Fuel
Most Indie Campers vehicles run on diesel, though some run on petrol (unleaded) — this is more common on some of our vehicles in the US. You can't tell the fuel type from the model, so check your own van before your first fill-up: it's shown on a label at the fuel filler cap and in the vehicle guide in your Client Area. Using the wrong fuel can seriously damage the engine, so it's always worth a quick look.
How much fuel you'll use depends mainly on the size of your van and how you drive — a large motorhome uses noticeably more than a compact campervan, and motorway speeds, hills, and a fully loaded van all add up. The most reliable guide is your van's own dashboard, which shows the average consumption for the trip you're actually driving.
Gas / LPG
How your campervan stores gas depends on where you're travelling: in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, vans use refillable or exchangeable gas bottles; in the US and Canada, they use an LPG (propane) system.
Either way, it powers the hob, and depending on the model, the hot water, heating, and on a few models the fridge too — so how long a full bottle or tank lasts depends mostly on what you use it for:
- Using gas mainly for cooking, it can comfortably last a week or two, often longer.
- Add daily hot showers and it'll go down faster.
- Heating is by far the biggest draw — in cold weather it can bring your supply down to just a few days.
The weather and how well the van holds heat make a big difference too. And if your camper heats the water or cabin with diesel or electric rather than gas, heating won't touch your gas supply at all — your vehicle guide shows what your van uses gas for. For how your gas is supplied, topped up, and charged, see our Gas & LPG Policy.