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Old 06-10-2018, 07:55 AM   #1
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Refrigerator on while towing?

New to trailering... saw in manual that fridge will operate while towing. Any issue? Is this the way most do it? Requires leaving gas on?
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Old 06-10-2018, 08:00 AM   #2
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Yes they are "Travel Units" if you want Cold things let it be Powered while "Going Down the Road"! Youroo!!
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Old 06-10-2018, 08:01 AM   #3
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Leave mine on auto all season and never think about it. At end of season clean everything out and put the door clips on doors so it keeps a gap on freezer and main section of fridg.
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Old 06-10-2018, 08:10 AM   #4
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The vast majority of RV owners travel with propane on.
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Old 06-10-2018, 08:26 AM   #5
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A much discussed topic here!
Some do, some don't and each side has their reasons.

From the multiple R/V sites I follow, most travel with the propane on and the refrigerator operating.
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Old 06-10-2018, 09:26 AM   #6
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A much discussed topic here!
Some do, some don't and each side has their reasons.

From the multiple R/V sites I follow, most travel with the propane on and the refrigerator operating.
Yes keep that thing cold. How ever if you are sticking to fuel up your propane should be off. Chances are probably low that the pilot from the fridge will make a gas pump go boom but I don't want to fi d out.
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Old 06-10-2018, 09:44 AM   #7
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I have the basic Dometic fridge in my Prime Time Spartan 1032 toy hauler. As long as I have the fridge and freezer fairly populated with cold stuff...and the fridge is on and at operating temperature when i hit the road....my ice cream is still frozen and everything in the fridge stays fully cold when i travel 7 to 8 hours....with the fridge turned completely off. Been following this routine for years. My wife often adds a small bag of ice cubes to the freezer for cold drink use...and and added margin of safety. ..but never had a problem with keeping everything cold even in the 90 degree heat of the summer.

Most experts will advise against leaving the propane on while on the road for safety reasons.
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Old 06-10-2018, 10:12 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by JLamb View Post
New to trailering... saw in manual that fridge will operate while towing. Any issue? Is this the way most do it? Requires leaving gas on?
Of course, leave the gas on if you want the fridge to operate. Unless you have a residential refrigerator that operates only on electric.

Sometimes we travel with it on, but usually off. As RockyMtnMarty says, ours usually keeps everything cold for 8 hours.
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Old 06-10-2018, 10:33 AM   #9
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Always left it on. Never an issue.
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Old 06-10-2018, 10:37 AM   #10
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How else are you going to keep the ice cream from melting?
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Old 06-10-2018, 10:48 AM   #11
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How else are you going to keep the ice cream from melting?
Well if you eat it all ... You do not have that issue... Well thats how we deal with it!

Hmm... Might explain a lot!
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Old 06-10-2018, 11:25 AM   #12
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When we had a rv fridge we never had the need to travel with it on, loaded it up a day before leaving, turned it on and kept the door closed.



Know where you'll be traveling, certain tunnels, ferries and the province of British Columbia are propane off by law and they do enforce it.


Whatever you decide to do, turn the propane off when you're at a gas station!
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Old 06-10-2018, 12:39 PM   #13
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That boom issue...

In our town a motor home passed by a propane fill station. Unfortunately the propane fumes reached out to the passing R.V.with it's propane on for the fridge. Yes, explosion and the attendant doing the refill of the other tank was horribly burned.
Food for thought. Think ahead on every occasion. Just like the tunnel issue previously mentioned, there are times to shut down the fridge. Anyway, mine stays cold enough to travel when pre-cooled.
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Old 06-10-2018, 12:41 PM   #14
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Just leave it on auto.
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Old 06-10-2018, 01:24 PM   #15
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I ran with the fridge running on propane all the time while on the road in my old trailer, but the igniter was persnickety, so it often wouldn't stay lit. Checked it every time I stopped for gas.

Now I have a three-way Dometic in my new trailer, so it runs on DC. Problem solved.
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Old 06-10-2018, 02:13 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RockyMtnMarty View Post

Most experts will advise against leaving the propane on while on the road for safety reasons.
Please provide a link to these experts.
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Old 06-10-2018, 02:13 PM   #17
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Always gas on fridge on......so do 99% as for the 1% that don't , haven't seen a legitimate reason yet.
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Old 06-10-2018, 02:15 PM   #18
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Quote:
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Please provide a link to these experts.
X2 — “most experts” is pretty broad.
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Old 06-10-2018, 02:27 PM   #19
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Here is the risk.... the flimsy propane lines feeding the stove and fridge run the lower outer edge of the frame. They typically run right above the wheels. When a tire blows, it typically tears apart the area all around the wheel. My buddy just had a blow out last week that caused $3000 in damage to the side and underside of his trailer. If the damage ruptures the propane line, which is feeding unrestricted gas from the tanks because the valve is open to run the fridge, any resulting spark can fuel a fire theat could possibly destroy your entire trailer. I may be in the 1% ...and not one of the "experts"....but the risk is real.
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Old 06-10-2018, 02:34 PM   #20
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The experts that manufacture these units advise they can be used while traveling.

Are there 'expert' experts that know something different?
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