Keeping Things Cold on the Road
Interested to know how long things in refrigerator stay cold while traveling and if anything in the freezer thaws out if we're on, say, an 8 hour road day. Just bought a TT and haven't used it yet.
Forum Discussion
- Pretty much everyone agrees that the gas fridges are slow to get cold compared to our home compressor style ones.
It stands to reason that it will be slow to start cooling after being shut off for a time.... It is not a on off switch type process... Think about what that means when you have a fridge full of food, and its been turned off for 8 hours. suzyqtx60 wrote:
Our refrigerator/freezer lasts 2 hours before we have to turn it to propane. That's starting out with everything in the refrigerator cold and everything in the freezer frozen.
Your post highlights an interesting point/dilemna and that is you say 2 hours and we have a few swearing they can go 8 and everything is still nice and cold. Logic tells me both can't be right so there appears to be a lot of "FIBBING" going on somewhere. Even more important is are you willing to take the chance on believing the wrong assertion when your health could be at risk. I guess it might be one of those "DIRTY HARRY" DO YOU FEEL LUCKY type things.
Larry- We always travel with the fridge on. Some people don't but thousands do and I would guess the majority do.
- Our refrigerator/freezer lasts 2 hours before we have to turn it to propane. That's starting out with everything in the refrigerator cold and everything in the freezer frozen.
NanciL wrote:
We won't run our refrig. on gas while traveling.
I don't care what others say.
My manual advises not to and I'll go with that
With that said. the day before traveling we turn on the refrigerator and leave it on overnight.
My wife loads all the frozen stuff from our home freezer in and yes it stays solid for an eight hour trip, and the milk etc stays nice and cold.
We have been doing it this way for many years, and will be doing it again shortly when we head to our snowbird destination.
Jack L
X2. If there is any room left in the freezer we finish filling the freezer with blue ice from the home freezer.jaycocreek wrote:
It seems there are lot's of people that choose to travel with the refer on,that's cool.It's your rig and your choice but some like Good Sam,the forum we are all posting on,suggest not to as my quote from the Good Sam Travel blog below..Driving with propane on can add to the danger if you are involved in an accident or have a fire. SHUT OFF THE PROPANE at the tank and turn off all propane-powered appliances while driving.
And there are those of us that choose to do exactly that...Why should anyone else care by adding another safety feature to the enjoyment of RVing.
It's a choice we all have to make.
And Good Sam Travel blog is just an opinion that doesn't carry any more/same weight as mfg. of the fridges (Norcold/Dometic) which state it is OK to operate fridge in transit. OR the Federal DOT & ASME regulations that require all of the safety features that prevent cylinders/tanks from spewing propane should lines/fittings be damaged. Short of the vessel it self being damaged having them valved IN or Out posses no inherent danger
Again.......it is safe and is a personal choose whether or not to travel with propane ON.
Simple as that.- It seems there are lot's of people that choose to travel with the refer on,that's cool.It's your rig and your choice but some like Good Sam,the forum we are all posting on,suggest not to as my quote from the Good Sam Travel blog below..
Driving with propane on can add to the danger if you are involved in an accident or have a fire. SHUT OFF THE PROPANE at the tank and turn off all propane-powered appliances while driving.
And there are those of us that choose to do exactly that...Why should anyone else care by adding another safety feature to the enjoyment of RVing.
It's a choice we all have to make. marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:
Side note, I took a half full propane tank out to the desert once and shot it up with an AK about 50 rounds.......holy******did it NOT blow up. It just hissed and leaked and froze up since it evaporates at -44F.
I leave mine on.
You forgot to light a flair or candle beside the tank before the first shot... that would have been much more interesting!
I also feel safe running my fridge on propane while driving.- We cool the reefer, load it next day, start trip next day. Propane is turned on, reefer on auto. Last trip, I didn't change a thing for four weeks, 5700 miles. Worked for us.
- To the Op
Please read my response on page two to your question, but skip the first paragraph.
It will answer what you originally asked.
In our case we pre cool the refrig, by turning it on the day before we travel
Jack L
