Refrigerator While Driving

[SimchaSabre]

I too have been traveling with the frig running on propane for 25+ years and have never had a problem with loosing refrigeration except when I forgot to turn is on.

That said, you may be more comfortable with a small 12 volt cooler that you can monitor while traveling. A friend even goes so far to add a few pieces of frozen "Blue Ice" just in case.

[TURBS]

Never a camping trip we took that the fridge wasn't running.
If it was such a bad thing then the lawyers would have lockouts mandated so as the fridge wouldn't work whilst moving down the hiway.
Such as the tv/dvd in motorhomes.
Turn it on and get down the road.

TURBS

Goshen is my playground.
The last man standing also has a sharpie

[KQ2N]

Good analogy Turbo! I too run the refrigerator while traveling. I keep a lot of frozen food in the freezer. I need a "cold one" once I arrive at my destination. Once or twice I've inadvertently even left the hot water tank on.....

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by KQ2N

Good analogy Turbo! I too run the refrigerator while traveling. I keep a lot of frozen food in the freezer. I need a "cold one" once I arrive at my destination. Once or twice I've inadvertently even left the hot water tank on.....

Just one cold "one"?

TURBS

Goshen is my playground.
The last man standing also has a sharpie

[Mike & Molly]

OK - I'm sold. Leaving the fridge on propane while driving is not a problem. Just not while refueling. Thanks to all for the advice.

[Brother Les]

Originally Posted by Mike & Molly

OK - I'm sold. Leaving the fridge on propane while driving is not a problem. Just not while refueling. Thanks to all for the advice.

Shutting it off while refueling will keep your mind at ease. Please, Do it. I personally know no one who does shut it off while fueling. A few 'here' may do it, but I would say that most do not. Don't make a 'religion' out of shutting it off to the point it comes to tension to those around you. What is explosive in 'gasoline' is the fumes and vapor, the liquid gasoline is more or less hard to 'burn'. The vapors that are at a fueling station will rise and disperse quickly. If you smell a lot of gasoline fumes when you get out of your tow vehicle before you start fueling. Don't start fueling, shut off your fridge and report it to the station and leave. don't fuel up, leave....

Happy camping and traveling.

[GMax]

OK...I'm late to this topic. I recently took my 2014 2300 on a 6 hour trip. The propane was turned off. I had the fridge set to auto. I thought the batteries, which were on, were keeping the fridge cooled.

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[97Powerstroke]

No, the fridge runs off of 120V or propane, never the batteries.

[Ford Idaho]

I vote for the 12 volt fridge.
Just pick out one big enough for what you need to carry.
Be sure to keep the vents on it open.
Pilot or other truck stops sell them.

[Malabarbob]

While traveling unless the generator is on, the fridge works off both the battery and the propane. It does not draw much battery. It just need a level ground to stay running. If parked in a high-slope driveway, it will shut down, The key is watch for your auto light, if lit, you are OK. Yes, as an ex-fire chief, you MUST shut off the propane fridge flame while fueling and also NEVER use a cell phone near open fuel pump. You would not believe the explosions cause by cell phone ringers at pumps. We show the videos to new trainees.

[higdonlg]

we do not travel with our Refer on propane, I worry about fire. We are on the road for 6 to 7 hours and the Refer is still cold when we set up. It will not keep ice cream but the rest of the stuff is still cold. If you are not traveling over 7 or 8 hours it will keep cold. Any longer than that, weellll your are taking a chance.

[elind]

During out PDI the tech told us not to park on a incline with the frig on propane. He said the flame will burn out the side of the tube. Will the frig burn out or shut down by it self?

[higdonlg]

I have heard that too. I have never used propane so I don't worry about it. But take heed to what he tells you, they cost to much to replace. good camping

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by Malabarbob

While traveling unless the generator is on, the fridge works off both the battery and the propane. It does not draw much battery. It just need a level ground to stay running. If parked in a high-slope driveway, it will shut down, The key is watch for your auto light, if lit, you are OK. Yes, as an ex-fire chief, you MUST shut off the propane fridge flame while fueling and also NEVER use a cell phone near open fuel pump. You would not believe the explosions cause by cell phone ringers at pumps. We show the videos to new trainees.

