Refer question.. How long will it stay cold?

"Use the propane" I get it lol... And after this trip we will be. Any place I can go online and read up on how to use the system. Im sure it states it in the manuals but Im at work and wanted to read up on stuff if I could. It cant be a simple as just turning the knob on at the tanks and viola its done. What else is involved?

sremsing wrote:
Use the propane. It's one of the reasons it can run on electric or propane.

Exactly....

The OP is quite aware, at this point, of using propane to cool the refrigerator. But he can't go on this trip, doesn't want his GF to deal with an unknown system while alone. (I'm impress GF is even willing to tow the trailer alone.)

So, to the OP's point, get the refrigerator as cold as possible, load the precooled food early enough to allow the fridge to cool back down as far as possible (the fridge will warm up some while the door is open when loading the fridge). At the time of loading put either the blue frozen blue ice packs in with the food, or put bottles of frozen water with the food in the fridge.

Lastly, if you have a fridge that has a dial or similar imput to adjust the refrigerator's temperature, adjust to make the fridge as cold as possible before loading the food. Just adjust back to normal cold when at the camp ground.

To the OP's GF, go have fun.

LarryJM wrote:

wpsharpshooter wrote:
Not sure on how big the fridge is, its a Refer/freezer combo, Im guessing 9 cubic ft. Anyways, headed up to Ohio Friday and was curious just how long my fridge would stay cold if I plugged it up Thursday before we left. It would stay plugged in til about noon on Friday when we plan to leave. We have always just plugged it up when we got to where we was going but that means leaving all our stuff in the cooler til saturday morning. So the trip is 7 hrs. If we cool the fridge down and throw the already cold food in it. Will it be fine for the trip? Or just leave well enough alone and not fool with it? If it will stay cold the whole trip, is it better to leave it empty or just go ahead and fill the fridge up with food?

The correct answer is nobody knows for sure how long the frig will keep your food cold enough not to cause problems temp wise. There are just too many variables. IMO best answer is to just run it on auto and let it switch from elec to gas and use the frig as it was designed. All this worry and stuffing frozen this or that inside to keep things from spoiling is beyond me and again IMO needs some real world education on how this frigs should be used and I have yet to see any valid instance of where simply running it in auto and letting it run on propane when driving is not just as safe as shutting it off.

Larry

wpsharpshooter wrote:
Not sure on how big the fridge is, its a Refer/freezer combo, Im guessing 9 cubic ft. Anyways, headed up to Ohio Friday and was curious just how long my fridge would stay cold if I plugged it up Thursday before we left. It would stay plugged in til about noon on Friday when we plan to leave. We have always just plugged it up when we got to where we was going but that means leaving all our stuff in the cooler til saturday morning. So the trip is 7 hrs. If we cool the fridge down and throw the already cold food in it. Will it be fine for the trip? Or just leave well enough alone and not fool with it? If it will stay cold the whole trip, is it better to leave it empty or just go ahead and fill the fridge up with food?

The correct answer is nobody knows for sure how long the frig will keep your food cold enough not to cause problems temp wise. There are just too many variables. IMO best answer is to just run it on auto and let it switch from elec to gas and use the frig as it was designed. All this worry and stuffing frozen this or that inside to keep things from spoiling is beyond me and again IMO needs some real world education on how this frigs should be used and I have yet to see any valid instance of where simply running it in auto and letting it run on propane when driving is not just as safe as shutting it off.

Larry

I think it will stay cold for 8 hours but I would go one better if there is room.

First all the food should be chilled at home in the house refrigerator before moving it to the trailer. Also Freeze a half gallon milk jug full of water for a week before the trip then put the jug in the refrigerator with the already cooled food. Close the door and don't open it again. Get a small cooler for ice and drinks for the kids and go have fun.

Since you've camped before using coolers, I'd suggest using coolers as before for the drive. It would be safer with ice rather than just in the refrigerator without it cooling. She can always add ice as she's driving. When she gets there, plug it in. Be sure she knows to look if the switch for the refrigerator is turned to 'off' so she turns it to 'on'. Most refrigerators have this switch.

To get a jump start on the refrigerator cooling once she plugs into electric at the campground, do as you mentioned - plug it in the night before at your house and put in some house-chilled cold drinks or canned juices for the kids the next morning when she takes off. Pre-chilling will keep it a little cool during the drive and it will get to a good temperature faster when she plugs it in at the campground.

I wouldn't rely on stocking it up fully before the trip and expecting it to keep cold. That's risky in the hotter temperatures you're having now and also if she's delayed during her trip for any reason. You never know.

It'll work....

spoon059 wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
He has only used the trailer 3 times. He has never used the propane. His GF is taking it with her kids, but he is not going to be with them. Enough advice about using the propane. Not a good idea for GF to be the first to test it alone

Ding, ding, ding.........winner at READING and Comprehending

But the reality of the situation is different. OP, you can simply open the propane and turn the fridge to auto while in the driveway at the house, while the OP is still there. Unplug the electric so that the fridge will convert to propane. The fridge will cool down.

