When I'm driving do I run my fridge on propane or electric?

[rvshrinker]

We will have 48 hr of boondocking so need the battery to last that long.

[opnspaces]

@RvShrinker
Yes with choices of Auto or Gas you have a 2 way refrigerator. While we like to debate and offer ideas and solutions, you have already answered your own question. You stated that you have already run for 4 days on Propane so you will easily make it two days.

Yes the refrigerator on gas does draw a small amount of power and your tow vehicle will easily keep up with that draw. You are not trying to charge the batteries from dead through the 7 blade adapter. You're using a tiny amount of 12v power to power the board in the back of the refrigerator. Your tow vehicle starter battery is sufficient for this and your alternator will charge that battery back up if it starts getting low.

Your refrigerator does not have the 12v battery draining option that people are referring to.

Charge the batteries before you leave for the trip. Turn all appliances onto propane. Go have fun.

[aftermath]

Whoops, I have to apologize. I have an Airstream and thought I was responding on the Airstream forum. This is how Airstreams are set up, as far as the 12V option. They are bringing them back on some of the smaller units.

I don't know much about other trailers but I do understand that the 12V option is more available on them. Sorry if I confused you.

[aftermath]

On my 2006 coach my Dometic fridge has the gas/auto button. If it is set to auto it will run on 110V when plugged in and then "automatically" run on gas when not. The gas draw from the fridge is very low. Some like to always have it run on gas. If you toggle the button to "Gas" it will not change over when plugged in.

Unless you have a brand new trailer or an extremely old one, I don't believe 12V is an option.

[rvshrinker]

deltabravo wrote:

noteven wrote:
Switch to electric 12 volt.

OP didn't say if his fridge is 2-way (propane / 120 VAC) or 3- way (propane / 120 VAC / 12 vdc)

How would I know? Fridge has a "gas" or "auto" option so I'm guessing two way.

[CavemanCharlie]

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
People; this isn't the 1960's anymore. No more mini-skits. Sonny is dead and Char is old.

ALL vehicles have VRS on them. They work so good that some VRS on gas pumps are going the way of the dinosaurs.

I used to love the smell of premium gas being pumped at the gas station in the 1960's. Starting in the 1970's the gas smell started to disappear. Why? VRS! In both the pump and vehicles.

VRS are the reason you don't smell gasoline fumes in the station while pumping gas. There is no fumes to catch on fire anymore.

A little reading about VRS's.

You link it to VRS on gas pumps. No gas pump in MN has anything like that on them.

You did say that vehicles have them. That could be, I don't know. I do know that I had a Chevy pickup and could not get that gas to go into the tank faster then a trickle. My mechanic said that it was because all the modern cars force the gas fumes from the tank going through a filter and my filter was under the truck and had become plugged up. To fix it he had to run a hose under the hood and move the filter to that location . Common Chevy problem. The filter under the truck is in the dirt and gravel roads plug it up so it has to be moved to work. This was on a 2008 truck they may have fixed that problem by now.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

People; this isn't the 1960's anymore. No more mini-skits. Sonny is dead and Char is old.

ALL vehicles have VRS on them. They work so good that some VRS on gas pumps are going the way of the dinosaurs.

I used to love the smell of premium gas being pumped at the gas station in the 1960's. Starting in the 1970's the gas smell started to disappear. Why? VRS! In both the pump and vehicles.

VRS are the reason you don't smell gasoline fumes in the station while pumping gas. There is no fumes to catch on fire anymore.

A little reading about VRS's.

[aftermath]

And here we go again. To the OP, if you are boondocking the electrical draw from your propane fridge is minimal. Like others posted, using the furnace will be a big draw. Forget AC, you can't access it unless you have a capable generator and then the the fridge qustion becomes moot.

