Do you travel with the propane on to run the refrigerator? What safety measures need to be taken? We haven’t been traveling more then 1 1/2 hours from home, so our fridge hasn’t cooled down much, but planning on some longer trips. Thanks In Advance

Yes, we always ran with LP on UNTIL we stopped for fuel. I would pull over before we got to the station and turn it off at the cylinder. After fueling, I would pull out of the station, or at least away from the fuel pumps, and turn it back on. Then I would enter the TT to make sure the frig was lit again. Safety first!!

IDman wrote:Yes, we always ran with LP on UNTIL we stopped for fuel. I would pull over before we got to the station and turn it off at the cylinder. After fueling, I would pull out of the station, or at least away from the fuel pumps, and turn it back on. Then I would enter the TT to make sure the frig was lit again. Safety first!!Thank you. Have you ever had to relight the stove to make sure propane was still flowing to the fridge? One last question, at home do you start off with the fridge on electric and then switch to propane when you leave ? Or just start off with the propane at home before you leave? Thank you

IDman wrote:Yes, we always ran with LP on UNTIL we stopped for fuel. I would pull over before we got to the station and turn it off at the cylinder. After fueling, I would pull out of the station, or at least away from the fuel pumps, and turn it back on. Then I would enter the TT to make sure the frig was lit again. Safety first!!What is it about fueling up that makes you want to shut off the propane?When I had a trailer, the propane was always on until it needed to be switched or until I put it in storage. Now, the only time I turn it off is when refilling the tank.

I leave the refer in "auto". We run with the propane on. Turning off propane is a safety item when refueling. Chances of enough build up to blow up would be very minimal. Not saying not to do it or to do it!

We shut off any appliances using propane in our motorhome when refueling to prevent the ignition sequences from possibly igniting gasoline fumes, but not the tank itself. With a trailer, the distance from the fuel fill point pretty much negates any danger risk. We no longer have an absorption fridge, so no propane needed there, but we do run our two propane furnaces as needed when traveling in cold weather. We also use the stove at rest stops to make lunch sometimes.

Traveling with Propane on | Good Sam Community

aftermath
Explorer III
Jul 04, 2022
Bikendan,

The Airstream forum has been pretty much a mixed bag over the years. I do believe the consensus recently is what you have stated.
WinMinnie02
Explorer
Jul 03, 2022
Yes you can use fridge with propane on while traveling.
bikendan
Explorer
Jul 03, 2022
As you can see just from this thread, the vast majority of RVers travel with the fridge on propane. This has been the case, on the 7 different RV forums I've belonged to, for the past 17 years.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Jul 03, 2022
Walaby wrote:
time2roll wrote:
toedtoes wrote:
I know it was a joke. It's just one that annoys the heck out of me because so many people REALLY BELIEVE they cannot cut the tags off pillows, etc.
It is very clear the tag must remain on for disclosure to the end user. Would have helped if it said the end user could remove. BTW mine have all been removed ;)

OMG - I had no idea I could remove those tags!!!

I now have a Sunday project! Thanks toedtoes and time2roll. Time to bust out the scissors.

BTW - just to make it thread relevant, I tow with my fridge running and no, I don't turn it off at the pump.

Mike

If you read the actual tag, it usually says "Under penalty of law this tag not to be removed except by the consumer". That means you can cut them off to your heart's content!!! Enjoy!

I run my trailer fridge on propane while driving. I sometimes turn off for fueling - just depends how big the station is. If the trailer will be next to another pump while I'm fueling, I turn it off. If not, I leave it on. The trailer fridge is a 2-way and not as efficient at holding the cold, so actively cooling during the drive is important.

I don't run the motorhome fridge on propane while driving. It has a 12v setting, so if I need to, I'll run it on that. But for up to about 5 hours, it stays cold so I don't bother. I have it on 120v at home, unplug and drive off, arrive at the campground, park, open the propane tank, switch it to propane and light it. For the trip home, I just close the propane tank, drive home, park, plug in and switch it back to electric.

