Operating fridge?

timnbarb · 07-24-2011, 09:57 AM

First, thanks to Hunter11 and FHNN for their help with my first questiona few days ago about tools. Second, I have found myself checking this site everyday. As anew camper, I enjoyall the questions and responses andfind themvery valuable, so thanks to all participants. We areabout to take our maiden voyage in our 2011 Zinger 27RL. I was planning to cool down the fridge a day or so before we begin our short tripusing our electrical hook-up at homeand switching to propane as we travel to our destination so we would be all set when we arrive.However, I can't seem to find if this type of action is legal (running propane as you travel)or advisable. Would appreciate your thoughts.

Hunter11 · 07-24-2011, 10:03 AM

I don't know how far of a trip you are planning on taking but we never have our fridgeswitch to propane on trips under 4 hours long unless we plan on opening it before we get to our destination. We just turn the fridge back on as soon as we hookup and everything stays cold. Anything over4 hourson the road we do switch it over to propane. Where you headed?

gossamar · 07-24-2011, 10:13 AM

This topic can and has opened up a can of worms with people as they are split down the middle on the issue. I usually turn my fridge on in the spring and do not turn off until the fall as we are usually camping every other weekend. If we are going to be home for an extended time, then I will turn off and let defrost. When we go on the road, I leave the fridge in Auto mode, so yes, I do have the fridge running on propane until we get to the campground. I think the only places you might run into trouble is tunnels..as such when we are going through Minneapolis, I always take 694 around to by-pass the tunnel on 94 in downtown. There are signs posted for haz-mat loads for alternate routes, however, I am sure some people run through there anyway. Others will chime in before too long...

Dayle1 · 07-24-2011, 10:55 AM

Initial cool down on electric is a good strategy. We do that one or two days in advance so it gives us lots of flexibility on when we actually load up the frig with food. Like Keith, for short trips, 2-3 hrs, I will leave the frig off while traveling. Anything longer and I will use propane on the road and have done so for the past 22 yrs.

There are a few places, like some tunnels, you can't even use with an RV because of the propane tanks. The other big issue is at a gas station. Some people will shut the frig off prior to refueling and then turn it back on. The concern is gas fumes being ignited by the burner flame. But there are even greater risks with people smoking, leaving their engine running our even using a cell phone. And in many cases, the frig. is further away from the pumps than any of the other risks and the burner may be off anyway.. This is a personal decision you will have to make.

timnbarb · 07-24-2011, 09:28 PM

timnbarb · 07-24-2011, 09:32 PM

Anything over 4 hours on the road we do switch it over to propane. Where you headed?

Thanks Hunter. Just going over to Huntsville SP. About 3 hours but we'll be making a 2 hr stop at the Bush Library at A&M. With Lunch I expect the trip will be about 6 hrs.

So we;ll follow the advice of all you seasoned campers.

dalemac377 · 07-25-2011, 12:44 AM

Same with us, fours hours no problem, after that on propane. When we travel south in early January we just leave it off. Its cold enough outside then to not have to worry about it.

salda01 · 07-25-2011, 01:45 PM

I live life on the wildside. I leave my fridge on Auto all the time. I even leave the fridge on when filling with fuel. I'm so bad.

lenny · 07-25-2011, 02:17 PM

^^^ Me too. Not willing to risk a beer at anything other than ideal temps when I am done setting up at our campsite.

KennyB · 07-25-2011, 10:19 PM

For the past thirty days we've been traveling east from Washington State and it's gotten hotter and hotter the further east we went. Turing off the refrigerator was not an option. We're now headed back west and it will stay on until we get closer to home where things should start to cool down then we'll turn it off while traveling. http://www.runnerduckreview.wordpress.com

Ruck · 07-26-2011, 12:38 AM

*wishing I HAD a fridge to worry obout!*

artgpo · 07-26-2011, 12:43 AM

On our recent trip to SD and MT we drove for 6 - 8 hours with the fridge off. It was cool in the fridge but not cold. We supplemented the residual cold with those blue ice packs. I refuse to drive with propane turned on. As a devotee of the RV Doctor, Gary Bunzer, I follow his advice and keep propane off when mobile. He finally came out and made that statement last year. To me, traveling with a flame burning is just not safe even though thousands of RVers do.

Like chocolate or vanilla, I chose vanilla.

cgaucho1981 · 07-26-2011, 06:57 AM

Hi Folks

Just go back and read about a accident on Canada Hwy 93 last week. A young family from California perished in their motorhome, in an a headon collision, it went up in flames and it took quite a while just to find out how many people were in the camper. They must have been travelling with the propane on, It was a man and wife with 2 young children. Please think about children it is not worth it, just because you want a cold drink when you arrive at your destination. It is not only you and yours but sometimes it is others that are on the road at the time. We all think, it is not going to happen to me. Please think twice or even 3 and 4 times before you start how with your fridge on propane

Hunter11 · 07-26-2011, 07:33 AM

I would be more inclined to think in a head on collision that the fuel on board would be more likely to cause a fire than the propane for the fridge being on. Not to say it could not happen. Plus you are making an assumption they were traveling with the propane on.

artgpo · 07-26-2011, 07:40 AM

I have to agree with Keith. I do think that propane was probably the cause of the inferno, especially if the RV was a diesel pusher. The chance is just too great and the risk too high for me to run with propane "on".

cowboy_71 · 07-26-2011, 08:16 AM

Always use electricity, never had a problem yet with the fridge or the freezer on any of our trips...

artgpo · 07-26-2011, 11:28 AM

The news report stated it was a very old Dodge camper. It could have been a Class B or C.

gtoguy1967 · 07-26-2011, 01:56 PM

Count me as one that never shuts it off and yes I run my propne on going down the road. As with any tank of gas I do not open the valve up any more than needed so that it could be shut off quickly, Thought you may never be able to get close to it to shut it off/

salda01 · 07-26-2011, 02:24 PM

From past experience I'm more worried about the axle seperating than a propane leak / fire.

cgaucho1981 · 07-26-2011, 05:01 PM

When looking at the pictures on TV it looked to me to be a newer class B. I used to have an 80 dodge Van and it did not look like this one. It also could have been a rental, as there is lots of those around at this time of year.

Yes I am the person that had a boken axle and lucky we were in the gas station when it broke. But I do not travel with the propane on. But also we are in a truck, that would save us a bit, I think.

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