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Old 06-02-2012, 06:05 PM   #1
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Pre cooling fridge

We will be taking our maiden voyage with our new Rockwood Roo next weekend and I have a question on how everyone gets the fridge cooled down before they leave. We were planning on running it on electric the night before we leave to get it cooled down. Now, our maxium traveling time to the campground is maybe 2 hours. Would it be safe to pack the fridge and freezer before we leave (and not run the gas while traveling) and then just plug back in to electric when we arrive? Or would it not stay cold enough for that long? Just looking for ideas on how everyone does theirs. We've always had pop-ups so this is new to us. Thanks for any help!!
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Old 06-02-2012, 06:23 PM   #2
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Hi=]
I try and turn the fridge on electric a few days before we leave and start packing food in it to help expediate our packing on the day we leave. We use the propane when traveling and then switch back to electric when we get to the CG.

The first trip we took last year I thought the fridge was a 3 way and worked off the battery when traveling; well I was wrong. It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive and things had 'warmed up' a tad in the fridge during that time and I was not happy.
If you don't want to run the fridge on gas when towing, then maybe you can pack a cooler with the main food items that need to stay ice cold (ie beer for guys) and then put them into the fridge when it gets back down to temperature at your camp- site. I wouldn't recommend leaving the fridge off for the whole time you travel because it would be a worry for you. If the temperature is hot outside or if you get delayed you don't want to risk ruining any food in the fridge; 4 dollars worth of hamburger patties that are 'questionably cool' are not worth running the risk of you and your family getting sick.

Btw....Congrats on the new trailer!!!
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Old 06-02-2012, 06:24 PM   #3
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I precool at home (4 to 6 hours) and run the gas on the road.
When we keep it at the campground I take a cooler of our food wtih 1/2 gallon plastic milk jugs filled with ice (we have a chest freezer at home) and use that for ice for the cooler and them put them in the fridge to keep things cool till it gets up to 'speed' so to speak. Sometimes I keep an ice jug in the freezer for use on the way home, othertimes I just put them back in the cooler for coming home. Other than condiments we rarely bring much home that needs to be kept cool.
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Old 06-02-2012, 07:20 PM   #4
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I start the fridge on electric 36 to 48 hours before then fill the fridge with food 24 hours before we leave. When I'm getting ready to pull out I switch it to gas. When arrive I switch back to electric.
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Old 06-02-2012, 07:41 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by GASPEDDLER View Post
I start the fridge on electric 36 to 48 hours before then fill the fridge with food 24 hours before we leave. When I'm getting ready to pull out I switch it to gas. When arrive I switch back to electric.
That is our method also.
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Old 06-02-2012, 07:50 PM   #6
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I'm plugged in from May-October and when travelling or boondocking, fridge on propane. I always keep cold canadian beer in the fridge for overflow when parked in the driveway.
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Old 06-02-2012, 07:58 PM   #7
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We have to keep our trailer at a storage lot. We go the night before and turn the propane on. It is always cold the next day.
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Old 06-02-2012, 08:16 PM   #8
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We bring our TT from the storage lot the day before we leave and run a 120 VAC line to it and start up the Frig. About 4 hours later we load it and leave it running on the land line overnight.

Drive all day without running the propane (propane tanks are not supposed to be used while traveling). It is fine and everything is cold or frozen when we get off the road at about 5 PM.

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Old 06-02-2012, 08:21 PM   #9
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with our Roo, we run ours on electric 24 hours before we leave. if it's a short trip, like your 2 hours, we leave it until we arrive at the campsite.
most of the time we dry camp so we switch on the propane side.

but it stays plenty cool on short trips like that.

but for longer trips, we have no problem running it on propane while traveling.
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Old 06-02-2012, 08:49 PM   #10
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We have some water jugs that we freeze and put them in the fridge and freezer about 24 hours before leaving out to help in cooling down. When I get ready to pull out of the drive, disconnect shore power, fridge to gas. When I get to the cg, first thing is to connect to power....
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Old 06-02-2012, 09:11 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Chuckinca View Post
We bring our TT from the storage lot the day before we leave and run a 120 VAC line to it and start up the Frig. About 4 hours later we load it and leave it running on the land line overnight.

Drive all day without running the propane (propane tanks are not supposed to be used while traveling). It is fine and everything is cold or frozen when we get off the road at about 5 PM.

.
Chuck - exactly where is it written that propane is not to used while traveling?

Maybe I missed that.
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Old 06-02-2012, 09:15 PM   #12
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We start shore power the day before leaving on trip. After TT frige is cold, we load the food and keep on electric until ready to leave.

We try to freeze everything we can in the house and then put in TT frige/freezer. This includes water bottles, milk, meat, etc. We also bring a separate cooler for drinks (soda, beer, water).

After arriving at CG, as soon as possible we connect back up to shore power. Everything is still cold and we never have to worry about LP pilot while on the road...
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Old 06-02-2012, 10:10 PM   #13
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Quote:
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Chuck - exactly where is it written that propane is not to used while traveling?

Maybe I missed that.
you're correct, the only propane ban i know of, is through certain tunnels and i know of no bans west of the Mississippi.
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Old 06-02-2012, 10:24 PM   #14
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you're correct, the only propane ban i know of, is through certain tunnels and i know of no bans west of the Mississippi.
Thanks - as you state here I knew about the ban of LP in certain tunnels and of course turning your LP bottles off before fueling, but I just wanted to make sure I didn't overlook something else.
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Old 06-02-2012, 10:35 PM   #15
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Quote:
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Chuck - exactly where is it written that propane is not to used while traveling?

Maybe I missed that.

I believe I saw it in The Rockwood Manual - could be wrong tho.


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Old 06-03-2012, 09:21 AM   #16
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Quote:
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Chuck - exactly where is it written that propane is not to used while traveling?

Maybe I missed that.
Im am thinking that if propane was not to be used when traveling then the TT manufacturers would have another alternative for keeping the fridge cool when towing.
I think the main issues are, when you stop at gas stations and go thru tunnels.
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Old 06-03-2012, 09:35 AM   #17
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We have to keep our trailer at a storage lot. We go the night before and turn the propane on. It is always cold the next day.
That's exactly the way we do it too. I've always found that the fridge gets cold faster on the propane side rather than plugged into electric.
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Old 06-03-2012, 10:13 AM   #18
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That is our method also.
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Old 06-03-2012, 10:16 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FreedomTracker
We start shore power the day before leaving on trip. After TT frige is cold, we load the food and keep on electric until ready to leave.

We try to freeze everything we can in the house and then put in TT frige/freezer. This includes water bottles, milk, meat, etc. We also bring a separate cooler for drinks (soda, beer, water).

After arriving at CG, as soon as possible we connect back up to shore power. Everything is still cold and we never have to worry about LP pilot while on the road...
We do the same thing! Drove 5 hours a and everything frozen solid
No need to drive with propane on. Been at CG for 4 nights now and had a coke from the fridge (put in there after we arrived from the cooler) and it was icy! Fridge is really cold, we turned it down to 4
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Old 06-03-2012, 10:18 AM   #20
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We do the same thing! Drove 5 hours a and everything frozen solid
No need to drive with propane on. Been at CG for 4 nights now and had a coke from the fridge (put in there after we arrived from the cooler) and it was icy! Fridge is really cold, we turned it down to 4
Not saying we couldn't just too lazy to turn it off when fueling so we just don't bother using it!
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