Propane ON or OFF when travelling ?

Birchwood

Well-known member
Read an article where it says travelling with propane tanks on is not safe
The fridge will remain cold for 6 to 8 hours anyway.We have our propane
tanks on at all times ,what are other people doing?
Apparently there has been fires caused by travel with propane ON.
 

bighorn3370

Well-known member
I do not trun off my porpane. But keep this mind. Their is a flame and if you pull into a gas station it could ignite the fumes. You will get lots off people saying off and others on. At the end of the day it is up to you. How safe do you feel with propan on? I think there are far more with propane on then off. Ernie
 

Sandpirate69

Well-known member
Not to sound mean or anything, but we drive our vehicles with fuel in them. Yes, each type of fuel has its violatility and the posability of causing a fire. So, I will continue to keep mine on. My truck doesn't run unless there's diesel getting to the pistons.
 

JWalker

Northeast Region Director-Retired
The virginia Rally (2 weeks ago) was the first time we had our tanks off since last June, when we bought the 5er. We went through the check point going into the bridge tunnel into Virgina Beach. I do not know what the correct answer is??? I guess it is just preference.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
We travel with propane on and refrigerator running on propane. From what I've read, modern tanks should shut off automatically if a line ruptures.

The trailer manual and the refrigerator/furnace manuals all say to have propane shut off for safety reasons when refueling. Apart from those warnings, if I remember correctly, gasoline pumps are a much higher risk than diesel because the gasoline fumes are much more volatile and could easily ignite from the open flame on the refrigerator.
 

back2nature

Well-known member
We leave ours on. The refer is always on auto, so when traveling down the road it switches to propane. We like to keep the ice frozen.
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
We run with ours on also. I worked in the propane industry for a few years, delivered my fair share of it, and I feel very safe around propane. It is has a lot less chances of igniting than even natural gas does. The main issue is that it is heaver than air so if you are going to stay in a low lined area for a while and there is a leak, it would not dissipate. So you are at risk in the area. It also requires an exact amount of air to gas ratio to even ignite. So yes I run down the road with them on.
 

rick_debbie_gallant

Well-known member
I do not trun off my porpane. But keep this mind. Their is a flame and if you pull into a gas station it could ignite the fumes. You will get lots off people saying off and others on. At the end of the day it is up to you. How safe do you feel with propan on? I think there are far more with propane on then off. Ernie

Let us not forget that gas fumes are "heavier than air". To prove a point, ever light a fire using gasoline? Ever notice how the big "wooosh" happens at the ground level. Yup, gas fumes are heavier than air.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
We leave ours on, but if you ask "Mac, the fire guy" he would tell you in no uncertain terms to never ever travel with it on. We hope and pray to never have a problem but also remember if you turn it off that you better turn the refrigerator switch to off to keep the DSI from sparking attempting to light as that could ignite gasoline fumes too, as could the DSI on the water heater and furnace. Just food for thought. Also keep in mind there are many bridges and tunnels in the US that will not let you travel on or in them with the propane on.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
I think that many of us who live in the hot West leave the refrig propane ON. If you are so inclined you COULD wire a 10 guage battery charging line from the battery of your tow vehicle, through a max 60 amp DC circuit breaker to a specal high amperage connector to your trailer to your trailer's battery system. Then you could wire a dedicated inverter to supply AC power to your refrig while travelling down the road.


BTW, Washington State Ferries also require you turn off your propane at the tank valve.
 

murry135

New York Chapter Leaders - retired
Travel with them on except where required to turn them off, ie. tunnels. There is a high chance for another type of disaster before propane ignition while travelling. IMHO.
 

Hastey

Oklahoma Chapter Leaders
Not to sound mean or anything, but we drive our vehicles with fuel in them. Yes, each type of fuel has its violatility and the posability of causing a fire. So, I will continue to keep mine on. My truck doesn't run unless there's diesel getting to the pistons.

Well put!

What about the LP and CNG powered vehicles. A CNG vehicle has a tank compressed to 3000 psi of NG.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
For us, a short trip (less than 2 hours), we might run it before the trip, then leave it off for on the road. But longer trips, we have done it both ways: all food packed in a cooler, or with propane on, depending on where we were traveling (our trips in the winter, might as well leave it off). Going over Hoover Dam to Las Vegas, we had to have our propane off, so all food was packed in the cooler for that leg. We had to go through a checkpoint where they examined the inside of the rig as well. I can see both sides. ;)

Erika
 

dieselsweetheart

Well-known member
Funny someone should post this question. I just asked the dieselengineer this same question as we were coming home from Va Beach and the whole tunnel-shutting-it-off thing. I guess it depends on how far your are traveling but I saw the first post said things will stay cold 6-8 hours and that's the answer I was given. We are w/e, rally go-ers only....so we are never that far away from the electric plug. This means we travel with it off. I keep ice in my freezer so that should help to keep your fridge contents cold too...
 
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