How many of you do this?

[caysea7254]

Ok in another forum it was mentioned that your fridge should always be turned off while filling up at a gas stations. Reason being open flame from LP tank. We have been pulling a camper for the best part of 30 years and never do that and never even thought about it. What about the rest of you? Thanks Tara

[Lloyd_jeneva1]

Wow I'm with you on that it never crossed my mind! My fill was on opposite side of motor home. Good point!

[4X4Dodger]

johnnyrv wrote:
Turning off the fridge while refueling only takes a few seconds and could possibly avoid an explosion however unlikely.

You can also make the sign of the cross and grab your Man Parts every time a black cat crosses your path...the ultimate effect will be the same in both cases...

This is a solution in search of a problem and another thing for the "Fear of Everything" Class of RV'er/Person to make an issue about when in reality none exists.

As far as I can tell there has never been a documented case of this ever happening. But then again we may get struck by a meteor any day now so lets all run for the caves!

Again, reserve your worry for those things that truly deserve the energy.

[fj12ryder]

Well it certainly can happen, but most likely won't, so I'm not going to worry about it. My choice. I could be involved in a serious accident while driving, which is much more likely than a fire at a gas station caused by a fridge, but probably won't. Again my choice.

Very little in life is totally risk free. You weigh the odds and take your chances.

Also I'm filling up at the diesel pump, so the odds are even less.

[Romer1]

Campfire Time wrote:


You totally missed the point. Do you really think he expected that to happen? Of course not. That's why it's called an accident. It's unexpected. Do you really believe that you personally are immune to the unexpected?

This kind of thing happens more than you might think. I've had a nozzle spit out a bit of gas when just taking it off the pump on more than one occasion.


If you bothered to read the post I quoted they were inferring that this NEVER happens, "show me one post" they said. We have the internet, it took SECONDS to find that article. Ignorance is a choice in the world we live in.

I did read the post. I also have had gas spit out at times. However, the distance between the pump and my refrig is at least 10 feet and opposite side of MH. That's why I'm confident that in the open, the chances of vapors AT the refrig will not reach the required 1.2% concentration to ignite.

[Campfire_Time]

Romer1 wrote:



the blaze started as he prepared to fill up the Roadtrek recreational vehicle and the nozzle spewed gasoline, igniting when it came into contact with a pilot light on the RV.

Aside from doing that, how much gas do you think you need to reach the 1.2% vapor concentration at the refrig to cause ignition?

You totally missed the point. Do you really think he expected that to happen? Of course not. That's why it's called an accident. It's unexpected. Do you really believe that you personally are immune to the unexpected?

This kind of thing happens more than you might think. I've had a nozzle spit out a bit of gas when just taking it off the pump on more than one occasion.

wing_zealot wrote:

Campfire Time wrote:
... Ignorance is bliss I guess...

That's real juvenile. It's thousand times more dangerous to drive on the road. My guess is your not locked in your house. You call it ignorance; maybe it's just being over the top on your part. You can do whatever you want. As for myself, you have my permission to call me ignorant if it makes you feel superior.

Ignorance: a lack of knowledge, understanding

Not name calling. A state of knowledge, or rather lack of it.

So who thinks they are superior and who's being juvenile? Or is your name calling because you really don't like being shown that there really is a danger here. Small safety precautions can take out a lot potential issues, when you have it in your power to so simply avoid a problem, why wouldn't you? But never mind, you've never had a problem so clearly no one else has either, you are right and I am wrong. I'm OK with that.

If you bothered to read the post I quoted they were inferring that this NEVER happens, "show me one post" they said. We have the internet, it took SECONDS to find that article. Ignorance is a choice in the world we live in. I choose to dig into things and not follow the "wisdom" on Internet threads.

[wing_zealot]

Campfire Time wrote:
... Ignorance is bliss I guess...

That's real juvenile. It's thousand times more dangerous to drive on the road. My guess is your not locked in your house. You call it ignorance; maybe it's just being over the top on your part. You can do whatever you want. As for myself, you have my permission to call me ignorant if it makes you feel superior. If it's not an inferiority complex, than leave the name calling out. You have an opinion, mine my vary.

[Romer1]

Campfire Time wrote:

OH48Lt wrote:
Show me ONE TIME where this caused a fire.

