Spend enough time online or chatting with owners on the next pitch and you could easily come away thinking LPG is on its way out.
Refill points are said to be disappearing. Gas is made to sound old-fashioned. And anyone still relying on LPG can start to feel like they are backing the wrong horse.
We think that says more about the agendas being pushed than the reality on the ground.
The worry is growing faster than the problem
Yes, LPG can feel less convenient in some local areas than it used to.
But the idea that the whole fuelling network for thousands of motorhomers is disappearing is simply not realistic.
Perhaps your local petrol forecourt has stopped stocking your tank size, but that is not the same thing as LPG no longer being a sensible or viable part of the market.
Why LPG still makes so much sense
For many motorhome owners, LPG still works brilliantly because it can cover several jobs from one fuel source.
A single LPG system can support:
- space heating
- hot water
- cooking
- refrigeration
That kind of versatility is hard to ignore, especially in a motorhome where every system has to earn its place.
The fridge question matters
Compressor fridges may be getting more attention, but gas fridges still make a strong case for themselves.
Run an absorption fridge on gas while off-grid and the electrical demand drops right down.
That means:
- less strain on the battery
- less need for extra solar
- less pressure to build a bigger, more expensive electrical system
For many owners, that is not old-fashioned. It is an optimised, affordable set-up.
Moving away from LPG is not always simpler
Take LPG out of heating, cooking and refrigeration, and the electrical system often has to do much more.
That can mean:
- bigger batteries
- more charging capacity
- more solar
- more expensive appliances
- a more complex installation
What sounds simpler at first can easily become more costly.
It also depends where you travel
The picture changes depending on where you go.
Across mainland Europe, LPG is still very much a practical option for many motorhome owners, especially those touring regularly through France, Spain and Portugal.
Heading further south, Morocco is becoming an increasingly popular destination for motorhome travellers, and that longer journey naturally sharpens the focus on self-sufficiency and fuel choice. Flexibility is key. Sharing the load across your main fuel tank, LPG, and solar and battery power gives you a more resilient setup and a better chance of a smooth, successful adventure.
What we are seeing at Thermo Technica
At Thermo Technica, we work with everyone from Motorhome owner’s and caravanners, through to van converters and get to see many different perspectives.
Some smaller van conversion specialists moving up from diesel parking heaters to larger combi systems prefer to stay with the fuel format they already know best. For their operational requirements, sticking with diesel, 12V and hook-up can make perfect sense.
We are also seeing many more new-build converters choosing diesel combi heater setups from the outset, but the number of customers asking about alternatives to LPG combi heaters still remains a very small percentage.
Non of that is the same thing as LPG losing its place. In many of these cases, it is simply about choosing the best fit for a particular style of build, travel or customer requirement.
LPG is still a strong choice
LPG remains a proven, effective and practical solution for many motorhome owners, and we know it is here to stay for a good long while yet.
For plenty of customers, the right answer is still to keep the LPG system they know, trust and are happy with, with sensible replacement options when the time comes.
In many cases, replacing a Truma Combi 4E gas unit with a Thermo Technica Combi 4E bare-bones system remains by far the quickest and most cost-effective solution.
And the fact that products like the Dometic TwinBoost Combi Heater are still being specified for gas and electric makes the same point: the major brands clearly do not see LPG disappearing any time soon.
So, is LPG really getting harder to find?
In some places, perhaps.
But the bigger truth is that LPG is still a highly practical, cost-effective and versatile choice for many motorhome owners.
For plenty of people, and those in the know, it remains the smartest setup on the vehicle.