Both of my fridges are older and do not have circuit boards, automatic lighting or switching modes, etc. I have to manually switch from one mode to the other and I have to manually put a flame to it.
Walaby
Explorer II
Jul 03, 2022
time2roll wrote:
toedtoes wrote:
I know it was a joke. It's just one that annoys the heck out of me because so many people REALLY BELIEVE they cannot cut the tags off pillows, etc.
It is very clear the tag must remain on for disclosure to the end user. Would have helped if it said the end user could remove. BTW mine have all been removed ;)

OMG - I had no idea I could remove those tags!!!

I now have a Sunday project! Thanks toedtoes and time2roll. Time to bust out the scissors.

BTW - just to make it thread relevant, I tow with my fridge running and no, I don't turn it off at the pump.

Mike
aftermath
Explorer III
Jul 03, 2022
To the OP, yes,run with the propane on. No needed precautions provided your fridge is in good working order. How do you know the fridge is "on"? Aside from all the lights and such you can always go outside, open the panel and feel the heat being generated in the exhaust tube surrounding the pilot light.

I have found this thread reassuring as the vast majority confirms the safety in running with the fridge on. I will only turn mine off when on a ferry. Haven't traveled through any tunnels that require it. I don't turn it off while fueling up either. The odds of a mishap are approaching zero. Fumes? Of course there are fumes at gas stations but even a spilled gallon of gas on the floor would not produce enough concentration to ignite some 25 feet away.

Over the years I have asked, pleaded actually, for anyone to produce any proof of a fire caused by a fridge running on propane while moving down the road. So far.....zero cases. I did see some photos of motor homes burning on the side of the road but upon closer look, they were fires started in the front of the rig, up where you find the engine. One sent in a story of a guy in a van conversion who was filling his gas tank that was right next to the fridge compartment. The old guy lost control of the hose and sprayed the side of the van with gas thus ingniting the whole thing. Really? That has been the best anyone could come up with.

Lets just say that someone does produce a single case of this issue. Out of millions of trips if one ended in a terrible fire, would that keep you from turning if the fridge? I mean, if you are that concerned about possible accidents you probably shouldn't drive on a highway. Lots can, and often does go wrong there.
way2roll
Navigator II
Jul 03, 2022
toedtoes wrote:
PButler96 wrote:
I wonder if some of these people commenting in this threadopen all the windows before they rip one loose while driving, because you never know when some errant spark up in the dashboard could potentially ignite the methane. I'd bet some actually hold it back until they can pull over to get into the great wide open LOL.

Not really necessary to be rude. Every one here has indicated why THEY do or do not. No one has stated that everyone should do the same or they will die. It's like most everything else, everyone has their own comfort level about it. Nothing wrong with that.

PB has been on here for 2 weeks and already making lots of friends.
toedtoes
Explorer III
Jul 03, 2022
PButler96 wrote:
I wonder if some of these people commenting in this threadopen all the windows before they rip one loose while driving, because you never know when some errant spark up in the dashboard could potentially ignite the methane. I'd bet some actually hold it back until they can pull over to get into the great wide open LOL.

Not really necessary to be rude. Every one here has indicated why THEY do or do not. No one has stated that everyone should do the same or they will die. It's like most everything else, everyone has their own comfort level about it. Nothing wrong with that.
PButler96
Explorer
Jul 03, 2022
I wonder if some of these people commenting in this threadopen all the windows before they rip one loose while driving, because you never know when some errant spark up in the dashboard could potentially ignite the methane. I'd bet some actually hold it back until they can pull over to get into the great wide open LOL.
austinjenna
Explorer
Jul 03, 2022
This wasn't true for us when we had our previous MH's. We ran the furnace when travelling in winter to keep the whole MH warm and pipes from freezing. We've also used hot water while en route. I always turned these things off when fueling however. I was never comfortable with an open flame while fueling however small the risk.

I think that you are in a very small minority of folks who travel with a furnace and hot water on.