When discussing traveling with the propane on, avoid any discussion that talks about what terrible thing happen at gas stations. That has nothing to do with traveling down the road. Read all the information but ask about facts, not individual stories. I think if you look for actual cases when a trailer erupts while doing down the road with the propane on, you might be surprised with the extremely small (if any) number.

[CavemanCharlie]

old guy wrote:
for all of you who have traveled for years and never had a problem I say two words,"NOT YET". One fire we had that involved a motor home and a UPS truck and the station and a 5000 gallon propane tank, he said I turn off my propane so I thought I was safe, turn out after questioning him and seeing the location of the fridge in relation to the gas filler, the propane was off but the fridge was still on. so it was trying to light and one spark lite the gas fumes up and the rest is history. Oh yes, the 5000 gallon propane tank was a propane filling station and our second truck in hit a hydrant and used the mounted steamer nozzle to keep the tank cool. other wise we would probably be replacing half the town not just a gas station. being that close to a large propane tank is just plain scary as all get out and I'm glad I'm not fighting fire any more

You can get hit by lighting too. No use worrying about it.

Actually, I don't know for certain but, you are probably more likely to get hit by lightning then you are to have a RV fridge propane fire.

[Sjm9911]

Ok , im late to this. But, I run mine on propane and dont shut it off when refueling. Not by choice, but I forget to shut it off. Now some real life stats, approximately 4500 servicestation fires a year as of last avaliable stats , out of that an avrage of 30 were because of RV , camper fires. That doesn't mean they were propane related, just that they started a fire on the service station property. These stats are the NFPA. So , national fire protection agency. My fridge sits way behind the TV when filling and i will take the rear spot when refueling so no chance for acedential ignition. If you have a 3 way fridge, use the 12 volt option. If not , use the propane. 12 volt isnt great, but it will work. Have fun!

[deltabravo]

noteven wrote:
Switch to electric 12 volt.

OP didn't say if his fridge is 2-way (propane / 120 VAC) or 3- way (propane / 120 VAC / 12 vdc)

[old_guy]

for all of you who have traveled for years and never had a problem I say two words,"NOT YET". One fire we had that involved a motor home and a UPS truck and the station and a 5000 gallon propane tank, he said I turn off my propane so I thought I was safe, turn out after questioning him and seeing the location of the fridge in relation to the gas filler, the propane was off but the fridge was still on. so it was trying to light and one spark lite the gas fumes up and the rest is history. Oh yes, the 5000 gallon propane tank was a propane filling station and our second truck in hit a hydrant and used the mounted steamer nozzle to keep the tank cool. other wise we would probably be replacing half the town not just a gas station. being that close to a large propane tank is just plain scary as all get out and I'm glad I'm not fighting fire any more

[BarabooBob]

I run my fridge on lp while traveling with the exception of when going through the tunnels on the east coast under the big bays. They have signs all over the place that propane must be turned off. I have seen tunnel/bridge authorities pull RV;s over to check them.
I installed a 6 gauge wire from the power distribution center under the hood to the rear of my truck and connect it to the battery on the trailer with an Anderson Powerpole connector. A circuit breaker is at both ends of this to protect against shorts. When I statt my truck, my volt meter in the TT jumps to 14.4 volts. I have checked to see what amps I am getting. I also connect my solar panel/controller to this same plug when we get set up.

[JIMNLIN]

Over 1.2 million miles on the road for eleven years in a nine state area in and out of lots of fuel (gas) stops and never saw a fire started from a LP fridge.
Now LP hot water tanks are another story. Some years back trailers and motor homes were common at my area dealers with the sidewall burned out around the hot water tanks.
First LP fridge was in a new 9.5' 1970 Fields truck camper. Three truck campers ...a TT ...and three 5th wheel trailers all with the LP fridge on. But I do turn it off if required by law.

[campigloo]

With all the rigs on the road it seems from some posts that a major fire is inevitable in your rig. So true. I’d be willing to bet that any second you’re going to get in a wreck and die. The best thing to do
Is stay off the road completely.