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20100325/ARTICLES/100329598

Most likely there are more. Ignorance is bliss I guess...

Folks are throwing around made up statistics to justify leaving the propane on in gas station. Fine, you do that. Statistically very few kids get permanent brain damage from falling off a bike without a helmet. Would you let you kids ride without helmets?

the blaze started as he prepared to fill up the Roadtrek recreational vehicle and the nozzle spewed gasoline, igniting when it came into contact with a pilot light on the RV.

Aside from doing that, how much gas do you think you need to reach the 1.2% vapor concentration at the refrig to cause ignition?

[PA12DRVR]

johnnyrv wrote:
Turning off the fridge while refueling only takes a few seconds and could possibly avoid an explosion however unlikely.

Seems a good approach.

FWIW, though, we typically intended to turn off fridge. For all mentioned in the thread, if we forgot to turn off the fridge, then we forgot.

Didn't blow up.

[Campfire_Time]

OH48Lt wrote:
Show me ONE TIME where this caused a fire.

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20100325/ARTICLES/100329598

Most likely there are more. Ignorance is bliss I guess...

Folks are throwing around made up statistics to justify leaving the propane on in gas station. Fine, you do that. Statistically very few kids get permanent brain damage from falling off a bike without a helmet. Would you let you kids ride without helmets?

[johnnyrv]

Turning off the fridge while refueling only takes a few seconds and could possibly avoid an explosion however unlikely.

[4X4Dodger]

This is one of those things where I beleive the danger is overstated. And I think that can be proved by the multiple millions of safe fuelings that happen every day all over the country.

The signs and the fear tactics are all necessary to inoculate the station and the fuel company from lawsuit in case there is a rare occurrence. Interestingly most gas station fires are short, non explosive and quickly contained.

The only real danger I see to people with RV refrigerators is in the event of a large spill at a station, which is very unusual. All gas station hoses have break-aways links that immediately shut off the flow of fuel in case someone drives off with the hose still in their car...this happens quite frequently with virtually no dire consequences.

I think statistically your chances of a fire at a station because of your refrig. flame is about the same as being in an Airline crash.

Gas stations are very well ventilated and often windy/breezy not conducive to explosions.

Additionally I have stopped at least three times at cars engulfed in flames along the side of the road to assist the passengers. I waited patiently for the car to explode...it never did. One time I asked the firefighters who responded about this and they told me they almost never explode. And thats with the whole car on fire???

No I think common sense and real world experience tells us this is far safer than getting back on the road from the gas station.

[wing_zealot]

Hum, how come there's no big red sticker on the frig that says turn off when fueling? How come there aren't a gazillion gas station fires every week. How come some bobble head hasn't passed a federal law. Oh wait I figured it out, the hype is overblown.

[Sourdough_Biscu]

Gas goes off before the rig hits the road. We get the fridge very cold before we leave home. Have driven for 10 hours and the ice in the ice trays is still frozen.

We also keep the fridge and freezer very full when we travel long distances.

So, since it's never turned on when we travel, we don't have to turn it off. But, it's a choice we've made to have it off.

[Tachdriver]

Me Again wrote:
You will most likely see this or a similar sign at every filling station.

I don't believe that a refrigerator on propane qualifies as an "open flame" device.

Cigars/cigarettes/flame throwers, campfires I believe would.

I have not heard of a gas station catch fire due to excessive vapors being ignited by the refer flame. Then again if the vapors are that thick and high I believe there are bigger problems of ignition from cars than from RV's. My TT sticks back 20+feet. I guess I could be super safe and pull over before I enter the gas station to turn it off and pull out and pull over to turn it back on.

[diazr2]

fla-gypsy wrote:

TechWriter wrote:

darsben wrote:
I always turn off fridge and hot water heater and douse stove pilot light when filling gas and/or propane. Also genny goes off
Not being rude but if you have been pulling for 30 years and haven't thought about this then I question our towing abilities. I worry about your preparations before and during your trip.

You are not being proactive in your thinking.

I don't think you're going far enough.

We flood the area with liquid nitrogen. Scares the hell out of people, but it looks really cool.

However, I do run with scissors.

X2

Excellent