Can I tow my trailer with Propane on ?

[Happy_Camper3]

Hello,

Can I leave my Propane on, to keep my fridge cold, while driving 16 hours to Yellowstone ?

Or is there a law against that ?

thank you

[bigdaddy37]

My research indicates in Canada there are laws requiring pilot lights to be out and tank valves to be closed.


http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/tdg/clear-part5-300.htm#sec51

[azdryheat]

My propane is always on while on the road. Use it for refridge and the water heater. Oh, and since I'm a toy hauler I've got my own little gas station built into the trailer with two gas tanks. But since I run diesel in the truck I'm not worried about a little propane flame as diesel is dang near impossible to ignite that way.

[ScottG]

Leave it on, that's what it's designed for and contrary to what some claim, it warms up rather quickly when it's off. They run 50% or more of the time for a reason.

[Johno02]

We leave propane on, turn refriig off while fueling.

[BB_TX]

I think the majority of us travel with the fridge on. And, although some turn them off when refueling, I think the majority of us leave them on.

I leave mine on in my 5er. If I had a gas MH or a truck camper where the fuel filler cap was be near the fridge, then I would turn it off. But on a 5er or TT where the fridge is a long distance from the fuel nozzle, then I would not worry about it. Gas fumes are heavier than air and tend to sink to the ground. To cause a fire, the fumes would have to travel at the height of the fridge for however many feet away it was, enter thru the fridge vents, while maintaining a fuel concentration above the LEL (lower explosion limit) necessary for combustion. How many documented cases of that happening have you ever heard of? And if you are at a diesel only island, then forget about it. Diesel fumes are not explosive like gas fumes are. Likewise if your trailer is sticking well back away from the pumps, don't worry about it.

[mowermech]

I leave it on all the time for the frig.
When fueling, the gas filler door is about 20 feet behind the frig, and the frig is about 5 feet off the ground. Gas fumes are heavier than air. If the fume level is that deep, when I start the engine, the sparks from the cranking motor commutator/brushes will ignite them, and there will be a huge fireball.
I have never heard of that happening.
Yes, there was (is?) a video making the rounds showing a Class B going up in flames when the owner was beginning to fuel it, because (supposedly) the frig was operating on propane. There are two things to notice about that video:
1. The frig was about a foot above the fuel filler.
2. The gas nozzle was locked OPEN, and the owner sprayed fuel directly into the frig!
That was a one-time freak occurrence, yet it has become the "poster child" for the "We're all gonna DIE if you don't fuel up properly!" folks.
Fuel station explosions are really VERY rare!

[SteveAE]

Hi,
Besides when fueling, it is also supposed to be off in some tunnels and on ferries.
While most folks here seem to leave it on, I prefer to turn it off when on the road. Except in the hottest of conditions, the fridge stays plenty cold due to the thermal mass of the food (like a full ice chest) as long as it is kept closed. I do turn it on for longer stops like at lunch or dinner.
Have a fun trip.

[ford_truck_guy]

another user while driving here..... Been doing it this way for 25 years

[4aSong]

Travel with it on for refrigerator. Shut it down when re-fueling.

[sch911]

I think you'll find that almost all of us use LP for the refrig, and furnace while travelling. That's what it is for after all...

[wanderingbob]

Never shut mine off ! 30 years R.V.ing . Some will say what if , my refrig is some thirty feet and on the other side of fuel door . I also sometimes ride a bike without a helmet or lifejacket !

[C-Bears]

We keep ours on all the time, obviously to power the frig. There have been times that we have needed to even run the furnace while towing.

I fuel up at the diesel islands and my propane tanks are about 30' from the pumps. The outside door for my furnace is about 45' from the pumps, so I never worry about it.

[JPeyton]

Keep it on and turn it off FOR SURE at gas stations. It's not enough to ignite the gas pump (since the pump is under control). It is a law for safety reasons. Use some common sense. If for some reason a gas station gets slammed into by a vehicle or something (it happens see liveleak) then you may ignite it. This is just my unofficial opinion.

[PRodacy]

We keep ours on all the time.

[RoyB]

The only laws I have run across was at some tunnels you have to be inspected to make sure your PROPANE TANKS are turned off. Some tunnels ban propane tanks altogether. Anything to do with laws it would be best to contact the local DMV or DOT place.

I would never fuel up anywhere with the propane tanks turned on.

I am not a fan of doing this but alot of RV'ers do it.

In my case my smaller Fridge has a 12VDC mode and I will fire that up a couple of hours out when heading for the campground.

Roy Ken