Keeping Things Cold on the Road

Trying to keep a fridge cool with a few ice packs will not work very well.

It works just dandy.Is this another guess or have you done it and it didn't work out for you?

I can keep my refer below 40 degree's with ice packs for an easy 8 hours if the frig is cooled down prior to and all the items put into it are already cooled down.

Keeping a refrigerator at a proper temp without electricity or gas isn't rocket science.Outfitters at hunting camps and rafters do it all the time and at the end of the day miles away from civilization they pull out the steak and eggs on a remote beach or hillside and eat away.

What do the poor tent campers do without a RV frig to run 24/7?

Die of food poisoning if you listen to a few here.:S

stepped over the line so to speak.

Speaking of stepping over the line,Hows your BS meter today?:B

When Woodalls and several other well known RV authorities say it is safer to travel with the frig off,why is it wrong in your mind some RV'ers choose to do just that?

But most importantly,traveling with the frig on was never even mentioned in the original post.It was asked how the food holds up in the frig after 8 hrs on the road.

Some have chimed in just fine with experience doing so others change the subject to suit there needs not the posters who asked a simple question.

Long time camper here who won't travel with the gas turned on.
My trailer is so old that a long time ago the manual fell apart, but I remember distinctly in one section on safety, it stated not to travel with the gas turned on.
Maybe the newer trailers have some automatic shut off in case of a burst gas line, but for all these years we travel with it off and will continue to.

Guy

Terryallan wrote:

LarryJM wrote:

Atlee wrote:
You should post that picture of the "don't use while traveling" notice. That's what the poster you said took you to task wants. He provided several quotes which did not prohibit using the fridge on gas.

He simply said if anyone could show info to the contrary, he would stand corrected.

I'm the one that you are referring to and let me remind you that what you are saying to do "IS NOT" what I asked for. Below is the exact quote from my post ...

Now if NanciL comes back and provides proof of their claim that their manual does recommend not operating their refer during travel then I will stand corrected, but I want to be able to independently verify this information and not simply "TRUST ONE'S WORD"

The key elements are:

1. It has to come from an actual equipment manual

2. It has to say that you should not operate the refer during travel and that would be normal travel and not very limited and unique situations such as travel on ferries, certain tunnels, etc.

3. It has to be "independently verifiable" and by that I mean one can find the information on the web. I can gin up or photoshop some "document" etc. to say anything I want with any title listed source take a picture of it and post it and this is where the "TRUST ONE'S WORD" comes in that I say is not acceptable proof.

To me arguments about increased chances of fire, explosion, ruptured line, etc. are red herrings and I could just as easily say one should never get in a vehicle and drive since that simple act exposes you to potential injury from and accident over not getting on the road at all.

BTW the Dometic info I posted came direct from the manuals readily available on the Dometic website that anyone here can pull up and independently read. I would bet the info I posted from NORCOLD is also available on the web, but I actually have those manuals downloaded on my computer for ready reference so I don't have to use the internet to refer to them. I also provided the actual manual nr. and information that I pulled the direct quotes from.

I will repeat, the whole reason I as some are calling it as "taking to task the info posted" is that I have a HUGE problem when I see someone posting misleading or false information that readers less experienced than some of us more "seasoned RVers" might read and actually take as being correct and using it believing that it is actually factual when in fact it is far from that.

Larry

Larry. He was on your side.

LOL ... I didn't view it as who's on who's side or even who's on first, etc.:B nor did I mean to appear I was also beating up on Atlee and I apologize if I came across that way to him/her if that was what happened. It was I just didn't want anyone one unintentionally changing what I was actually asking for in my original post and I viewed what Atlee was saying he/she thought I was asking for fell well short of that. I also want to apologize to the OP for getting this thread more off track than might be desired and I have tried to explain why I posted what I have.

To be brutally honest all this concern on operating things like the refer under such mundane conditions as simply traveling is to be completely truthful IMHO borders on being about as "silly" as the two comparisions I made here on even getting into a car for fear of getting into an accident or not using the toilet facilities for #2s for whatever obscure reason I have actually seen posted here on threads discussion this aspect of RVing. I really can't fight the open flame, pressurized gas lines, etc. reasons being cited for not running your refer while traveling as minute and insignificant as I personally believe they are and realize it is futal to try and change one's mind on this issue, but to take it to a level above a simple personal preference and suggest it should be the norm and that there are "REALLY SOUND" reasons for not using the refer as I think it was intended has stepped over the line so to speak.

Larry

wrenchbender wrote:
FYI I have Gone 8hrs on a trip from PHX to Mexico in 80 degree temps with the reefer off.Upon arrival the ice in the freezer was still frozen and the lower box temp was 42 upon arrival.(I forgot to open the gas valve).Its legal to tow with the gas on and operate the fridge.Just do not try to ride a ferry with it on.

