Can I pull my 5th wheel down the road with the refrigerator running. I know if I did I would have to turn it off while fueling. Am I correct on this. I have not pulled and camper in years and need a refresher coarse for my brain.

I think the majority of us do leave it on while traveling. Mine stays in auto from the time I hook up to the time I return home.And probably the majority of those who do, if they have diesel trucks, leave it on while fueling, especially if they are at diesel only pumps or the fridge is not close to a gas pump.

BB_TX wrote:I think the majority of us do leave it on while traveling. Mine stays in auto from the time I hook up to the time I return home.And probably the majority of those who do, if they have diesel trucks, leave it on while fueling, especially if they are at diesel only pumps or the fridge is not close to a gas pump.This described me to a "T". My camper comes home from storage 1-2 days before a trip and the fridge gets turned on. It stays on until we get home and the fridge is unloaded.

If your refrigerator can run as fast as you drive, then it can run all it wants.Enough of the bad jokes. Yes, you can leave it running. I leave it running when I get diesel, too. My fridge is on the curb side, fuel fillup on the road side, and I am usually on the outside pumps if I am fueling up, so my fridge is no where near any possible vapors. Also, gasoline vapors are heavier than air, so it will take a lot of vapors to get anywhere near the fridge.

Ours is on...can't do much good as a refrigerator if it's off and not cold.

Ours is on 12V when traveling. Not sure that is an option for yours.

refrigerator on while traveling? | Good Sam Community

28 Replies

Ole_Man_Dan
Explorer
Mar 09, 2014
I leave my Fridge on when I travel.
Most times I don't have to re-fuel.
It's not too much trouble to turn the fridge off while fueling, then pull up and turn the Fridge back on.
mlts22
Explorer II
Feb 28, 2014
Sometimes the wind blows the refer flame out and causes an interlock condition.
BB_TX
Nomad
Feb 28, 2014
pchartrand wrote:
Mine is in auto, but it's in error mode and off when I arrive.

Pat

Do you open your propane tank valve? In auto, when you lose 120 VAC it will switch to 12 VDC and propane. If propane is not available it will give a check or error light.
Sounds like either you did not open the propane valve, or you did not open a range top burner valve and momentarily light a burner to get propane thru the gas lines close to the fridge.
pchartrand
Explorer II
Feb 28, 2014
Mine is in auto, but it's in error mode and off when I arrive.

Pat
Campinghoss
Explorer II
Feb 28, 2014
Always on never off. Some tunnels require it to be off when going thru them since the tank has to be closed is the only exception.
RoyB
Explorer II
Feb 28, 2014
My OFF-ROAD trips with my POPUP Trailer are usually the weekend or maybe a run down to Gatlinburg Smoky Mtns areas for a few nights...

We usually just stock the cooking supplies and won't pickup food etc until we reach the camping area. Find a WALMART and stock up for the two to three campings nights with meats and dairy products etc

We really almost live out the back of the pickup truck bed haha...

I will fire up our small fridge on the road (on 12VDc) when we are a couple hours out so it will be cold when we get setup. I always have my 5-day ice chest filled up with ice and a closed tray in the top of it for cold things so they won't get water logged.

Roy Ken
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Feb 28, 2014
Us out West wrote:
tandkj wrote:
And how many times have we had this question posted?????

A Bunch...but some don't seem to like using the Search feature for what they are looking for.

Then why reply if it's bothersome to you :H
Us_out_West
Explorer
Feb 28, 2014
tandkj wrote:
And how many times have we had this question posted?????

A Bunch...but some don't seem to like using the Search feature for what they are looking for.
tandkj
Explorer
Feb 28, 2014
And how many times have we had this question posted?????
ScottG
Nomad
Feb 27, 2014
I accidentally turned ours off one time just before leaving the house. After two hours in 70 degree weather the beer I pulled out was noticeably warm. There's no way it would stay cold all day.
Leave it on - that's what its designed for.