propane fridge on when traveling

[booty51]

Ok just thought I would ask, " If you are driving how many of you run your fridge on propane? Some other thread hit on this as a safety issue just wondering what the masses are doing. I do realize some of you modern guys are all electric, and if its to uncomfortable inside we run the genny for more ac cooling thus not on propane! But do you see a problem just running on propane?

NO I don't, but shut it off when refueling!

[Effy]

On. I posed this question to the manufacturer when I bought it. It's built to be on in motion. Enough safety features to shut itself off in the event of a problem. I try and remember to turn it off while fueling. I forget a lot of the time. I'm still here and so is everyone else. And the most important part, my food and beer are always cold.

[Gau_8]

Dick_B wrote:
Bill of Bills RV in Ventura, CA does not recommend having the fridge on when traveling. As I remember if the pipes clog and the flame is on there can be trouble. He recommends staying out of the refer to avoid spilling the cold air out.
Mine is off unless it's 95 degrees outside and we are traveling over four hours or so. Me Wife puts in cold packs just in case.

My mommy says propane is OK! Good enough for me. She never listens to Bill!

[CG_Dawson]

ON!!!

[time2roll]

The front TV shuts off while driving and the propane fridge would do the same if it was a hazard.

[Old-Biscuit]

Mack the Fire Guy is just putting on a 'professional' face for the crowd.

If flame goes out....it will attempt to relight. If it doesn't 'prove' it trips out.
If propane line/hose breaks the excess flow valve will close

Safety features are built in to systems

If it was dangerous to operate a 'self contained' RV while in transit then it is too dang dangerous to operate it while I'm sleeping.

Fridge has been ON for over 7yrs. Only time it is off is 3X a year to defrost.

[bobjogone]

Turn it off to be safest. Refrigerator stays cold on 3-4 hour trips. Leave some freezer packs in the freezer to help.

[SpinRite]

My refrigerator is run by the inverter while traveling. The alternator keeps the batteries charged, no need to run the generator.

[Canadian_Rainbi]

Interestingly, Mack the Fire Guy asks at Rallies who drives with propane on or off. He then asks how many "Yes" are Fire Fighters. He states that he has never had a full time Professional Fire Fighter admit to driving with the propane on.

We usually do not. Some 6 or 7 years ago we stopped for lunch and I turned the propane on to get a blast of propane past my face. The Extend A Stay fitting had fractured.

Now we keep it off. But...recently we have had fridge problems and began leaving a thermometer remote in the fridge. Driving in temperatures up to 30C the other day the internal fridge temperature went up to 15C by the time we had arrived in Mazatlan. (freezer stays below 0C) We're off to San Carlos tomorrow, an 11 hour trip; I'm tempted to leave it on. OR buy a bag of ice for the fridge before we leave.

[Goatee]

Have it on when traveling. Used to turn it off when refueling and just realized on the last trip, I forgot. Doh! Oh, well, we and our neighboring refuelers are still here.
Has anyone seen on the net any Youtube, etc. where there was a fire?

[wa8yxm]

There are schools of thought..

The insurance industry seems to want you to turn the propane off AT THE TANK when travelign that way if there is that one in a very large number accident where a propane line is ruptured there won't be any leakage

The tank is supposed to have an excess flow feature that will prevent leakage of major amounts if that happens anyway.. And what happens if the valve gets knocked off (There is a video about that on the web just now).

My theory: Some folks claim that most RV fires start with the fridge (Personally I think Engine). well if the fridge flames excessevely when you are doing double nickles on the freeway. Well, that half million dollar Prevost behind you.. For sure he is not going to pass on the flaming side.

But when you are parked next to him at the FMCA rally, having been a good little RVer and turned propane off when traveling and it now decides to flame over and above specifications.. Well, your RV, his (half million dollar remember) the guy on the other side of you and possibly more since they do the sardine package parking at those rallies.

I'd rather take my chances on the freeway.

[CA_Traveler]

On

[Unyalli]

On unless parked for a few hours on an angle.

From the Dometic manual.

Leveling the refrigerator

Leveling is one of the requirements for proper operation with absorption refrigerators. to ensure proper leveling the vehicle needs to be leveled only so it is comfortable to live in (no noticeable sloping of floor or walls). Any time the vehicle is parked for several hours with the refrigerator operating, the vehicle should be leveled to prevent this loss of cooling. If the refrigerator is operated when it is not level and the vehicle is not moving, liquid ammonia will accumulate in sections of the evaporator tubing. This will slow the circulation of hydrogen and ammonia gas, or in severe cases, completely block it, resulting in a loss of cooling.

When the vehicle is moving, the leveling is not critical, as the rolling and pitching movement of the vehicle will pass to either side of level, keeping the liquid ammonia from accumulating in the evaporator tubing.

-Jeff

[Dale_Traveling]

If there's food in the fridge is on auto. Electric when available or propane when not. If it was hazardous the fridge and/or coach manufactures would have warning stickers all over it. Plus they would probably interlock it to the ignition.

[ncrowley]

I always have the propane on for the refrigerator when I am traveling and I do not turn it off when fueling.

[Francesca_Knowl]

Dick_B wrote:
Bill of Bills RV in Ventura, CA does not recommend having the fridge on when traveling. As I remember if the pipes clog and the flame is on there can be trouble.

:h

What "pipes"? Certainly he couldn't mean the propane "pipes", since if those clogged the flame would go out. If he meant the fridge coolant tubes, they're much less likely to clog when the rig's in motion. And even if they do clog, the outcome would just be loss of cooling.

I think Ol' Bill the Dealer was givin' you a standard "CYA" answer to the question.