Fyi
Ice will stay frozen at 32 degrees. But the quality of some foods will degrade at that temp. Ice cream will vet soft and expand forming ice crystals,which will feel like sand in your mouth. 42 in the fridge is getting warm. Some areas of the fridge are likely too warm.
Trying to keep a fridge cool with a few ice packs will not work very well. One would need a LOT of ice, and dry ice in the freezer
A fridge is not designed to be a cooler and a cooler is not designed to be a fridge.
Both will work best when used as designed.

FYI I have Gone 8hrs on a trip from PHX to Mexico in 80 degree temps with the reefer off.Upon arrival the ice in the freezer was still frozen and the lower box temp was 42 upon arrival.(I forgot to open the gas valve).Its legal to tow with the gas on and operate the fridge.Just do not try to ride a ferry with it on.

LarryJM wrote:

Atlee wrote:
You should post that picture of the "don't use while traveling" notice. That's what the poster you said took you to task wants. He provided several quotes which did not prohibit using the fridge on gas.

He simply said if anyone could show info to the contrary, he would stand corrected.

I'm the one that you are referring to and let me remind you that what you are saying to do "IS NOT" what I asked for. Below is the exact quote from my post ...

Now if NanciL comes back and provides proof of their claim that their manual does recommend not operating their refer during travel then I will stand corrected, but I want to be able to independently verify this information and not simply "TRUST ONE'S WORD"

The key elements are:

1. It has to come from an actual equipment manual

2. It has to say that you should not operate the refer during travel and that would be normal travel and not very limited and unique situations such as travel on ferries, certain tunnels, etc.

3. It has to be "independently verifiable" and by that I mean one can find the information on the web. I can gin up or photoshop some "document" etc. to say anything I want with any title listed source take a picture of it and post it and this is where the "TRUST ONE'S WORD" comes in that I say is not acceptable proof.

To me arguments about increased chances of fire, explosion, ruptured line, etc. are red herrings and I could just as easily say one should never get in a vehicle and drive since that simple act exposes you to potential injury from and accident over not getting on the road at all.

BTW the Dometic info I posted came direct from the manuals readily available on the Dometic website that anyone here can pull up and independently read. I would bet the info I posted from NORCOLD is also available on the web, but I actually have those manuals downloaded on my computer for ready reference so I don't have to use the internet to refer to them. I also provided the actual manual nr. and information that I pulled the direct quotes from.

I will repeat, the whole reason I as some are calling it as "taking to task the info posted" is that I have a HUGE problem when I see someone posting misleading or false information that readers less experienced than some of us more "seasoned RVers" might read and actually take as being correct and using it believing that it is actually factual when in fact it is far from that.

Larry

Larry. He was on your side.

jaycocreek wrote:

Huntindog wrote:
I work in the grocery buisiness.
In perishible foods.we follow a practice called
Dont break the cold chain.

Cold food must be under constant refridgeration

I here ya but do you really think that is the way it happens?I have sons aand relatives in the grocery business.My father-in-law retired as an Albertsons manager.

Milk sometimes sits on the doc for hours,frozen food on the floors to be put up by the freight crew or when they get to it.Refrigerated items do not always go strait to the cooler because of lack of room in the coolers for pallets etc.

But I understand how it is supposed to be in a real world.To bad it isn't.

That is a poorly run operation.
Milk goes straight frm the truck to the cooler. If the dairy cooler is full which it should not be,if the orders are right,then it goes in the meat or produce coolers. It NEVER. Sits out.
Frozen is the same way. We even have insulated pallet wraps for when it cant be stocked faster than 20 minutes.
Every minute out of reftdgeration, degrades quality,and increases the risk of food poisoning.

Huntindog wrote:
I work in the grocery buisiness.
In perishible foods.we follow a practice called
Dont break the cold chain.

Cold food must be under constant refridgeration

I here ya but do you really think that is the way it happens?I have sons aand relatives in the grocery business.My father-in-law retired as an Albertsons manager.

Milk sometimes sits on the doc for hours,frozen food on the floors to be put up by the freight crew or when they get to it.Refrigerated items do not always go strait to the cooler because of lack of room in the coolers for pallets etc.

But I understand how it is supposed to be in a real world.To bad it isn't.

Atlee wrote:
Please let me know what makes it ok, in your mind, to run a fridge on gas in a motorhome, but not in a TT or 5'er.

Show me where in the heck I said it was okay..I simply said I have (past tense) for my reasons..Well,someone is right there where they can see the pilot of the frig and smell fumes was my reasoning back then which have since changed many years ago.

I also said I could care less how you or anyone else does it but what disturbs me is "where in the opps post was it asked about traveling with the frig on?

It wasn't..This was the question which as usual has strayed into a P....ing match of my way or the hiway attitude except this one included a BS meter...

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