Interesting. I watched the Mythbusters episode that showed cell phones completely harmless near gas pumps, as they're mostly solid state and don't spark so it's interesting you have actual videos. Now static discharge on the other hand they proved to be very harmful.

Either way, I don't use the phone and make sure to be well grounded before opening the tank or operating the pump.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by Malabarbob

While traveling unless the generator is on, the fridge works off both the battery and the propane. It does not draw much battery. It just need a level ground to stay running. If parked in a high-slope driveway, it will shut down, The key is watch for your auto light, if lit, you are OK. Yes, as an ex-fire chief, you MUST shut off the propane fridge flame while fueling and also NEVER use a cell phone near open fuel pump. You would not believe the explosions cause by cell phone ringers at pumps. We show the videos to new trainees.

Would you please Post the Info for these (Training Videos) in relationship to the (Cell phone explosions at Gas pumps)! Youroo!!

[RhoZeta]

I am pretty sure the cell phone myth was busted long ago. Recently had to take a refresher at work on hot pit refueling fighter aircraft (refueling the plane while it is running) and our instructor was the head fuel systems saftey guy for the entire USAF and he too mentioned that cell phones are classified as intrinsically safe, meaning they do not have near enough power to be able to cause an explosion in a fuel vapor saturated atmosphere. As was mentioned above, the real enemy is static electricity. Keep your self grounded to your vehicle and all will be well.
As for propane on, I like most here always leave it on while traveling and while refueling, my fridge vents are nowhere near where the gas is. The other fact is that gasoline vapors are heavier than air, they sink to the ground as soon as they escape containment, just as propane does. (This is why your LP detector is mounted just off the floor and not on the celing like a smoke detector)

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[kandl]

Originally Posted by RhoZeta

...cell phones are classified as intrinsically safe, meaning they do not have near enough power to be able to cause an explosion in a fuel vapor saturated atmosphere. As was mentioned above, the real enemy is static electricity. Keep your self grounded to your vehicle and all will be well.

Ditto - researched this issue at length about 10 yrs back as part of a flight safety team. There was a lot of noise being made about the safety of cell phones around aircraft or in hangars and especially around refueling ops. The noise was unfounded. The instances of supposed cell phone induced fires while refueling vehicles were in fact found to have causal relationships with other, well known, sources of ignition - esp static.

[RvBill3]

Keeping the refrigerator level while operating has to do with the way the coolant travels through the tubing. If not level, it will get trapped in the bends in the tubing and eventually completely plug them. Then you buy a new refrigerator. This has nothing to do with the propane. It is the same whether on propane or electric. As long as the vehicle is moving, even up or down hills, it is not an issue. But when parked on a slope the problem can occur. Newer refrigerators are more tolerant than old ones, but still should be level when parked and operating.

As for traveling with propane on, this debate occurs here on a regular basis. Doubt if much said will change any minds. I travel with mine on. At gas stations I am much more concerned about the person next to me who re-enters their car after starting the pump. Static electricity when they get back out is a real danger.

[bgilly]

Since this is on a motorhome, how about using a 200 watt, 12 volt inverter to power the 120 volt for the refrigerator. The alternator will keep the coach batteries charged under the light load of the inverter. The refrigerator needs the 12 volt for the control circuit but the 120 volt plug for the refrigerator can be plugged into the inverter. There isn't a compressor so there won't be any motor starting load - something to trip the over-current of the inverter.
Just mount the inverter in the air space behind the refrigerator and run a fused 12 volt line to the inverter. As long as the refrigerator control panel detects 120 volt (be it from the inverter or shore power) it will not switch to propane - or just change the refrigerator switch to electric.

Bobby