Topic: Traveling with propane on (Read 833 times)

mookie6 · « **on:** November 16, 2009, 08:58:19 AM »

Our refrig only works with propane on, shore power or generator. Question is, while traveling, is it safe to have the propane on so the food dosent rott. The manuel for my 99 winni 34y says never travel with propane on.

Hfx_Cdn · « **Reply #1 on:** November 16, 2009, 09:15:52 AM »

Hi mookie, almost all of us travel with our LP gas turned on, except when we cross a bridge/tunnel that requires it to be turned off. However, if you are concerned, don't be concerned about food spoiling quickly in your fridge. Most fridges will keep contents cool for many hours, and frozen for longer, just be carefull not to open it for other than brief periods.

LindaH · « **Reply #2 on:** November 16, 2009, 09:18:13 AM »

You'll get lots of answers on this one! There are people who say to never travel with the propane one, and others (like us) who always travel with the propane on.

However, if traveling with the propane on bothers you, the food in your refrigerator isn't going to "rot." The refrigerator should stay plenty cold during a trip from one location to another. If you're traveling in extremely hot weather or for long periods of time (more than 8 hours), you shouldn't have any problems traveling with the propane off.

Tom · « **Reply #3 on:** November 16, 2009, 09:50:03 AM »

Just be sure to turn the refrigerator, and any other appliances with spark igniters or pilot flames, off before entering a gas station. Probably obvious, but we've read reports of folks who forgot to do that, and ended up with their RV engulfed in fire at the pump.

utahclaimjumper · « **Reply #4 on:** November 16, 2009, 10:26:40 AM »

I have traveled many years with the propane on, but now I ask WHY?? Inverters are now so cheap that I find its almost free to use an inverter will driving, the alternator is running anyway so why not use it??>>>Dan

Gottasmilealot · « **Reply #5 on:** November 16, 2009, 10:29:16 AM »

Your appliance runs on propane specifically for that purpose, so you can keep it cold while on the road and while not plugged in. A refrigerator than isn't cold isn't of much value. Vehicle fires at fuel pumps are generally started by impact or a static spark, and are not propane fired unit related.

Tom · « **Reply #6 on:** November 16, 2009, 10:40:03 AM »

Didn't mean to be a scaremonger but, although we drive a diesel coach, we're still in the habit (from our gas motorhome days) of reminding each other to turn off the refrigerator before entering a gas station.

On a counterpoint, here's an interesting perspective by forum member Johncmr, a 25-year volunteer firefighter .

mookie6 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 16, 2009, 05:54:52 PM »

Thanks guys

geodrake · « **Reply #8 on:** November 16, 2009, 06:05:01 PM »

We too travel with the fridg on, turning it off as we approach the gas pump.

DonTom · « **Reply #9 on:** November 16, 2009, 06:42:35 PM »

Quote from: Tom on November 16, 2009, 09:50:03 AM

Just be sure to turn the refrigerator, and any other appliances with spark igniters or pilot flames, off before entering a gas station. Probably obvious, but we've read reports of folks who forgot to do that, and ended up with their RV engulfed in fire at the pump.

In my old RV, all such stuff was on the opposite from the gas filler and far away, so I didn't worry about it much, if no other gas pumps were close. But in the RV I have now, it's all right next to the gas filler where it could easily catch the fumes from the gas pump.

The old way was a better design!

-Don- SSF, CA

Biker56 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 16, 2009, 07:05:02 PM »

By the firefighter. If your refrigerator is not throwing out flames like a road flare. Then their is no danger of leaving in on at a station.

Diesel is less flammable then gas. I leave my refrigerator on all the time. Except for the tunnels that require the LP off.

fishon71 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 16, 2009, 08:35:01 PM »

So is that a true statement "you can go thru all tunnels with LP off" ? I thought you could not drive through any or most tunnels carrying LP, at least that is the way I understood the signage.

utahclaimjumper · « **Reply #12 on:** November 16, 2009, 09:13:22 PM »

Most but not all tunnels require LP to be turned off at the tank, I have not encountered any that forbid it to be onboard.>>>Dan

RV Roamer · « **Reply #13 on:** November 16, 2009, 09:28:38 PM »

There are a few tunnels you cannot carry propane through at all. For example, the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel prohibits any vehicle with a propane tank greater than 10 lb capacity.

http://www.mdta.maryland.gov/propane.html

ArdraF · « **Reply #14 on:** November 17, 2009, 01:00:02 PM »

And I believe I recall from many years ago there are some tunnels and/or bridges in the New York City area that prohibit all propane whether it's on or off.

ArdraF

LindaH · « **Reply #15 on:** November 17, 2009, 02:19:58 PM »

We do not turn off our refrigerator when refueling. We have a fifth wheel, and doing so would mean stopping somewhere along the way so one of us could go back, unlock the door, put out the steps and then crabwalk to the rear of the trailer where the refrigerator is located (we have two opposing slides downstairs with little room to walk toward the back when they're both in) and then doing it all over again when we leave the station. Since our refrigerator is in the rear corner of the RV on the opposite side of the pumps and we're almost always at the end pump (where the diesel pump is usually located) with no pumps on the passenger side, we don't worry about it.

DonTom · « **Reply #16 on:** November 17, 2009, 06:25:43 PM »

Quote from: LindaH on November 17, 2009, 02:19:58 PM

We do not turn off our refrigerator when refueling.

Yep. For safety, there are other things to consider. Nevertheless, I believe it's still illegal to keep the stuff on.

But in my old RV, I didn't worry about it. All the stuff was far away from the gas inlet hose. But in my newer one, the one time I almost forgot to turn the stuff off, I was staring right next to refrigerator's outside door that that's located right next to the gas filler hose which gave me a quick reminder. I don't have the guts to fill the gas tank while the refrigerator flame is right next to the filler.