At that time, after he has confirmed that the air is purged and the fridge works, he can plug in to electric. Without having to do anything else, the fridge will automatically switch to running on electric as the preferred option.

Again, the OP has to do NOTHING except plug in the trailer to electric.

When his girlfriend unplugs the trailer to tow to her location, the fridge will automatically switch back to the propane (still open, line still bled) and automatically continue to cool. Nothing new to do, nothing for the GF to learn, nothing for her to physically do.

Once at the campsite and hooked back up to electric... the fridge will automatically switch back to electric.

At the end of the trip, when the GF unplugs the electric, the fridge will (get ready for it...) AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH BACK TO PROPANE. It will stay cool on the drive home.

The OP can tell her its magic, it runs on batteries, it uses fairy dust... it won't matter. The GF won't have to do ANYTHING and will be assured a cold fridge (assuming it works) the entire trip without having to touch anything on the controls of the fridge, without having to open or close propane valves, without having to guess if the food will stay cold or not.

I don't know... it seems like some people are just determined to find a problem, rather than use a simple solution. You paid extra for a propane/electric fridge... I would use it. We use propane all the time to cool the fridge when we travel. I don't like my milk warm...

Option B is to get a digital thermometer. When your GF gets to the campground, she can immediately see the temperature inside the fridge. By then, its too late to do anything if its hot though.

Why is this SOoooooooooo difficult.

OPs Girl friend is NOT comfortable with the propane system/use.
She is going alone with the kids.....towing/traveling with the kids is enough w/o added 'burden' of a "GAS System" she is not comfortable with.

For us and others it is second hand....easy peasy

But OP is ASKING about NOT using propane at this time ....just if fridge will stay cold.

FWIW -- We've not done the "traveling with the propane on" option. I think since the OP is relatively new at RVing and not quite comfortable with all the systems yet, I suggest the following: we pre-cool the fridge overnight and freeze those blue ice pack thingys in the house freezer. In the morning we pack the fridge and freezer with whatever is going with us, then fill in the spaces in both the freezer and fridge with the blue ice. We've traveled for up to 10 hours with the temp in the fridge staying just fine and nothing in the freezer even starting to defrost (even the blue ice in the refrig is still pretty solid). Once we get set up, the blue ice goes into the freezer for the return trip. Easy-peezy.

Old-Biscuit wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
He has only used the trailer 3 times. He has never used the propane. His GF is taking it with her kids, but he is not going to be with them. Enough advice about using the propane. Not a good idea for GF to be the first to test it alone

Ding, ding, ding.........winner at READING and Comprehending

But the reality of the situation is different. OP, you can simply open the propane and turn the fridge to auto while in the driveway at the house, while the OP is still there. Unplug the electric so that the fridge will convert to propane. The fridge will cool down.

At that time, after he has confirmed that the air is purged and the fridge works, he can plug in to electric. Without having to do anything else, the fridge will automatically switch to running on electric as the preferred option.

Again, the OP has to do NOTHING except plug in the trailer to electric.

When his girlfriend unplugs the trailer to tow to her location, the fridge will automatically switch back to the propane (still open, line still bled) and automatically continue to cool. Nothing new to do, nothing for the GF to learn, nothing for her to physically do.

Once at the campsite and hooked back up to electric... the fridge will automatically switch back to electric.

At the end of the trip, when the GF unplugs the electric, the fridge will (get ready for it...) AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH BACK TO PROPANE. It will stay cool on the drive home.

The OP can tell her its magic, it runs on batteries, it uses fairy dust... it won't matter. The GF won't have to do ANYTHING and will be assured a cold fridge (assuming it works) the entire trip without having to touch anything on the controls of the fridge, without having to open or close propane valves, without having to guess if the food will stay cold or not.

I don't know... it seems like some people are just determined to find a problem, rather than use a simple solution. You paid extra for a propane/electric fridge... I would use it. We use propane all the time to cool the fridge when we travel. I don't like my milk warm...

Option B is to get a digital thermometer. When your GF gets to the campground, she can immediately see the temperature inside the fridge. By then, its too late to do anything if its hot though.

wpsharpshooter wrote:
Sorry guys The trailer is a 2016 XLR 24HFS. And yes I am going to be looking into the whole "turning the gas on" option. Just this trip doesnt lend itself to trying new things, as I will not be there to make sure everything is doing what its supposed to do. We could easily just pack the coolers and travel the way we have been. I just thought maybe we could get by with plugging the fridge in the day before then loading it up with the cold food the next day and we would be fine.

Actually you are not trying anything new. Fridge on propane is common and normal while driving. There were thousands out today doing the same thing... operating the RV as designed.

Easy to test the propane by using the selector switch to choose propane only while you cool it off and load the couple days before the trip. Then you just roll and don't give it a second thought.