Gas Certificate Switzerland Campsites
There is a new law in Switzerland that many people will fall foul of when coming to Switzerland and staying on a campsite. This is now in force from 2023 onwards and any motorhome, van or caravan tht has gas installed will require an IN DATE gas certificate.
The check will be carried out when you arrive by the campsite owners or their representitives. Ultimately they will be fined if they allow any vehcile onto their site that does not hold a valid certifiacte, and could lose their licence. So they are on the ball with this rule.
Gas Test Checks – Every 3 Years
In Switzerland you need to show that your Motorhome, campervan, caravan or anything that has gas fitted is fully up to date, and has been gas tested in the last 3 years. If your vehicle is Swiss registered, you will get a certificate issued, and a small sticker placed on your kitchen window showing the run out date.
What This Means – Valid Gas Test Crtificate
You will now find that almost all of Switzerlands campsite have gas test facilities on thier campsites so that a vehicle or caravan that arrives on site can be tested if it is not able to produce a VALID CERTIFICATE for the last 3 years.
You are not BY LAW allowed to camp at a registered campsite WITHOUT this gas certficate. It is even a part of the Swiss TUV test or MOT in the UK. Your vehcile may well pass its TUV test, but will not be issues its number plate unless it ALSO has a Gas Certificate that is in date. This only applies if you have gas items in your vehicle.
Expensive Holidays
This could be a very expensive holiday. Whilst not all campsites will try and rip you off, on my recent check done by a campsite in Erlach, I was qouted 350 chf :(Around £340) for a gas test check. THAT DID NOT INCLUDE THE PARTS THEY RECOMMENDED NEEDED TO BE CHANGED.
The total bill quoted was around 1000 chf ( Around £950). NO THAT IS NOT A MISTAKE. This was a complete rip off.
Fortunately, I did not have to take the test, and had the gas tester done his homework and looked at the components before trying to rip me off, he would have seen that all that was required was the two gas pipes that go from the gas bottles to the gas tanks. The rest of the equipment was updated in 2018, and 2019.
Make sure you are up to date with your gas certificate if you are travelling to SWitzerland and staying on a registered Swiss campsite in 2024 otherwise it could be an expensive holiday for all the wrong reasons.