fuel in smart cars etc. Clearly, these do not meet the requirements for the gas safety as specified by NCASS. Some vehicles appear to have the rear tailgate that opens upwards and then a compartment in what would be the spare wheel well holding the LPG tank.

Any information would be SO appreciated.

Many thanks,
Craig

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Dec 04, 2025
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starstarstarstarstar 		Storing Refillable LPG in a Motorhome Used as a Coffee Van – Simple UK Guide
by: MobCater

Hello,

Here is some basic guidance,

If your vehicle is registered as a motorhome and already has a built-in LPG system for leisure use, this is treated very differently from LPG used in commercial catering. The key point is that catering gas rules only apply when LPG is used to power catering equipment. If your LPG tank is only connected to the original motorhome appliances and you do not use LPG for your coffee business, then it is not classed as a catering LPG installation.

The official LPG Code of Practice (CoP 24) even says that it does not apply to LPG systems in leisure vehicles such as motorhomes or campervans. These are covered instead by BS EN 1949, which is the standard for gas systems in leisure accommodation vehicles. So your refillable LPG tank, cupboard, and floor-level ventilation are all treated as a leisure setup, not a catering one.

This means you do not need to install an external catering gas locker, you do not need to modify the motorhome body, and you do not need a catering gas certificate for an LPG system that is not being used for trading. Environmental Health will inspect your electrical setup, hygiene, water supply and workflow, but they will not apply commercial LPG catering rules to a leisure system that remains unused while you work.

For reassurance, you can still have a leisure LPG engineer carry out a normal motorhome gas safety check, but this is optional. As long as the LPG system stays part of the original leisure layout and is not connected to your coffee machine or any catering appliances, it does not fall under catering gas regulations.

Hope this helps you get started, just double check everything with the right certified professionals, let us know how it goes.

Disclaimer:
This is general guidance based on UK mobile catering experience and information from LPG CoP 24. Always check with your local Environmental Health Officer and use qualified LPG or leisure vehicle engineers for safety inspections or gas work.

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