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d1h's avatar
d1h
Nomad III
Aug 01, 2013

Fridge On Propane

How long will a 30 lb cylinder last running refrigerator strictly on propane
  • We spent about 14 days at Jackson in June and early July this year and, between the fridge, the stove and furnace during the cool nights, we used up one 30-lb cylinder almost. When refilling, we put in 6.5 gallons of propane. This was for dry camping and we have two cylinders as well as two batteries. You didn't say whether you used the propane stove or a furnace, but if you only used it to run the fridge, you should be able to get through the whole summer without running out.
  • Hi,

    Even a 60 watt solar system would provide enough energy to operate the gas valve on an absorption fridge nearly forever.

    I try to run my fridge on 120 volts as much as I can to save on propane.
  • coolmom42 wrote:
    exeter_acres wrote:
    a really....really long time......

    I pretty much strictly boondock.....
    and I can go all summer plus some with out a fill up.... and we are out almost all the time.

    the limit is going to be the battery...not the gas


    This.


    X2
  • I don't see a rig in your profile, so don't have any idea what you might have, fridge-wise...

    As noted, most RV fridges require electricity to run as well as propane, and if yours is one of those battery life will definitely be your limiting factor.

    There are some fridges (mine's one) that require no electricity to run. I've never run "just the fridge", so have no idea how long a tank would last under that circumstance. I can say, though, that using fridge and stove on a two week trip recently I came home with half a tank of propane. On a late winter trip using the heater as well 16 hours a day, a single tank lasted six days.
  • I suspect your battery will go dead before you run out of propane.
  • exeter_acres wrote:
    a really....really long time......

    I pretty much strictly boondock.....
    and I can go all summer plus some with out a fill up.... and we are out almost all the time.

    the limit is going to be the battery...not the gas


    This.
  • a really....really long time......

    I pretty much strictly boondock.....
    and I can go all summer plus some with out a fill up.... and we are out almost all the time.

    the limit is going to be the battery...not the gas

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