Gas Compliance Certificates for caravans, motorhomes and camper trailers
Any vehicle with LPG cooking, heating or hot water needs a Gas Compliance Certificate alongside its roadworthy. Here is what the certificate covers and when it is required.
What a Gas Compliance Certificate is
A Gas Compliance Certificate (sometimes called a Gas Certificate or Gas Safety Certificate) is a separate document from a roadworthy. It certifies that the LPG installation in a recreational vehicle, caravan, motorhome, camper trailer, fifth-wheeler, meets AS/NZS 5601.2, the Australian standard for gas installations in mobile structures.
The certificate is issued by a licensed gas worker or gas-fitter, not a roadworthy inspector. The two inspections are entirely separate, though some specialist mobile operators hold both qualifications and can do them in a single visit.
When you need one
A Gas Compliance Certificate is typically required at the following events:
- Sale of a recreational vehicle with LPG, most states require a current certificate before transfer of ownership.
- First registration of an imported caravan or motorhome with LPG appliances.
- After modifications to the gas system, adding a hot water service, replacing the cooktop, relocating a bottle.
- Periodic re-certification, many states recommend a re-certification every two years even when no sale or modification has occurred.
A roadworthy inspector cannot certify gas. A roadworthy will check the vehicle's chassis, brakes, lights and tyres; the gas worker will inspect the bottle mounts, regulator, copper lines, joints, appliances and ventilation.
What is checked
Standard items inspected for a gas compliance certificate include:
- Bottle and bottle storage: correctly mounted, ventilated, in date-stamp test compliance, and not exceeding the rated capacity for the location.
- Regulator: correct rating, correctly mounted, vented to outside, within service interval.
- Pipework: correctly supported, no chafing, no kinks, joints leak-tested under pressure.
- Appliances: correctly installed, ventilated, flame-failure devices working where required.
- Ventilation: floor vents, high vents, and combustion air supply meeting the standard for the appliance load.
- Identification labelling: correctly placarded as required by the standard.
The gas worker will pressure-test the entire system after inspection, typically with a manometer at 2.75 kPa for ten minutes. Any drop and the system fails until the leak is found and repaired.
Cost and timing
A Gas Compliance Certificate for a typical caravan costs $150–$250 in 2026. Motorhomes and larger rigs run $200–$350 because there are more appliances and longer pipe runs to check.
Allow 60–90 minutes for the inspection itself. If the inspector finds non-compliance, the certificate is withheld until rectification. Common fails, out-of-date bottle, missing flame-failure on a cooktop, perished hose, are usually fixable within a week.
Book the gas certificate and the roadworthy together where possible. The gas worker can often inspect while the roadworthy is being done, which saves you a separate appointment.