-Don- SSF, CA

RV Roamer · « **Reply #17 on:** November 17, 2009, 06:56:40 PM »

Quote

Since our refrigerator is in the rear corner of the RV on the opposite side of the pumps and we're almost always at the end pump (where the diesel pump is usually located) with no pumps on the passenger side, we don't worry about it.

Probably not a great risk, but it only takes one time to cause a disaster. Some idiot sprays gas from a pump hose or knocks over a 2.5 gallon container he was filling. Or maybe just a pocket of fumes swirls around the end of your RV. Odds are hundreds or even thousands to one against it, but I don't want to be there if it happens.

I pulled up to a diesel island a ta small Flying J in South Florida a few months ago and started to fill. I was day dreaming when I realized there was a mini-van in the next lane and I wondered "why is getting diesel"? Then I looked more closely and realized there was a gas pump along with the diesel in that lane and the next one over too! Yikes! My fridge was still running and I thought I was safe cause I was at the diesel truck island, which is diesel only in every other FJ I've ever been to! Turned out they had made the first two truck lanes into RV lanes with both gas and diesel available because the separate car lanes had no diesel at all. Now I always take a close look, even when it says trucks only.

Lou Schneider · « **Reply #18 on:** November 17, 2009, 07:45:47 PM »

The previous owner of my motorhome rigged a neat little feature. On the floor next to the driver's seat is a small box with a pull on/push off switch. The 12 volt power to the propane appliances loops through this switch. Push the switch in and the power is cut off to the refrigerator, hot water heater and furnace. Pull it out and the appliances come back on.

When I pull into a gas station, all I have to do is push the switch and all the propane appliances turn off with no possibility of open flames or generating sparks. When I'm done fueling, a pull on the switch turns them back on.

Tom · « **Reply #19 on:** November 17, 2009, 08:06:59 PM »

Some of the "it's safe" comments remind me of the times I've seen some idiot smoking a cigarette while pumping gas. He/they thought it was safe, but those were the times that I left the gas station in a hurry.

Tom · « **Reply #20 on:** November 17, 2009, 08:07:56 PM »

Thanks Lou. That just got added to my to-do list.

DonTom · « **Reply #21 on:** November 17, 2009, 08:11:16 PM »

Quote from: Lou Schneider on November 17, 2009, 07:45:47 PM

The previous owner of my motorhome rigged a neat little feature. On the floor next to the driver's seat is a small box with a pull on/push off switch. The 12 volt power to the propane appliances loops through this switch. Push the switch in and the power is cut off to the refrigerator, hot water heater and furnace. Pull it out and the appliances come back on.

When I pull into a gas station, all I have to do is push the switch and all the propane appliances turn off with no possibility of open flames or generating sparks. When I'm done fueling, a pull on the switch turns them back on.

Or just turn everything off at once with the battery disconnect switch.

-Don- SSF, CA

Howard Rawley · « **Reply #22 on:** November 17, 2009, 08:41:10 PM »

Quote from: DonTom on November 17, 2009, 08:11:16 PM

Or just turn everything off at once with the battery disconnect switch.
-Don- SSF, CA

You're too fast for me Don!

While I shut frig, water heater, generator, etc off before I get to the pumps, as a final double check, in case I miss something ... that is exactly what I do going out the door .... hit both disconnects for the batteries.

I figure there is a minor risk of them not coming back on (I remember someone had that problem ... John in Detroit ? ) but also figure it won't hurt to exercise them once in a while as we usually have power on the mh pretty much all the time, one way or another.

Howard

max49 · « **Reply #23 on:** November 17, 2009, 11:51:36 PM »

Quote from: utahclaimjumper on November 16, 2009, 10:26:40 AM

I have traveled many years with the propane on, but now I ask WHY?? Inverters are now so cheap that I find its almost free to use an inverter will driving, the alternator is running anyway so why not use it??>>>Dan

Been there and tried that but my fridge does'nt like my Cobra 1500 watt inverter. In fact, I thought it ruined something in the fridge when I saw the power was on but things were thawing in the freezer. Luckily it still worked fine with the generator. So I'm back to using propane.

Anyone elses fridge not work off the inverter?

Tom · « **Reply #24 on:** November 18, 2009, 03:39:58 AM »

We usually run the fridge from the inverter while traveling down the road.

RV Roamer · « **Reply #25 on:** November 18, 2009, 08:44:03 AM »

Quote

Been there and tried that but my fridge does'nt like my Cobra 1500 watt inverter. In fact, I thought it ruined something in the fridge when I saw the power was on but things were thawing in the freezer. Luckily it still worked fine with the generator. So I'm back to using propane.

Anyone elses fridge not work off the inverter?

The only thing in the fridge that uses 120vac is the heating element and that shouldn't care if the source is inverter or shore power.

Are you sure your fridge 120v power circuit is even on the inverter? My fridge cooling unit is not, though the icemaker portion is (so I can make ice even when running on propane)

DonTom · « **Reply #26 on:** November 18, 2009, 09:07:11 AM »

Quote from: max49 on November 17, 2009, 11:51:36 PM

Been there and tried that but my fridge does'nt like my Cobra 1500 watt inverter. In fact, I thought it ruined something in the fridge when I saw the power was on but things were thawing in the freezer. Luckily it still worked fine with the generator. So I'm back to using propane.

Anyone elses fridge not work off the inverter?

Does your inverter output voltage go way down under the load of the fridge?

-Don- SF, CA

Tom · « **Reply #27 on:** November 18, 2009, 09:28:27 AM »

Methinks Gary probably has it right. Many RVs are wired with the fridge and freezer plugged into different receptacles, sometimes in the same duplex, but on separate circuits.

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Author Topic: Traveling with propane on (Read 833 times)