Running Refrigerator While Driving

[weirdabago]

Sent: 5/28/2004 3:16 PM

How do we keep the perishables cold when driving for long periods between stops? can you run gen set while driving? certainly not propane?!  the old mMH just had the ice box.  I understand the three hour cool prep thing and the level part, but i'll be darned if i could answer the wife's question...duh!  thanks, Kerry

[Spudboy]

Sent: 5/28/2004 3:33 PM

Kerry:

I fire my propane side up on the refer about a day before I take off.  I run on propane while on the road.  Keep one of those long butane lighters in the burner compartment for easy re-lites.  Every time I stop for gas or other things, I check and make sure the burner is still going and re-lite if it is out.  Works about 50% of the time I check without need for a re-lite.  If it blows out, things stay cold for hours.  While I could never feel good without the genny, I hate running it, besides, once I'm stopped, the propane works great.  (As a point of fact, I run a set of lights, the stove, the heater and a second catalytic heater and the water heater off propane as well).

-Spudboy 

[denisondc]

Sent: 5/28/2004 5:57 PM

The question whether you can or should run the fridge on propane while driving comes up repeatedly in every RV forum. There will always be people who wont do it. There will always be some who routinely will. Im one of those who always has. Our vacations feature long drives in hot climates, in June or July or August. Our fridge is old, works on propane and 110volt. Running it on propane is the only way our food would stay cold as we drive along. 

[Rick Shaw]

Sent: 5/28/2004 10:53 PM

I do run my refrigerator on propane while I am driving.   The only instance that you cannot run it is when you are going through a tunnel.   I went through the bridge tunnel that is in the chesapeake bay area and at the toll booth they asked me to pull over and turn off the propane at the source.  I travel through the tunnel in atlantic city all the time and I don't stop to turn off the propane.....this is a very small tunnel which takes about a minute to go through.   I believe there is a law that states that you either cannot go through a tunnel or you must turn off your propane if you do.   I really don't know and I would not want to find alternative routes because of this because they can take you way out of your way.

rick

[intofire1]

Sent: 6/9/2004 10:05 AM

Please shut off your propane while you fuel your MH. I have been to two MH fires (propane on on both) at gas stations in the past 26 years as a firefighter in Los Angeles. Two doesn't seem like alot but the second one the kids just got out with their lives. Please be safe and enjoy your MH.
Gil

[Sea Hag]

Sent: 6/12/2004 10:07 AM

Kerry - I also run my fridge on propane while driving . I have a three way A/C , DC , Propane . It has an auto ignition for the burner and is only lit when the termostat calls for coolling ( No constant pilot ) It has a led display lights and will display a trouble light if it,s not operating . Always make sure you shut it off and all other pilot lights when refueling . The manual says the 12 VAC operation only maintains temperature for short term use only . We have a manual pilot type in or other rig and have used it while traveling . it does occationally go out  but like spudboy says check it often It wll stay cool for a while . I let mine run 24 hours prior to a trip on 110 vac  then switch to propane when I depart . - Sea Hag 

[westcoast redneck]

Sent: 12/2/2004 11:55 AM

Hello.No one has mentioned 12 v operation while driving.Is my rig so old that they still had 3 way back then.1978.Drive with 12 v on but remember to shut off while stopped or you will drain your battery.If your stopped for a long period throw the propane on. 

[Sea Hag]

Sent: 12/10/2004 11:44 AM

My manual for my three way fridge states that the 12 volt operation is for short term use and does not run the fridge at full capasity . It states that it's just to help maintain the temperature for short periods of time .  Your rig isn't too old to have this type mine is a 76 .
sea hag 

[denisondc]

Sent: 12/10/2004 2:46 PM

Since the 115 volt fridge operating element is nothing more than a 150 watt heater, and the propane burner probably 200 watts/hour equivalent, how hard could it be to make up a 150 watt heating element that ran from 12 volts?  It would draw about 13 amps.  Thats about the same load on your alternator as running at night, with the headlamps, tail-lamps, running and clearance lights.  This has been on my list to try out for some time.   

[OldEdBrady]

Sent: 12/10/2004 8:53 PM

I use the propane to heat the water and cool down the refrigerator.  When I move the Whiny Beggar, I turn the gas off, and switch the refrigerator to 12V (AFTER starting the motor!).  When I get where I'm going, I put the refrigerator on 115V, turn off the motor, and hook up to the power.

So far (fingers crossed), I haven't had to use the generator.  It runs, but I think it's original with my '77 Brave

[Sea Hag]

Sent: 12/11/2004 1:05 PM

My guess is that they purposely installed a lower watt element on the 12volt to keep you from running the batts down and getting stranded . I ve really never found the need to run mine on 12volt except to check if the 12volt element worked . My propane mode has an auto ignition and only uses gas when it calls for coolling , No constant pilot , I can also see the Fridge light pannel thrrough the rear view mirror mounted above the dash and can see if the trouble lamp comes on ( It's about all that mirror is good for ) . When boondocking or traveling I always use gas mode . All my controlls are inside above the fridge , so I can eisily turn it off or switch to 12 volt while refueling , I ussually just turn it off . .  I only use 110 volt mode while docked and for intial coolling a day before my trip . Sea Hag 

[jbrt1989]

From: jbrt1989

It is very dangerous to drive with any of your propane devices running.  Not a wise idea at all in my opinion.   If your fridge works on 12V that's my suggestion.  My RV fridge hasn't worked on 12V since I bought the rig, the poor thing is on it's last leg.  While there may be ways to keep the fridge cold on the road without L/P and 12V I don't know any of them.  I pretty much empty the darn thing and keep everything iced down in a good ice chest till I get where I'm going.   My water heater will warm the water fast enough to fire it up when I stop and want a shower later or in the moring. The furnace takes awhile to warm things up, but, with the genset running, I can use a couple of good space heaters to take the chill off before I go to bed. (I wouldn't suggest leaving those things unattended either) Again, I'm just not comfortable leaving the gas on while driving.... there's just too many things that can go wrong especially in an older unit. 

Only my humble opinion.  I may be an old fuddy duddy, but, as a former truck driver, I've seen my share of these fine old "kings of the road" burning down to the ground on the side of the highway with some poor guy in tears watching from a distance glad to have made it out alive.

[james]

From: james

I have logged over 60,000 miles and always run my refer on gas. Theres nothing in the manual that suggest anything different. I also run my hot water heater. Never had the refer cut off except down in the keys with 30 mph side winds.

[beach]

 
We have always run the fridge on propane on the road Only have to make sure we are not going to go thru a tunnel

[UluzYarx]

 
Do you really want to drive into a filling (gas?) station with your fridge pilot light on?

[TAWmson3]

Well, FWIW, I run genset driving, if only for the roof air as my dash air contributed to engine overheating so it's gone.  Again, it kinda depends on the journey.  Similar to MSN Member, I also have some freezer 'bags'.  The ones I got are neat, like a bubble wrap sheet with the bubbles filled with water.  Works very well, lays flat.  Also neat is to put packs of frozen sausages/hot dogs or whatever in either freezer or fridge.  Making sure your fridge/freezer food is cold to begin with helps considerably.

[Rickf1985]

I run the propane. Both in the RV and my slide in. I can't possibly see how you can have a fire if you keep the compartment clean and the unit maintained. The burner is enclosed and the area around it is well ventilated so I just do not see how a fire could start in there. If the flame blows out the gas stops until it sees a flame again.

[ibdilbert01]

"Only have to make sure we are not going to go thru a tunnel"

Never gave a tunnel a thought, always ran through them with the fridge lit on propane.    Hm?

[Oz]

In some states, it's illegal to run LP in tunnels. I'm pretty sure Maryland is one of them.  I believe the logic is that if there were a fire in the RV as a result of the LP and/or explosion....

[yvan]

I am new to the RV world, but we froze our water jug (1 Gallon), plugged in the Winny the night before, loaded the fridge the next morning and drove off.  8 Hours later in 30c heat we arrived at our destination with everything in the fridge still cold, eveything in the freezer still frozen, and lit the propane. When we got home 3 days later(another 8 hour drive with just residual cold to keep the fridge on ice) our water jug still had a big block of ice in it.

[ramit]

we run propane on our refrigerator except on the ferry then run 12 dc.... just completed a 6600 km trip no issues

[treeman]

I have been told a piece of dry ice placed in the fridge will last a long time and keep it very cold for about 2 days or more. I have received frozen perishables that were shipped by mail that took 4 days to arrive in cooler with dry ice and are still frozen. Give it a try and all know how it works.

[DonD]

Makes me wonder what propane powered vehicles do in tunnels.

[Rickf1985]

Makes me wonder what propane powered vehicles do in tunnels.

Never thought about that one?!

[xerofall]

I believe they're still internal combustion... the fridge's pilot light and burner is an open flame.